Jordan Itinerary: A Culinary Adventure

Tomorrow, I’m headed out with a group of bloggers on the adventure of a lifetime to visit Jordan.  It’s been my dream to go here and visit Petra in person ever since I first saw these dramatic landscapes in movies.  And as silly as this may sound, riding a camel and sleeping in a tent in the desert is something I’ve not yet done, but always wanted to!

There are two groups of bloggers going, one following an adventure itinerary, and one following a culinary itinerary with a little adventure sprinkled in.  As you might have guessed, I’ll be on the Culinary Trip!  Here’s what we’ll be doing …

Jordan Itinerary: A Culinary Adventure & Visit To Petra

Day 1

• A taste of Jordanian food at Sufra Restaurant! From what I’m told, it’s one of the world’s most sophisticated and elaborate cuisines and mealtimes are celebrated.  Can’t wait!

Day 2

• A tour of the spice markets, Souk Sukkar (a vegetable market), and the Roman Theater.
• Visit Zumot Winery for a taste of Jordanian wine.  (Did you know the middle east is where wine was originally cultivated?  Since Biblical times, quite literally.)
• An immersive “cook and dine” experience at Beit Sitti where we’ll make an Arabic homemade meal.

Day 3

• Visit Dana Biosphere, Jordan’s largest nature reserve along the Great Rift Valley.
• Petra Kitchen Dining Experience where we cook a full Jordanian dinner including a soup, hot and cold mezza dishes (appetizers), and a main course. We’ll learn the art of elegant presentation, a hallmark of Levantine cuisine, and enjoy sharing the meal family style when it’s complete.
• Petra By Night.  This is one experience I am MOST excited about.  We’ll get to see this UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the 7 wonders of the world, by the light of 1,800 candles and walk a candlelit path through the Siq to the Khazneh.

Day 4

• Visit Petra and meet locals, including Marguerite Van Gerldermalsen, a New Zealander who fell in love, got married, and wrote the book Married To A Bedouin.  I can’t wait to hear her stories!
• A camel ride in Wadi Rum.  Wadi Rum is another UNESCO World Heritage Site known as The Valley Of The Moon for it’s dramatic desert landscapes.
• Traditional Bedouin Zarb Dinner and overnight in the Captain’s Desert Camp (Bucket List:  riding a camel and sleeping in a tent in the middle of the desert … check!)

Day 5

• A hot air balloon ride over Wadi Rum.
• Jeep Safari through rugged sand dunes of Wadi Rum, retracing the tracks of Lawrence of Arabia.
• Bedouin Lunch of Mansaf, a traditional Jordanian dish made of lamb and yogurt.

Day 6

• Exploring the Red Sea by boat and going for a swim.
• A traditional lunch of Sayadieh (fish and rice).
• Tour of Aqaba, a coastal city on the north of the Red Sea.

Day 7

• Tour of Madaba, home to the famous 6th century Mosaic Map of Jerusalem
• Going for a swim in the dense, rich, salty Dead Sea.  (Did you know that the Dead Sea is 1,312 feet below sea level?  It’s the lowest point on the face of the earth.)

Day 8

• Visit Jerash, one of the largest, most well preserved sites of Roman architecture in the world outside of Italy.
• Dinner at Udron Cafe for a last look at Amman with it’s panoramic view overlooking the city.

Cue Indiana Jones music!  We’re about to go on an epic trip!  We’ll be tasting some delicious foods, doing some cooking, going on an adventure in the desert, and staying at some amazing accommodations.  Can you tell I’m excited about it?  If you’d like to follow our trip  in-real-time, just save the hashtag #GoJordan on your Twitter or Instagram feed.

This post was brought to you as a result of the #GoJordan blog trip, created and managed by iAmbassador in partnership with Visit Jordan.  The Travel Bite maintains full editorial control of the content published on this site.