Get active in Jordan!

Although Jordan may primarily be known for its cultural attractions, with Petra featuring on many a traveller's ultimate must-see list, there's so much more to this beautiful country than just historic buildings and desert scenery. If you're looking for an unforgettable adventure holiday, then take Jordan by the scruff of the neck and shake it: you might be surprised what drops out…

Canyoning

The stunning sandstone valley of Wadi Rum offers the chance to scramble up steep desert trails and through hidden canyons for awe-inspiring views of the jebels (mountains) formed by centuries of erosion. But this famous canyon is not the only place for superlative trekking. South of Madaba, mountains plunge more than 1,500m from the highland plateau down to the shores of the Dead Sea and this folded landscape is cut by a sequence of deep gorges. Go exploring here in spectacular Wadi Mujib canyon on an epic adventure of trekking, abseiling, wading, swimming and waterfall-jumping between towering walls of sandstone, discovering hidden pools and breathtaking views at the heart of the Mujib Nature Reserve. Find out more about canyoning in Jordan Cycling Although walking and trekking on foot through the hills and valleys is a well-established tourist activity in Jordan, cycling and mountain-biking are relative newcomers to the adventure tourism scene here. Some of the best riding is around the easygoing market town of Madaba, southwest of the Jordanian capital, Amman. Here, byways and country lanes cross the fields and hilly forests on routes perched high above the Dead Sea rift. This beautiful desertscape can be explored on a tailor made holiday to really get you out amongst the scenery and into contact with the local people. Find out more about cycling in Jordan Horse riding Celebrate Jordan’s epic desertscape of Wadi Rum – as featured in Lawrence of Arabia – by venturing out across the sands on horseback. As well as camels, the local bedouin have long kept Arabian horses stabled in the desert. Now a local camp and desert compound, known as Bait Ali, offers visitors the chance to experience the romance and adventure of multi-day wilderness trips amid Rum’s magnificent dunes and mountains on horseback. This is a particularly good activity for families so bring the kids and introduce them to horse-riding in an unbeatably exciting environment. Find out more about horse riding in Jordan Scuba diving Last but not least, abandon the world above ground to discover a whole new world beneath the waves. Jordan has some of the Red Sea’s least spoilt, most fascinating reef dives, and many are easily accessed directly from the shore on the fringing coral reef which come surprisingly close to the land – some are as close as just 60 metres offshore. Float through both soft and hard coral gardens or explore spectacular wreck dives and get up close and personal with some truly stunning tropical fish – if you're really lucky, you may even see a green turtle feeding on the sea grass. Find out more about scuba diving in Jordan Find more Jordan holidays