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FUN & ADVENTURE

The Jordan Valley is a great place for thrill-seekers of all ages and abilities. The hills, valleys and waterways that lead down to the Dead Sea, provide a natural playground for a multitude of outdoor activities, including leisurely walks, exhilarating horseback rides, and challenging climbs. Almost all activities take place under Jordan’s strict code of nature conservation that all visitors are expected to respect.

Hiking in Wadi Mujib

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The Wadi Mujib gorge is an adrenaline junkie's paradise.

Grab a lifejacket and take the plunge. The river is your only path as you trek uphill from the Dead Sea through the narrow, 50m high walls of the Wadi. Your guide will take you through a series of cascading waterfalls, each more challenging than the one before.

The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) offers many different adventures in Wadi Mujib; its most extensive trek is known as the ‘Lost Trail to the Dead Sea’ - a full day expedition that descends from the rugged highlands above Mujib, down to the Dead Sea. Not for the fainthearted!

For those who appreciate Mother Nature and the thrill of the outdoors, a hike through the Wadi system may prove to be a challenging exercise rejuvenating the body as well as the mind.

Hammamat Zarqa Ma'in Hot Springs

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Waterfalls at Ma'in.

Luxuriate in the hot thermal springs at Hammamat Zarqa Ma’in and Al-Himma and take time out to visit some of the historic architecture of the area.
Close by are two sites linked by tradition to Herod the Great. One is the palace at Mukawir (Machaerus), where Salome traditionally danced, and where John the Baptist was beheaded. King Herod was said to have bathed in the medicinal waters of the springs and people have come here for thermal treatments, or simply to enjoy a hot soak, since the days of Rome.

Dead Sea Ultra Marathon

An international ‘fun run’ that takes place every April and raises money for The Society for the Care of Neurological Patients. It starts in Amman and runs 42km (26 miles) to the Dead Sea. Fortunately, it is mostly downhill!

 Visit the Dead Sea Ultra Marathon website


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The curative properties of the Dead Sea have been recognized since the days of Herod the Great over 2,000 years ago.

The Dead Sea is 80km (50 miles) long, approximately 14km (9 miles) wide. The northern and larger part is very deep, reaching at one point a depth of 430m (1320 feet). The southern bay is, on the contrary, very shallow, averaging hardly a depth of 4m (13 feet).

Because of its extremely high content of salt and other minerals, the Dead Sea is devoid of plant and animal life.

The water level of the Dead Sea is dropping by about a 30cm (1 foot) per year. It is being diverted by Israel and Jordan for industry, agriculture and household use. Scientists predict that the sea may be dried up by the year 2050.