Jordan Photography Guide

Hey there! Nice to see you here. Traveling to Jordan was my big adventure of 2020 so far and I have to say that it was one of the most amazing experiences in the last few years. It was the first Arabic country I got to visit so I was extra excited. Being a photographer I, of course, had to bring my gear to create some memories that would last me forever. In general, I described everything in my Jordan itinerary before but I wanted to get you more detailed information about all the beautiful photogenic places I could find in Jordan. So here we go, welcome to the ultimate Jordan Photography Guide!

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What to Bring!

When it comes to the travel photography gear, I like to bring I tend to keep it quite simple. The most important thing to bring is a protective camera bag for your equipment since some of the places you will see are quite sandy!

Sony Alpha 6600 – the best travel camera out there! 

Sony 35 mm f 1,8 lense – perfect for sharp shots with blurred background! 

Amazon Basics Tripod – small light tripod, that fits in any bag! 

Cullman Camera Bag – well-padded camera bag, that will fit your camera body and two lenses. Ideal for the light traveler!

You can now also buy my photographs to enhance your phone and computer and create a little window to your favorite travel destination. It would mean the world to me if you would check out my Etsy shop and have a look!

Amman Citadel

Let’s start at the place we started our 5-day journey through Jordan at. The Amman Citadel is a massive place in the heart of the Jordanian capital. Its “crown jewel” is the ruins of the once-mighty temple of Hercules. With the remaining pillars from it, it creates the perfect scenery for some pictures. I really enjoyed the contrast between the blue sky and my yellow skirt there, so I would advise you to wear something yellow on your visit there!

Jerash

Jerash is the biggest Roman / Greek that was discovered up to this date. The area is really huge and offers some of the most incredible pillar arrangements that are simply perfect for some Instagram shots!

No Tour to Jerash Booked Yet? Check These out!

Dead Sea Float

Something that just shouldn’t miss on any trip to Jordan is a dip in the Dead Sea. Floating like a cork on it is so much fun but it is also a very good motive for photographers!

An extra tip from my side is not only to find a beach at the Dead Sea but look for the place where you can actually have the crystallized salt on the shore. This will give your shot an even more dramatic look and outer-world feel!

Petra

After the Dead Sea, we finally made it to Jordan’s most famous sight, Petra. In advance I didn’t do a lot of research but Petra is WAY bigger than I expected. I knew about the Treasury and the Monastery but I got even more overwhelmed by all the incredible nature surrounding it. There are so many fascinating facts about Petra, all giving you a depper understanding how life was once when it was firstly built.

If you want to learn more about Travel Photography, check out my list of travel photography gear.

Treasury

The most iconic building in Petra! Pictured in Indiana Jones, this one was the main reason I wanted to visit Jordan. It is just the postcard motif number one! To get the perfect shots from it, make sure to visit the sight as soon as the area opens. As it does this at 6:00 am, make sure to set an alarm!

My favorite shots were those frontal from the Treasury and of me sitting on that little edge, around the corner!

Make sure to also have a look above the treasury from the little elevation on the opposite wall of the treasury. That’s also a great place to get some shots from!

Treasury from Above

If you want to get an even more mind-blowing view above the Treasury, then it is time for a little hike! Make sure to use a map and hike to the viewpoint above the Treasury. I won’t lie to you, getting up there is kinda hard, but it will be so rewarding.

When taking pictures, make sure to not fall off that edge. As I usually say, you really don’t want to become one of those idiots that fell off a cliff for a selfie.

Valley Views

We spent 1,5 days in Petra. We did the hike up to the viewpoint above the Treasury on our second day there and went on another one on the first day. The first one led us up to the monastery and to be fair, it was not all about the destination here. The way up was so incredible and breathtakingly beautiful, you won’t believe it, if you haven’t seen it with your own eyes. After each turn, there are these magnificent views above the red valleys of Petra and even though it is exhausting to get up there, it will be worth every single turn.

The Monastery

Once you left the valley views behind and made it past all the sellers trying to make you buying their eye liner you will be rewarded with the most epic sight to look at: the Monastery. Biggest building in Petra that also comes with a handy small bar that offers cold drinks. Perfect after a long hike if you ask me!

For taking the best pictures, walk into that small cave on the opposite of it and take some pictures from there, but also make sure to change up the perspective on it and getting creative!

Want to Get the Most of Traveling to Petra? Make Sure to Book Yourself a Private Tour!

Siq Hike

One thing that I wanted to do but couldn’t was the hike through the Siq. Make sure to check whether or not it is open depending on the time you visit throughout the year.

The Siq is perfect for taking incredible shots of the gorgeous stone walls that have various sedimental layers, that give them their impressive stripes. You can find the same stripes in Petra and in my opinion, they are simply amazing!

Wadi Rum

It was my first time seeing a desert, but camping in Wadi Rum desert made me want to see more of them! Making this experience on my Jordan Photography Tour was wonderful and I thought my heart was going to explode. Lucky me, this desert was also an incredible picturesque one! I took so many photos this day, that it took almost 15 minutes to export all of them to my mobile phone.