Kimkim Trip Reviews for Jordan

We booked a 10 day trip to Jordan as a family (2 adult children). Starting in Amman we did the standard trip - Amman, Petra, Wadi Rum, Aqaba then ending at The Dead Sea.
Lena's communication and advice was excellent. We had a driver (Mohammed) throughout which made the trip very straight forward. I don't see how you could really cover this ground in a limited amount of time without a driver. The car was very comfortable and Mohammed was efficient and punctual. We got a couple of quotes and this was competitive. Jordan is quite pricey so it would be no cheaper to book once you arrived. Plus this way, everything's organised and you can make the most of your time.

We were mid summer so it was very hot but the plus was that it was very quiet and at times, we had the places to ourselves.

Jordan is a fantastic country with a lot to offer. We loved Amman and its eclectic range of markets and restaurants. The old town was much more interesting to us than the more westernised Rainbow Street. Petra was stunning - we didn't use a guide as the published material is very clear and you can then take things in at your own pace. We spent about 7/8 hours there - be prepared for a lot of walking but there are plenty of places inside to rest and get a drink. (Highly recommend The Old Village Hotel - out of the town up on the hill - but a short taxi ride to the sights).

Jerash, Iraq al Amir, Ajloun - all wonderful. The view across Galilee to Israel and Syria is amazing as is the view across the Dead Sea from Nebo. A lot of the place names are familiar from the Bible so it's really moving to actually see these landscapes which haven't really changed after thousands of years. All these sites were pre-planned and were more beautiful and atospheric than we'd imagined. The Karak castle was also really interesting.

Wadi Rum - much more interesting than I'd expected -we had the four hour jeep ride which I had been expecting to be too long but there was a lot to see (including a stunning sunset). We stayed at the Luxury Tented Camp which is a novel experience as the tents have a transparent side - allowing a clear view at night. Food at this place wasn't so good but you are in the middle of the desert! Tents are comfortable with their own small bathroom area. It was quiet when we stayed but there is a bar around a fire which allows you to take in the amazing mountain and desert scenery.

Next to Aquaba - good places to eat in town (recommend Syrian Palace). We went out to the beach for the day which was a welcome chance to rest after all the travelling. Water near the shore was not as clean as you'd hope but if you swim out from the jetty it's crystal clear. You can hire a mask/snorkel.

Finally - The Dead Sea. Now this was a great experience from the point of view of floating in the Dead Sea and covering yourself in the famous mud. The hotels are all resort style. We don't really go for this type of accommodation - (Marriot) it was packed with families and struggling to keep up with being fully occupied. If you don't like this ritzy type of place, it would be worth looking for something more low key and calmer. On the way to the airport we visited Bethany beyond the Jordan - someone was being baptised.

One thing to check- we had booked a cookery lesson and Mohammed duly got us to the place on time but communication clearly hadn't been clear, as they weren't expecting us. They cooked a delicious meal but no lesson. The other thing we didn't see which was on our itinerary was the Dana Nature Reserve - I guess we just ran out of time.

So - if you're undecided on Jordan - we'd definitely recommend! It's different - another culture - lots of historical sites and wonderfully friendly people. It really worked as a destination for all ages.

Two things I have to say: thank you and amazing!
The best thing of all, the people I interacted with: Tamara, Mohammad and Tito!
I usually do my own travel planning and booking, this time I booked a last minute trip to Jordan and I am more than happy I got to be connected via kimkim to the Why Jordan Tours team, from the first moment I got contacted by Tamara I knew that all I had to do was to leave it all to the experts and begin to enjoy my trip.
Tamara was incredibly helpful, despite the time difference between Mexico and Jordan we had a great communication, she listened and asked the right questions for me to tell her what I had in mind and she pulled a great itinerary for me. I had a few questions on regards to how I'd be crossing the land boarder from Israel to Jordan and she was able to give me all the details, I had nothing to worry about as she knew it all!
Once we agreed on a few changes to the itinerary I was all set, and with less than a week for me to arrive. Tamara did a fantastic job, you can tell right away that she is an expert in her field and she knows how to make travelers happy!
A couple days before arriving to Jordan I was contacted via phone by Tito, to put me in contact with my driver (and now dear friend Mohammad).
Once crossing the boarder and leaving the premisses I met with Mohammad, I can't say nothing more than I was the luckiest guy to have him be my driver/tour guide/travel buddy along my 5 day stay in Jordan. He is a very respectful, caring, knowledgeable person to have as your guide. He took care of everything along the ride for me to just literally enjoy and be able to see and do the most out of it, giving me the right tips of the things to do and see in the places I visited/stayed.
Jordan is an amazing country and I want to go back, soon if possible!
I began in Amman, a quick stop in the Citadel to get amazed by the view of the city and the ruins of the historical site.
Day 2 - I visited Jerash, quite an amazing and huge compound of the historical site, quick stop at Madaba to see the famous mosaic map, then stop at Mount Nebo to enjoy an amazing view and being wow by the church and mosaics. Overnight in Petra, amazing dinner and hotel.
Day 3 - Petra... I'm speechless! you have to visit at least once in your life. I had the chance to stop by the Why Jordan Tours office and met in person Tamara and Tito!
Day 4 - Wadi Rum, the desert is so magical, the sunset and the stars at night are spectacular. The camp I stayed in was unbelievable, amazing service, food, rooms, location.
Day 5 - jeep tour in the desert with amazing views and walks, a lunch prepared by my Bedouin driver in the middle of the desert, a delicious chicken bbq! Off to Dead Sea, it was incredibly hot!!!
Day 6 - end of my tour...
The best thing of my trip is I had the chance to meet amazing people, that is the most precious thing I'm taking from Jordan, the people is so warm and friendly. I truly know that I made friends which will last forever!
Muchas gracias Mohammad, Tamara, Tito and kim kim team!

Everything was great, the fact that I was able to message back and forth in a "conversation" style on KimKim was very easy going and helped as I was able to request changes as they happened up to the trip.

One of the best things about my trip to Jordan when booking through Kimkim was my driver, Yahya. I wasn't sure about doing an individual trip to another country. But my driver was great company, he was a good converser.

He talked me through what to expect, how to get the most out of my trip, also made recommendations to see things, such as on our way to Dana Village, he knew of a great spot to view the sunset so we were able to catch that. He had great recommendations of places to eat. All in all, he made the trip a much better than what it would have been otherwise

He even brought a Hotspot so I can stay connected on the trip.

I started from Amman to the North, Jerash and Ajloun. These places held ancient and medieval sites of Romans, a complete city, and a Muslim castle.

The next day was Madaba, Karak and Dana village. I really enjoyed Dana village and seeing the 500 year old village. The highlight of the visit was going on a hike with the local bedouin man that has lived in those mountains for more than 60 years.

After that was Aqaba and Dead Sea. Aqaba is a nice city, it was nice to see another bustling city since I left Amman. I enjoyed my stay there next to the sea. The Dead Sea resort I was at for some reason didn't have access to the beach open. Only to their pools, which was a let down.

After that, being back in Amman before my flight back was great. I was able to get some good falafel and shawerma one last time.

The driver was great, very thoughtful and attentive. Not always punctual at the start of the day, did give us some notice. Throughout the day, perfectly fine. Bilal the day tour guide was very knowledgeable. We saw petra through his enchanting descriptions and with great detail. LENA Was amazing, always there to respond and answer our questions, almost immediately. Seamless travel tailor made.

THANK YOU 😁
Michelle

I enjoyed the private Jordan tour and all Tamara’s hard work putting it together at the last minute. Her flexibility and helpfulness along the way were most important, answering my numerous questions, and ensuring I had non-smoking hotel rooms and a driver I could speak to.
The disappointments were mostly due to a lack of research on my part and even so were far outweighed by the positives. I would and will recommend your agency, driver Ala’a (the very cool, smart Aloosh), the Ramada Dead Sea Resort, and most of the sites. The Citadel in Amman and Wadi Rum 4x4 tour (wear sneakers and socks for full enjoyment) and overnight were surprisingly interesting, Petra as awesome as imagined, and Wadi Mujid the clear winner - just a costly late addition. If you’re at all fit, tough, and can swim and climb a ladder, get Wadi Mujid included in your tour (Dead Sea area).
Tamara is to be commended for her patience, for taking such good care of me along the way and for being so responsive to my many questions and needs. Jordan is a beautiful, exciting country with much to do beyond the ruins. The people are lovely. I've rarely felt more safe traveling by myself. I will go back to the people at KimKim for future worldwide trips. Great support.

My driver was excellent, reliable punctual and knowledgable.

Petra was amazing and I wish I had scheduled more time there.

Dont be put off by going in July, it was no hotter than the UK was this summer and the place was empty of tourists.

Good choices for veggie food.

We had a great time in Jordan. Lena was very thorough and helpful both prior to the trip and during the trip. She was quick to respond and deal with queries and issues. She made the whole experience seamless. Yahya was a thoughtful and knowledgeable driver whose local knowledge helped us experience and appreciate the history of the area. Petra was unbelievable. Beyond what we were expecting. Bilal was a very knowledgeable Petra guide who has endless amounts of information about the area. We had an amazing time and enjoyed learning about Jordan’s place in the world and it’s part in history. The itinerary is fast paced, yet ideal to get the most out of the country in a limited amount of time.

Thank you KimKim, Lena and your local team for making this happen.

Happy Travellers all round,

Gillian and Michelle

It was incredibly helpful to have kimkim to arrange this trip. It was in between heavy work travel and I needed something to do on personal time, but I did not have the bandwidth to arrange such a complicated trip by myself. Having an English-speaking driver as well as guides at Petra and Wadi Rum was enormously helpful. They were all flexible and resourceful. I was also pleased about how easy it was to customize elements of my trip, particularly choosing and using miles to book accommodations for some nights. My favorite accommodation was the La Locanda in Amman the way it served as a local cultural spot, and I enjoyed the campsite in Wadi Rum--it was a bit awkward because it was empty due to a tour group having their flight cancelled, but I enjoyed the spirit the of the staff despite that and being alone. The itinerary was packed and I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had more days and slowed down the pace, but what was put together was based on the parameters I had set.

I was glad to have visited Petra and walk around. My favorite part of the trip was Wadi Rum, as the landscape was so unusual and fascinating, and I enjoyed the feeling of being remote from the world. I was able to meet a friend in Amman and enjoyed just walking around a bit--I would have liked to see the citadel and possibly some of the museums. I think if one is going to Petra, there's not as much need to see Jerash, especially when it's hot, as well as some of the other minor stops--although I don't regret any of those. If I were to return to Jordan, I would probably opt for more of an adventure trip. The Dead Sea was a great place to recover, but I felt my time there was a bit too short to make myself feel comfortable in the large resort complex.

Mohammad was an excellent driver and we got along very well. There was slight confusion and I had been dropped off at the wrong hotel in Petra, although Mohammad was very quick in finding out what had happened and got me to the correct hotel. I would definitely have Mohammad be my driver again. We played a mix of Western and Arab music in the car, and occasionally stopped for tea or coffee. We had some good conversations and Mohammad was open about his life and thoughts. My guide in Wadi Rum was also named Mohammad and he was very accommodating when there were some French tourists who were a bit stranded in the desert with their vehicle and we assisted them.

Some things that could have been improved include having a better sense of the line item costs in the travel agency package, as that would have helped me figure out the right tips. I also personally prefer to avoid being around tourists when not at a popular tourist site. It would have been nice to stop by local restaurants in the various cities and towns, or get some street food. There was also a souvenir place around Mount Nebo that was fine to stop by, but I felt obligated to purchase something without really expecting it. I'm a bit of a minimalist traveler and don't like to add souvenirs unless I spot something at something like a boutique shop I spontaneously walk into. Also, it would have helped to get some guidance about the seasonal conditions in Jordan with the heat. It was hard even with looking up the weather in Jordan to understand how much hotter it was under the sun in midday. I'm quite happy that I was there during a low tourist season, but probably could have been more psychologically prepared for the heat.

Overall, I would use kimkim again and be more assertive about the details and my particular preferences as a traveler. I wasn't sure about how flexible I could be in these trips, but it seems like I could have customized the trip even more. I very much appreciated having someone around helping me and able to contact while I was there, so that I would not have to worry about being able to get from one place to another or smoothly returning to work travel at the end of my time in Jordan. I'm very grateful for all the work and service that went into this trip.

Raisa did an amazing job planning our trip for us! We were driven around the country in cool comfort by Ahmad who provided interesting cultural and historical tidbits along the way. He also gave us some great restaurant recommendations for when we got back into Amman. Mohammad, our guide in Petra, was extremely knowledgable and funny. Petra was amazing to experience for the history and beauty of the place. The Dead Sea at the Kempinski resort was a highlight. Floating in the water is such a unique, unforgettable sensation... wish I could do it for hours on end!!! And the service at the resort is some of the best I've ever had in all my travels. Wish I'd had more time everywhere!!!

Lena was helpful and put together a great itinerary for our group of 3, one couple and elderly parent. Make sure you do your own visa research. Our guide Burhan was very knowledgable, accommodating, interesting and helpful. The Dead Sea Spa had a lovely lunch and nice facilities for swimming in the dead sea. Movenpick was a beautiful hotel - A++. Petra was stunning - what an amazing experience. Wadi Rum - 4x4 trip was super cool. The Wadi Rum Luxury Nights camp was pretty good but I recommend confirming which tent you are in, request one with a view of the park, Number 29 had a view of another tent and a sand hill.

What a fabulous trip we had. Carmen planned the trip flawlessly and provided great itinerary suggestions. Our driver Shareef was fantastic and flexible as necessary. Highlights were Petra, Dana reserve (wish we'd stayed 2 nights!), Wadi Rum and Wadi Mujib. The trip was a great mix of culture, historical sites and hikes/canyoning. The Jordanians were ever welcoming and we did not want to leave!

We visited Wadi Rum and Petra. A wonderful experience and well organised. Excellent driver and new Hyundai Van. Driver was always on time. The guide that showed us Wadi Rum had personality, knowledge and a joy to be with.

We had an amazing time in Jordan and all of our reservations/bookings/excursions etc were as we hoped they would be. The W Amman was beautiful. Our driver and guide, Faris, was great and so knowledgeable. He took us to Petra which was a highlight of the trip, then we stayed in a Bedouin camp in Wadi Rum (I recommend letting people know that the drive through the desert to get to the camp takes about 25-30 minutes. It was after 9pm, dark and we were nervous about why it was taking so long. Once we got there everything was great but would have been good to know in advance.) The sunrise jeep ride through Wadi Rum was breathtaking, camel ride was a lot of fun and then we made our way to the dead sea. The resort was beautiful and we had a great time getting mud wraps and taking advantage of the hotel spa's amenities and pools. Wadi Mujib was amazing, definitely a challenge, and our driver got us to the airport nice and early for our 5:30am flight to Cairo. It was an excellent trip!

Carmen was great with helping me organise the trip based on my tight timelines.

My original driver Nedal ended up falling ill and was replaced with Ahmed who was lovely. He didn't have as much knowledge as Nedal but was nothing but professional and ensured my safety came first.

Loved the Jordanian hospitality. Amazing place and I look forward to returning, hopefully in the near future

We had a wonderful time in Jordan. KimKim was very helpful in planning our trip. They were always very quick to respond to our requests or questions.

It was amazing specially Lena and Sharif the the tour guide.Highly recommend it.

I had a great experience with kimkim. The chat is great and made it very easy to book everything. Imke was extremely helpful since the first contact. She accommodated all our changes and answered all my questions. I was quite happy with the support and overall service.

Our trip to Petra and Wadi Rum was one of the most memorable, and it was very much thanks to outstanding planning by Andy. I was trying to communicate with local tour operators to schedule a very specific, customized private tour and was not very successful doing so. I ran into the KimKim team and gave it a shot, best thing I could have possibly done.

Our trip was surprisingly smooth, everything was scheduled impeccably and the itinerary executed flawlessly. Andy captured my vision, and delivered exactly what I was looking for. We started our day in Tel Aviv, visited Petra, and spent the night under the stars in Wadi Rum in a beautiful camp. The following morning we admired Wadi Rum and all it has to offer during the day. I also want to thank our Jordan-based driver, Ali, who was nothing short of amazing. He really made us feel very welcome and was accommodating to our needs throughout the trip. I was amazed at this hospitality and professionalism.

To Andy, Ali and the other local operators: thank you!

Overall the trip was great and all of us think that Petra was the highlight. It was a rush, but that's because we had time constraints and entirely our doing. Carmen is a great planner and was in constant contact & communication before and during the trip. My thanks to her. The guides were good and knowledgeable. Najeeb may have been a little overbearing but overall no complaints. They were punctual and helpful.

The Art Hotel (Downtown) was a great location and good place to stay and get a feel of life of the ordinary people in Amman. The Bedouin camp in Wadi Rum was below our expectations in terms of accommodation. However, the staff were excellent and the jeep tour in the desert was good. (Again I am not pointing any fingers as it was my choice for a 3 star accommodation, but if I may suggest a little more information about the accommodation during the planning stages would have helped).

We were not aware that we had to pay for towels & lockers at the Dead Sea Resort - an alert/info on this matter would have helped.

Overall, we were happy. Cheers.

I could write a book or a love song about My trip to the Jordan, a story and a song that will forever remain in my heart,

The trip started with kind Tamara who knew what I wanted and the places I wanted to visit, between Jerash, Wadi Rum, PETRA, and the Dead Sea,

At the Queen Alia airport, I was met with gentleman who had a sign with my name on it waiting for me, (sincere apologies don’t remember his name) in no time he arranged for my Visa, got my luggage and out of the airport,

Outside, I was met by a familiar face, the face of the Jordanian Hospitality, named Mohammad, I was transferred to his clean well air-conditioned, safely and skilfully driven vehicle, who realized coming from Canada, not accustomed to warm weather offered me cold water and made sure I was happy and comfortable, I felt right at home enjoying every bits of every place I visited

Later, I was accompanied by Mu’ath, a gentleman a guide-who, by his knowledge made the past alive in front of my eyes, thru Petra’s ancient ruins,

My trip to the Jordan exceeded my expectations, glad I left the booking to the professionals, (no headache, and never got lost :)

I left Jordan, it’s beauty and it’s kind people but the Jordan, a song will forever remain in my heart