Located in the heart of the Levant, Jordan is a landlocked kingdom, save for a small window onto the Red Sea, where vast, quiet deserts meet some of the most famous ruins in the world. Most people start in Amman, a hilly capital city where you can eat incredible falafel downtown and then walk up to the Citadel to see Roman columns overlooking the urban sprawl. From there, it’s an easy drive south to Petra, the "Rose City" carved directly into pink sandstone cliffs. Walking through the narrow gorge known as the Siq until the Treasury suddenly appears is the kind of moment that stays with you forever. Further south, the landscape turns into Wadi Rum, a desert of red sand and towering rock formations where you can camp under the stars with Bedouin hosts.