Don’t know where to start with your Jordan Itinerary?
We’ve got you covered with this fantastic 10-day road trip route, covering all the must-visit sights of Jordan.
We spent two weeks in Jordan so we could slowly and meaningfully explore as much as we could.
Crucially, it would also allow us to take a considered, personal approach to curating a Jordan itinerary for travellers like you; a Jordan itinerary that allows you to savour several of the Middle East’s crown jewels and enjoy cultural experiences, rather than feel like you're simply on the same standard tourist route as everyone else.
After all, here at Along Dusty Roads, we’re strong believers that it’s those precious unexpected moments in between the big hitters, the fleeting interactions, and curious happenstances which really make a trip memorable.
With that being said, those crown jewels are crown jewels for a reason - and every first-timer in Jordan will definitely be exploring the lost city of Petra, bumping around the breathtaking desert of Wadi Rum, and floating in the disappearing Dead Sea.
However, there's much more to the Hashemite Kingdom than just those famous three: several Biblical sites, majestic Roman ruins, a vibrant local culture and food scene, the mosaics of Madaba, snorkelling and diving in the Red Sea, a tumultuous modern history, and the far-better-than-you-may-expect capital city of Amman.
A compact country linked by three highways, it’s ideal for a road trip and we think that’s the best way to get out and explore it independently. Of course, renting a car isn’t mandatory to get around, but you’ll need to first understand a couple of important points about public transport connections there and adapt your expectations accordingly; we run through this too so you can pick what’s best for you!
In this post, we’ve shared the 10-day Jordan itinerary we would do if going back tomorrow, armed with all the knowledge of our own trip. Taking you slowly from north to south, and then back up north, it’s realistic, well-paced, and will give you just the right amount of time to really get to know each place.
Alongside the essential context and practical advice you need to plan effectively, we’ve also shared our personal advice and recommendations for activities, accommodation, tours, and stops for each day of the trip. You can follow it to the letter or use it as a framework to tweak and adapt your own road trip route!
JOrdan itinerary essentials
Length / 7-10 days is ideal
Start / Amman is best, but Aqaba is an alternative in the south
Rent / Check prices and availability on Rentalcars.com and AutoEurope
Bases / Amman, Madaba, Wadi Musa, Wadi Rum, and the Dead Sea
Alt / If not renting a car, a combination of buses, taxis, and multi-day tours is the best alternative to explore
Tour / For shorter trips to see the highlights, consider joining a small-group tour like this highly-rated one
Buy / The government-run Jordan Pass is a good idea for some travellers.
Our Recommended 10-day Jordan itinerary
Day Zero / Arrive in Amman - Stay in Amman at Khan Khediwe Hotel
Day One / Explore Amman - Stay in Amman at Khan Khediwe Hotel
Day Two / Drive to & Explore Jerash - Drive to Madaba - Stay at in Madaba at Tell Guesthouse
Day Three / Bethany Beyond the Jordan & Mount Nebo - Stay in Madaba at Tell Guesthouse
Day Four / King’s Highway & Kerak Castle - Drive to Petra - Stay in Wadi Musa at Sunset Hotel
Day Five / Explore Petra - Stay in Wadi Musa at Sunset Hotel
Day Six / Drive to Wadi Rum - Stay in Wadi Rum desert camp
Day Seven / Wadi Rum Jeep Tour - Drive to Dead Sea - Stay in Dead Sea at Kempinski Hotel
Day Eight / Wadi Mujib - Dead Sea - Stay in Dead Sea at Kempinski Hotel
Day Nine / Bonus Day
Day Ten / Drive Back to Amman - Drop Off Car - Fly Home
Jordan Itinerary | Planning Tips & Route Notes
Don’t worry, we also hate posts where they give you more questions than answers, and you’ve still got to spend hours more researching afterward!
However, we do need to give you some of the background and context behind planning a Jordan itinerary.
This will help you anticipate and understand several important aspects of travelling in the country, the choices and changes we made after our own experiences across two weeks, the impact of the season, and why our route starts in Amman rather than Aqaba.
Ultimately, openly sharing this context will allow you to save a lot of planning time and easily tweak our suggested Jordan itinerary according to your own preferences, travel style, start point, and budget.
Do You Need to Hire a Car?
In order to follow this itinerary, in the period of time allotted, yes you do need to hire a car.
Public transport, as we explain more in 23 Things To Know Before You Visit Jordan (published soon), is very limited and sporadic in Jordan, especially for travellers who are only visiting for a week.
This is why a combination of tours and taxis fill the void, even for the most independently-minded travellers.
If renting a car and doing a Jordan road trip doesn't appeal, and you’ve got less than a week to cover the highlights, we'd strongly recommend looking into small-group tours of Jordan run by companies like G Adventures and Much Better Adventures. This isn’t something we usually suggest for our readers but, given the country’s layout and size, the very well-established things to do in Jordan, and the lack of reliable public transport connectivity for certain attractions, a tour with a local guide and like-minded travellers may actually offer the best experience.
Alternatively, you can do a pick and mix of independent travel with shorter, multi-day tours that include private transport to the main sights; this is a popular, highly-rated two-day option.
We share much more advice for road trippers in The Essential Guide To Driving In Jordan, and we recommend checking prices and availability on both Rentalcars.com and AutoEurope to get the best deal for your dates.
Should I start in Amman or Aqaba?
Most of you will do the same as us by arriving and flying home from the capital city of Amman, where the main international airport is found.
The southern port city of Aqaba also has an airport, but traditionally sees most traffic in October and November due to the increased budget airline flights from Europe running exclusively in those post-summer months. It’s built around modern tourism resorts and dive schools, and is very conveniently situated as a base for shorter Jordan trips focussing more on sun, relaxation, and day trips to Petra and Wadi Rum, rather than a full-on road trip.
We didn’t really love it there, and don’t suggest Aqaba as an essential stop in the country if it’s not somewhere you’re flying in / out of or you’re hoping to dive.
However, if you’re currently planning a Jordan road trip starting/ending in Aqaba, the good news is that ours is easily adaptable if you simply reverse it and decide how much time to give to the city of Amman.
WHY NOT A 7 day Jordan Itinerary, or TWO WEEKS?
If simply prioritising the ‘big three’, it’s absolutely possible to visit them in seven days with a rental car, and you could even do it in a little less time if you don't mind rushing along.
Without a car and very short on time? You’re best to join a highly-rated multi-day tour like this one or this one if you’re hoping to visit Petra, Wadi Rum, and the Dead Sea.
However, with a week-long road trip in the country, you would be limited from heading off that well-established route followed by all the tour groups and have to accept that it’s going to have to be a very tight, well-planned, and organised trip. It may feel a bit too touristy overall, you wouldn’t have much time for relaxation, serendipity or heading north, and compromises would have to be made on what you’re going to miss out on where.
That’s why we think it’s much better to have 10 days in Jordan.
Do you need two weeks in Jordan? In our view, no.
As mentioned, we actually spent a fortnight here, but don’t think that length of time is going to be necessary for most travellers. This is why didn’t want to simply regurgitate the route we did (you can find that at the end of the post thought, but rater share what we would do if going back for the first time with everything we know now!
With a rental car or using a combination of tours + transfers, we think ten days is perfect for independent travellers looking for a good balance, space for spontaneity, and to go a little slower, and a little deeper overall.
If you only have a week, you can of course trim a few days off or switch things around in our itinerary, but you absolutely will not be able to do all the best things to do in Jordan in 7 days.
How many days for Petra?
If fit and happy to rise early (which we recommend for the best experience), then you can explore the UNESCO World Heritage site’s highlights in one full day.
Our itinerary also includes a half-day afterwards that you can use if you’d prefer to spread it out, see more, or give yourself a second walk through the Siq. Note that the government-run Jordan Pass, which many travellers should purchase before arrival as it includes your visa and money-saving tickets for most places you’ll visit, offers one, two, and three-day Petra tickets.
Petra is found in the town of Wadi Musa, which also has the main museum and a short drive from the excellent Little Petra site, and if you wish to meaningfully do those, the Little Petra hike, or more of the trails in and around Petra, you’ll definitely 1.5 or two days in total.
Plan | Our Guide To Visiting Petra
How many days for Wadi Rum?
We think an overnight is an essential part of the desert experience (there really is nothing like sitting out under the stars in Wadi Rum) but you don’t have to do a full-day jeep tour like we did (4-5 hours will be perfect).
Our Jordan itinerary gives you one night and a half-day, which is the ideal amount of time to experience the best this mars-like landscape can offer.
Are you a diver?
One of the reasons we actually spent two weeks in Jordan was so that we could squeeze in a couple of dives near Aqaba (we’d not long got our Advanced Open Water in Utila, Honduras and were keen to keep up the skill); if you love to dive, we’d highly recommend either altering this itinerary to prioritise time in Aqaba or alternatively, adding in a couple of extra days for diving.
Plan | Our Guide to Aqaba
A Dead Sea Day Trip or Stay
For some, spending a night or two at the fancier hotels on the shore of the Dead Sea will be an unmissable part of your holiday. Aside from floating in the salty waters and treating yourself to a mudbath or two, this is the place many go to for full-on relaxation in between the more active adventures elsewhere on the trip.
However, there aren’t lots of accommodation options, most come with a decent price tag, and some travellers may prefer to only have a day trip of swimming, mudding, and stopping off at the multiple viewpoints off the Dead Sea highway.
In this itinerary, we’ve given you some well-deserved R&R at the Dead Sea to end your trip.
How many ruins do you want to see?
There are quite a lot of castle ruins and Roman sites in Jordan. We’ve included those we feel are most worthwhile and convenient to include on your driving days, but some travellers who are really passionate about the Crusader castles may want to include more in the north, which would require shaving time off elsewhere or extending your number of days.
The Good Road Trip Principles
Here at Along Dusty Roads, we do a lot of road trips and put a lot of time into planning our own routes. Three key principles we’ve learned over the years to shape and curate every itinerary are:
· accommodation bases for day trips are better than packing and moving hotel/hostel each day.
· don’t underestimate driving time, distances, and delays.
· give yourself enough opportunities for serendipity and last-minute changes.
In designing this Jordan road trip itinerary, we’ve adhered to all of the above to help you travel more, travel better. It’s important to bear in mind though that travelling in Jordan involves being curious, active and adventurous; there is time for R&R days but you will have quite a ‘full’ trip overall.
In terms of distances, everything is realistic and achievable, but there are two longer, scenic driving days; these will absolutely give you a better, more rounded experience of the country as well as helping you get from A to B. Most importantly, as we explain in the dedicated Driving in Jordan post, the country’s north and south are linked by three highways: two are modern and quick, the third is historic and much slower. Your Google Maps / GPS will always default to sending you via the two modern highways, so make sure you don’t simply follow it blindly; going along those highways is however the route we recommend on certain days and a good Plan B if you do fall behind or face unexpected delays and need to claw back time.
Finally, as with most of the road trip itineraries we design for our readers, we’ve included a ‘Bonus Day’ so you can easily adjust, adapt, add in or stay longer somewhere based on your own preferences, travel style, or an unexpected opportunity or experience that presents itself when you’re out there!
If you’re uncertain about renting a car and driving there, we recommend you also read our Essential Guide To Driving in Jordan to ease those concerns.
Right, let’s go!
the Jordan Road Itinerary | day by day
Day zero | Fly into Amman
As the vast majority of flights into Amman from Europe arrive super late at night or in the early hours of the following morning, we’re calling your arrival day / first night in Jordan ‘Day Zero’.
This timing is also the reason that we - and we suspect most of you - will begin your Jordan itinerary with a couple of nights in Amman, rather than picking up the car immediately and heading south (which would be an obvious option if the flights times changed).
This comes with a couple of benefits; firstly you’ll be able to get a good night’s sleep before properly beginning your adventure, and secondly, you’ll be pumped to get out and explore a big, lively city - something we find a little more difficult at the end of the trip when we’ve had a big week or so of adventures, and energy is flagging and /or enthusiasm for exploring a capital city isn’t at its highest.
Due to the late arrival, we’d highly recommend booking a private transfer to meet you at the airport and drop you outside your hotel or hostel door; we used and recommend this company.
Drive / Whilst this is very much an itinerary for which you will need to hire a car, the good news for any of you that are a little anxious about driving in Jordan, is that you will not need a car for the first two days. Instead, you will take private transport to your hotel, and then return to the airport to pick up your vehicle on day three.
Alt / If you’d prefer to spend the night in an airport hotel and pick up the car the next day, this is absolutely possible! In fact, we had considered that in our initial trip planning before finding out two things: 1. Amman has a lot going for it and 2. the standard of accommodation near the airport is surprisingly and spectacularly poor - honestly, we’ve never read such bad reviews on booking.com!
Plan / Be sure to read our complete guide on how to get from Amman Airport to Amman - or just do what we did and book this private transfer.
Stay / We stayed at the new Khan Khediwe Hotel and only have positive things to say about our experience. The location in the heart of the downtown area was fantastic, its reception is open for post-midnight arrivals, and the rooms and service were at a good standard. For hostels, we suggest checking out Carob House.
Read / 13 Wonderful Things to Do in Amman & 23 Things to Know Before You Visit Amman
Day one | Explore Amman
Not simply a base for day trips or tours elsewhere in Jordan, Amman is a vast, beating heart of a city where curious minds can seek out everything from bustling markets and contemporary art galleries, to Roman ruins, a famous blue mosque, and some of the country’s most well-known falafel. Or maybe you’d prefer get your hands dirty in a fantastic cooking class, hunt down world-class street art, and seek out the city’s best viewpoints?
You may be feeling a little tired this morning, but unfortunately there’s no time for late breakfasts or lazy lie-ins; Amman is a huge city and you’ve got just one full day to head out and explore!
Given its size, it would be impossible to see everything (or even most things) in a single day’s explorations, so you’ll have to prioritise based on your own interests. However, there are a couple of sights that you simply can’t miss:
The impressive 2nd century AD Roman Theatre in the heart of downtown Amman
A wee wander through Souk Al-Sukar
Heading up to the Roman Citadel for golden hour; it’s a truly magical place to watch the sunset
Seek out your favourite viewpoint (you can find all the best spots here).
Do / Other things to do in Amman include a fantastic cooking class, seeking out the city’s best street art and taking in a few galleries (the Dar Al-Anda Art Gallery was our favourite)
Eat / Whilst we didn’t find them to be quite as good as the hype suggested, you simply can’t visit Amman and not grab lunch or dinner at Hashem Restaurant (maps), the famous falafel place.
Book / As you’ve only got a day in the city, you may wish to join a walking tour to ensure you cover the city’s most important and famous sites - this one is highly-rated. Alternatively, if you’d prefer to combine your wanderings with some delicious local cuisine, this food tour has excellent reviews and even stops at the legendary falafel spot mentioned above.
Stay / We spent our second night in Amman at the same property, Khan Khediwe Hotel. If you’d prefer to be in the slightly fancier part of the city, consider the Grand Hyatt Amman and the Landmark Amman Hotel.
Backpackers should take a look at the excellent Carob House
Read / 13 Wonderful Things to Do in Amman & 23 Things to Know Before You Visit Amman
Day two | Jerash, Drive to Madaba, Stay in Madaba
As outlined earlier, due to the flight arrival times (and that most of you won’t want to pick up a rental car in the dark at 1am and drive into a large city) you’ll instead need to collect your rental early this morning.
We know that this may seem frustrating or foolish, but trust us when we say we looked into every alternative, and this is the best option. You can either get your hotel to arrange a taxi or use the same private transfer service as you did to get to from the airport.
There are car rental agencies in the centre of Amman, usually attached to the fancier hotels, but this means that you’ll need to drive through central Amman on your way out to the highway, and again when dropping off your car.
That would be a stressful baptism of fire for some road trippers, and we think the way to ease yourself in gently, remove that panic, save overall, and give yourself the best start to driving in Jordan is to just head back to the airport and pick up a car from the numerous local and international companies located there. Check prices for your dates on Rentalcars.com and AutoEurope.
Once the rental’s all sorted it’s time to head north and get this road trip started! First stop, Jerash.
Once a bustling Roman city, it is now home to some of the most impressive Byzantine ruins we’ve been fortunate to explore and is more than deserving of a spot on your Jordan itinerary. You can find all the information you need to plan your visit to Jerash in our complete guide, including helpful tips and the most impressive ruins you simply can’t miss there.
Once you’ve reached your archeological saturation point, it’s time to jump back in the car and head south to the mosaic city of Madaba where you’ll be spending the night. It’s very close to Amman and the airport, with some using it as an alternative first stop if they don’t want to visit the capital city at all, but just trust us on this one.
You needn’t rush, but we would recommend ensuring your arrival into Madaba before it gets dark as in case you have to circle a couple of times to get parking.
Drive / From the airport to Jerash it’s a straightforward 70-minute / 75 kilometre drive. If you arrive early enough you should get a parking spot in the main car park, but otherwise there’s an overflow option nearby.
From Jerash, it’s a 1 hour 15 minute / 77 kilometre drive down to Madaba.
Plan / Amman Airport is absolutely the most convenient and affordable place to pick up a car with a wide variety of international and local rental companies - check out car availability and prices for your dates on Rentalcars.com and AutoEurope, and be sure to read our Essential Car Rental Tips for Travellers & guide to Driving in Jordan before picking your vehicle up.
Eat / If you’re a meat-eater, head to Adonis (maps) in Madaba for your evening meal. Located in a beautifully restored residence, it’s regarded as one of the fancier restaurants in town and it came highly recommended by our guest house owner. Vegetarians would be better off picking one of several traditional restaurants along Tourist Street.
Stay / You’ll be staying at one of our very favourite guest houses from our entire two week stay in Jordan: Tell Madaba. Owned and run by the most wonderful family, you stay within the home, in a number of their excellent en-suite rooms, spread across several floors. From the moment we arrived - greeted with tea and sweet biscuits - until our early morning departure, waved off by a mother who awoke just to offer us a strong coffee, the personal, friendly approach was just incredible.
There’s on-street parking outside too.
Read / A Complete Guide to Visiting the Jerash Ruins & A Complete Guide to Madaba
Day three | Madaba - Mount Nebo - Bethany Beyond
Grab an early breakfast at the guest house and then take the short walk into the centre of Madaba.
Home to the majority of Jordan’s Christian population, the small city has an altogether different vibe to the rest of the country, with churches as abundant as mosques, fewer hijab-wearing women and, perhaps most surprisingly, liquor stores seemingly on every third corner.
For the tourist however, it is what lies beneath the foundations of the city that stirs the most interest; Byzantine churches, villas, roads and extraordinary mosaics. You’ll find remnants of these Roman towns and mosaics dotted across Madaba, but there is one that you simply can’t miss : the 6th century Madaba Map.
Rediscovered in 1884, and now part of the floor of the peaceful Greek Orthodox St George’s Church, it is the oldest known map of the Holy Land, and the most exact before modern cartography was developed.
After you’ve grabbed some lunch, it’s time to jump in the rental and hit the road for a couple of day trips - Bethany Beyond the Jordan and Mount Nebo, both less than an hour’s drive from Madaba.
Even if you’re not particularly religious, it’s difficult not to be moved when visiting Bethany Beyond the Jordan, the very spot where most scholars accept that John the Baptist baptised Jesus, and thus laid the foundations of early Christianity.
The location between Jordan and the West Bank means that it’s only possible to visit as part of a guided tour, which you can join upon arriving at the visitor’s centre.
A scenic 40-minute drive back east and you’ll arrive at Mount Nebo. Towering 1,000 metres above the desert, it is the highest point of the ancient kingdom of Moab and where Moses, according to the Old Testament and scholars that have followed, was granted a view of the Promised Land - and where he died soon after.
The views are incredible, and the spectacular mosaics residing within the walls of the 4th century basilica are some the best presented you’ll see in the country.
Drive / It’s a 55-minute / 40 kilometre drive out to Bethany Beyond the Jordan, a 40-minute / 35 kilometre drive up to Mount Nebo and then a 15-minute / 9 kilometre drive back to Madaba.
Do / Other interesting options within Madaba include visiting the two archeological parks to view more Byzantine excavations and mosaics, exploring the acropolis that lies beneath St John the Baptist Church and then take in the view from the top of its bell tower, and antique shopping along Tourist Street. You can find full details in our guide to the best things to do in Madaba.
Eat / Before heading off on your afternoon day trips, we’d recommend grabbing lunch at Kawon Once Upon a Time (maps). Both a restaurant and a cultural space, it provided us with the best vegetarian food we ate during our entire trip, in the most wonderful setting. The family of felines are an added bonus!
Stay / Enjoy a second night in the charming Tell Madaba.
Read / A Short Guide to Visiting Mount Nebo & A Short Guide to Visiting Bethany Beyond the Jordan
Day four | the King’s Highway - Kerak Castle - Petra
A proper road trip day.
Traversing the country from Madaba in the north to Petra in the south, the King’s Highway traces a haphazard path through the rolling, dusty landscapes of Jordan, across an endless expanse of golden hues punctuated by sand-coloured towns, clusters of olive groves, and crumbling ruins.
The entire highway covers a distance of nearly 230 kilometres and will take even the most determined driver at least 4.5 hours to complete - don’t trust Google Maps for your GPS route as it will try and take you via the quicker major highway to the east! Instead, follow the signs and strap yourself in for a beautiful ride.
There are countless turn offs, stops and detours that you can take along the King’s Highway, so if you’re keen to allow for serendipitous moments or want to discover other ancient treasures along the way, be sure to set off nice and early from Madaba.
There is however one destination along this famous road that every visitor to Jordan needs to make time for: the ancient fortified city of Kerak.
A 2,000-year old settlement atop a hill, it boasts what is considered by many to be one of the greatest Crusader castles ever built.
It’s a fascinating place to visit, with much of it still in a raw state of archaeological works and yet-to-be-done restorations. Exploring the relatively intact ruins, one can get a real sense of how strategically important the castle once was, the power it once wielded, and better stitch together the composition of the Holy Land.
If you’re a real history buff you could spend hours exploring this huge site, but for the purpose of helping you plan your route, we’d say allow around two hours.
After leaving Kerak, it’s a 2.5 hour drive to Wadi Musa (the starting point for your Petra explorations), where you’ll be spending the night. Be sure to leave the castle with enough light left in the day; not only to fully appreciate the views, but also due to the frequency that we encountered camels on the road!
Drive / As we said, this is a long old driving day. Whilst the distance is only 228 kilometres, it’s not a fast route and so even with no stops, if you were to drive from Madaba to Petra directly it would take at least 4.5 hours; you should factor in at least 7.5 hours from hotel to hotel to allow for time at Kerak.
Stop / Other notable historical sites along the highway include the ancient ruins of Umm ar-Rasas (maps) and Shobak Castle (maps). The former requires a small detour, but the castle is right on the main highway.
You should absolutely make time for rest stops to take in the view from both the Mujib Panorama (maps) and the Grand Canyon (maps), both found on the particularly spectacular stretch of road around 50-minutes south of Madaba.
Drink / We highly recommend stopping off along the highway for a strong cup of Turkish coffee. Not only is this a great way to spread the tourism dollar, it also allows you to have some local interactions off-the-beaten track (it’s amazing how much of a conversation you can have with hand gestures and the odd word of Arabic and English).
Stay / We stayed at The Sunset Hotel in Wadi Musa, a perfectly acceptable and reasonably priced hotel only a couple of minute’s walk from the entrance to Petra. If you fancy somewhere a little fancier The Mövenpick is similarly well located and has excellent reviews.
Read / How to Visit Kerak Castle & A Definitive Guide to Visiting Petra
Day five | explore Petra
The most famous place in Jordan, one of the new ‘Seven Wonders of the World’, and a deserved number one entry on nearly every travellers’s bucket list in the country.
The beautiful rock-cut facades of the Monastery and the Treasury, carved directly into the mountain from the top down, are the most captivating and well-known places in the former capital of the Nabataeans, but there are several other equally beguiling temples, death tombs and cave homes which pockmark the sandstone cliffs.
You can also hike to multiple trails for viewpoints and hidden-away treasures.
Because of Petra’s vast size, there’s an ongoing debate as to exactly how long you need to explore it, but we think that by having two nights in Wadi Musa and allotting an entire day to exploring, most of you will be able to cover all the major sites.
Although it may be a little difficult to set that alarm clock quite so early on what is, ostensibly, a holiday, by aiming to be at the gates when Petra opens (that’s 6am), you will also be able to enjoy the highlights before the tours descend on day trips from elsewhere in the country.
We spent an entire day in Petra, from 6am to 6pm walking the length and breadth of the main route and various side trails; we lingered and wandered slowly, had ample time within the contours of the Siq, investigated the tombs and caves of the colonnaded street, walked on some random trails for viewpoints, and then walked up the hundreds of steps to the Monastery, before hanging out there for a few hours, walking back down, and retracing our steps and admiring the different light and perspectives.
In other words, in that twelve hours we had time to savour most of the 'unmissables' of Petra’ at an unhurried pace; we think that most of you will want to spend a similar amount of time within the ancient city.
Drive / Nada today! (You’ll be covering all those miles by foot!)
Do / If you find that you’ve covered everything you want to and have a spare hour or so at the end of the day, we highly recommend sticking your head into the Petra museum. This is especially true if you didn’t take a guided tour as it will give you a lot more context and insight into the site.
Book / Whilst many - including us - choose to explore Petra at their own pace and with a simple guidebook in hand, taking a guided tour is a popular way to gain a deeper understanding of Petra and ensures you cover all the important points of interest in your allotted time.
You can find guides outside the main entrance, but it’s also possible to book tour in advance - this one is highly rated (or if you’re super keen on getting that Treasury shot, consider this popular option that has exceptional reviews).
Drink / If you’re looking for a great spot to catch the sunset, consider Al Ghadeer Roof Garden (at the top of the Mövenpick Hotel). Alternatively, there’s a rather fancy Cave Bar (maps) near the entrance of Petra - located in an actual Nabataean cave - that offers food and drinks in a very cool setting.
Alt / It is possible to tack on the popular Petra by Night on to the end of certain days. We personally decided against it given its reputation as a bit of an overpriced tourist trap - a decision we’ve never regretted. Most people seem to agree with us, but a small number consider it a highlight. We’ll let you decide…
Stay / You’ve got a second night in your Wadi Musa accommodation (that was The Sunset Hotel for us), so make the most of those well-earned fizzy ‘malt-flavoured’ drinks, stuff your face, and put your feet up after a day of exploring.
Read / A Definitive Guide to Visiting Petra & A Guide to Petra Entrance Fees + Tickets
Day six | Drive to wadi rum - night in desert camp
This morning you have a choice: you can either have a lie-in and a slow morning, get up with the birds again and head back to see a little more of Petra, or alternatively hop in the car and spend a couple of hours exploring Little Petra, a collection of rock-cut facades that date back to the 1st century AD.
It’s not a substitute for the main event, but does offer the chance to walk between carved Nabataean temples and ancient caves in relative stillness; an experience that can be difficult to gain in Petra itself (especially if you weren’t able to make it there at ‘doors open’ time yesterday).
Once you’ve completed your morning’s activities - or dragged yourself out of the comfy bed - it’s time to the hit the road again for the second big adventure of the trip - the epic Wadi Rum desert.
Whilst some people choose to visit it just for the day of jeep driving, we honestly believe that no trip to Jordan is complete without spending at least one night within this incredible landscape; we chose to have two so we could experience both the bivouac sleeping under the stars experience and the Bedouin camp.
Having been through the planning process ourselves, we’re well aware that choosing your desert camp and tour combo can feel a little overwhelming, with seemingly endless possibilities. Thankfully, after our own visit, we’re delighted to report that it’s not quite as tricky as it first appears; the most important decision is the type of accommodation you would prefer - a luxurious bubble tent, a backpacker camp or somewhere in the middle.
You can find everything you need to know in our guide ‘How To Choose Your Wadi Rum Desert Camp’ (published soon) pick the right desert camp for you.
Whichever accommodation you choose, they’ll also organise all the activities like jeep tours, camel excursions, and stargazing, and also pick you up from the Wadi Rum Rest Stop (where you’ll safely leave your rental car overnight).
Note that there’s no huge rush to make it to Wadi Rum this afternoon as most accommodation providers won’t pick you up until late afternoon. We met our guide at around 4pm which allowed plenty of time to get to camp as well as head out and explore during golden hour and sunset.
Drive / From Wadi Musa to the Wadi Rum Rest Stop, it’s a 104 kilometre / 1 hour and 35 minute drive passing through small Jordanian towns and villages. The last few kilometres after the turn off for Wadi Rum is spectacular so keep your eyes peeled!
Prepare / Travelling with two backpacks of tech meant that we had no choice but to bring all our luggage with us into the camp. This was far from ideal and actually something we’d advise against. Instead, we’d recommend packing a day pack with all your valuables, a change of clothes and any other bits you may need overnight and then leave your suitcases locked up in the car.
Stay / There are loads of accommodation options in the desert, but for luxury travellers (or those looking for an extra special experience) we’d recommend Wadi Rum UFO Luxotel, budget travellers should take a look at Wadi Rum Backpacker Camp and those that lie somewhere in the middle should consider the lovely Milky Way Bedouin Camp.
Read / 21 Things to Know Before You Visit Wadi Rum & 6 Amazing Wadi Rum Luxury Camps
Day Seven | Wadi Rum Jeep Tour - Dead Sea
After a night beneath the stars, a dome, or a tent you’ll be treated to a Bedouin breakfast before this morning’s adventure: a jeep tour though the wadi.
There are several types of private and group tours that you can join, varying from two to eight hours, almost all of which will include the Red Sand Dune, Khazli Canyon (home to the remarkable petroglyphs), Lawrence Spring, the Small Arch Bridge, Lawrence House, and a perhaps a few viewpoints.
Aside from offering the opportunity to cover large swathes of Wadi Rum (though certainly not all of it), the experience of trundling along in the back of a battered and beaten converted Toyota pick-up truck through the desert is very much part of the fun.
Driven by young Bedouin men, they ferry travellers from rock formation to viewpoint, dune to dune, and camp to canyon. Although there are no roads or signs, and navigation of the landscape may seem unfathomable to the outsider, these guys know it like the back of their hand.
Note that most of the ‘jeeps’ are actually pick-up trucks that have seen better days, with the flat-bed back converted into a seating area formed of narrow benches on each side with varying levels of comfort and cushioning.
As far as which length of tour to pick, we actually spent a full day in the back of that jeep so that we could experience as much as possible, and write the best guides possible for you. However, because of this we feel very confident in saying that you only really need a half-day tour in Wadi Rum - which also fits in perfectly with this itinerary!
When your tour is complete, your guide will drop you and your bags off back at the Wadi Rum Rest House where you’ll reunite with your rental vehicle and you can be on your way to your next destination: the Dead Sea for a little well-deserved R&R.
Given the distance between Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea resorts, and the fact that the earliest you’ll get back to your vehicle following the jeep tour is around 1pm, even the speediest of speed demons will struggle to check in to their hotel before sunset. For this reason, we’d recommend instead taking it slow and enjoying the ride. The Dead Sea Highway is a glorious stretch of road, and the views out across the water and towards Israel are even more striking during golden hour.
Drive / You’ll cover plenty of kilometres on the jeep tour, but you won’t be the one behind the wheel! So instead, our driving time begins back at Wadi Rum Visitor Centre when you pick up your car. From here to the Dead Sea resorts, it’s a whopping 332 kilometres / at least four hour and a quarter hour drive, going via Aqaba and on to the Dead Sea Highway.
This may sounds like a decent chunk, but that Highway is a doddle to drive on in comparison to the slow, stop-start King’s Highway.
Stop / The are several designated viewpoints to stop at along the Dead Sea Highway before you make it to the resorts. You don’t need to pull over at every one - and you’ll likely spot them by yourself - but just in case add these into you map: viewpoint one, viewpoint two and viewpoint three (this is also our pick for free swimming in the Dead Sea).
If you have time, you can also head to the Dead Sea Museum, which has a panoramic viewing deck. Find it here.
Stay / For true luxury by the Dead Seaconsider Kempinski Hotel Ishtar, but other great alternatives include Mövenpick Resort & Dead Sea Spa Hotel
Read / Our guides to canyoning in Wadi Mujib and visiting the Dead Sea
Day eight | Wadi Mujib & The Dead Sea
Ready for another morning of adventure?
Extending from the heights of the Karak Mountains down to the Dead Sea, and just a short drive from the resorts, is the incredible 212 square kilometre Wadi Mujib Biosphere Reserve. The location of the eponymous gorge - also known as Jordan’s Grand Canyon - it’s home to several seasonal and year-round rivers, plus a number of exciting trails - including the incredible Siq Trail.
Part-swim, part-walk, part-aquatic obstacle course, canyoning along the two kilometre Siq Trail provides this morning’s entertainment, and a fun change after several days exploring and contemplating the iconic ancient ruins and monoliths in the desert.
We loved it.
It’s open all day from 8am (with the last entry at 2pm), and we recommend arriving nice and early to beat the crowds and enjoy a better experience - especially if this activity falls on a Friday or Saturday when it’s a particularly popular attraction for locals.
You can find full details and everything you need to know to plan your visit in our guide.
After a morning seeking an adrenaline high in the lowest nature reserve on earth, it’s time to head back to your hotel for a little rest and relaxation in the Dead Sea. All the hotels along the coast have private beaches (stay at Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea if you’d prefer to enjoy the facilities without day pass visitors) so you can dip in and out of the waters, enjoy a mud bath and laze in the sun.
Drive / It’s only a short 25-minute / 30 kilometre drive between the Dead Sea resorts and Wadi Mujib.
Do / If you’re keen to relax and soothe those aching muscles after days of walking amongst archeological behemoths and bouncing about in the back of a truck in Wadi Rum, a few hours within the thermal pools waters of Ma’In will likely be just what the doctor ordered!
The springs form part of a luxurious resort, but you’re able to access the facilities with a day pass costing 15 JD per person. Find it here.
Alt / If you’re visiting Jordan between outside of the months of April to October, the Siq Trail at Wadi Mujib will likely be shut and only ‘dry’ trails available for hiking. In this case, you may prefer to do a little re-jigging of the itinerary and perhaps take that second night at a Dead Sea hotel and allot it elsewhere. Or, you could simply give yourself a full lazy holiday day of a long lie-in, sunbathing, swimming, spas, and realising just how much sand you still have on you from Wadi Rum.
Eat / Once you’re done with Wadi Mujib, head south along the Dead Sea highway to the nearby Al Numeira Environmental Association (maps). Created to educate and support the community in managing local resources, they also provide sustainable tourism employment both in the form of tours, as well as their excellent little restaurant. The traditional lunch spread provided some of the best local food we had during our time in the country!
Stay / An alternative to staying at one of the fancy Dead Sea resorts are the Mujib Chalets. Located near the entrance to Wadi Mujib, these isolated chalets (five in total, each with a terrace) are built facing the water and provide the most wonderfully private Dead Sea experience. There’s even private beach access.
Read / Our guides to canyoning in Wadi Mujib and visiting the Dead Sea
Day Nine | Bonus Day!
We always like to include a bonus day in our itineraries to allow a little more flexibility into your planning and let you adjust it to suit your personal travel style.
Love big cities? Consider an extra day in Amman at the beginning of the trip.
Want to see more of Petra or take on one of the incredible hiking trails contained within? Spend an extra night in Wadi Musa.
Love the outdoors and sustainable tourism? Consider heading into the Dana Reserve. We haven’t been yet - our plans to visit got axed due to time constraints - but readers and Instagram followers have only positive things to say about the experience.
A certified diver who wants to spend some time at sea? You’ll need to steal another night from elsewhere on this itinerary (or add another day to the trip), but you could easily squeeze in Aqaba between Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea.
Or, if you’re on honeymoon or holiday-mode, then take the opportunity to add a day here (or apportion it elsewhere earlier in the itinerary) to give yourself the chance to unwind, explore, or enjoy a little romance together.
Day Ten | Drive back to Amman & fly home
And that’s it for your Jordan road trip!
As you’ll probably realise by this point in the itinerary, a trip to Jordan is less about down time and more about getting out there and exploring. You’ll be tired, you’ll likely have sand in all sorts of unmentionable places, and dodgy looking tan lines on your sandal-covered feet but we put money on the fact that you’ll have had an incredible time, packed in some epic experiences and made memories you’ll never forget!
We’ve shared the brief overview of the 14-day Jordan itinerary we followed in the country below in case you’re interested to know what / where we changed things when taking that experience and designing this 10-day itinerary for you. Keep scrolling for more guides or go straight to our dedicated Jordan Travel page.
Day One + Two | Amman
Day Three + Four | Aqaba
Day Five + Six | Wadi Rum
Day Seven + Eight | Petra (Little Petra before leaving)
Day Nine | King’s Highway & Kerak Castle on drive north
Day Ten | Jerash
Day Eleven - Fourteen | Madaba w/day trips to the Dead Sea + Biblical Sites
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Where to Next?
13 Wonderful Things to Do in Jordan
Driving in Jordan | Everything You Need to Know
The Jordan Pass Explainer + Review
23 Things to Know Before You Visit Jordan (published soon)
