Jordan · Travel guide
How the country divides, why a week is enough, and how to combine Petra, the desert and the Roman north.
Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0
Jordan packs Petra, Wadi Rum, the best-preserved Roman city in the region, the lowest point on land and a Red Sea reef into a country that can be crossed in a day. This guide covers how the regions divide, how to choose between the ten destinations, how to get around, when to go and three routes that work.
Jordan is a narrow country of about 90,000 square kilometres, and three roads shape almost every trip: the Desert Highway, the King's Highway and the Jordan Valley road. Understanding them explains why a week is enough.
Amman and the north. The capital, Amman, is a sprawling hill city of around four million people, with a Roman theatre and a citadel at its core. Within an hour or two are Jerash, the most complete Roman provincial city in the region, and the castle of Ajloun and the hilltop ruins of Umm Qais, covered together as Ajloun and Umm Qais.
The Dead Sea and the west. A short drive south-west of Amman the land drops to about 430 m below sea level at the Dead Sea, with the Baptism Site at Bethany, the canyon of Wadi Mujib and salt-water swimming. Madaba and Mount Nebo, with its Byzantine mosaics and the Moses memorial, sit on the plateau above.
The King's Highway. An ancient road running along the top of the escarpment from Madaba south to Petra. It passes Kerak and Shobak, the two great Crusader castles, and the reserve of Dana. It is slower than the Desert Highway and far more interesting.
The south. Petra is the country's headline site, and Wadi Rum is a sandstone desert about an hour and a half south of it. Aqaba, on the Red Sea, is the endpoint for most itineraries and a good place to swim and dive.
The east and north-east. Most of Jordan's land area is desert, with a handful of remote Umayyad desert castles that some visitors add. They are outside the scope of this guide, and the security situation along the eastern border should be checked before you consider them.
Worth knowing: The natural unit for a first trip is a loop: fly into Amman, take the Desert or King's Highway south to Petra and Wadi Rum, finish in Aqaba, and add the Dead Sea and Jerash at the start.
Add Jerash and the Dead Sea, with Aqaba as a final stop for a swim. This is the classic first trip and the itinerary on the country page.
Madaba and Mount Nebo and the Baptism Site at the Dead Sea, with Jerash for the Christian-era churches. They combine easily into a single long day from Amman.
Kerak and Shobak on the King's Highway for the Crusader period, and the Saladin-era castle at Ajloun in the north.
Aqaba for snorkelling and diving on the Red Sea, or the Dead Sea for a float and a spa hotel.
Jordan's size is the reason the trip works. Amman to Petra is about three hours by the Desert Highway, Petra to Wadi Rum about ninety minutes, and Wadi Rum to Aqaba about an hour. Amman to Jerash takes an hour and the Dead Sea forty-five minutes.
Hire car. The simplest option for confident drivers, and the roads are good. Driving in Amman is hard work, so many visitors pick up the car on leaving the city. Take the King's Highway for the scenery and the Desert Highway for speed.
Private driver. A full-day driver is good value split between two or more people, and hotels can arrange reputable ones. Agree the route and the price in advance, and confirm who pays for entry tickets.
Buses. JETT runs comfortable coaches between Amman, Petra and Aqaba. Minibuses cover the rest of the country, but they leave only when full and are slow. Public transport reaches the main sites but not the smaller ones.
On foot in Petra and the desert. Petra involves 10–16 km of walking, and Wadi Rum is done with a local guide by 4x4, camel or on foot. Neither needs your own vehicle.
Worth knowing: Avoid driving outside cities after dark if you can. Roads are often unlit and animals and slow trucks appear without warning.
Jordan has a desert climate, and its seasons are more extreme than most first-timers expect. Summer heat in the south is severe, and winter nights are cold in the desert and highlands.
March to May and September to November are the best months for almost everything. Petra, Dana and Wadi Rum are all comfortable, and the Dead Sea and Aqaba are warm without being extreme.
Summer is the season to avoid for Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea, when temperatures regularly pass 40°C. Amman and the north are more pleasant, and the Red Sea is a good choice if you can tolerate the heat.
Winter is cold and can be wet in the highlands, with occasional snow in Amman and the north. It is a very good time for Aqaba and the Dead Sea, and prices at Petra are lower, though rain occasionally closes canyon trails and flash floods are a real risk in narrow wadis.
Public holidays matter. The Eid holidays and school breaks push domestic travel and prices up. Ramadan changes opening hours in smaller towns, though the major sites run normally.
Worth knowing: The Dead Sea, Aqaba and Wadi Rum are all below 1,000 m and hot in summer, while Amman and Dana sit above 1,000 m and are noticeably cooler.
Jordan is not the cheapest country in the region, and Petra in particular is expensive by regional standards. The Jordan Pass is the most useful money-saver.
The Jordan Pass bundles your visa fee (if you stay three nights) with entry to Petra and dozens of other sites, including Jerash, Wadi Rum and Kerak. It comes in tiers depending on how many days you want at Petra. Buy it online before you travel and check the current price and terms on the official site.
Outside the pass, costs are moderate. Hotels range from cheap guesthouses to five-star resorts, and restaurant meals are inexpensive unless you eat in hotels. A day with a private driver is often the single largest expense.
Carry some cash. Larger restaurants and hotels take cards, but small shops, taxis and camps often do not. There are ATMs in every town of any size.
Jordan is a moderate, welcoming country and visitors are often surprised at how relaxed it is compared with some of its neighbours. It is still Muslim-majority and socially conservative outside Amman, so dress and behave with respect.
Cover shoulders and knees in towns and at religious sites, for men and women alike. Swimwear is for the beach and the hotel pool. In Amman's cafés and neighbourhoods, casual modest clothing is fine.
Hospitality is a real value. You will be offered tea and coffee in shops, camps and homes. Accepting is polite and carries no obligation to buy.
Ask before photographing people, and avoid photographing military or security installations. Political discussion is best left to the person you are talking to, and the royal family is treated with respect.
Two nights in Amman at either end, with Petra on day two and three and Wadi Rum on day four. A compact loop by private driver, ending with the desert at sunrise.
Tip Start with the desert and end with Petra if you want the more dramatic finish, and consider leaving out Amman altogether if you fly into Aqaba.
The week above, plus Madaba and Mount Nebo, the King's Highway castles at Kerak and Shobak and a night at Dana. The King's Highway is the route to take south.
Tip Adding the north — Ajloun and Umm Qais — is an easy day trip from Amman or Jerash.
Reference
Every place named above has its own detailed guide — attractions, food, where to stay, how to get around and a suggested day-by-day plan.
Ma'an Governorate, southern Jordan
The Nabataean capital that the desert hid from the West for centuries, with tombs, temples, a theatre and a colonnaded street cut from the sandstone of a hidden valley.
Don't miss The Monastery — an 800-step climb to a rock-cut facade almost as large as the Treasury, with a fraction of the crowd.
Explore Destination — PetraAqaba Governorate, southern Jordan
A protected desert of sandstone and granite that looks like another planet, explored by jeep, camel or on foot, and slept in under the stars.
Don't miss A night in a Bedouin camp, with a zarb dinner from the sand oven and a sky with almost no light pollution.
Explore Destination — Wadi RumAmman Governorate, central Jordan
Jordan's relaxed, layered capital, where Roman columns, Umayyad palaces and bustling souks sit beside cafés, galleries and a good museum.
Don't miss The Citadel at sunset, with the Temple of Hercules in the foreground and the white city spread across its hills below.
Explore Destination — AmmanJerash Governorate, northern Jordan
The ancient Decapolis city of Gerasa, with its arch, theatres, temples and colonnaded street still standing an hour north of Amman.
Don't miss The Oval Plaza and the Cardo, where a column-lined Roman street runs on for several hundred metres, still rutted by chariot wheels.
Explore Destination — JerashBalqa and Madaba governorates, western Jordan
A salt lake about 430 metres below sea level with spa hotels, mineral mud, hot springs, a canyon walk and the traditional site of the baptism of Jesus.
Don't miss Floating on your back in water too salty to sink in, with the hills of the West Bank across the water.
Explore Destination — The Dead SeaMadaba Governorate, central Jordan
A small Christian-majority town famous for Byzantine floor mosaics, and a nearby mountain that has drawn pilgrims for centuries.
Don't miss The Madaba Map, a Byzantine floor mosaic showing Jerusalem and the Holy Land, and the view from Mount Nebo across the Jordan Valley.
Explore Destination — Madaba & Mount NeboAqaba Governorate, southern Jordan
A relaxed Red Sea port city with warm winters, coral reefs, a Mamluk fort and a good base for Wadi Rum and Petra.
Don't miss Diving or snorkelling a coral reef in the morning, and standing in the Wadi Rum desert by the evening.
Explore Destination — AqabaTafilah Governorate, southern Jordan
A protected reserve of mountains, canyons and desert with an Ottoman-era village, a range of wildlife and Jordan's best walking.
Don't miss The Dana–Feynan trail, a one-way descent of about 16 km through changing landscapes to an eco-lodge lit only by candles and solar power.
Explore Destination — Dana Biosphere ReserveKerak and Ma'an governorates, southern Jordan
Two of the best-preserved medieval castles in the Middle East, built by the Crusaders in the 12th century and fought over by Saladin and the Mamluks.
Don't miss Kerak's underground galleries and corridors, a vaulted labyrinth that you can explore with a torch.
Explore Destination — Kerak & Shobak CastlesAjloun and Irbid governorates, northern Jordan
Northern Jordan's green highlands: a 12th-century Ayyubid castle above forested hills, and a Decapolis hilltop town with a view across three countries.
Don't miss Umm Qais at sunset, with the black basalt columns of ancient Gadara in the foreground and the Sea of Galilee and the Golan Heights beyond.
Explore Destination — Ajloun & Umm QaisFAQ
Yes. Seven days covers Amman, Jerash, the Dead Sea, Petra, Wadi Rum and Aqaba without rushing, and ten days adds Dana and the Crusader castles. Petra is the one place that repays a second day.
Either works. A hire car is cheap and roads are good, so it suits confident drivers and anyone who wants the King's Highway. A private driver is good value for a group and removes the stress of Amman traffic and unlit rural roads at night.
The tourist areas have long been regarded as safe, but the wider region changes quickly. Read your government's current advice before booking and again just before you travel, and avoid the border areas with Syria and Iraq.
Hotels and camps are rarely a problem outside March–May and October. For spring and autumn peak weeks, book accommodation a month or more ahead. The Jordan Pass and entry tickets can be bought online well in advance.
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