Trip highlights
- 1Petra's Treasury (Al-Khazneh) at sunrise — one of the great sights of the ancient world
- 2Wadi Rum jeep tour and overnight camp under an extraordinary starfield
- 3Floating in the Dead Sea — the world's saltiest body of water
- 4Jerash Roman ruins — among the best-preserved Roman cities outside Italy
- 5Amman food tour through the old city's mezze and street food scene
Daily spend
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Day-by-day plan
Arrival in Amman — Roman Hills & Old City
Monday, April 5
Est. spend
$200
per person
🌅 Morning
Jerash Roman Ruins
Jerash Governorate, Jordan (50km north of Amman)
An hour north of Amman, Jerash is one of the best-preserved Greco-Roman cities in the world — arguably better than anything comparable in Rome itself. The colonnaded Cardo Maximus, the oval forum, the Hadrian's Arch, and two intact theatres create an overwhelming sense of an ancient world frozen in time. Allow at least three hours.
Arrive when it opens at 8am — by 11am tour groups overwhelm the site. The sound and light show on Thursday and Saturday evenings is spectacular.
☀️ Afternoon
Amman Citadel (Jabal Al Qal'a)
Jabal Al Qal'a, Amman 11110, Jordan
The hilltop citadel in the heart of Amman has been continuously occupied for 7,000 years. The Temple of Hercules (with its giant hand fragment), the Umayyad Palace, and the small but excellent Jordan Archaeological Museum offer the complete arc of Jordanian history in one compact space. The view over Amman's sea of white limestone hills is best in the afternoon light.
Combine with the Roman Theatre directly below — the 6,000-seat theatre is impressively intact. Both are walkable within the same admission zone.
Rainbow Street Walk & Souvenir Shopping
Rainbow Street, Jabal Amman, Amman
Amman's most atmospheric street runs along the ridge of Jabal Amman — a mix of art galleries, vintage bookshops, independent cafes, and boutiques selling Palestinian embroidery, Dead Sea products, and handmade jewellery. This is the best area to buy gifts and get a sense of modern Jordanian culture.
The bookshop 'Books@cafe' at the end of Rainbow Street has a rooftop terrace with panoramic Amman views — excellent for a mid-afternoon coffee.
🌙 Evening
Downtown Amman Night Walk
Al Balad, Downtown Amman
Amman's downtown (Al Balad) comes alive at night — the souqs around Al Husseini Mosque fill with shoppers, street food vendors set up their grills, and the air smells of cardamom, grilled meat, and fresh bread. The area around First Circle has excellent restaurants for dinner.
🍽️ Meals
Sufra Restaurant
Traditional Jordanian · $55 · The best traditional Jordanian restaurant in Amman — mansaf (lamb in yogurt sauce over rice) is the national dish and Sufra does it perfectly. Book ahead for Friday or Saturday.
Hashem Restaurant
Jordanian street food · $10 · A Amman institution open since 1952 — foul (fava beans), falafel, and hummus served at communal tables. Jordan's King has eaten here. Cash only.
Dead Sea Float & King's Highway Drive South
Tuesday, April 6
Est. spend
$230
per person
🌅 Morning
Dead Sea Float
Dead Sea, Sweimeh, Jordan (55km from Amman)
The Dead Sea lies 430 metres below sea level — the lowest point on dry land on Earth. With 34% salinity (10 times that of the ocean) you cannot sink even if you try. Spread Dead Sea mud (naturally available at the shoreline) over your body, wait 15 minutes, and rinse — it is a genuine skin treatment used since the time of Cleopatra. The experience of sitting in the water reading a newspaper is one of travel's great quirks.
Do NOT shave, wax, or have any open cuts before entering — the salt is agonising on broken skin. Keep water out of your eyes. Public beaches on the Jordanian side are basic but fine; Amman Beach resort (JOD 25 entry) has better facilities and a pool.
☀️ Afternoon
Wadi Mujib Drive
Wadi Mujib Nature Reserve, Jordan (110km south of Amman on Dead Sea Road)
The road along the Dead Sea's eastern shore passes the Wadi Mujib canyon — sometimes called the 'Grand Canyon of Jordan'. The siq trail through the canyon (when water levels allow) is one of Jordan's most exhilarating adventures. Even from the bridge viewpoint the scale is extraordinary.
The siq trail involves wading chest-deep through the river — change of clothes and a waterproof bag are essential. Book the guided trail at the RSCN visitor centre before arriving.
Drive to Petra via King's Highway
King's Highway (Route 35), Jordan
Continue south on the spectacular King's Highway — one of the world's most ancient trade routes. The road winds through Wadi Hasa and the Dana Biosphere Reserve, passing Byzantine mosaics, crusader castles, and mountain villages clinging to cliffsides. The drive to Wadi Musa (Petra's gateway town) takes approximately 3 hours from Wadi Mujib.
Stop at Shobak Castle (off the highway) if time allows — a crusader fortress with sweeping views and far fewer visitors than the more famous Kerak Castle.
🌙 Evening
Wadi Musa Town & Preparation for Petra
Wadi Musa, Ma'an Governorate, Jordan
Arrive in Wadi Musa, the town at Petra's entrance, and check into your accommodation. Browse the small town, collect your Jordan Pass (if not already purchased online), and get an early night — the plan for tomorrow is to be at Petra's gate before 6am for the sunrise.
Purchase the Jordan Pass online before travel (JOD 70) — it includes Petra entry for multiple days and visa fee for most nationalities. A significant saving.
🍽️ Meals
Dead Sea Resorts Restaurant
Buffet / Lebanese · $30 · Lunch at the Dead Sea resort — included in many day packages or available à la carte.
The Cave Bar — Petra
Jordanian / International · $40 · Set inside a 2,000-year-old Nabataean cave dwelling on the edge of Wadi Musa — possibly the world's most atmospheric bar and restaurant. Order the Petra mezze platter.
Petra — Treasury at Sunrise & Monastery Hike
Wednesday, April 7
Est. spend
$160
per person
🌅 Morning
Petra — Treasury at Sunrise (Al-Khazneh)
Petra Archaeological Park, Wadi Musa, Jordan
Be at the Petra gate when it opens at 6am and walk the 1.2km Siq — a narrow, winding canyon of rose-red sandstone rising 80 metres on either side — in the pre-dawn quiet. When the Siq ends and the Treasury's 43-metre façade suddenly fills your entire vision, it is one of the most breathtaking moments in travel. By 7am the first tour groups arrive; by 9am the Treasury square is crowded. Those 60 minutes of near-solitude are priceless.
Your Jordan Pass covers Petra entry. Bring a torch for the Siq walk — the path is unlit before sunrise and the rock is uneven. The Treasury is NOT a tomb — it was a mausoleum, and the Bedouin inside still sell frankincense from small fires inside the chambers.
Petra Central City & Roman Colonnaded Street
Petra Archaeological Park, Jordan
Beyond the Treasury, ancient Petra opens up into a full city. The Royal Tombs, carved side by side into the cliff face, are more impressive up close than the Treasury. The colonnaded street, the Great Temple, and the Byzantine church with its stunning mosaic floors tell the story of a city that was successively Nabataean, Roman, Byzantine, and Crusader.
The donkey and camel rides on the main path are genuinely unnecessary — the distances are walkable. Hire a local guide (JOD 50 for half a day) if you want depth and context.
☀️ Afternoon
Monastery (Ad Deir) Hike
Ad Deir Trail, Petra, Jordan
The Monastery is Petra's most spectacular monument — larger than the Treasury and reached by climbing 800 rock-cut steps. The hike takes 45 minutes at a comfortable pace and passes Bedouin tea stalls cut into the rock. The Monastery plateau at the top looks out over a vast, primordial landscape towards the Wadi Araba. The best light for photography is between 2pm and 4pm.
Wear proper hiking shoes — the steps are steep and the rock is smooth in places. A walking stick (rented at the bottom) is helpful going down. There are several tea spots at the top with spectacular views — sit, rest, and take it all in.
🌙 Evening
Petra By Night
Petra Archaeological Park, Wadi Musa
Three evenings a week (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday), the Siq and Treasury are lit by 1,500 candles placed along the entire 1.2km canyon. Walking this path in candlelight with Bedouin flute music echoing off the walls is completely otherworldly. The show runs from 8:30pm.
Tickets are sold separately from the day pass at the visitors centre. The show is genuinely worth the additional cost — the atmosphere is profoundly different from the daytime experience.
🍽️ Meals
Basin Restaurant (inside Petra)
Jordanian buffet · $25 · The only proper restaurant inside the archaeological site — convenient if you don't want to hike out for lunch. The buffet is good and includes mezze, grilled meats, and Jordanian staples.
My Mom's Recipe Restaurant
Home-style Jordanian · $30 · A gem in Wadi Musa town — run by a local family, home-cooked Jordanian dishes. The musakhan (chicken and sumac flatbread) is excellent.
Wadi Rum Desert — Jeep Tour & Overnight Camp
Thursday, April 8
Est. spend
$220
per person
🌅 Morning
Drive to Wadi Rum
Wadi Rum Visitor Centre, Aqaba Governorate, Jordan
The 90-minute drive south from Petra to Wadi Rum passes through the Arabah Valley — a dramatic landscape of sandstone escarpments and desert plains. The entrance to Wadi Rum is marked by the Visitors Centre and a view that stops you in your tracks: a vast red valley ringed by soaring rock massifs, unchanged since T.E. Lawrence rode through it a century ago.
Pay the entry fee at the Visitor Centre (JOD 5). Your local Bedouin guide will meet you here.
Wadi Rum Jeep Tour — Lawrence's Spring & Khazali Canyon
Wadi Rum Protected Area, Jordan
A half-day 4WD jeep tour with a Bedouin driver covers the highlights: Lawrence's Spring (where T.E. Lawrence described drinking), Khazali Canyon (a narrow siq with 2,000-year-old Thamudic and Nabataean inscriptions at eye level), the red sand dunes of Um Ishrin, and the rock bridge arch of Burdah. The scale of the landscape — silence, space, and sky in every direction — is profoundly affecting.
Agree the tour route and price with your driver in advance. Half-day tours (JOD 50–70 for 2 people) cover more than enough. Ask to stop at the sand dune for a climbing descent — the view from the top of the dune is the best single panorama in Wadi Rum.
☀️ Afternoon
Rock Climbing or Canyon Walk
Wadi Rum Protected Area, Jordan
For the adventurous, local Bedouin guides offer basic rock climbing on the sandstone towers (no experience needed for beginner routes) or a canyon walk through the narrow slot canyons of the Rakabat area. Both provide a completely different perspective on the landscape.
Desert Camp Check-In & Sunset
Wadi Rum Desert Camps, Jordan
Check into your Bedouin camp and climb to a viewing point for the sunset — the light on the red sandstone at this hour is extraordinary, shifting from orange to deep crimson to purple as the sun drops behind the Saudi border. This is the moment Wadi Rum reveals why it has been described as 'vast, echoing, and God-like'.
Wadi Rum Night Luxury Camp and Memories Aicha Petit Hotel offer excellent mid-range options. 'Bubble tents' (transparent dome tents with starfield views) are worth the upgrade.
🌙 Evening
Bedouin Dinner & Zarb Underground BBQ
Desert Camp, Wadi Rum
The traditional Bedouin zarb — a slow-cooked underground BBQ — is a Wadi Rum dining experience. Lamb, chicken, and vegetables are placed in a pit with hot coals and sealed underground for several hours, emerging fall-apart tender and smoky. Served with Bedouin flatbread, salads, and endless tea.
Dinner and breakfast are almost universally included in camp packages. The post-dinner stargazing (Milky Way is naked-eye visible here) is genuinely spectacular.
🍽️ Meals
Packed breakfast from Wadi Musa hotel
Jordanian · $0 · Ask your hotel to prepare a packed breakfast for the early drive — there is nowhere to eat between Petra and Wadi Rum.
Zarb underground BBQ at desert camp
Bedouin · $0 · Included in overnight camp package — the flavours of slow-cooked lamb from the zarb pit are unlike anything else.
Aqaba Snorkelling & Return to Amman
Friday, April 9
Est. spend
$200
per person
🌅 Morning
Aqaba — Red Sea Snorkelling
Aqaba South Beach, Aqaba Governorate, Jordan
Just 60km south of Wadi Rum, Aqaba sits at the northern tip of the Red Sea and offers some of the most accessible and fish-rich snorkelling in the world. The South Beach area has intact coral gardens within 20 metres of shore. The clarity of the Red Sea is exceptional — visibility of 20–30 metres is normal. Sergeant Major fish, parrotfish, and occasional reef sharks are common sightings.
Rent snorkel gear at the beach (JOD 5) or from the dive centres on the main strip. Captain's Desert Camp (near the Japanese Garden reef) is the best snorkel site — it has a sunken Japanese tank visible from the surface.
Aqaba Waterfront & Fort
Aqaba Fort, Aqaba Corniche, Aqaba
Aqaba's small Mamluk fort — just opposite the port — houses a modest but interesting museum covering the 1916 Arab Revolt. The waterfront Corniche is pleasant for a morning coffee before the drive north. Aqaba is a free trade zone so duty-free shopping (cigarettes, electronics) is available.
☀️ Afternoon
Drive back to Amman via Desert Highway
Desert Highway (Route 15), Jordan
The Desert Highway (Route 15) runs 330km straight north from Aqaba to Amman — fast, flat, and well-maintained. Allow 3.5 hours. The landscape transitions from the red desert of the south to the rolling hills of central Jordan. Stop at the Zarqa Ma'in hot springs (off the Dead Sea Road) if you have time for a final soak.
Petrol stations are plentiful on the Desert Highway. Keep your tank above half in the desert sections. Speed cameras are active — stick to 110 km/h.
Amman Farewell — Al Weibdeh Art District
Al Weibdeh, Amman
If your flight allows, spend your final afternoon in Amman's art district of Al Weibdeh — galleries, independent restaurants, and the excellent Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts make it the most culturally interesting corner of the city.
🌙 Evening
Airport Transfer & Departure
Queen Alia International Airport, Amman
Queen Alia International Airport is 35km south of central Amman. Allow 45 minutes from the city centre.
Jordan's departure tax is included in most airline tickets. Check your booking confirmation.
🍽️ Meals
Ali Baba Restaurant — Aqaba
Jordanian / Seafood · $30 · The best seafood restaurant in Aqaba — the grilled hammour and sayyadieh (fish over spiced rice) are outstanding. On the Corniche road.
Before you go
📅 Best time to visit
March to May (spring) and September to November (autumn) are ideal — temperatures 18–28°C with no rain. Spring adds wildflowers across the northern highlands. Avoid December to February when Petra and Wadi Rum can be cold (and Petra occasionally closes after flash floods); avoid July and August when temperatures in the south exceed 40°C.
🛂 Visas
Citizens of most Western countries (USA, UK, EU, Australia, Canada) can obtain a visa on arrival at Amman's Queen Alia Airport for JOD 40 (approximately USD 56). The Jordan Pass (from JOD 70, purchased online at jordanpass.jo) includes the visa fee AND multi-day Petra entry — a significant saving and the recommended approach. Ensure you enter Jordan via an official port of entry and stay the minimum 3 nights for the visa waiver to apply.
💱 Currency
Jordanian Dinar (JOD). 1 JOD ≈ USD 1.41 — a relatively strong currency. ATMs dispense JOD at reasonable rates; avoid hotel exchange desks. Carry cash outside the major cities — Wadi Rum and rural areas are primarily cash-based. Credit cards accepted in hotels and upscale restaurants in Amman, Aqaba, and Petra resort areas.
🆘 Emergency numbers
police: 911
ambulance: 911
fire: 911
touristPolice: 06-5678111
💬 Things you won't find in a guidebook
- The Jordan Pass is the single best purchase you can make before departure — it covers Petra, Jerash, Wadi Rum, and 40+ other sites, plus the visa fee.
- Haggling is expected in all souqs — a respectful counter-offer of 50-60% of the asking price is the starting point. Finalising a deal with tea is standard and enjoyable.
- Friday is the Muslim holy day — some sites have reduced hours. Jerash and Petra operate seven days a week but Amman's commercial district quiets on Friday morning.
- Jordan is one of the safest countries in the Middle East — tourist harassment is minimal by regional standards. Treat everyone with respect and you will be rewarded with extraordinary hospitality.
One thing worth not skipping
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