10-Day Jordan Highlights: Petra, Wadi Rum & the Dead Sea (Self-Launched)

Fly into Queen Alia International Airport (AMM). Buy the Jordan Pass online before you fly if you haven't already — it covers your visa-on-arrival fee and most of the major sites on this route. Take the airport express bus (Sariyah/Trust shuttle, approx. £7–8) or a shared taxi to Downtown Amman. Check into a budget hotel or hostel in Downtown or Jabal Amman, then walk the Rainbow Street area for dinner — falafel and hummus at Hashem's is a Jordanian rite of passage. Pick up a local SIM (Zain or Orange, approx. £8–10 for a tourist data bundle).

🚌Airport express bus or shared taxi, approx. £7–10

🛏Budget hotel/hostel, Downtown Amman (approx. £18–25/night)

• →Airport transfer to Amman
• →Rainbow Street wander
• →Dinner at Hashem's or similar local spot
• →Buy local SIM card

Start early with the Amman Citadel (Temple of Hercules, Umayyad Palace) and the Roman Theatre in Downtown — both included in the Jordan Pass. Then take a JETT or local minibus north to Jerash (approx. 1 hour, £2–4) to walk the colonnaded street, Hadrian's Arch and the hippodrome; Jordan Pass covers entry. Hire a local guide at the gate for about £12–15 if you want context, or use an audio guide. Late afternoon, grab a shared taxi or minibus to Ajloun (approx. £4–6) to see Ajloun Castle. Head back to Amman for the night.

🚌JETT/minibus Amman–Jerash and shared taxi to Ajloun, approx. £8–12 total

🛏Budget hotel/hostel, Downtown Amman (approx. £18–25/night)

• →Amman Citadel and Roman Theatre
• →Jerash ruins with optional local guide
• →Ajloun Castle

Take a JETT bus or minibus south to Madaba (approx. 45 min, £2–3). See St George's Church and its famous mosaic map of the Holy Land, then local transport or a shared taxi 10 km to Mount Nebo for the Byzantine church and the view across the Jordan Valley (Jordan Pass covers Mount Nebo). Continue by shared taxi or minibus down to the Dead Sea — either the free public beach at Amman Beach or a day pass at a resort (approx. £20–35 for towel and showers). Float, mud up and watch the sun go down. Overnight in Madaba (cheaper) or near the Dead Sea.

🚌Minibus/shared taxi Madaba–Mount Nebo–Dead Sea, approx. £10–15

🛏Guesthouse in Madaba or budget hotel near the Dead Sea (approx. £18–30/night)

• →St George's Church mosaic map
• →Mount Nebo and Byzantine Church
• →Dead Sea float and mud

Head south down the King's Highway. Wadi Mujib's Siq Trail is a wet canyon hike with ladders and a swim — open roughly April to October only, and must be booked direct with the RSCN reserve (approx. £15–20). If it's closed, substitute a viewpoint stop over the Mujib canyon or the Dead Sea Panoramic Complex. Continue to Karak to explore the Crusader castle (included in Jordan Pass). Late afternoon, take a minibus or shared taxi to Dana village and check into an eco-guesthouse in the Ottoman-era village on the canyon rim — RSCN's Dana Guesthouse is the classic choice, book direct.

🚌Shared taxi/minibus along the King's Highway, approx. £12–18

🛏Dana eco-guesthouse (approx. £25–35/night)

• →Wadi Mujib Siq Trail (seasonal, book with RSCN)
• →Karak Castle
• →Dana village viewpoint at sunset

Do a self-guided morning hike in Dana Biosphere Reserve — the easy Wadi Dana trail toward the Feynan direction or the shorter Nawatef/Dana Village loop (entrance approx. £10–12, pay at the reserve office). Watch for ibex and raptors. In the afternoon, head to Wadi Musa, the town beside Petra — local minibus to Tafilah or Qadisiyah then a shared taxi, roughly £10–15 total, and about 2–3 hours. Check into a budget hotel or hostel near the Petra visitor centre and pick up supplies for a big day tomorrow.

🚌Minibus and shared taxi Dana–Wadi Musa, approx. £10–15

🛏Budget hotel/hostel, Wadi Musa (approx. £20–28/night)

• →Self-guided Dana Reserve hike
• →Transfer to Wadi Musa
• →Evening at Petra by Night if running (Mon/Wed/Thu, approx. £15)

Enter Petra at opening (6am in summer) via the Siq to reach the Treasury before the crowds. Walk the Street of Facades, Royal Tombs, Theatre and the High Place of Sacrifice. You can hire a licensed local guide inside the site for a few hours (approx. £40–60 for a group, split with other travellers) or use the official audio guide / your own reading. In the afternoon, climb the 800-odd steps to the Monastery — the single best reward in Petra. Bring 3 litres of water, sun protection and sturdy shoes. Overnight in Wadi Musa.

🚌Walk from town to the visitor centre (or £3 taxi)

🛏Budget hotel/hostel, Wadi Musa (approx. £20–28/night)

• →Petra full-day self-guided visit
• →Optional licensed guide at the gate
• →Monastery hike

Taxi or minibus the 15 minutes to Little Petra (Siq al-Barid) in the morning — free with Jordan Pass and often empty. Then take a minibus or shared taxi south to Wadi Rum village (approx. 1.5–2 hours, £8–12). Book a budget desert camp directly (many standard tents run £20–30 per person with dinner and breakfast, e.g. via Booking.com) plus a sunset jeep tour (approx. £20–25 for 2–3 hours). Climb a sand dune for sunset, eat a zarb (underground-cooked) Bedouin dinner and stargaze — Wadi Rum is a Dark Sky Reserve.

🚌Shared taxi/minibus Wadi Musa–Wadi Rum, approx. £8–12

🛏Standard desert camp tent, Wadi Rum (approx. £22–30 incl. dinner and breakfast)

• →Little Petra
• →Wadi Rum sunset jeep tour
• →Bedouin dinner and stargazing

Do a longer 4-hour jeep tour (approx. £35–45, book through your camp) hitting Lawrence's Spring, Khazali Canyon, the red sand dunes, Mushroom Rock and the Burdah rock bridge area. Add a short camel ride (approx. £15 for 30–45 min) if you like. In the late afternoon, take the local bus or shared taxi to Aqaba (approx. 1 hour, £3–5). Check into a budget hotel near the corniche and eat fresh fish by the water.

🚌Local bus/shared taxi Wadi Rum–Aqaba, approx. £3–5

🛏Budget hotel, Aqaba (approx. £22–30/night)

• →Wadi Rum 4x4 jeep tour
• →Optional camel ride
• →Aqaba corniche and seafood dinner

Snorkel the Aqaba Marine Park reefs from the public beach or a cheap beach club in the morning (gear hire approx. £8–12) — the coral is surprisingly good and uncrowded. Then take the JETT bus back to Amman (approx. 4 hours, £8–10) or, if you have time, a morning in the Aqaba souk first. Settle into your Amman hotel and spend the evening at a Downtown cafe or the Jabal Amman bookshops.

🚌JETT bus Aqaba–Amman, approx. £8–10

🛏Budget hotel/hostel, Downtown Amman (approx. £18–25/night)

• →Snorkelling on Aqaba's reefs
• →JETT bus to Amman
• →Downtown Amman evening

Last morning — squeeze in the Jordan Museum or a Jordanian coffee in Downtown if your flight is later. Take the airport express bus or a shared taxi back to Queen Alia International Airport for departure. If you didn't buy the Jordan Pass in advance, remember the visa on arrival fee is roughly £40–45.

🚌Airport express bus or shared taxi, approx. £7–10

🛏—

• →Optional Jordan Museum visit
• →Airport transfer