14-Day Self-Launched Jordan Adventure: Amman to Petra, Wadi Rum & the Dead Sea

Land at Queen Alia International Airport (AMM). Buy the Jordan Pass online BEFORE arrival — the 70 JOD (≈£78) version includes your visa fee and entry to Jerash, Petra and Wadi Rum. Take the Airport Express bus to the North Bus Station or a fixed-price airport taxi (~20 JOD/£22) to downtown Amman. Check into a hostel in Jabal Amman or Jabal Al-Weibdeh. Evening: walk Rainbow Street, eat falafel and knafeh at Hashem's or Al-Quds, and arrange tomorrow's transport.

🚌Airport Express bus (~3.5 JOD/£4) or fixed-price taxi (~20 JOD/£22)

🛏Hostel dorm in Jabal Amman / Al-Weibdeh (e.g. Nomads Hostel, Boutique Hostel Amman) — ~£12-18

• →Jordan Pass purchase & activation
• →Rainbow Street evening stroll
• →Dinner at Hashem's falafel

Do this as a self-organised day trip. Take a JETT or local minibus from Amman's Tabarbour station to Jerash (~1 JOD/£1.10, 1 hour). Book a 1.5-hour licensed guide at the Jerash Visitor Centre (~30-40 JOD shared, or join a GetYourGuide group tour from Amman ~£35 which covers the whole day including Ajloun and Um Qais). See Hadrian's Arch, the Hippodrome, Temple of Artemis and the Colonnaded Street. Then a shared taxi to Ajloun for Al-Rabid Castle, and on to Um Qais (ancient Gadara) with its views over the Golan. Return to Amman by late afternoon — coordinate with your driver or take a service taxi back.

🚌Minibus Amman–Jerash (~1 JOD); shared taxi between sites (~15-25 JOD total split); or GetYourGuide day tour ~£35

🛏Hostel dorm in Jabal Amman / Al-Weibdeh — ~£12-18

• →Jerash Roman ruins with local guide
• →Al-Rabid (Ajloun) Castle
• →Um Qais (ancient Gadara)

Hire a car for the day (from ~30-40 JOD/£33-44 plus fuel, split if you find others in the hostel) or join a small-group Eastern Desert Castles tour via GetYourGuide (~£45-60). Route: Qusayr Amra (UNESCO Umayyad bathhouse with 8th-century frescoes — don't miss the zodiac ceiling), Qasr Kharana, then Qasr Al-Azraq with its black basalt stone. Finish at Shaumari Wildlife Reserve for a short oryx safari drive (~1 hour) and a self-guided walk on the Azraq Wetlands boardwalk. Return to Amman for the night.

🚌Rental car ~£35-45/day + fuel (split), or GetYourGuide small-group tour ~£45-60

🛏Hostel dorm in Jabal Amman / Al-Weibdeh — ~£12-18

• →Qusayr Amra frescoes
• →Qasr Kharana & Qasr Al-Azraq
• →Shaumari Reserve oryx safari
• →Azraq Wetlands hike

Head south. Public minibus from Amman's Wahdat station to Madaba (~1 JOD) — see the 6th-century mosaic map of Palestine at St. George's Church. Continue by service taxi to Mt. Nebo for the monastery and the viewpoint over the Jordan Valley, Dead Sea and Holy Land. Then south to Karak for the Crusader castle (built 1132/34), pausing at the Wadi Al Mujib viewpoint sign. Arrive in Dana village by late afternoon — check into a village guesthouse and walk the ridge for the famous Dana sunset (40-45 min easy walk; a local guide from the guesthouse costs ~15-20 JOD if you want company).

🚌Minibus Amman–Madaba (~1 JOD); service taxis Madaba–Mt. Nebo–Karak (~25-35 JOD total, split); Karak–Dana taxi (~20 JOD)

🛏Dana village guesthouse (e.g. Dana Guesthouse / Dana Tower Hotel) — dorm or basic private ~£20-30

• →St. George's Church mosaic map, Madaba
• →Mt. Nebo monastery & viewpoint
• →Wadi Al Mujib viewpoint
• →Karak Crusader Castle
• →Dana sunset ridge walk

Start early. Visit Shobak Castle (Crusader, expanded by the Mamluks) en route south. Then hike the Wadi Ghwair trail from the Shobak area down to Feynan — 18 km, 7-8 hours, difficult grade, with a tea break at a Bedouin tent en route. A local Bedouin guide is essential and can be arranged through Feynan Ecolodge or Shobak (expect ~60-80 JOD guide). Alternatively, arrange a 4x4 transfer and do a shorter section if you're hiking solo and weather is hot. Arrive at Feynan Ecolodge for dinner and a candlelit night — this is a genuine splurge but iconic.

🚌Private/4x4 transfer to trailhead and onward to Feynan (~40-60 JOD); arrange via Ecolodge

🛏Feynan Ecolodge (lodge, half-board — the one real splurge, ~£80-110 pp sharing)

• →Shobak Crusader Castle
• →Wadi Ghwair hike (18 km) with local Bedouin guide
• →Feynan Ecolodge candlelit evening

Slow morning at Feynan — join the Ecolodge's free guided activities (sunset hike, Bedouin bread-making, Arabic coffee). Late morning transfer north to Little Petra (Al Beidha, ~40 min from Wadi Musa). Spend 1.5-2 hours on the self-guided walk through the Nabatean carved buildings, residences, storage rooms and tombs — it's free and far quieter than Petra. Best done in the afternoon light. Overnight at a Bedouin camp near Little Petra/Wadi Musa (e.g. Seven Wonders Bedouin Camp) with dinner included, or a budget hotel in Wadi Musa if you prefer a bed.

🚌Feynan–Little Petra transfer (~50-70 JOD) or shared 4x4; arrange via Ecolodge/camp

🛏Bedouin camp near Little Petra (Seven Wonders or similar) — dorm tent ~£18-28 incl. dinner

• →Little Petra (Al Beidha) self-guided walk
• →Bedouin camp evening & dinner

Use your Jordan Pass for entry and start at 6am to beat the crowds and heat. Join a 2.5-hour licensed guide for the main trail (Siq, Treasury, Street of Facades, Roman Theatre, Colonnaded Street, Qasr Bint) — guides wait at the visitor centre gate, ~50-70 JOD, or pre-book a small-group Petra day tour via GetYourGuide (~£50). Spend the afternoon self-guided: climb the 800 steps to the Monastery (Ad Deir) in the cooler late afternoon, and if you have energy do the High Place of Sacrifice. Optional add-ons: the Byzantine Church and Temple of the Winged Lion down Wadi Farasa, camel ride, or the golf cart back. Consider the separate Petra by Night candlelit event (Mon/Wed/Thu, ~17 JOD).

🚌Taxi from camp/hotel to visitor centre (~5 JOD); walking within Petra; electric golf cart optional (~20 JOD)

🛏Budget hotel in Wadi Musa (e.g. Sharah Mountains, Edom, La Maison) — dorm or private ~£15-25

• →Petra main trail with licensed guide
• →Monastery (Ad Deir) climb
• →High Place of Sacrifice
• →Optional Petra by Night

Transfer from Wadi Musa to Wadi Rum Village (~1.5 hours by shared taxi/JETT, ~10-15 JOD). Most desert camps include a 4-hour 4x4 tour in the price or for ~30-40 JOD extra: Nabatean Temple, Lawrence Spring, sand dunes, Khazali Canyon, Little Bridge, Um Frouth Rock Bridge, Lawrence House, and the Burdah Rock Bridge/Arch. Your camp guide handles all of it — book direct with Sun City, Mazayen Rum or Harir Rum camps (around £35-55 pp half-board incl. tour, or budget camp ~£25-35). Evening: Bedouin dinner (zarb), tea by the fire, and stargazing — Wadi Rum's dark skies are the highlight of the trip.

🚌Shared taxi/JETT Wadi Musa–Wadi Rum (~10-15 JOD); 4x4 tour included with most camp bookings

🛏Wadi Rum desert camp standard tent (Sun City / Mazayen / Memories Aicha) — ~£30-50 incl. dinner

• →Wadi Rum 4x4 tour (4-5 hrs)
• →Khazali Canyon & rock bridges
• →Bedouin dinner and stargazing

Catch sunrise over the desert from your camp, then a morning transfer to Aqaba (~1 hour, ~8-12 JOD shared taxi). Check into a budget hotel or hostel near the beach. Spend the afternoon on a self-guided city tour: Aqaba Fortress (Mamluk, ~3 JOD), the Aqaba Archaeological Museum, and the Marine Science Station aquarium. Optional: snorkel off the north beach near the Marine Science Station (rent gear ~8-12 JOD) or book a glass-bottom boat trip (~15-20 JOD). Dinner at a seafood restaurant near the port.

🚌Shared taxi Wadi Rum–Aqaba (~8-12 JOD); walking/taxi in Aqaba

🛏Budget hotel/hostel in Aqaba (Laverda, Turquoise or similar) — ~£20-30

• →Wadi Rum sunrise
• →Aqaba Fortress & Museum
• →Snorkelling or glass-bottom boat on the Red Sea

Travel north along the Dead Sea Highway to Bethany-beyond-the-Jordan (the Baptism Site) — entry ~12 JOD, reached only by the site's shuttle from the visitor centre. Cross by service taxi towards the Dead Sea resorts (or the public Amman Beach / Amman Tourist Beach, ~15-20 JOD entry). Float in the Dead Sea (bring old flip-flops — the salt is brutal on cuts), slather on the black mud, and watch the light change over the West Bank hills. Stay at Dead Sea resort or a cheaper guesthouse nearby.

🚌Shared taxi Aqaba–Dead Sea/Bethany (~35-50 JOD, split) or JETT if timing works

🛏Budget-to-mid hotel/guesthouse near the Dead Sea (Ramada Resort / Dead Sea Spa / Amman Beach area guesthouse) — ~£35-60 (resort rooms are pricey; guesthouses cheaper)

• →Baptism Site (Bethany) tour
• →Dead Sea float & mud bath

If travelling April–October, do the Wadi Mujib Siq Trail (self-guided, ~1.5-2 hours wading and climbing through the gorge; ~21 JOD entrance) — genuinely one of Jordan's best experiences, but check water levels, as it closes with flash-flood risk. Otherwise walk the viewpoints over the Mujib canyon. Then visit Ma'in Hot Springs (entrance incl. lunch, ~15-20 JOD) for a soak in the warm waterfalls. Late afternoon, head back to Amman and check into a downtown hostel.

🚌Shared taxi/private driver for the day (~50-70 JOD, split); evening return to Amman's South/Wahdat bus station

🛏Hostel dorm in Jabal Amman / Al-Weibdeh — ~£12-18

• →Wadi Mujib Siq Trail (seasonal)
• →Ma'in Hot Springs soak

Morning self-guided walking tour of Amman: the Citadel (Temple of Hercules, Umayyad palace, Roman to early Islamic layers), the Jordan Archaeological Museum with its Dead Sea Scrolls collection, the Roman Theatre (2nd century, 6,000 seats), and a wander through the downtown souq. After lunch, take a bus or service taxi to Al-Salt (~30-40 min, ~1-2 JOD), Jordan's UNESCO-listed Ottoman town — visit the Abu Jaber Mansion / Historic Old Salt Museum on the old main street. Return to Amman for the evening.

🚌Local bus/service taxi Amman–Al-Salt (~1-2 JOD); city taxis in Amman (~2-3 JOD/trip)

🛏Hostel dorm in Jabal Amman / Al-Weibdeh — ~£12-18

• →Amman Citadel & Archaeological Museum
• →Roman Theatre
• →Downtown souq
• →Al-Salt historic town & Abu Jaber Mansion

Use your free day your own way. Options: a traditional hammam at Al Basha Turkish Bath (steam, scrub and massage, ~25-35 JOD); a cooking class at Beit Sitti or similar (~US$56 / ~£45 pp, book direct — note the operator's own class has a 4-person minimum, but Beit Sitti runs classes for solo travellers too); the Royal Automobile Museum (King Hussein's car collection, ~5 JOD); or last-minute shopping in the downtown souq and at Wild Jordan for crafts. Sort your airport transfer for tomorrow and pack up.

🚌City taxis (~2-3 JOD per trip)

🛏Hostel dorm in Jabal Amman / Al-Weibdeh — ~£12-18

• →Al Basha Turkish Bath
• →Optional Beit Sitti cooking class
• →Royal Automobile Museum
• →Downtown shopping

Breakfast at the hostel, then take the Airport Express bus or a fixed-price taxi from downtown to Queen Alia International Airport (AMM) for your flight home. If your flight is late, the Jordan Museum or a final coffee on Rainbow Street fills the time nicely.

🚌Airport Express bus (~3.5 JOD/£4) or taxi (~20 JOD/£22)

🛏—

• →Airport transfer