Self-Launched Jordan: Petra, Wadi Rum & the Dead Sea

Land at Queen Alia International Airport (AMM) and take the Airport Express bus or a shared taxi into downtown Amman (~£5-8, 45-60 min) rather than a private transfer. Check into a downtown hostel or budget hotel around Rainbow Street / Al-Weibdeh. In the evening walk to the Roman Theatre and the buzzing fruit-juice stalls on Al-Saqf Sayel, grab a cheap falafel and hummus dinner (£4-5), then watch the city light up from the Jordan Flagpole viewpoint. Buy your Jordan Pass online before arrival if you haven't already — it covers your visa and most major sites including Petra.

🚌Airport Express bus / shared taxi from AMM into central Amman (~£5-8)

🛏Downtown Amman hostel or budget hotel (dorm £8-12, private £20-28)

• →Self-walk Amman Roman Theatre & downtown
• →Rainbow Street evening stroll
• →Buy Jordan Pass online (covers visa + Petra entry)

Take a public minibus from Amman's Tabarbour bus station to Jerash (~£1-2, 1 hour) and spend the morning exploring one of the best-preserved Roman cities outside Italy — colonnaded streets, the Oval Plaza, Hadrian's Arch and the hippodrome, all covered by your Jordan Pass. Hire a local guide at the gate for an in-depth tour (~£15 shared) if you want the historical depth. Lunch on cheap shawarma in Jerash town (£3-4). Return to Amman by afternoon minibus and climb the Amman Citadel at golden hour (£3 entry, or included in some passes) with views over the Roman Theatre and the Jordan Archaeological Museum (small extra fee). Hostel or budget hotel in Amman.

🚌Public minibus Amman (Tabarbour) to Jerash return (~£2-4)

🛏Downtown Amman hostel or budget hotel (dorm £8-12, private £20-28)

• →Jerash Roman ruins self-guided walk (Jordan Pass)
• →Local guide at Jerash gate (~£15 shared)
• →Amman Citadel & Jordan Archaeological Museum

This is where the group tour flies in and visits the Royal Stables — skip both and travel the scenic overland route instead. Take a JETT or Trust International bus from Amman to Wadi Musa/Petra (~£7-10, 3.5-4 hrs), or a shared taxi if buses are full (~£15). Alternatively break the journey at Madaba (mosaics of St George's Church) or stop at Mount Nebo and the Crusader castle at Karak if you hire a shared car with other travellers. Arrive in Wadi Musa, check into a budget guesthouse, and use the afternoon to wander the town, buy groceries for Petra, and eat a cheap mansaf dinner (£6-8). Get an early night — you'll be walking Petra at dawn.

🚌JETT / Trust bus Amman to Wadi Musa (~£7-10, 3.5-4 hrs)

🛏Wadi Musa budget guesthouse (dorm £10-15, private £22-30)

• →Scenic overland King's Highway route
• →Optional Madaba mosaics / Mount Nebo / Karak castle stops
• →Wadi Musa town + mansaf dinner

Enter Petra at opening (~6am) with your Jordan Pass (covers the 1-day entry, normally £50+). Walk the Siq and emerge at the Treasury (Al-Khazneh) before the crowds. Then push on past the Street of Facades to the Theatre, the Royal Tombs, and either climb the 800 steps to the Monastery (Ad-Deir) or the switchbacks to the High Place of Sacrifice for panoramic views. Carry your own water and snacks (Petra food is expensive). In the late afternoon, buy a ticket for Petra by Night (Mon/Wed/Thu, ~£15) and see the Siq and Treasury lit by hundreds of candles — the cheaper, solo-friendly version of the group's private cave dinner. Return to your Wadi Musa guesthouse.

🚌Walk to Petra entrance (or local shuttle, £1-2)

🛏Wadi Musa budget guesthouse (dorm £10-15, private £22-30)

• →Petra full-day self-guided circuit (Jordan Pass entry)
• →Monastery / High Place of Sacrifice hike
• →Petra by Night candlelit visit (~£15)

Take a shared taxi or local minibus to Little Petra (Siq al-Barid, free entry, ~15 min, £3-5) and explore the smaller carved canyon and 2,000-year-old rock stairs — the group tour pays for a private dinner in a cave here, but a picnic by the canyon costs almost nothing. Then continue south to Wadi Rum (shared taxi ~£8-12, 1.5-2 hrs, or arrange through your camp). Book a budget Bedouin camp (many offer dorm or basic tent options £15-25 including dinner). In the late afternoon take a 2-3 hour 4x4 jeep tour through the desert to Lawrence's Spring, the Khazali and Um Fruth rock bridges and the sunset viewpoint (~£20-25 shared). Stargaze around the campfire — the same silent sky, without the premium astronomer fee.

🚌Shared taxi/local minibus Wadi Musa to Little Petra to Wadi Rum (~£12-16)

🛏Wadi Rum Bedouin desert camp (basic tent/dorm £15-25 incl. dinner)

• →Little Petra (Siq al-Barid) free visit
• →Afternoon 4x4 jeep tour of Wadi Rum (~£20-25 shared)
• →Sunset viewpoint & stargazing at campfire

Wake for sunrise over the desert and a camp breakfast, then take an optional short camel ride or second short jeep loop if you want (~£10-15). Travel north via Aqaba or the Desert Highway back toward the Dead Sea — the cheapest option is a shared taxi/minibus Wadi Rum to the Dead Sea area (~£15-20, 4-5 hrs, often via Amman or Aqaba; buses are infrequent so ask your camp to help arrange a shared ride). Check into a budget guesthouse or hostel near the Dead Sea / Suweimeh. Spend the late afternoon floating in the hyper-saline water and covering yourself in the mineral mud at a public beach (e.g. Amman Beach public area, ~£15 entry, or the free/cheap informal access points) — the same therapeutic experience the group pays resort prices for.

🚌Shared taxi/minibus Wadi Rum to Dead Sea (~£15-20, 4-5 hrs)

🛏Dead Sea budget guesthouse/hostel near Suweimeh (£18-28)

• →Wadi Rum sunrise
• →Optional camel ride (~£10-15)
• →Dead Sea float & mud bath at public beach (~£15)

A slower day to recover. Float again at the Dead Sea in the morning, then take a shared taxi to the Ma'in Hot Springs (Hammamat Ma'in) or the scenic Wadi Mujib gorge if the season and your Jordan Pass allow a self-guided Siq Trail hike (~£10-20). Alternatively use the day to visit Bethany Beyond the Jordan (Jesus's baptism site, ~£10) or simply rest at your guesthouse. In the evening eat a simple local meal in the Dead Sea / Suweimeh area (£6-8). This replaces the group tour's guided Dead Sea spa day with a flexible, cheap DIY version.

🚌Shared taxi to Ma'in Hot Springs / Wadi Mujib (~£8-12 return)

🛏Dead Sea budget guesthouse/hostel near Suweimeh (£18-28)

• →Ma'in Hot Springs or Wadi Mujib Siq Trail (seasonal)
• →Optional Bethany Beyond the Jordan site
• →Second Dead Sea float

Take a shared taxi or the local bus from the Dead Sea back to Amman (~£5-10, 1-1.5 hrs) in good time for your flight. If you have a late departure, spend a final couple of hours in Amman's Al-Weibdeh for coffee and last-minute souvenirs (spices, Dead Sea products, mosaics). Head to Queen Alia Airport via the Airport Express bus or shared taxi (~£5-8). Trip ends.

🚌Shared taxi/bus Dead Sea to Amman (~£5-10) + Airport Express to AMM (~£5-8)

🛏N/A (departure day)

• →Last-minute Al-Weibdeh coffee & souvenir shopping
• →Departure transfer to AMM