The Ultimate Self-Launched Adventure in Jordan

Fly into Queen Alia International Airport (AMM) and take the Airport Express Bus 701 into central Amman — it runs every 30 minutes and costs around £3, dropping you near 4th Circle. Check into a well-rated guesthouse in the Jabal Amman or Rainbow Street area. Spend the evening doing your own street food tour of downtown: falafel at Hashem Restaurant (an Amman institution), knafeh at Habibah Sweets, and freshly grilled kebabs from the souks around Al-Husseini Mosque. It's all walkable and deliciously cheap.

🚌Airport Express Bus 701 from AMM (~£3). Taxis within Amman use meters; typical downtown ride £2-4.

🛏Jordan Tower Hotel or Cliff Hotel, downtown Amman — budget-friendly, central, well-reviewed (~£20-25/night)

• →Airport Express Bus 701 from AMM to central Amman (~£3)
• →Self-guided street food tour of downtown Amman — Hashem Restaurant, Habibah Sweets, Al-Husseini Mosque area
• →Explore Rainbow Street and Jabal Amman neighbourhood

After breakfast at your guesthouse, head up to the Amman Citadel (entrance ~£3) for sweeping views over the city, then walk down to the Roman Theatre (entrance included in a combined ticket). Stroll through the atmospheric souks. By late morning, catch a public JETT or local minibus to Madaba (~1hr, £2). Visit the Church of St George for the famous 6th-century Byzantine mosaic map of the Holy Land (entrance ~£1). Book a cooking class at Hikayet Sitti or a similar community kitchen directly online — a hands-on Jordanian cooking experience typically costs £20-30pp and includes a shared lunch. After lunch, take a shared taxi to Mount Nebo (~£3 return) for panoramic views across the Jordan Valley and Dead Sea, then minibus back to Amman for the evening.

🚌Public minibus Amman–Madaba (~£2). Shared taxis between Madaba and Mount Nebo (~£3 return).

🛏Jordan Tower Hotel or Cliff Hotel, Amman (~£20-25/night)

• →Amman Citadel & Roman Theatre (combined ticket ~£3)
• →Stroll through downtown souks and Al-Husseini Mosque
• →Public minibus Amman–Madaba (~£2, 1hr)
• →St George's Church & Byzantine mosaic map (~£1)
• →Hands-on Jordanian cooking class at Hikayet Sitti or similar (~£20-30, book direct)
• →Shared taxi to Mount Nebo and back (~£3 return)
• →Minibus back to Amman (~£2)

Early start — catch a morning minibus from Amman's South Bus Station towards Aqaba and ask to be dropped at the Dana village junction (~3hrs, £5). From there, a short taxi or walk takes you into the Dana Biosphere Reserve. Hike the Shaq Al Reesh Trail independently or join a guided hike bookable through the Dana Guesthouse or RSCN (Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature) visitor centre on arrival (~£8-15 with a local guide). In the afternoon, arrange a shared taxi to Little Petra (Beidha) — a free Nabataean site about 9km north of Wadi Musa. Explore the carved rock facades and narrow siqs at your own pace (free entry). Head to your desert camp near Little Petra for the night. Pick up local Jordanian beer at a shop in Wadi Musa beforehand to enjoy at sunset.

🚌Public minibus Amman–Dana (~£5). Shared taxis between Dana, Wadi Musa area, and Little Petra (~£5-8).

🛏Seven Wonders Bedouin Camp or similar budget desert camp near Little Petra (~£20-30/night including dinner and breakfast)

• →Public minibus Amman South Station–Dana junction (~£5, 3hrs)
• →Shaq Al Reesh Trail hike in Dana Biosphere Reserve — self-guided or with RSCN local guide (~£8-15)
• →Shared taxi to Little Petra / Beidha (~£5)
• →Self-guided exploration of Little Petra (free entry)
• →Sunset at desert camp with local Jordanian craft beers

After breakfast at your camp, make your way to the Little Petra Visitor Centre. The backdoor trail into Petra (officially the Al-Sharah Trail or Wadi Muthlim/back route) starts here. You can hire a local guide at the visitor centre for the trail (~£15-20) or follow the well-marked route independently — it's one of the most rewarding hikes in the Middle East. The path winds over a Nabataean plateau, offering views of the Araba Mountains, before arriving dramatically above the Monastery (Ad Deir). Descend the ancient steps into Petra's core, exploring the Royal Tombs, Street of Facades, and finishing at the iconic Treasury. A Petra entry ticket costs ~£50 for one day (worth every penny). Exit via the Siq to Wadi Musa and check into your hotel. Cool off in the pool if your hotel has one.

🚌Short walk or taxi from Little Petra camp to visitor centre (£2-3).

🛏Valentine Inn or Rocky Mountain Hotel, Wadi Musa — reliable budget guesthouses with pools (~£18-25/night)

• →Backdoor trail from Little Petra Visitor Centre to Petra Monastery (self-guided or local guide ~£15-20)
• →Petra day entry ticket (~£50)
• →Explore Ad Deir (the Monastery), Royal Tombs, Street of Facades, and the Treasury
• →Lunch at one of the on-site Bedouin restaurants inside Petra (~£5-8)
• →Exit via the Siq to Wadi Musa

For early risers, head back to Petra for a sunrise walk through the Siq to the Treasury — the site opens at 6am and the morning light is magical (your existing ticket covers re-entry on consecutive days if purchased as a 2-day pass, ~£55 — worth upgrading). After breakfast, check out and take a public minibus or shared taxi south to Wadi Rum Village (~1.5hrs, £4-6). At the visitor centre, book a half-day 4x4 Jeep tour (~£20-25pp) that takes in Um Ishreen Canyon and Barrah Canyon — most camps can arrange this. Check in to your bubble dome camp for the night. After a traditional Bedouin dinner, step outside for world-class stargazing in one of the darkest skies in the region.

🚌Public minibus or shared taxi Wadi Musa–Wadi Rum (~£4-6).

🛏Wadi Rum Bubble Luxury Camp or UFO Luxotel — bubble domes with stargazing windows and en suite bathrooms (~£50-70/night including dinner and breakfast)

• →Optional early return to Petra for sunrise Treasury photos (from 6am)
• →Public minibus or shared taxi Wadi Musa–Wadi Rum Village (~£4-6, 1.5hrs)
• →Half-day 4x4 Jeep tour: Um Ishreen Canyon & Barrah Canyon (~£20-25pp, book via camp or visitor centre)
• →Traditional Bedouin dinner at camp (usually included)
• →Stargazing from bubble dome or around the campfire

A full day in Wadi Rum. Book through your camp a guided Jeep-and-hike combination to Jebel Al-Hash — a remote peak near the Saudi border offering 360-degree views across the desert. Most camps offer a full-day 4x4 and guided hike package for ~£30-40pp. The hike involves a 3-4 hour circular route with gradual ascents, rocky paths, and some light scrambling — no experience needed, just reasonable fitness. Lunch is typically a packed Bedouin spread eaten at the summit or in a shaded canyon below. Return to camp in the afternoon for a long, lazy sunset from your bubble dome. Tonight is your last in Wadi Rum — make the most of those stars.

🚌4x4 Jeep transfers included in day tour package.

🛏Wadi Rum Bubble Luxury Camp or UFO Luxotel (second night, ~£50-70/night)

• →Full-day Jeep + guided hike to Jebel Al-Hash summit (~£30-40pp, book via your camp)
• →360-degree desert panorama from the summit
• →Bedouin packed lunch in the desert (~included with tour)
• →Afternoon stargazing and relaxation at bubble dome camp

After breakfast, arrange a shared taxi or minibus from Wadi Rum to Aqaba (~1hr, £4-6). Check into your hotel — Aqaba has a great range of options near the marina. Head to the South Beach or Marina area and book a snorkelling boat trip directly at the harbour or via GetYourGuide (~£20-30pp for a half-day cruise with snorkel gear included). You'll cruise along the coast, stop at coral reefs teeming with colourful marine life, and have views across to Egypt, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. Lunch is often included on board or grab something fresh at the harbour. Spend the afternoon on Aqaba's beachfront promenade or at your hotel pool.

🚌Shared taxi or minibus Wadi Rum–Aqaba (~£4-6).

🛏Bedouin Garden Village or Saba Hotel, Aqaba — clean, well-located budget hotels near the beach (~£20-30/night)

• →Shared taxi or minibus Wadi Rum–Aqaba (~£4-6, 1hr)
• →Half-day Red Sea snorkelling boat trip (~£20-30pp, book at South Marina or GetYourGuide)
• →Snorkelling coral reefs with tropical fish and marine life
• →Aqaba beachfront promenade and relaxation

Early checkout and arrange a shared JETT bus or private taxi north from Aqaba to the Dead Sea (~3.5-4hrs, £8-12 by bus or split a taxi). Arrive at the Dead Sea and pay for a day-use pass at one of the public beach resorts such as Amman Beach or O Beach (~£15-20 including sunbed and beach access). Float effortlessly in the mineral-rich water, slather on the famous black mud, and soak up the surreal landscape. In the mid-afternoon, catch a shared taxi or minibus to Amman (~1hr, £4-5) in time for your final evening. Check back into your Amman guesthouse for one last night and head out for a farewell dinner on Rainbow Street or in the Weibdeh neighbourhood — try Fakhreldin or Sufra for a proper Jordanian sit-down feast.

🚌JETT bus Aqaba–Dead Sea (~£8-12). Shared taxi Dead Sea–Amman (~£4-5).

🛏Jordan Tower Hotel or Cliff Hotel, Amman (~£20-25/night)

• →JETT bus or shared taxi Aqaba–Dead Sea (~£8-12, 3.5-4hrs)
• →Dead Sea public beach day pass — Amman Beach or O Beach (~£15-20 including sunbed)
• →Floating and mud treatment at the Dead Sea
• →Shared taxi Dead Sea–Amman (~£4-5, 1hr)
• →Farewell dinner on Rainbow Street or Weibdeh — Sufra or Fakhreldin restaurant (~£12-18pp)

After a final Jordanian breakfast (ful medames, hummus, and flatbread), check out and head to Queen Alia International Airport. Take the Airport Express Bus 701 (~£3, runs every 30 minutes from the 7th Circle area) or a metered taxi (~£12-15). If your flight is late, leave your bags at the hotel and spend the morning browsing the souks around Al-Husseini Mosque for last-minute spices, za'atar, local sweets, or Dead Sea products. Ma'a as-salama — until next time.

🚌Airport Express Bus 701 to AMM (~£3) or metered taxi (~£12-15).

• →Final breakfast in Amman (~£3-5)
• →Airport Express Bus 701 to AMM (~£3) or metered taxi (~£12-15)
• →Optional last-minute souvenir shopping in downtown Amman souks