Rose-red tombs carved into cliffs, a desert so otherworldly that film-makers have cast it as Mars, a sea you can’t sink in, and mosaics older than most countries. Jordan packs an astonishing amount into a small nation. This self-drive Jordan itinerary takes you from Amman through Jerash and the King’s Highway to Petra, Wadi Rum, Aqaba, the Dead Sea and Madaba. It’s the route we drove ourselves, tested day by day, and optimised for you.
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Jordan Itinerary at a Glance: Route, Drive Times and Where to Stay
Here’s the whole Jordan tour itinerary in one look. Collect a rental car on Day 2 and drive yourself for the rest of the trip, or hire a car and driver for your journey. Drive times are approximated totals for each day, excluding time spent at stops.
| Day | Route and highlights | Drive Distance & Time | Overnight |
| 0 | Arrive in Amman; downtown dinner | – | Khan Khediwe Hotel, Amman |
| 1 | Citadel, Roman Theatre, Jordan Museum, souks | – | Khan Khediwe Hotel, Amman |
| 2 | Ajloun Castle and Jerash | 170-km (105-mi), 3.5-hrs | Blue Stone Hotel, Madaba |
| 3 | King’s Highway; Kerak Castle; Dana Biosphere Reserve | 180-km (112-mi), 4-hrs | Dana Guesthouse, Dana Village |
| 4 | Wadi Ghuweir hike; Petra by Night | 82-km (51-mi), 2-hrs | Petra Boutique Hotel, Wadi Musa (Petra) |
| 5 | Petra full day | – | Petra Boutique Hotel, Wadi Musa (Petra) |
| 6 | Little Petra; Wadi Rum jeep tour | 135-km (84-mi), 2-hrs 30-mins | Desert Adventures Camp, Wadi Rum |
| 7 | Red Sea snorkelling; Aqaba Fort | 75-km (46-mi), 1-hr 15-mins | Diamond Palm Resort, Aqaba |
| 8 | Wadi Mujib Siq Trail; Dead Sea float | 275-km (170-mi), 3-hrs 45-mins | Samarah Dead Sea Resort, Dead Sea |
| 9 | Bethany, Mount Nebo, Madaba | 90-km (56-mi), 1-hr 45-mins | Blue Stone Hotel, Madaba |
| 10 | Return the car; depart | 20-km (13-mi), 30-mins | – |
Jordan 10-Day Itinerary: Day-by-Day
Day 0 – Arrive in Amman
Let’s start where most journeys to Jordan do: in the capital. Fly into Queen Alia International Airport (AMM), located about 30-km (18-mi) south of downtown Amman. Take a Careem (the regional ride-share app) or an Uber into the city. Keep your eyes on the window, and drink in your first impressions of Jordan: a herd of camels, a man beating a living-room-sized rug on a rooftop, and kids playing soccer in the street.
Base yourself downtown so you can walk to everything on Day 1. We stayed at Khan Khediwe Hotel.
For dinner, start with falafel, hummus and more mezze at Hashem Restaurant, a downtown institution. Walk it all off in the souks and lanes nearby. Finish with dessert at the original Habibah Sweets, for a slab of kunafeh (warm, stringy cheese under crisp, syrup-soaked semolina). More on Jordan’s best bites in what to eat in Jordan, coming soon.
Tip: Ride-share is tracked, and needs no Arabic and no haggling over fares, however it isn’t faultless. We’ve all been taught to stay safe by matching the licence plate and driver name to what we see in the app. Unfortunately, an increasingly common scam is where drivers claim to have accepted the ride using a different vehicle (licence plate) and offering you the option to cancel to ensure you have the correct ride. This exploits the driver’s entitlement to a portion of the cancellation fee that you pay if you cancel. If this happens, make the driver cancel from their side and report to the rideshare company.
Day 1 – Amman City: Citadel, Roman Theatre and the Jordan Museum
Begin the morning at the iconic Amman Citadel, as soon as it opens. The Citadel is known for the Temple of Hercules, Umayyad Palace and sweeping views over the city from its perch on Jabal al-Qala’a (Citadel Hill) the highest of the city’s seven hills. There is little to no shade, therefore it’s best to explore before the sun has reached full intensity. Then drop down into the valley below to see the Roman Theatre, cut into the hillside opposite.
Tip: Amman has been settled for thousands of years, yet it was largely abandoned during the Ottoman period. That’s why the sights jump from Roman and Umayyad ruins straight to the modern city. If Ottoman history is your thing, nearby As-Salt is the place to see it. We didn’t make it there this trip.
A free (pay as you wish) walking tour is a great way to get your bearings on your first full day; ours threaded through downtown and the souks with plenty of history along the way.
Break for lunch at Al-Quds Restaurant and something sweet from Al-Halabi Bakeries & Sweets, then head to the Jordan Museum (JOD5, not covered by the Jordan Pass). Don’t skip it. It holds the Ain Ghazal statues, roughly 9,000-years old and among the earliest known large-scale human figures ever found. The Museum also displays fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the unique Copper Scroll.
Read more: things to do in Amman coming soon.
Hint: Friday is the weekly day of rest in Jordan, and many businesses and sights open for shorter hours. If your sightseeing day falls on a Friday be sure to cross-check opening hours on each site’s official website before you go.
Day 2 – Ajloun Castle, Jerash and on to Madaba
Make an early start, collect your rental car and head north into the hills to Ajloun Castle. It was built in the 1180s by one of Saladin’s commanders to guard the region against the Crusaders, and the views from its towers stretch across the Jordan Valley.
Foodies, listen up! Make sure you stop for lunch at Beit Khairat Souf on the way to Jerash. The restaurant and cooking school is a social enterprise aimed at creating a platform for local women to financially support themselves. The food is incredible! They operate with a set menu and though it expensive for Jordan (JOD15-20), I promise you will not go away hungry. Beit Khairat Souf is the perfect intro to various traditional Jordanian dishes.
With a full belly, continue to Jerash and spend the afternoon exploring one of the best-preserved Roman provincial cities anywhere. Its colonnaded streets, hippodrome and oval plaza still stop you in your tracks. Both Ajloun and Jerash are covered by the Jordan Pass.
Then drive south, skirting the traffic of Amman, to Madaba for the night. We stayed at Blue Stone Hotel where delightful manager Omar will welcome you with the kind of hospitality Jordan is known for. Stock up on road snacks at Frankfurter’s grocery store and grab your morning espresso from the coffee shop right opposite.
Driving distance: 170-km (105-mi), about 3.5-hours.
Read more: Jerash and Ajloun day trip and Driving in Jordan coming soon.
Day 3 – The King’s Highway to Kerak Castle and Dana Biosphere Reserve
Today take the King’s Highway, an ancient trade route that once linked Egypt with Damascus and Mesopotamia and is mentioned in the Bible. It winds south from Madaba through canyons, olive groves and hilltop villages.
Your first stop is Kerak Castle, one of the largest castles in the Levant. Crusaders built it in the mid-12th century as the seat of the lordship of Oultrejordain, where it controlled the trade routes between Damascus, Egypt and Mecca. Its most notorious lord, Raynald of Châtillon, raided passing camel trains and even attempted an attack on Mecca, which provoked Saladin into besieging the castle twice. Kerak finally fell to Saladin’s forces in 1188. Today you can explore its immense arched halls and steep fortifications, a mix of west European, Byzantine and Arab design. Kerak Castle is covered by the Jordan Pass.
We didn’t make it ourselves. Karak Governorate was in lockdown following a security incident a few days earlier, so we detoured to Umm ar-Rasas, a lesser-visited UNESCO World Heritage Site that you’ll find in my guide to the best places to go in Jordan.
Aim to reach Dana Biosphere Reserve, Jordan’s largest nature reserve, by late afternoon. Dana’s historic stone village is perched on the canyon rim, where the only sounds are birdsong and donkey bells. When it’s time for call to prayer, the muezzin’s chants echo off the rocky mountainside. Stay for sunset over the hazy canyon and enjoy dinner on the roof at Finan’s Way Restaurant. We slept at Dana Guesthouse. It’s pricey when compared to other accommodation in Dana Village, but wait until you see the view from the shower!!
Driving distance: 180-km (112-mi), about 4-hours.
Day 4 – Wadi Ghuweir Hike and Petra by Night
Wadi Ghuweir was one of my favourite days in Jordan. Hike in and out to the green oasis, roughly 5–6-km (3–3.5-mi) each way, through a canyon that changes character constantly. It’s multi-coloured rock faces and marbled stone walls expand and contract as you move through the gulch. The turnaround point is different again. A gorgeous oasis where ferns grow from the Wadi’s walls, seeping with groundwater and date palms spring out of precarious overhead ledges. For trail conditions, what to bring and how to get there, see my guide to the Wadi Ghuweir hike coming soon.
Note: Flash flooding is a risk in the wet season, so Wadi Ghuweir is typically only hiked from around April to November (see this month-by-month rainfall chart for Jordan from the World Bank). Check conditions before setting out, or join a guided hike.
Continue your drive 2-hours to Wadi Musa, the town at the gates of Petra, and check in at your hotel. We loved Petra Boutique Hotel: comfortable rooms, an excellent breakfast with a view of the Petra entrance, excellent location and genuinely kind staff.
Have dinner at My Mom’s Recipe, then head to Petra by Night. Walk the “candlelit” Siq to the Treasury where a light and sound show are waiting to tell you the story of the site. It’s expensive, at JOD30 per person on top of a day ticket or Jordan Pass, but it’s an incredibly atmospheric way to see the site for the first time.
Tip: Petra by Night only runs on certain nights of the week, and tickets are bought on the day at the visitor centre, so check the official schedule before you plan your days around it. Arrive early for check-in if you’d like more time to walk the Siq. Golf carts are available to make the experience more accessible.
Driving distance: 82-km (51-mi), about 2-hours.
Read more about: the Wadi Ghuweir hike and Petra by Night coming soon.
Day 5 – A Full Day in Petra
Nothing quite prepares you for the scale of Petra, the Nabataean capital that has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. It’s much bigger than you’d expect, and the landscape is so beautiful it would be an attraction on its own.
Walk the Siq to the Treasury, then keep going all the way to the Monastery. It’s a big climb of around 800 rock-cut steps, and the crowds thin noticeably as you go higher. Expect insistent donkey herders and souvenir stalls all the way up.
Pack a picnic, but know that shade at the top is scarce, and the local animals are bold. The moment I unwrapped my sandwich, the rustle summoned no fewer than two dogs and three cats to my side.
Pace yourself and come prepared, Petra is a full-day sight and you’ll want to explore every nook, cranny and tomb. Read more: the complete guide to Petra, coming soon.
Day 6 – Little Petra and the Wadi Rum Desert
On your way out of Wadi Musa, detour to Little Petra (Siq al-Barid). After ‘big’ Petra it’s less impressive, but it is free to enter and far quieter. Honestly, the highlight is the road between the two sites, with several pull-outs available to safely admire the landscape and more ruins along the way.
By early afternoon you’ll reach Wadi Rum village, where most camps meet their guests for afternoon tours. You’ll need to stop at the Visitor’s Centre on the road in to have your Jordan Pass checked before proceeding. Your desert camp may pick you up from there, or ask you to proceed into town to another meet up location.
We started out our afternoon with Wadi Rum Desert Adventures from their office in Wadi Rum village. The 4-hour jeep tour of sand dunes, canyons, petroglyphs and rock arches ended with Bedouin tea at sunset, before arriving at camp with time to settle in before dinner. Your desert camp options include Bedouin tents, wild camping, and ‘Martian dome” bubble tents. We paid JOD120 per person, for a bubble tent including the 4-hour jeep tour, dinner and breakfast.
Driving distance: 135-km (84-mi), about 2-hours 30-minutes.
Read more: the Wadi Rum desert guide
Day 7 – Aqaba and the Red Sea
Camp check-out may be right after breakfast depending on your ride back to the Village and how it aligns with the comings and goings of other guests. You can expect to be on the road to Aqaba, Jordan’s only coastal city, by mid-morning.
Grab coffee at Dimitri’s, take a look around Aqaba Fort, then rent snorkel, mask and fins from Arab Divers. Their gear is good quality, and they were very generous with advice on where to snorkel independently (without beach club fees or resort access).
The variety of fish and coral is impressive. You could easily spend several days exploring. Water shoes are a must on the rocky entry, but check they fit inside your fins. Mine didn’t, and the kindest man lent me his Crocs to get across the rocks. Being a public beach, I swam in leggings and a long-sleeved rash vest, as all the local women were in burkinis and hijabs. More on that in what to wear in Jordan, coming soon.
If you want a modern, western-style resort, Diamond Palm Resort is south of downtown Aqaba, but in close proximity to dive shops and snorkelling locations. The Red Sea view room is worth the extra spend.
Driving distance: 75-km (46-mi), about 1-hour 15-minutes.
Read more: snorkelling in Aqaba, coming soon.
Day 8 – Wadi Mujib Siq Trail and a Dead Sea Float
Today is a longer drive north (about 3-hours 45-minutes) along the Dead Sea. You will need to time it carefully to ensure you reach one of Jordan’s great adventures, Wadi Mujib Siq Trail, before last entry. Walk, wade, swim and climb upstream, deep into a narrow canyon of towering sandstone. The hike is scenic and so much fun. Ropes and ladders are in place, so it can be done without a guide.
The Wadi Mujib Siq Trail opens seasonally, roughly spring to autumn, and last entry is in the early afternoon, so leave Aqaba early and check the official website for current hours. Entry is JOD23 and includes a mandatory life jacket. You can rent water shoes (JOD5) and a dry bag (JOD10) at the trailhead if you don’t have your own.
Then it’s time for the obligatory Dead Sea float at the lowest point on land, more than 400-m (1,300-ft) below sea level. I’ll be honest: there was a strange gasoline smell wafting in and out, and a lot of rubbish on the beach, though the water appeared clean. It’s a unique experience, and one I am satisfied with doing only once.
The Dead Sea is where tourist prices in Jordan peak. We saved money by staying at Samarah Dead Sea Resort and eating offsite at Cattleya Restaurant and Café in Samarah Mall, a short walk away.
Tip: Shave at least 24-hours before your salty Dead Sea dunk, because every hiking blister and nick will sting like heck in the salt water.
Driving distance: 275-km (170-mi), about 3-hours 45-minutes.
Read more: the Wadi Mujib Siq trail
Day 9 – Bethany Beyond the Jordan, Mount Nebo and Madaba
Start towards Bethany Beyond the Jordan (Al-Maghtas), the UNESCO-listed site revered as the place of Jesus of Nazareth’s baptism. It can only be visited on a guided tour: tours leave regularly, take 1.5–2-hours and cost JOD12 (see the official website). The guidance was factual and historical rather than devotional, which suited us.
Next, visit Mount Nebo (JOD3), where Moses is said to have looked out over the Promised Land for the first time. Allow 45–75-minutes for the church, its mosaics and the viewpoint over the Jordan Rift Valley. Our autumnal afternoon view was hazy but not terrible; winter and early-spring mornings are the clearest.
Finish in Madaba, the City of Mosaics. According to UNESCO, Madaba possesses the world’s largest number of mosaics discovered in their original location. If you’re even slightly interested in art history, you’ll really appreciate Madaba. Most notable is St George’s Church (JOD1) which is home to the famous 6th-century Madaba Map of the Holy Land, a reference for historians and archaeologists. The Madaba Archaeological Park and museum are covered by the Jordan Pass. Allow 1.5–2-hours.
Tip: Pay JOD1.50 to climb the bell tower of the Shrine of the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist (yes, that mouthful really is its name). The bell tower closes at 5pm, so get there in time to make the climb. The light across the city later in the day is beautiful.
Stay in Madaba for an easy 30-minute run to the airport. We returned to Blue Stone Hotel for our final night.
Driving distance: 90-km (56-mi), about 1-hour 45-minutes.
Read more: Madaba, Mount Nebo and Bethany, coming soon.
Day 10 – Departure
Madaba is close to Queen Alia International Airport (AMM), which makes it a handy last stop before an early flight. Allow time to return your rental car; ours went back to the rental company’s airport branch.
Driving distance: 20-km (13-mi), about 30-minutes.
Jordan 7-Days Itinerary: What I’d Cut or Combine
Only have a week? Here’s how I’d trim the route into a Jordan 7 days itinerary. To be clear, this is an editorial cut of the trip we took, not a trip we did in this form.
- Day 0: Arrive in Amman. Dinner downtown.
- Day 1: Amman. The Citadel, the Roman Theatre, a walking tour and the Jordan Museum.
- Day 2: Jerash and Madaba. Collect your car, explore Jerash, then drive south to Madaba for the night.
- Day 3: Mount Nebo, Bethany and the Dead Sea. Take in the view from Mount Nebo and the baptism site, then float in the Dead Sea.
- Day 4: Wadi Mujib and Little Petra. Hike the Siq Trail if it’s in season, then drive south via Little Petra to Wadi Musa. Driving distance: 117-km (73-mi), about 3-hours 15-minutes.
- Day 5: Petra. A full day, including the Monastery.
- Day 6: Wadi Rum. An afternoon jeep tour and a night in a desert camp.
- Day 7: Return to the airport. Drive north to Queen Alia International Airport (AMM) for your flight home. Driving distance: 289-km (180-mi), about 3-hours 30-minutes.
Jordan 5-Day Itinerary: The Essentials Only
A Jordan 5-day itinerary is about Petra and Wadi Rum, with a float in the Dead Sea on the way.
- Day 0: Arrive in Amman. Dinner downtown.
- Day 1: Amman. The Citadel, the Roman Theatre and the Jordan Museum.
- Day 2: The Dead Sea and Petra by Night. Float in the Dead Sea, then drive south to Wadi Musa for Petra by Night, if it’s running.
- Day 3: Petra. A full day, including the Monastery.
- Day 4: Wadi Rum. An afternoon jeep tour and a night in a desert camp.
- Day 5: Return to the airport. Drive north to Queen Alia International Airport (AMM) for your flight home.
Jordan Travel Itinerary Tips: Jordan Pass, Driving and Booking Order
Buy the Jordan Pass before you fly
The Jordan Pass bundles entry to Petra and more than 30 other sites. If you buy it before arrival and meet the minimum-stay condition, it also waives the tourist visa fee. Choose the tier by how many days you want at Petra, noting that Petra’s governing authority requires you to have a valid daytime ticket for the day you attend Petra by Night (i.e. the Petra by Night ticket is on top of your day ticket).
On this Jordan road trip route the Jordan Pass covers Petra, the Amman Citadel and Roman Theatre, Ajloun, Jerash, Kerak Castle (and/or Umm ar-Rasas), Wadi Rum and the Madaba Archaeological Park. You’ll still pay separately for the Jordan Museum, Wadi Mujib, Mount Nebo, Bethany, St George’s and Petra by Night. Little Petra is free. Check current tiers and conditions on the official Jordan Pass website, and see my Jordan travel guide for whether it’s worth it.
Self-drive is the way to do it
Driving in Jordan is very doable, but it’s a different rhythm: plenty of speed bumps, U-turns instead of turning lanes, an informal ‘third lane’ that appears at traffic lights from nowhere, and horns used liberally to communicate all manner of things. Indicators, less so. Consider collecting your car after your Amman days to skip the city traffic and parking, and returning it at the airport. Read driving and car rental in Jordan before you go, coming soon.
On the road, carry cash for some hotels and small entry fees, plus toilet paper and hand sanitiser for roadside stops.
Book in this order
- First: Flights, the rental car and your Petra hotel. Wadi Musa is where everyone sleeps.
- Then: Wadi Rum camp and jeep tour. Many camps, ours included, take bookings on WhatsApp. All other hotels.
- On the day: Petra by Night tickets at the visitor centre, if it’s running that night.
- Check the season: Wadi Mujib Siq and Wadi Ghuweir only open in the warmer months.
Jordan Itinerary FAQs
How many days do you need in Jordan?
Ten days (ten nights) lets you see the highlights at a comfortable pace, including two nights at Petra, a night in Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea. With seven days, skip Ajloun, Dana, Wadi Ghuweir and Aqaba, and loop from Amman via Jerash, Madaba, the Dead Sea, Petra and Wadi Rum. With five days, focus on Amman, the Dead Sea, Petra and Wadi Rum.
Is this Jordan itinerary doable by car?
Yes. This itinerary is made for a self-drive experience. You won’t need a car for your time in Amman, so start your rental from Day 2 and return it at the airport on Day 10. The longest days are about 3.5 to 4-hours of driving, and roads between the main sights are generally good, though local driving habits take some getting used to. Read my guide to driving in Jordan before you go.
Is the Jordan Pass worth it?
For this route, yes. Petra entry alone accounts for most of its value, and if you buy your Jordan Pass before arrival and meet the minimum stay it also waives the visa fee. Ensure you check into the ticket booth at each attraction with your Jordan Pass. Some attractions will scan the Pass and allocate tickets.
What is the best order to see Jordan?
North to south in a loop out of Amman. This is due to the location of Jordan’s main international airport, Queen Alia International Airport (AMM), just outside of the capital. There is an additional airport in Aqaba, King Hussein International Airport (AQJ), which technically makes a one-way north-south itinerary possible, but Aqaba offers fewer direct international routes.
Plan Your Jordan Trip
Jordan rewards the curious, and every day of this Jordan travel itinerary held a moment of wonder. Use it as your starting point, then dive into the details:
- Travel Jordan: the first-timer’s guide
- Best places to go in Jordan
- Driving in Jordan
- Things to do in Amman · Ajloun and Jerash · Madaba
- Petra, Jordan · Wadi Rum · Snorkelling in Aqaba
- Wadi Mujib Siq Trail · Wadi Ghuweir hike
- Jordanian food · What to wear in Jordan
Please leave any feedback or questions in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you.
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