Full of history, culture, hidden cities, stunning landscapes and beautifully preserved archaeological sites, Jordan has so much to offer that I would definitely recommend at least a week to visit this beautiful country.
Often called the "Switzerland of the Middle East", Jordan is also incredibly safe, despite situations in its neighbouring countries, so I can wholeheartedly recommend it for independent or solo travel. I actually felt safer here than in Morocco.
Petra, Jordan
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When is the best time to visit Jordan?
I travelled to Jordan with my partner, Taylor, in late September/early October, so it was just coming up to peak season. However I never encountered huge crowds, or places overrun with tourists.
Jordan has two peak seasons when the weather is cooler: March-May in the Spring and September- November in the autumn, making exploring sites like Petra and Wadi Rum more manageable. In the height of summer temperatures can reach 40 degrees Celsius and can be close to freezing in the winter months.
How should you dress in Jordan?
It's important to remember that while Jordan is comparatively liberal compared to other Middle Eastern countries, it is still a Muslim country. Please dress appropriately, men cover shoulders and women cover past the knees and shoulders too. If you go anywhere religious such as a Mosque, it is respectful for men to cover to elbows and knees and women to cover to wrists and ankles.
We did see tourists dressed in short dresses and vests in places like Petra. This is more common as a tourist area and if you're staying in western hotels then dress as you please. I personally just made sure to keep covered all the time. In Petra I wore long walking trousers and a t-shirt. The rest of the time I wore a long flowing dress which covered my legs and chest.
Do you need a Jordan Pass?
You can read my full article here on why you should buy the Jordan Pass . But the short answer is yes, you should get one. You could buy all the tickets individually if you wanted, but the pass waives your visa fee and includes entry to all the main sites in Jordan. This is not only a cheaper option but also easier to just show one pass for every attraction.
You can buy your Jordan Pass here: jordanpass.jo
Arriving at Amman Queen Alia Airport
Following on from the Jordan Pass information, I wanted to add this bit in because we saw several people make this mistake at the airport.
If you have purchased your Jordan Pass in advance then this waives your visa fee, however it is NOT your visa. When you get off the plane and walk through towards immigration you must join the queue for visas FIRST. You will need to present your passport WITH the visa at Immigration after this.
We saw several people obviously misunderstand the signs and go straight through to immigration and try to show their Jordan Pass with their passport. This will not get you into the country. After the long immigration queue they then had to go back and join the long visa queue and then do immigration all over again.
Also the signs say to show your Jordan Pass print out for the visa, we had been unable to print ours but showing the QR code on our phone worked fine.
Other tips for Jordan:
Public affection is frowned upon in Jordan. You might see married couples holding hands but if you're unmarried so not show any public affection. And whether you're married or unmarried definitely do not kiss or cuddle excessively in public.
Be aware that it is illegal for unmarried Jordanians to share a room. As a foreigner if you visit with your unmarried partner then you should be fine in touristic hotels. However consider saying that you are married in more rural or traditional areas or accommodation.
As a Muslim country, alcohol is not consumed. You may find it in touristic hotels but otherwise just accept you will not be drinking while in Jordan.
Vegetarianism isn't common but Jordan has lots of amazing side dishes which are veggie, great hummus, breads, salads etc.
You will be offered a lot of sweet mint tea. This is a local custom and it is considered rude to decline.
Water is not drinkable, make sure to buy lots and keep stocked up.
Carry loo roll or tissues with you. Most toilets in Jordan are the squat-style toilets with a shower or bidet, no toilet paper. Hotels and cities often have western style toilets but rest-stops or rural areas probably don't.
How to get around Jordan?
There are a few options to get around Jordan. You might prefer to go as part of a tour group which there are plenty of or you can use public transport and day trips to get to places.
However, we decided to hire a car to give us the freedom to choose our own itinerary and pick our own schedule. Jordan is very driveable and you can easy see the main sites in a week by driving yourself. You can read my guide and tips for driving in Jordan and renting a car here.
Monte Carlo car rental
How expensive is Jordan?
Unfortunately Jordan is a pretty expensive country. The only thing we found to be cheap was fuel prices!! But there are ways to save money:
Buy the Jordan Pass as this will ultimately save you money on tickets to enter places.
We mostly shopped in supermarkets to make our own meals, while supermarkets are still expensive, doing this was a lot cheaper than continually eating out.
Shop around on booking.com for your accommodation and find ones which include breakfast to save on buying breakfast.
Since fuel is so cheap, it may work out cheaper to rent a car than pay for an expensive tour. Check out the rental prices at Montecarlo Rent a Car as they were the cheapest prices we found and see my guide for driving in Jordan.
One week Jordan Itinerary
If you're here for the itinerary then the short version is below. Scroll down or click each day for more details.
Day 1: Amman:
AM - Amman Citadel
PM - Drive to Wadi Musa (Petra)
Day 2: Petra
AM - Petra - the Treasury and the walk to the Monastery. Start early to avoid midday heat
PM - Recover at hotel or explore Wadi Musa
Day 3: Petra
AM - Petra - go early again and hike other areas of the Petra complex
PM - recovery. Optional: include Petra by Night if showing when you're there.
Day 4: Wadi Rum
AM - Drive to Wadi Rum
PM - Do a desert sunset tour
Day 5: Wadi Rum
AM - Enjoy your morning in the desert with an excursion too if you like
PM - Drive to the Dead Sea for sunset
Day 6: Dead Sea
AM - Enjoy the Dead Sea beaches
PM - Drive to Amman - see the sights
Day 7: Amman & Jerash
AM - drive to Jerash and explore the historic site
PM - any remaining sites in Amman before flying home
Detailed One Week Jordan Itinerary
Day 1: Amman
AM - Amman Citadel
PM - Drive to Wadi Musa (Petra)
We arrived at Amman Queen Alia airport at midnight the night before and collected our car from Montecarlo Rent a Car. So we had a full day for Day 1 to get out exploring.
Amman Citadel
The Citadel is best to see in first thing in the morning or for sunset when the light is better and the weather is cooler since there isn't much shade. The citadel is on the hill above the city and the archaeological site is the remains of the Temple of Hercules. Make sure to check out the pillars and the large hand said to be part of a statue of Hercules. The citadel building is at the back of the site so make sure you walk the whole way through. Also enjoy the incredible panorama views of the city.
The citadel is included in the Jordan Pass so you can just scan your pass at the gate - either on your phone or if you have a printout.
To get to the citadel you have several options. It is possible to walk up or you can get a taxi up the hill. We drove our rental car up there and there was plenty of free parking on the surrounding residential roads.
Drive to Petra (Wadi Musa)
The drive to Petra is very straightforward down the Desert Highway 15. It takes about 3-4 hours. You need to be following signs to Wadi Musa, this is the town outside of the historical site of Petra and is probably the town where your overnight accommodation is located.
Make sure to check out my tips for driving in Jordan if you are renting a car.
We stayed at La Maison Hotel Petra which is only 4 minutes from the Petra Visitor Center entrance. I cannot recommend this hotel enough. This is not sponsored at all, we decided to spend a little more on our accommodation to be nearer the entrance as we planned to get up at 5.30am both days to get to Petra early and also we knew the amount of walking we would be doing we would want somewhere nice to come back to and our own space to shower and relax after very long days. The price included breakfast and free parking too. They also offer the option to pack up your breakfast in a take away box for those people leaving early to Petra.
You can check out La Maison Hotel here. Below are a few other options to consider including budget and luxury.
Luxury Petra Stays (£129+)
Mid-price Petra Stays (£80-£129)
Budget Petra Stays (£18-£80)
Day 2: Petra
AM - Petra - the Treasury and the walk to the Monastery. Start early to avoid midday heat
PM - Recover at hotel or explore Wadi Musa
Visiting Petra
Petra is the most famous attraction in Jordan as well as one of the Wonders of the World and it's easy to see why! However this also makes it very popular. We decided to head to Petra for when it opens at 6am. Being just around the corner at our hotel was perfect!
You will need to go to the ticket desk and scan your Jordan Pass. They will give you a Petra ticket valid for 1, 2 or 3 days as per your Jordan Pass type and a map.
Once you go through the Visitor Center you will walk for about 25-30 minutes down a gravel track then through the Siq. The Siq is the rocky canyon that leads directly to the Treasury. This part is fairly accessible but the ground is uneven, be sure to wear good shoes.
Canyon Petra, Jordan
On this first stretch you will be asked a lot if you would like to ride a horse and cart down to the Treasury. None of the animals looked well-treated in Petra so we decided not to ride them, please consider this before deciding to ride a horse.
Nothing prepared me for how stunning Petra is. I felt emotional and I had goosebumps, it is truly an incredible sight to see. Going early means you can enjoy the Treasury in peace, get some great photos and avoid the heat later in the day. Even if you're not keen on a 6am start I would still recommend going as early as possible, preferably before 8am, to explore Petra before the midday heat and the heavy crowds you see later in the day.
Treasury Petra, Jordan
We spent about 45 minutes at the Treasury taking photos, looking around and also climbing to the viewpoint.
Treasury Petra, Jordan
To get to this viewpoint walk to the right hand side as you're standing in front of the Treasury. Climb up the rubble of rocks and you can see a great view from the first level of the cliff. If you want to go to the top, I recommend good shoes and it's maybe not suitable if you have a fear of heights. You will need to pay to go up, there you can sit and enjoy the view and the Bedouin will give you mint tea.
After the Treasury, continue through the Petra complex and see the Street of Facades - huge Nabataean tombs carved into the cliff. Then the huge theatre carved into the stone and further along, the Colonnaded Street - huge pillars, well-preserved, lining what would have been the main street in this ancient city. Qasr Al-Bint is the main temple of Petra and marks the end of the main trail in Petra.
There is a common misconception that Petra just refers to the Treasury and that the Treasury or the Monastery is all there is to Petra. However there is so much to see and explore in what used to be an entire ancient city. The Visitors Center suggests you would need weeks to see it all, but advise 2-3 days as optimum on one trip, to see as much as possible and also be realistic about how much you are out in the heat.
The Petra Monastery hike
For the more ambitious, you might wish to continue on the trail up to the Monastery at the far end of Petra. This route should only be undertaken with advanced preparation as it is a very difficult, uphill climb up uneven steps and with very little shade from the heat of the sun.
Petra pathway
As a comparison, the main trail from the entry gate through the Siq, to the Treasury and down through the complex as far as Qasr al-Bint (end of the flat main trail) is 8km round trip and should take 3.5-4hrs. The additional walk from the Qasr al-Bint to the Monastery is only 2.5km round trip but will take you 2.5-3hrs to complete.
Tips for climbing to the Monastery:
Take lots of water for each person. There are small stalls on the way up but they can be expensive.
Wear suitable clothing and footwear for the climb and to cover you from the sun.
Wear suncream and a sun hat, the sun will beat down on you for 3 hours with very little shade.
Take your time, take regular breaks.
Do this walk as early as you can in the day to avoid the midday heat. We reached the top by 11am so we were coming down in the midday heat and back at our hotel by 2pm.
Please don't ride the animals. They are not treated well in Petra and we saw some horses stumbling and slipping on the rocks.
There is a cafe at the top, take your time to have a drink, take a seat and enjoy the view of the Monastery. They charge to use the toilets, so bring some cash.
Cafe near the Monastery
I have been told there is a back entrance to Petra to get to the Monastery easily, but you would need to pay someone to show you how and where that is.
Thankfully the walk back down is much quicker as it's downhill! We powered straight down the hill and back through the complex in a couple of hours so we could head back to the hotel for a shower and a late lunch.
Use the hot afternoon to relax, refresh and maybe do some exploring of Wadi Musa. Although it is predominantly a tourist town serving Petra, there are some great views from the top of the town.
Day 3: Petra
AM - Petra - go early again and hike other areas of the Petra complex
PM - recovery. Optional: include Petra by Night if showing when you're there.
Alternative hikes in Petra
Hopefully after you first day in Petra you now know what to expect and what you'd like to see more of. Use the second day to do some of the different hikes in the complex.
The Royal Tombs are carved into the rocks above the main trail through Petra, you'll have probably seen them the day before. Why not do the hike up to explore them or the Place of High Sacrifice.
Petra, Jordan
Be sure to check the hiking guides on whether you need to guide for parts of the trail and how difficult it will be.
Obviously it is useful again to go early to avoid walking in the midday heat.
Petra by Night
Petra by Night is a display at the Treasury which is shown three nights a week - Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.
The tickets need to be brought in addition to your Petra ticket or Jordan Pass and cost 17JD.
You can read my thoughts on whether Petra by Night is worth it here.
Day 4: Wadi Rum
AM - Drive to Wadi Rum
PM - Do a desert sunset tour
The drive from Petra to Wadi Rum is pretty short, only about 2.5-3 hours on main highways. So depending on what time you have arranged your desert transport for will determine when you need to leave.
Wadi Rum Desert Camp
We booked a one night stay at Wadi Rum Dream Camp, a mid-range desert camping option. There are so many choices for Wadi Rum desert camp accommodation so I would suggest picking one based on your priorities, whether that's a luxury experience, great excursions or a budget night out under the stars.
You can read my guide here on How to pick which Wadi Rum Desert Camp option to stay at and how the process works.
You will park at the Wadi Rum Visitor Center and leave your car there overnight, so make sure to take all your belongings with you. Your desert camp will arrange your transfer to the camp site so they will pick you up in a 4x4 or some sort of desert vehicle. Be sure to liaise with them about your time of arrival beforehand.
We arrived around 2pm which gave us a couple of hours to sit back and enjoy the gorgeous camp with a cup of sweet tea before our sunset desert tour.
Wadi Rum Dream Camp
Wadi Rum Dream Camp is spectacular, nestled against a rock formation, they have used this as part of the main camp area and also a naturally shaded area to keep you cool in the desert heat.
The accommodation is clean, tidy and meets all your needs. It's no glamping pod for sure but we only used it to sleep in!
The food is traditional and prepared fresh, expect to see the traditional way of cooking chicken underground buried in the sand for 8 hours! Our camp had a buffet-style meal time for breakfast, lunch and dinner which suited us perfectly.
Wadi Rum Dream Camp
Wadi Rum Desert Excursions
There are several options for excursions so be sure to ask your camp what they offer. We knew the camp offered jeep tours but didn’t officially book it until we arrived at the camp and that was no problem at all. You can read my guide here on How to Pick your Wadi Rum Desert Camp which includes looking at excursion options.
At 4.30pm we went out on a 2 hour sunset jeep tour. This only cost us 33JD for both of us and it was a private tour. We sat in the open back of the jeep with the driver up front. It's bumpy and windy so hold on to your camera and don't wear any clothing or hats that could fly off!
Expect to see incredible rock formations, huge sand dunes, sites that Lawrence of Arabia crossed and wrote about, lots of camels, stops at local market stalls with offers of free sweet mint tea before driving into the open desert to stop and watch the beautiful sunset. Your driver will do all of this with you and return you to the camp afterwards.
Day 5: Wadi Rum
AM - Enjoy your morning in the desert with an excursion too if you like
PM - Drive to the Dead Sea for sunset
We had a nice easy morning enjoying sunrise, breakfast and relaxing in the communal camp area before being driven back to the Visitors Center.
We wished we had time to stay longer or for another night as the whole thing was really such a special experience.
If you do have time to stay longer then I recommend you do one of the 4 hour jeep tours as this will allow you enough time to see the famous Wadi Rum rock arches. Sadly we did not have enough time for that.
Driving to the Dead Sea
Road in Jordan
To get to the Dead Sea you will drive along the more scenic highway 65 which runs along the western border of Jordan with Israel. We saw a significant police and military presence here but had no issues at all.
The Dead Sea
The drive is beautiful but long, make sure to get fuel in good time as we went for some long stretches without seeing a petrol station on the south run of the road.
We arrived in time for sunset and pulled into one of the many gravel viewpoints on the side of the road to watch sunset over the spectacular body of water. It's amazing how calm and flat it is!
The Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth and the high salt content means you can easily float without having to kick or use a flotation device.
At this point you have a choice of where to stay. We actually continued on to Amman and used Amman as our base for the last couple of days as it saved money and suited our budget better. Amman is only just over an hour drive from the Dead Sea. We did consider staying at one of the beautiful Dead Sea hotel properties, however they were a bit out of our price range!
Here are a selection of the ones we considered:
Hilton Dead Sea Resort & Spa
Dead Sea Marriott Resort & Spa
Holiday Inn Resort Dead Sea
Movenpick Resort & Spa Dead Sea
Day 6: Dead Sea
AM - Enjoy the Dead Sea beaches
PM - Drive to Amman - see the sights
The order you do this day very much depends on if you've stayed at a hotel at the Dead Sea.
How to swim in the Dead Sea
We drove back to the Dead Sea the next day to explore it some more. At the Dead Sea, you have five options for swimming:
If you're staying at a hotel on the Dead Sea then you will have access to their beachfront and be able to swim in the Dead Sea as part of your stay.
If you don't stay at one of the hotels you can buy a day pass at the hotels so you can use their facilities and access their beachfront for the day.
There is a public tourist beach (called Amman Beach on Google Maps), this is approximately 20JD per person to access but the beach is pretty disgusting. There is lots of rubbish, very basic and unclean facilities and if you want to use a lounger, a towel, the showers or the toilet there is an additional charge. The amount of money people spend to go here and for it to look and smell so disgusting is baffling. I do not recommend this.
Alternatively there is the "local" beach just up the road which is free but because it's the one locals use, you will need to swim fully clothed as a woman to keep covered up. There is also no car park, just leave your car on the side of the road.
The last option and the one we attempted was to find a location along the Dead Sea with a viewpoint to leave our car and climb down to the water. To do this you will need good water shoes as the salt is very sharp! However we got moved on by two police officers who said there had been a string of car break ins in this area from tourists leaving their car on the side of the road while they swam.
Tips for swimming in the Dead Sea:
Think about where you are and if you need to cover up. In hotels is not a problem.
Do not shave the day or two before getting in the Dead Sea, the salt will sting A LOT.
The Dead Sea has a very high salt content and this solidifies on the shore and becomes very sharp. Make sure you wear some sort of water shoe to walk here.
Afternoon in Amman
After your morning swim, drive back to Amman and spend some time exploring the Roman Theatre or the Citadel if you didn't manage to do that the first morning.
Other sites to see in Amman:
Rainbow Street - the lively main market and food street in Amman. Spend some time getting lost in the stalls and smells of the market.
King Abdullah I Mosque - this beautiful mosque is a bit on the edge of the city centre but is beautiful and well worth visiting and photographing.
The Jordan Museum
The Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts
The Parliamentary Life Museum
Parking in Amman
If you have a rental car I know one of the big concerns is often where you will be able to find parking spaces. The good news is that there is plenty of places to park in Amman and we didn't come across anywhere that was a pay and display. The night we arrived in Jordan we were told to park our car just on the street outside Jordan Tower Hotel and Hostel and this was a great central location that we kept coming back to and parking our car there.
Day 7: Jerash
AM - drive to Jerash and explore the historic site
PM - any remaining sites in Amman before flying home
These last two days can be done in any order that's convenient if you're using Amman as a base like we did.
But I really advise that you don't miss Jerash. It's just over an hour's drive north of Amman and we nearly skipped it, but it's included in your Jordan Pass and we had the time, and boy am I glad we didn't skip it!
Jerash, Jordan
Jerash is a extensive archaeological area of incredibly well-preserved Roman buildings. Although they are technically ruins, some of them are so intact and well-preserved that they aren't the type of ruins I would usually expect to see.
The Jerash complex is deceptively big, so wear good shoes for walking on uneven rocky surfaces.
You walk through a market area to get to the entrance of the site, once inside continue through the arch and past the jousting arena; the main entrance to most of the ruins is further along. You will need to show your Jordan Pass again.
In the main side, make sure to explore everywhere! The amazing thing about Jerash is that you can walk among the ruins, you are not fenced out. Any stairs that you see, climb them, as there are several levels within the complex and from the top you have amazing views of the ruins and city surrounding it.
In total we spent about 3 hours at Jerash but could easily have stayed longer. It was getting very hot towards midday and there is little shade so I would advise going first thing in your day if possible.
Parking at Jerash
There is free parking at Jerash but it was already quite busy when we arrived at 10am. There is the main car park outside the entrance and an overflow car park across the road.
Depending when your flight is, be sure to allow enough time to get the the airport as Queen Alia airport is 40 minutes south of Amman.
Our flight was at 7am the following day so we used to afternoon to chill out in Amman and do some shopping before we left.
Have you been to Jordan? What was your favourite part?
