Before my trip, I had no clue what to expect from Jordan. I must admit, our initial idea was to travel to Georgia, and Jordan was the backup plan. As I already travelled to the Sahara, I feared Jordan would be more similar. But, how wrong was I! Jordan is a hidden gem of the Middle East, with a rich history, breathtaking landscapes, and a welcoming culture. There is so much to see and do, that it could be overwhelming to decide on the best travel route. Therefore, let me take you on a journey through Jordan’s most iconic destinations. This 10-day Jordan itinerary takes you from the ancient city of Petra to the serene waters of the Dead Sea.
We had planned for a 12-day Jordan itinerary, but that included 2 days of travel time, leaving 10 full days to explore Jordan.
Lastly, when visiting Jordan, definitely buy a Jordan Pass upfront. This grants you a free visa and access to many sites in the country, including Petra. Moreover, there are multiple options for the Jordan Pass, all covering different visiting times in Petra (ranging from 1 to 3 executive days).
The easiest way to get around in Jordan is by rental car. Rental cars in Jordan are pretty affordable and driving is doable. Try to avoid the bigger cities, as there it tends to be a bit crazier. When there are 2 driving lanes, be prepared for 3 to 4 cars driving next to each other. Therefore, we decided to visit Amman without our rental car and took a taxi from the airport to visit Amman on our first day.
On our third day, we took a taxi back to the airport to pick up our rental car. When driving in Jordan, it is important to pay great attention to the speed limit at all times! They are checking with sensors at multiple locations and will easily take you off the road later (yes, I received a fine).
Alternatively, you can use a minibus (services) to travel around Jordan, connecting larger cities and tourist locations. In case you can’t go all the way to your destination, it is also possible to order private taxis. Even though it is possible to travel to Jordan without a car, your life will be much easier when renting one.
The best time to travel to Jordan is in shoulder season when temperatures are between 20 and 25 degrees. During the summer months, the temperature can easily go up to 45 degrees. Shoulder season is April-June and September-October. Generally, the winter months are less suitable for visiting Jordan, as it can get really cold in the desert and not all sites are open due to floods (e.g. Wadi Mujib only opens end of April and Wadi Ghuweir is generally also closed until the beginning of April).
Arrival Day || Travel day to Amman
Day 1 || Explore Amman and all its sights
2 || The Jordan History museum, Madaba, Mount Nebo and drive to Jerash
3 || Explore Jerash and drive to Dana along the King’s Highway
4 || Hike Wadi Ghuweir trail and drive to Petra
5 || Explore Petra through the main entrance
6 || Explore Petra through the back entrance
7 || Drive to Wadi Rum and do a Jeep tour
8 || Drive from Wadi Rum to the Dead Sea
9 || Relax at the Dead Sea
Day 10 || Relax at the Dead Sea
Departure Day || Head back to Amman and fly back
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We arrived in the middle of the night (5 o’clock), so we still booked a hotel in Amman. After customs and getting money from the ATM, we took a taxi that brought us to our hostel/hotel in Amman. Before starting to explore the next day, we made sure to sleep in and get some rest. Firstly, we walked through Rainbow Street to the Books@Cafe. After we had a delicious breakfast, we visited the Roman Theater. Subsequently, we walked around Amman, before walking up to the Citadel at 4 pm for the best views of Amman. After we walked back down, we had a drink at Sekrab, while we waited for dinner time. Lastly, we had a lovely local dinner at Hashem and closed the day at the District rooftop bar.
My full city guide to Amman highlights how to best spend 24 hours in Amman.
Battuta Hostel (€40), New Marryland Hotel (€60) or Amman Rotana (€200)
As the Jordan Museum was closed on our first day in Amman, we headed there in the morning to understand a little bit more of Jordan’s history, before starting the remainder of our Jordan tour. Afterwards, we headed to the airport to pick up our car and learned that it would still be quite early to travel to Jerash. Therefore, we drove to Madaba to view the Mosaic and Carpet City and headed to Mount Nebo to view the promised land. Afterwards, we drove to Jerash to spend the night there to visit the ancient site in the early morning.
Best places to stay in Jerash: Full Panorama Archeological Site Jerash
Full Panorama Archeological Site Jerash (€35), Dream House Jarash (€70), Hadrian's Arch (€35)
We arrived at The Ancient Site Jerash at 8 AM right at the start of the opening hours to beat the crowds. Our visit lasted approximately 4 hours in Jerash including a coffee and some lunch at the entrance of the ancient site.
You can find a full overview to Jerash in my photographic guide
It is also possible to visit Jerash as a day tour from Amman
At noon, we started our drive to Amm Ra-Raras. From there, we drove part of the King’s Highway and covered the main viewpoints. After the viewpoints, we left the King’s Highway to travel on the Desert Highway to Dana. At Dana, we stayed in an Eco Lodge and planned our hike to Wadi Ghuweir the next day. If you want to learn more about the King’s Highway, visit my guide here.
Al Nawateb Eco Camp (€35), Wild Dana Eco Lodge (€50), Hobbit Village (€45)
In the early morning, our guide and driver picked us up to go to the start of the Wadi Ghuweir trail. The previous day, we were still doubting whether to hike the Dana Trail or opt for the Wadi Ghuweir Trail. Even though the latter was more expensive, we don’t regret our choice to go for the Wadi Ghuweir trail any minute. Not in the least place because it was one of my favourite experiences in Jordan (and way more suitable with 35 degrees).
Read everything you need to know about the Wadi Ghuweir hike here.
Before starting the hike, we arranged with our driver, that we could take our car with us to the point where the road to Wadi Ghuweir crossed with the road to Petra. On the way back, he dropped us off at our car, which saved us some time. This made it possible for us to drive to Petra after the Wadi Ghuweir trail. When we arrived in Petra, we had a great dinner at My Mom’s Recipe.
The Petra Moon Hotel (€150), The Nomads Hotel (€50), or Petra Boutique Hotel (€200), Rocky Mountain Hotel (€40)
On our list, was to arrive at Petra at 6 AM to beat the crowds. We expected this to be one of the main highlights of this 10-day Jordan itinerary. After waking up slightly after 5 AM we drove to the main entrance, where we showed our Jordan Pass to receive our Petra ticket. Next, we walked through the Siq to arrive at the Treasury early. Even though there won’t be many people around, don’t expect to have the place fully to yourself. After seeing the Treasury, we continued up to the High Place of Sacrifice and the Royal Tombs and continued our hike up to a Treasury viewpoint. In the evening, we went for a drink at the Cave Bar and again had dinner at My Mom’s Recipe.
For more details, you can read my 2-day Itinerary to Petra.
The Petra Moon Hotel (€150), The Nomads Hotel (€50), or Petra Boutique Hotel (€200), Rocky Mountain Hotel (€40)
On the second day in Petra, we decided to sleep in, have a nice breakfast, and relax on the rooftop of our hotel. In the afternoon, around 2 PM we took a cab to the back entrance of Petra, where we started our 1.5-hour hike to the Monastery. When we arrived at the Monastery, we sat down with some soda and admired the view, before walking back to the main entrance. The perfect way to explore Petra at a different time and from a new angle.
Check out my travel guide on hiking to Petra from the back entrance here,
Around noon we arrived in Wadi Rum, one of the other highlights of this 10-day Jordan itinerary. Our camp instructed us to park our car at a nearby gas station and we agreed on a time they would pick us up. After settling in our Bedouin tent and playing a game of Yahtzee with the owners of the camp, we departed around 2:30 PM for our 4-hour jeep tour to explore Wadi Rum. As our camp was close to one of the best sunset spots of Wadi Rum, we went for a walk to watch one of the most amazing sunsets I’ve ever seen.
In my full adventure guide to Wadi Rum, you can find everything you need to know.
Rum Legend Camp (€35), Wadi Rum Bedouin Camp (€200) or Memories Aicha Luxury Camp (€400), Desert Magic Camp & Resort (€50)
After our stay in Wadi Rum, we continued to our final destination of this 10-day Jordan itinerary: The Dead See. We decided to relax at the end of this trip but still wanted to see this natural phenomenon. Therefore, we stayed at the Ramada Resort, from where we visited the local beach to float in the Dead Sea. Also, on our way to the hotel, we stopped at some beautiful salt flats. Additionally, if the season allows, you can visit Wadi Mujib on the way. Lastly, a nice day trip from the Dead Sea is the Ma’in Hotsprings, or you can stay in the Ma’in resort.
Read everything you need to know about visiting the Dead Sea
Ramada Resort Dead Sea (€85), Dead Sea Marriott Resort & Spa (€230) or Ma’in Hot Springs resort (€170)
Option 1: Add Aqaba to your itinerary to explore the Red Sea and go diving! I thought the 3-nights around the Dead Sea were quite long, as there is not much happening. A good replacement could have been to spend some nights in Aqaba and only head to the Dead Sea to explore the Salt Flats and the floating. If you have more days available, you could also visit Aqaba and turn this 10-day Jordan Itinerary into a 12-day Jordan Itinerary.
Add Wadi Mujib: As described in this Itinerary, unfortunately, Wadi Mujib was still closed. However, if you have the chance, definitely spend half a day there to explore this great canyon and head for some adventure!
