7-Day Jordan Itinerary (2026): Amman, Petra, Wadi Rum, Dead Sea, Aqaba

Day 1 — Amman Old Town

Land at Queen Alia International Airport and taxi the 35 minutes into the capital — agree on a fare (roughly 20–25 JOD, about $28–35) before you get in, as most airport cabs run unmetered. Buy your Jordan Pass online now if you haven’t: it waives the tourist visa fee and bundles Petra, Jerash and Wadi Rum. Base yourself in Jabal Amman near Rainbow Street, then climb to the Amman Citadel (Jabal al-Qal’a) for the Temple of Hercules and Umayyad Palace, with the great Roman Theatre spread out below (Citadel entry about 3 JOD, free with the pass). Wander down into the gritty, aromatic downtown souk as the light softens. Insider tip: skip a formal dinner and hunt down a plate of knafeh at Habibah, the beloved cheese-and-syrup dessert Ammanis queue for at the alley counter near the gold souk.

Day 2 — Jerash & Citadel

Head north to the Roman city of Jerash, under an hour from Amman by taxi or the shared minibuses that leave from Tabarbour/North bus station (fare a few JOD; a private half-day car runs roughly 40–60 JOD, about $55–85). Enter through Hadrian’s Arch and give yourself two to three hours for the oval Forum, the colonnaded Cardo Maximus, and the hilltop Temple of Artemis — standard entry is 12 JOD but it’s free on the Jordan Pass. Time your visit for the South Theatre, where bagpipers of the tourist police sometimes play, the acoustics carrying to the top row. Back in Amman, spend the afternoon on Rainbow Street among galleries and cafes. Insider tip: for dinner, seek out mansaf, Jordan’s national dish of lamb simmered in fermented jameed yogurt over rice — eat it the traditional way, with your right hand.

Day 3 — Madaba to Dead Sea

Drive southwest to Madaba, the “City of Mosaics,” to see the 6th-century Madaba Map, the oldest surviving cartographic mosaic of the Holy Land, set into the floor of St. George’s Church (small entry, a couple of JOD). Continue ten minutes to Mount Nebo, where Moses is said to have viewed the Promised Land; on a clear morning you can see across the Jordan Valley toward Jericho and, faintly, Jerusalem. Then descend to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth at roughly 430 m below sea level. A public option is Amman Beach (entry about 15–20 JOD, roughly $21–28, with showers and lockers). Float on your back — the water is so mineral-dense you cannot sink. Insider tip: slather on the black shoreline mud, but never shave beforehand and keep the water well away from your eyes; the sting is memorable.

Day 4 — King’s Highway to Petra

Take the scenic King’s Highway (Highway 35) south toward Petra rather than the faster Desert Highway — budget a full day with a hired car or driver (a one-way transfer runs roughly 60–90 JOD, about $85–125). Break the drive at Karak Castle, a hulking Crusader fortress with vaulted halls and dungeons (free on the Jordan Pass), and pause above the vast Wadi Mujib gorge, often called Jordan’s Grand Canyon. The full run to Wadi Musa, the town at Petra’s gate, is around 250 km and takes four to five hours with stops. Check in and rest your legs. On the nights it runs (currently Sunday through Thursday), book Petra by Night (about 30 JOD, roughly $42) — the Siq and Treasury lit by some 1,500 candles — but confirm it’s running, as the program has recently operated on demand.

Day 5 — Petra Full Day

Be at the Petra gate when it opens around 6am to beat the heat and crowds — the multi-day pass on the Jordan Pass covers you (a standalone day ticket is about 50 JOD for overnight visitors, roughly $70). Walk the 1.2 km Siq, the narrow sandstone gorge that suddenly frames Al-Khazneh, the Treasury, in the morning sun. Continue past the Royal Tombs, the Roman Theatre and the colonnaded street, then commit to the roughly 800 rock-cut steps up to Ad-Deir, the Monastery — even bigger than the Treasury and far quieter. Allow a full six to eight hours of walking. Insider tip: decline the horse and camel touts along the main trail; the animals’ welfare is questionable, and the walk itself is the point. Refuel on maqluba or fresh mint lemonade at a Wadi Musa restaurant that evening.

Day 6 — Into Wadi Rum

Drive about two hours south to Wadi Rum, the “Valley of the Moon,” the Mars-red desert of towering sandstone jebels where Lawrence of Arabia and countless space films were shot. Pay the protected-area fee at the visitor centre (about 5 JOD, or free with the Jordan Pass) and meet your Bedouin guide for a half-day 4×4 jeep tour (overnight jeep-and-camp packages run roughly 55–70 JOD per person, about $75–100, meals included). Rattle out to Lawrence’s Spring, the Khazali Canyon petroglyphs, a natural rock arch, and a red dune to scramble up. Sleep at a Bedouin desert camp under a sky thick with stars. Insider tip: ask about zarb, the underground sand-pit barbecue — the camp meat and vegetables are buried and slow-cooked for hours, then unearthed at dinner.

Day 7 — Desert Dawn & Aqaba

Rise before dawn for the desert sunrise — the quiet as the cliffs turn from grey to burning orange is the trip’s finest half hour. Optionally add a camel ride back toward the village (about 15–25 JOD, roughly $21–35) or a short hot-air balloon flight if pre-booked. From Wadi Rum you’re only about an hour from the Red Sea port of Aqaba: unwind on the beach or snorkel over the reefs of the Gulf of Aqaba before flying home from King Hussein International Airport, or make the roughly four-hour run back to Amman on the Desert Highway for an onward connection. Insider tip: Aqaba is a duty-free zone, so it’s a smart place to pick up last souvenirs, and a plate of sayadieh — spiced fish over rice with a tangy tomato sauce — is the coast’s signature farewell meal.

Skip the touristy ‘Treasury at sunrise’ crowd at Petra and visit at 11am instead – tour groups have moved deeper into the site, leaving the Treasury nearly empty. Then climb the High Place of Sacrifice (45 min hike) for the iconic view OVER the Treasury without other tourists. Counter-intuitive but proven.