1 Week in Jordan - 5 Unique Itinerary Ideas

Itinerary #1: Jordan Highlights - Petra, Wadi Rum, & Dead Sea

This adventure gets to the heart of hospitable Jordan in just one week. Starting in the capital of Amman, you'll visit Petra, Wadi Rum, the Dead Sea and more. 

Begin your trip with a tour of Amman. Visit the Citadel, a hilltop area featuring spectacular Roman ruins including a stone amphitheater and 8th-century palace complex—as well as souks, mosques, and traditional coffeehouses for a slice of Jordanian life. Next morning, take a day trip to the exquisitely preserved ruins at the ancient Roman city of Jerash in verdant northwest Jordan. From there, continue further north to Ajloun to visit a 12th-century Crusader castle.

On day three, make the two-hour drive to Petra along the Kings Highway, an ancient trade route. Stop in Madaba along the way, home to the oldest known map of the Holy Land and known for its mosaic tilework. You can also stop at Mount Nebo and the Dana Nature Reserve—an area of varied geology including granite and sandstone cliffs, as well as hundreds of plant and bird species.

You'll have an entire day to explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Petra. There are plenty of options on how you can absorb this historical and archaeological city. Many choose to visit The Royal Tombs and make the climb to the viewpoint looking down onto the Treasury as the morning sun hits. You can also climb up the mountain opposite the High Place of Sacrifice and take the trail down to the Garden Temple Complex. If you have enough energy, make the climb up to the largest of Petra’s monuments: The Monastery. At the end of the day, your driver will be waiting to take you south to the beautiful desert of Wadi Rum. Here you’ll spend the night under the stars at a luxury Bedouin Camp (dinner included).

Wake up in the great outdoors for the most adventurous day of the trip yet! The day starts with a 4x4 jeep tour of the Wadi Rum wilderness, traversing the expanse of orange dunes and canyons in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia. You also have the option of taking a hike through a canyon or to one of the area's mountaintops. Following the excursions in Wadi Rum, your driver will pick you up and transfer you to Aqaba where you'll have the rest of the day to relax and enjoy the Red Sea, a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. Here you can go swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving (highly recommended)—or simply explore Aqaba's quirky city center. 

Finally, the Dead Sea. Once you arrive, you can spend the rest of the day sunbathing at the beach or floating easily in the sea's famously salty water. Many visitors opt to schedule a full-body mud treatment, while others simply hang out at the hotel pool with a good book. Learn more

Itinerary #2: Hike the Jordan Trail - Dana to Petra

Trek a segment of the historic Jordan Trail on this week-long adventure. Begin in the ecologically diverse Dana Biosphere Reserve and trek north through wadis, deserts, and rocky mountains, ending in Petra. 

From the airport in Amman, you'll head straight to the Dana Biosphere Reserve to rest and take in the dramatic landscape from nearly 4,000 feet (1,200 m) above sea level as you prepare for the week of trekking ahead.

In the morning, you and your guides will hike west into the Dana Valley. The reserve supports a great diversity of flora and fauna—along the way, you may see vultures overhead, along with hyrax and copper-blue lizards on the rocks. Spend the night at an ecolodge, where you'll sip tea and watch the sunset over the Wadi Araba desert.

On day three, continue to the entrance to Wadi Ghweir, where you'll ascend through the mountains on a scenic (and steep) section of the route. In the afternoon, you’ll reach the camp in Furon, where you'll spend the night. From here, hike into some of the most remote and wild corners of Jordan. Marvel at the stark desert as you follow a trail cleared by Bedouin shepherding activity, finally arriving at your campsite in Ghbour Whedat.

Continue your trek on day five past Nabatean ruins, some of which include ancient olive presses and aqueducts. Finally, you'll reach Siq al-Barid, also known as Little Petra. Believed by archaeologists to be a suburb of Petra where traders traveling along the Silk Road would overnight, you too will set up camp and spend the night in a Bedouin-style tent.

Today you'll avoid the crowds by entering Petra through the "back door," via a Nabataean route through Wadi Ghurab. The trail curves around your final mountain on a natural rock terrace, eventually arriving at Petra's imposing Monastery, carved into the face of a towering cliff. Follow the Nabataean steps into ancient Petra. After spending some time exploring, you'll meet your driver in Wadi Musa for the return trip back to Amman. Learn more

Itinerary #3: Holy Land Tour - Jordan & Jerusalem

This seven-day trip allows you to combine Jordan and Jerusalem in a single week, with stops in Amman, the Dead Sea, Madaba, Petra, and Wadi Rum, coupled with a full day in Israel. Spend a day boating in Aqaba, explore the ruins of Jerash and Mt. Nebo, tour Jerusalem's Old City and more with this itinerary perfect for travelers who want to get a taste of the region in a short time. 

Begin your adventure in Amman, where you'll have the chance to tour downtown, join a cooking workshop to learn to make local specialties or relax after your flight. The next morning, a driver will pick you up and take you on a tour: you'll start by visiting Amman and see the Citadel, the Roman Theater, and the souks. Then, continue to the Roman ruins of Jerash and on to Mt. Nebo to retrace Moses' Biblical footsteps. 

Next, head across the border for a full-day tour of Jerusalem. Visit the Old City, leave a note in the Western Wall, and shop in the bustling markets of the Muslim Quarter, before stopping at the Legendary Tomb of David. Spend the night in Jerusalem before crossing back into Jordan early the following morning to explore Wadi Rum, tour the desert in a 4x4 Jeep, and eat a traditional Zarb meal. 

Then, head to the UNESCO World Heritage ruins of Petra and spend the day exploring. You'll walk through the Siq, see the Treasury, and have the chance to climb up to the High Place of Sacrifice. You'll also have the option to take a cooking class or book a camel ride. 

Finally, end your trip with a day enjoying the seaside town of Aqaba, where you can go boating and snorkeling, or simply relax on the beach before returning to the airport for your flight home the next morning. Learn more

Itinerary #4: Best of Jordan & Egypt

Explore the wonders of the ancient world with this itinerary through Jordan and Egypt. Visit the majestic ruins of Petra, race over sand dunes in the desert of Wadi Rum, explore the massive tombs of the Valley of the Kings on the banks of the Nile, and see the Great Pyramids of Egypt on this seven-day trip that combines sightseeing and cultural excursions for an unforgettable experience. 

Start your tour with a visit to the Dead Sea, which is famous for being the lowest point on Earth. Float in its mineral-laden waters or get a relaxing mud treatment before driving to Petra to spend the night. On Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings, you can take in the special sight of Petra by Night when you arrive.

Then, spend the following day exploring the ruins, including the Royal Tombs, the Roman Theater, and the Colonnaded Street, before heading into the Wadi Rum desert to spend the night at a Bedouin camp. In the morning, discover the secrets of Wadi Rum on a 4x4 Jeep safari, including Nabatean Inscriptions, Lawrence of Arabia's House, and red sand dunes for miles. 

Next, catch a flight to Cairo and tour this ancient city with a guide, who will take you to the Egyptian Museum, the Mohamed Ali Mosque, and into the streets of Old Cairo. On the following day, get up bright and early for an unforgettable walk through ancient history: you'll start with a visit to the Great Pyramids of Giza, before heading to Sakkara to see Djoser, the oldest pyramid in Egypt. 

Finally, fly to Luxor to explore the banks of the Nile and see the ancient tombs of the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, and the Temple of Luxor. Learn more

Itinerary #5: Family-Friendly Jordan

This seven-day itinerary was designed to be fun for the whole family, with a mix of walking, snorkeling, sightseeing, and a bit of camel-riding thrown in for good measure. Start at the Roman ruins of Jerash, stop to visit a Crusaders Castle on the road to Petra, live like a Bedouin in Wadi Rum, float in the salty waters of the Dead Sea, and more. 

Start your family adventure with a visit to Jerash, one of the best-preserved ancient Roman cities outside of Italy. Then, travel down the King's Highway to see Kerak Castle—one of the biggest Crusader Castles in the region—and hike through shallow springs in Wadi Bin Hammad, before continuing on to Petra in the evening. 

Spend a day exploring Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can visit the Treasury and Royal Tombs, or climb up the mountain opposite the High Place of Sacrifice and take the trail down to the Garden Temple Complex. Afterward, sleep in a traditional tent in Bedouin camp in the desert of Wadi Rum. 

The following morning, your guides will take you on a Jeep Safari and camel ride through the desert, where you'll see canyons, red sand dunes, and rock bridges, and ancient inscriptions. If your children are aged six and over, you also have the option to go on a sunrise hot air balloon ride over the dunes. 

Next, head to the coastal town of Aqaba for a change of scenery, and enjoy a day snorkeling, swimming, or riding in a glass-bottomed boat. Finally, head to the salty shores of the Dead Sea, the last stop of your trip and the lowest point on Earth. Here you can float on the sea, get a relaxing mud treatment, or soak up the sunshine before your flight home. Learn more

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