Hike the Jordan Trail From Dana to Petra - 7 Days

Day 1: Arrive in Amman - Transfer to Dana

Welcome to Jordan! Meet your representative at the Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) in Amman who will assist you through immigration before introducing you to your private driver. From QAIA, you'll transfer to the Dana Guest House two hours south in the stone village of Dana in the Dana Biosphere Reserve. Explore your surroundings taking in the dramatic landscape as you prepare yourself for the week ahead. Enjoy a peaceful evening taking in one of the best sunsets around.

Day 2: Hike from Dana Village to Feynan Ecolodge

Start the day with a filling breakfast, before lacing up your hiking boots to begin your trekking adventure. At nearly 4,000 feet (1,200 m) above sea level, you'll set off from your hotel with your guides and head west into the Dana Valley. The trail drops steeply at first and then levels into a more gradual descent as you work your way through the Dana Biosphere Reserve and on to Feynan.

Jordan's most significant reserve encompasses four distinct bio-geographical zones, which means that Dana supports an astonishing diversity of birds, plants, and animals. On your way down the valley, you may see Griffon vultures overhead as well as hyrax and copper-blue lizards on the rocks you pass by. If you're lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of an ibex or a desert fox, or see the footprint of a wolf in the gravelly sand. You'll finish today's trek at the highly acclaimed Feynan Ecolodge, touted one of the top 25 ecolodges in the world.

Take advantage of Feynan's amenities and join a short guided sunset walk from the lodge up to a nearby hilltop. Sip a cup of freshly brewed Bedouin tea and enjoy the stunning westerly views as the sun sets over the vast Wadi Araba desert.

Hiking distance: 8.7 miles (14 km)
Ascent: 755 feet (230 m)
Descent: 3,740 feet (1,140 m)

Day 3: Hike from Wadi Feynan to Furon

This morning you'll leave the Feynan Ecolodge behind to hike through the historic landscape around Feynan. Copper has been mined here for 3000 years, reaching its peak under the Romans, where millions of tonnes of ore were smelt into a metal that was exported all over the empire at the cost of many slave lives. As you trek out of Feynan, you will see the mountains of slag that are the glass-like by-product of this ancient industry, as well as ruined buildings from the Nabataean and Roman periods.

Continue to the entrance to Wadi Ghweir where you'll ascend through the mountains. Though this is a steep and challenging section of the route, you'll be rewarded with stunning vistas. In the afternoon you’ll reach the camp in Furon. Relax tired muscles as you drift asleep under a desert sky lit with twinkling stars.

Hiking distance: 11.8 miles (19 km)
Ascent: 4,462 feet (1,360 m)
Descent: 1,575 feet (480 m)

Day 4: Hike from Furon to Ghbour Whedat

Today you will hike from Furon, past Ras Al-Feid and into some of the most remote and wild corners of Jordan. Marvel at the spectacular views of the barren desert landscape and enjoy the surprise encounters of desert vegetation and animal life. Contouring the Sharah Mountains, you'll follow a trail cleared by Bedouin shepherding activity. 

The towering peaks of black mountains overlooking the trail and steep precipitous drops of the canyons below make this day unforgettable. You will gradually climb up the hills to reach magnificent heights with sweeping views over the desert. Nearing the end of the hike, you'll see signs of increased human habitation, like Bedouin camps, sheep pens, and small agricultural plots, as you work your way to your campsite in the Ghbour Whedat area.

Hiking distance: 10.6 miles (17 km)
Ascent: 2,460 feet (750 m)
Descent: 3,018 feet (920 m)

Day 5: Hike from Ghbour Whedat to Little Petra 

Today you'll pass by Nabatean ruins like Ba'ajah and Siq Ba'ahah, some of which may include wine and olive presses, aqueducts and other ancient water infrastructure. Finally, you'll reach Siq al-Barid, or, as it is more commonly referred to, 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.

Hiking distance: 8.7 miles (14 km)
Ascent: 2,001 feet (610 m)
Descent: 1,837 feet (560 m)

Day 6: Hike from Little Petra to Petra - Drive to Amman

Today you'll enter Petra through the "back door," avoiding most of the crowds. Follow a Nabataean route through Wadi Ghurab out of the valley. The trail skirts around the final mountain on a natural rock terrace, which has been improved for the safety of walkers. Even so, it narrows slightly before coming to a hidden plateau high above the awe-inspiring chasm of Wadi Siyyagh. Just ahead is the Monastery, carved into the cliff face. Follow the Nabataean steps into ancient Petra. Your route then takes you through Wadi Muthlim (weather dependent) to Wadi Musa. 

After spending some time exploring the monumental ancient tombs, including the magnificent  Treasury, you'll meet your driver for the return trip back to Amman.

Hiking distance: 8.7 miles (14 km)
Ascent: 1,627 feet (496 m)
Descent: 1,703 feet (519 m)

Day 7: Amman or Aqaba - Airport

After a good night's sleep, spend the hours before your departing flight as you choose. If there's time, head to Old Amman to check out the ruins of the Amman Citadel, the 2nd-century Roman Amphitheater, and the Temple of Hercules. Complete any last minute souvenir and gift shopping in the nearby souks, like Jara, and then transfer to the airport for your onward journey home.