Jordan 7-day itinerary

7 days itinerary Jordan: Jerash & the Dead Sea (1 day) ; Mujib River Canyon & Kerak Castle (1 day) ; Petra & Little Petra (2 days) ; Wadi Rum (1 day) ; Aqaba (1 day) ; Madaba & Amman (1 day)

Jerash & the Dead Sea (1 day) → Mujib River Canyon & Kerak Castle (1 day) → Petra & Little Petra (2 days) → Wadi Rum (1 day) → Aqaba (1 day) → Madaba & Amman (1 day)

Jordan 7-day itinerary

Discover Jordan’s highlights in an unforgettable week

Day 1 - Jerash & the Dead Sea, where it all begins

We (and probably you) arrived in Amman the day before, just in time to go to sleep. In this itinerary, we will visit the capital on our last day. It was late for us, and we just slept in a hotel outside the airport. It is very easy to drive in Jordan, with roads that are very well maintained. Booking a car is the best economical logistics hack. Rent the car from the airport so you can be ready for the next day.

On the morning of Day 1, we drove directly to Jerash, where we spent half a day. This trip starts with the history of the ruins of the walled Greco-Roman settlement of Gerasa. The main attractions include the 2nd-century Hadrian’s Arch, the Corinthian columns of the Temple of Artemis, and the huge oval colonnade of the Forum.

Jerash is also a modern city, and it is easy to experience local Jordanian food for the first time.

After lunch, we drove to the Dead Sea, just an hour and a half away. This part of the Dead Sea is made up entirely of resorts, each with its own private beaches. We stayed at the Dead Sea Spa Resort, which has five outdoor pools, a private beach with mud, and a couple of restaurants. We relaxed all afternoon, experiencing the feeling of floating on the salty sea and smoothing our skin with mineral-rich black silt mud from the shores. The mud has several benefits: it is widely used to deeply cleanse, detoxify, and exfoliate the skin. The sunset can be very dramatic.

A well-preserved ancient Roman amphitheater in Jerash with steep stone seating tiers and a decorated stage backdrop.

A person effortlessly floating on their back in the calm, buoyant blue waters of the Dead Sea.

Day 2 - Mujib River Canyon to Kerak Castle

After a great breakfast, we drove south in the direction of Wadi Mujib and the Siq Trail. But before arriving at the canyon, we stopped again at a nice rocky shore on the Dead Sea. The Siq Trail is a 2 km, two-to three-hour self-guided water hiking adventure. It is a narrow sandstone gorge that includes swimming, wading, and climbing waterfalls, ending at an 18-meter waterfall.

Visitors must be 18+. It costs around $30–$35. Wear water shoes or water sandals. Bring a dry bag with you, although one can also be rented at the ticket counter. Have a towel to dry off after the hike. Visitors must be 18+. It is around $30-$35. Wear water shoes or water sandals. Bring with you a dry bag, although one can rent it at the ticket counter. Have a towel to dry off after the hike.

Before driving to Kerak Castle, we did another hike in Wadi Assal, a dry and unique canyon. It starts wide, with quite a bit of plastic trash, and then narrows into a great canyon. It is an easy and flat hike, and you can walk as much as you want. We spent around two hours inside. From the main road, drive to the beginning. We parked on the side of the unpaved road. There are no signs indicating the way, but it is pretty straightforward.

After that, we drove to Kerak, parked the car at the hotel, and went to visit Kerak Castle.

The Castle closes at 5 pm. Make sure to leave Wadi Assal early enough to give yourself enough time. The castle can be visited in one hour.

Kerak Castle is an off-the-beaten-path tourist site. It is also a vitally important part of both Christian and Muslim history. With this itinerary, you will start your drive along the King’s Highway from here.

Close-up of crystalline white salt deposits shaped like mushrooms or coral-like structures along the edge of the Dead Sea.

An adventurer climbing a metal ladder bolted to a sandstone canyon wall next to a rushing waterfall in the Wadi Mujib Siq trail.

A person standing beneath a powerful, cascading waterfall at the end of a deep sandstone gorge in Wadi Mujib, surrounded by towering orange rock walls.

Day 3 - Petra, the Nabatean capital

In the morning, before leaving, you have to make a decision: either drive on King’s Highway 35 or take the Desert Highway 15, which is faster. King’s Highway is more scenic but curvy. Either way, you will stop at Dana Biosphere Reserve for a quick stretch of your legs. You could add an extra day in this area, but we decided to drive directly to Wadi Musa.

Once you arrive in Wadi Musa, relax at your hotel and follow the suggestions we have for you.

How to visit Petra like a pro - day 1: We recommend spending two days in Petra.

On the first day, if you arrive in Wadi Musa in the early afternoon, have lunch and then relax at your hotel for a couple of hours. Enter Petra two hours before the gates close. Walk to the Monastery (6 km total) and enjoy the Siq, the Treasury (do not spend too much time there at this moment if there are many people), and the Colonnaded Street.

Now it is time to climb to the Monastery and its 800 steps. Before climbing, some people might try to stop you, saying there is not enough time to make the climb, depending on the time you arrive. If that happens, tell them you only want to see the Lion Monument (Lion Triclinium) and are not planning to go to the Monastery.

Once you arrive at the Monastery, you will be the only one there. This is a great experience, and the touts will not bother you. On the way back, you will be alone, and if it is late enough, you might be able to see Petra by night, with its lights on, or even have the Treasury all to yourself.

Alt Text: Petra Highlights Here are descriptive alt text options for your images of Petra: The Treasury (Al-Khazneh) with Camel The ornate, rock-cut facade of the Treasury in Petra framed by the narrow Siq canyon, with a harnessed camel resting on the sandy ground in the foreground

The massive, sun-drenched facade of the Monastery carved into a light-colored sandstone cliff, featuring a prominent circular urn at the top and a person standing in the doorway for scale.

The Treasury at Petra illuminated by hundreds of glowing candles in paper bags arranged across the ground, with the ancient facade silhouetted against the night sky.

Day 4 - Little Petra and Petra

In the morning of your second day, visit Little Petra. It is an archaeological Nabataean site, with buildings carved into the walls of the sandstone. The total walk is 450 meters (1,480 ft). The whole complex was a suburb of Petra meant to house visiting traders.

Have lunch in Wadi Musa, relax a few hours in the hotel, and follow the suggestions for Day 2 in Petra.

How to visit Petra like a pro - day 2:

On the second day, after relaxing at your hotel in the early afternoon, enter Petra three hours before the gates close. Unfortunately, you will repeat the same long walk through the Siq. But today, you will focus on the Street of Facades and the Amphitheatre, the High Place of Sacrifice, and the Royal Tombs. There will be very few tourists if you visit these places in the late afternoon. On the way back, you will probably be alone at the Treasury, which makes for fantastic pictures.

Splitting Petra over two days and visiting in the afternoons will make your experience unforgettable, without the crowds. Although you can still see Petra in one day, be prepared to walk 20 km, deal with the heat, and face the crowds.

The grand entrance of a rock-cut tomb in Petra with a deep arched portico and rows of support vaults silhouetted against the bright Jordanian sky.

A row of majestic, multi-story burial chambers carved into the side of a purple-streaked sandstone mountain in Petra, featuring grand arches and weathered Roman-style architecture.

A large communal platter of Mansaf featuring tender chunks of lamb over a bed of yellow turmeric rice and thin markook bread, topped with toasted pine nuts and a side of creamy jameed sauce.

Day 5 - Desert and sandstone mountains of Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum can only be visited on an organized tour. There is an entry fee to the protected area. If you have a Jordan Pass, the entrance fee is already included. Even if you have the Jordan Pass, you still need to stop at the Visitor Centre on your way into the village.

We met with our guide just outside and followed him to the camp. We then drove in the back of a 4x4 truck. If the truck does not have a cover, ask the guide to put one on before leaving. We chose not to have it; you get better views, but the sun was strong. The tours are all similar, visiting the most famous attractions. Our guide stopped in a few places that he personally loved, telling us his stories from when he was young. The lunch we had with him in the desert was the best lunch we had. He also chose a place for the sunset away from other cars.

There were no other tourists in the camp, and after dinner, we were able to enjoy the stars for ourselves.

A vast expanse of red sand dunes and towering sandstone mountains under a clear desert sky in Wadi Rum.

A natural sand hill, overlooking a wide valley of desert sand

A single camel with a colorful woven saddle standing patiently on the red desert sand of Wadi Rum.

A Bedouin host in traditional dress pouring hot sage tea from a blackened metal kettle into small glasses over an open campfire.

A close-up of a small glass of steaming amber-colored tea resting on a rock, with the blurred red sands of the desert in the background.

Day 6 - The Red Sea, Aqaba

Aqaba is a two-hour drive from Wadi Rum. The city is much more active at night, when the heat does not bother anyone anymore. During the day, we opted to go to Aqaba South Beach (public). Even if there is a closer beach in the city, we were planning to go snorkeling. Over there, you will find locals renting snorkeling gear, but also diving people. At night, the city is lively, and we had fun walking around and having dinner in the street.

Day 7 - Amman with a stop in Madaba

The drive to Amman is long, but it is easier with a stop in Madaba. Madaba is best known for its Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics. The Madaba Archaeological Park preserves the mosaic-rich Church of the Virgin Mary and artifacts from the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic eras. Madaba is a historic Christian hub with deep roots in viticulture, linked to ancient regional wine production dating back to the Byzantine era. This is the best place to taste Jordanian wine.

After lunch, drive to Amman. Driving in the city can sound intimidating, but we easily found parking and left the car parked the whole time. With the hotel in the city center, we then walked around the city. We started with the Roman Theater, followed by the Citadel. In the evening, we went to eat on Rainbow Street, a popular tourist street filled with restaurants and cafes.

A detailed close-up of an ancient Byzantine floor mosaic made of thousands of tiny natural stones, showing classical figures and floral patterns.

A high-angle, distant view of the massive Roman Theater nestled into the urban landscape of Amman, showing the deep semi-circle of stone seating surrounded by the white buildings of the city.

Know before you go

Jordan Pass

The Jordan Pass is a hassle-free entry to over 40 of Jordan's tourist attractions, including Petra, Jerash, Wadi Rum, Amman Citadel, the Roman Theater, Karak Castle, and many more. The cost of the tourist entry visa is included. For this itinerary, you need to pick the Jordan Explorer, since it allows two days in Petra.

Places to stay

Dead Sea

Dead Sea Spa Resort, with private beach, mud, and swimming pools. Breakfast is great.

Kerak

Bubble Castle house. We stayed in the Luxury Triple Room, which is a large dome tent with a private bathroom inside. It is especially enjoyable at night since it has views of the illuminated castle.

Kerak

P Quattro Relax Hotel. This is a few minutes away from the center, but the rooms are nice and perfect to relax in the afternoons.

Wadi Rum

1 Day & 1 Night Jeep Tour. This tour is private and can be tailor-made if you wish. The guides are native Bedouins.

Aqaba

Luciana hotel By FHM. It is a modern hotel, within walking distance of the heart of the city, with parking.

Amman

Sandra Hotel. It is within walking distance of all the attractions. Parking is on the street.

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