Adventure Time: 7-Day Jordan Itinerary

Hello there! If you are wondering how to spend a week in Jordan, you have come to the right place! This 7-day Jordan Itinerary will show you all the highlights and top places in Jordan from the world wonder of Petra to the incredible sceneries of Wadi Rum and the vibrancy of Jordan’s capital city Amman. This week in Jordan will feel like a dream come true and you will be guaranteed to create memories that will last you a lifetime!

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FAQ about this Jordan Itinerary

Is it safe to travel to Jordan?

The short answer to this question is yes. Overall, Jordan is a perfectly safe country to travel and even as women traveling, we didn’t ever feel unsafe or got scared. You don’t have to have any reservations, whatsoever. However, whenever I am answering a question like this I also need to tell you my favorite disclaimer. The world is a scary place and not everyone is a nice person. Your safety usually also depends on how smart you are about things. So just use the same safety measurements and precautions you would have anywhere else. Know the numbers of the local police. Observe your surroundings. Don’t go out alone in the dark. Avoid dodgy areas. Don’t leave your drinks unattended. Just the usual. As this guide might become outdated sometime in the future, please refer to your national office of foreign affairs (for Germany it’s the Auswärtiges Amt). 

When to Travel to Jordan? 

The best times to visit Jordan are during spring (March to May) or Autumn (September to November). During these months you can expect more moderate temperatures and enjoy the sights of the deserts with being fried by the soon before noon. 

How to Get to Jordan? 

To reach Jordan make sure to book a flight to their capital city Amman. We flew with Turkish Airlines via Istanbul and everything went smoothly and easily! 

How to Get Around in Jordan?

I spent this week in Jordan with my Mum and as neither she nor I are very keen on driving in foreign countries, it was clear to us that we would want to book a driver for our time in Jordan. So we booked our driver via a travel agency and they also helped us select our hotels and other experiences. Our driver Ghassan was truly amazing and took great care in delivering us to all our destinations safely and on time. He even got up at 3:00 AM to get us from the Dead Sea to Petra in time for me to take pictures before the place got crowded for the day. 

What to Pack for Jordan? 

When packing for Jordan, it is vital to not get carried away by the thought of desert = hot. As during our travel time in March temperatures were mild and not too hot, I was always glad to have my jacket with me. Furthermore, you will also find that in Jordan as a woman you should always keep your arms and legs covered. For me, that meant light and flowy skirts and shirts and making sure I would always carry a top layer. 

Day 1 – Arriving in Amman

The first day of our Jordan Itinerary is reserved for your arrival to this breathtaking country. For us, this meant arriving, passport control, and finally stepping out of the airport to meet our driver. We then continued to drive to the city center where we checked into the Toledo Hotel, where we would stay the next two nights. The hotel is perfect for exploring Amman, with clean and nice rooms and a perfect dinner buffet!

Day 2 – Amman Citadel, Jerash, Lunch in Amman and the Souk

Time to explore Jordan’s capital city! Spending one day in Amman is the perfect start to your week in Jordan, greeting you with its Citadel, local cuisine, and a souk. Furthermore, you will also go on a small day trip to Jerash, one of the most captivating excavating sites I have ever visited.

Amman Citadel 

The Amman Citadel is the top tourist attraction in Amman and it is a truly incredible place. It combines the beauty of an ancient sight with the most breathtaking views of Amman you can imagine. The huge site is filled with ancient treasures. You can see the remains of old buildings, their pillars, and mosaics, it is really impressive. 

We spent approximately 1 hour on the top of Amman, exploring the Citadel details. What impressed me the most were the views of Amman and a stone fist that once belonged to a Hercules statue. Given the size of the fist alone, the statue must have been a huge dude, can you imagine it?

Jerash

After exploring the Citadel, our driver Ghassan picked us up and drove us to Jerash! Are you wondering what Jerash is? It is nothing less but the biggest Greco/Roman sight that is still preserved today. Incredible if you ask me. The area is a breathtaking assortment of ancient streets, temples, baths, markets, and many many pillars. It is such an unexpected gem in your Jordan Itinerary. If you want to learn more about the life of its former inhabitants, make sure to book a tour guide to explore Jerash. 

Back in Amman

After exploring Jerash, we also headed back to Amman. There, we had our lunch at an incredible place Ghassan picked for us, which I sadly couldn’t find on Google Maps. So therefore I can’t recommend anything to you beyond one thing – make sure to try falafel in Amman. 

After lunch, the next thing to do is to go for a walk to the souk of Amman. It was my first time to visit a souk, and I wasn’t disappointed! You will find spices, nuts, vegetables, and many things of the daily life at the souk. With the scent of the spices lingering in the air and the salesmen shouting out their best prices to gain your attention, the atmosphere of a souk is incredible and not to be missed when visiting Jordan!

Staying in Amman

In Amman we stayed in the Toledo Hotel which was awesome! It was clean, comfortable and had a great buffet.

Day 3 – Mount Nebo, Madaba & the Dead Sea

On Day 3 of this Jordan Itinerary, you will finally embark on the road trip part of this journey. After breakfast at the Toledo Hotel, Ghassan picked us up and drove us to our next destinations, Mount Nebo and, eventually, the Dead Sea. On the way, we could witness the most stunning landscapes, passing through red hills and deserts, all of them as far as the eye could see.

Mount Nebo

Those of you with a solid knowledge of the bible will already have recalled what Mount Nebo is. For those who don’t have that knowledge – Mount Nebo is the place from where Moses could see the Promised Land, which he could not enter himself. He then died on that hill and was buried there. To this day, you can still see very far from Mount Nebo, given you visit it on a clear day. We were not so lucky, so all we could spot were clouds upon clouds. Nevertheless, visiting Mount Nebo is a highlight, because even on rainy days you can visit the Byzantine church on top of the mountain, in which some of the most incredible mosaics are displayed. 

Madaba

Another city to visit in Jordan is Madaba. It also makes for a great additional stop on your way to the Dead Sea. Madaba is a vibrant city with great places for a quick lunch or some souvenir shopping. As for sights, make sure not to miss St George’s Greek Orthodox Church and Madaba Archaeological Park.

The Drive to the Dead Sea

From Mount Nebo, we drove to the Dead Sea. And while I love to fall asleep during longer car rides, this is not one to miss! The landscapes you will be able to see will knock you right over. The vast mountains are bright red and after each one you pass, another breathtaking valley appears that shows you more Bedouin tents with its inhabitants sitting together, drinking sweet tea while some of them are herding the sheep. It feels as if you are stepping into another world. 

The Dead Sea

The Dead Sea, with its high amount of salt, is one of the most incredible natural wonders I have ever witnessed. As the lowest point of the earth, this Sea is unlike any other. Because of the high amount of salt in it, you float in it like a cork. It is a super weird feeling and hard to describe. I guess you just have to experience it! Furthermore, its mud has great benefits for clear and healthy skin, so most of the souvenir shops in Jordan will have cosmetics with Dead Sea Salt in them. 

As we checked into the Holiday Inn Dead Sea, we could enter the Dead Sea via its private beach and use all of its great facilities during our stay. I really can’t recommend this resort enough – it is very spacious and has a delicious dinner buffet!

Day 3: Transfer to Petra & Petra

Where do I even begin to describe the magnificence of Petra? I really can’t. But let’s start way earlier. As we wanted to be in Petra as early as possible, we had to leave quite early from the Holiday Inn. At 3:00 am exactly. Alttough we were super tired, we did it for some amazing shots! And it was worth it! Seeing the landscape of Jordan changing in front of our car window was incredible.

Day 4 –  Transfer to Petra & Petra

Probably the day of your Jordan Itinerary you have been looking forward to the most. (Because same!) But before you get to admire it, you have to get there. From the Dead Sea, it is still a significant drive to get to Petra. For me, as a photographer, it was also crucial to get to Petra as early as possible to avoid the masses that are frolicking in Petra daily. That’s why we departed from the Holiday Inn Dead Sea at 3:00 am. During our drive, we got to see the most spectacular sunrise over the desert, and once the sun had risen, we could see the landscape change in front of our eyes, getting more and more rosé-colored, like the Treasury we were getting closer and closer to. 

Petra

What I didn’t know is that Petra is a whole giant area with different sights that cover more than 260 square kilometers. Once you pass the entry gates to Petra you will walk through the hills that will only give you a small preview of all the beauty you are about to see. There you can already see some tombs and statues of gods. 

The Siq

When you follow that road you will get to the entrance of the Siq. This will already take away your breath! The surrounding stone walls are shining in all different colour due to different sediments. Such a magnificent view! 

All along the way through the Siq you will find holy statues. They are quite hidden for the nontrained eye: for the Nabataean a square shape symbolizes holiness. So all the square-shaped carvings that you find are displaying gods. Besides the gods, you will also find various carvings and aqueducts that once provided the region with water. All of this information was told to us by our guide, which I can’t recommend enough.

The Treasury of Petra

Walking down the Siq will eventually get you to the most iconic place on this Jordan Itinerary! This view is one of the most marvelous you can imagine, and if you get up early enough, you will get to enjoy this without any crowds that could get in front of your lens! Well, with one exception: the Beduins’ camels will sit in front of the treasure, but to be fair, they make a beautiful photo prop! 

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Exploring More of Petra (The Royal Tombs, the Nabatean Amphitheatre & much more!)

Once you have marveled enough at the Treasury, it is time to explore more of Petra! As I said in the beginning, Petra is a huge area, where the Nabateans used to live, that’s why you will also find more Tombs and even an Amphitheatre. Your guide will also tell you further details about the Nabatean’s daily life and their ways. 

Lunch at the Basin Restaurant

Sooner or later, all the walking around will catch up on you and you will be very hungry from all the hiking and climbing. As you are within the Petra complex, your options here are limited.

The Monastery

One of the most impressive places in Petra has to be the Monastery. As impressive as the Monastery itself is also the way to it. To get there, you have to follow a rocky steep road into the mountains that comes with the most impressive views. Make sure to bring some water for the hike, because it can get quite exhausting. The monastery itself is incredibly impressive, another beautiful building in the stone.

After exploring the Monastery, we also made the trip back to our hotel for the night, the Edom Hotel, which was the perfect place to stay in Wadi Musa. 

Day 5 – Morning in Petra, Little Petra & Wadi Rum

Day 5 of our Jordan Itinerary already! Time to get up early again to take one more turn exploring the beauties of Petra! Once we felt like we had explored it thoroughly, we embarked on the journey to the next most incredible highlight on this Jordan itinerary – Wadi Rum. But before we got there, we also had a little stop at another sight called Little Petra. 

Petra 

As soon as the gates to Petra opened again, we went into the complex again, with us our guide Fadi, who we hired again from the day before. The last thing on our list to tick off was the viewpoint on the Treasury from above. To get there, you have to go on another long and steep hike, so just take a lot of breaks in between to admire the stunning desert panorama. Once you have reached the viewpoint, you will be able to admire the Treasury, but also make sure to stay off from the edge of the cliff. I felt as if there could have been at least one handrailing, but maybe I am also just too much of a German.

After our little morning hike, we left Petra for good and embarked on the journey to Wadi Rum. 

Little Petra

On our way to Wadi Rum, we first had a first stop at Little Petra, which is an area quite close to the real Petra where the Nabateans first tried to settle but which they’d abandoned quite fast before building the real Petra. It was fun to explore but we spent only 30 minutes there. 

Wadi Rum

Let’s talk about the real highlight of the day (of course, seeing Petra in the morning was a highlight too, but as we saw it the day before already, let me make Wadi Rum the highlight of the day!). Wadi Rum is one of the best places in Jordan and I have never before experienced something like it before, a real highlight of this Jordan Itinerary.

Driving there was already breathtaking as you will see the landscape of Jordanchange in front of your eyes. We arrived in Wadi Rum in the nearby town, where we boarded our jeep for our 4-hour desert safari that also came with sunset watching, as well as staying the night in Wadi Rum in a camp setting! 

The drive itself is simply spectacular. Your guides will take you to a spring where Lawrence of Arabia once lived (supposedly), to sandboarding and climbing the rock formations of Wadi Rum. You will have stops for tea at the most breathtaking views and end the day with the most beautiful sunset of your life. It will be one of those days that will forever stay in your heart and mind, where you think back with your heart aching for more. 

Sleeping in the Desert

Once the sun has set, you will go to the Camp where you will camp in Wadi Rum desert. But before you go to sleep, you will experience authentic Bedouin cuisine, cooked in a hole in the ground and combined with the best lentil soup ever. Afterward, you will hear the Bedouins sing a song for you and invite you to dance with them. Oh, this day on your Jordan Itinerary really is the best one! 

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Day 6 – Transfer to Aqaba

Once it was time to get up, we had our breakfast with a panoramic view above the desert! Easy to say that it was so wonderful. We got back from the desert to our driver Ghassan, and he took us to Aqaba, a beach paradise. My top tip here is to book one or two nights in the Mövenpick Hotel to unwind and relax at their pool and beach area. In Aqaba, you can also dive and snorkel and explore the Red Sea or just tan and sip as much lime and mint juice as you like. 

Day 7 – Aqaba & Leaving for Home

The next day, we embarked on our journey home already. Before we left, we had a delicious breakfast and said goodbye to Aqaba and the relaxation paradise it is. Our time in Jordan might be one of the greatest trip we ever went on and if you have the chance, you should not miss out on it. 

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