Jordan 7 Day Itinerary: The Perfect Week Trip (2023 Guide)

Some links in this post contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission if you use the links at no extra cost to you! Happy reading 😀

Wondering how to spend a week in Jordan? I’ve got you covered. This is the perfect Jordan 7-day itinerary for anyone visiting the country for the first time (or second, third or fourth!) 

Jordan is located in the Middle East in Asia, and is a predominantly Muslim country. It has a population of around 10 million, and offers hot and sunny weather all year round. A country full of culture and tradition, there’s something rather special about visiting Jordan for the first time and spending a week there.

From Petra, one of the Wonders of the World, to historical landmarks, sandy beaches, busy cities, a desert, crystal clear waters and the lowest sea on earth – the Dead Sea, it’s a wonderful country to travel to (and can easily be done on a backpacker’s budget).

Other Jordan posts:

• Is The Jordan Pass Worth It? A Must-Read Before Purchasing!
• Tipping in Jordan: Everything You Need To Know
• Driving in Jordan: The Ultimate Car Hire Guide
• What to Wear in Jordan (That Isn’t Ugly)

Jordan 7 day Itinerary: A Summary

This 7-day Jordan itinerary includes all of the highlights of Jordan. Below I’ve broken it down into a quick list (if you don’t have time to read the whole blog post), but I’ve also given more detail in the sections below.

There is also a FAQ section about this Jordan 7-day itinerary for any questions you may have.

🚗 NOTE: This itinerary is designed for travellers hiring a car. 🚗 Jordan has very little public transport. It can be done with a private driver, but this will cost a lot more than renting a car yourself.

Wifi isn’t always widely available in Jordan, although it is improving. I recommend either buying a local SIM card or buying an eSIM. ESIMs are easy to download and ready to use within a few minutes of purchasing. You can check out Jordan eSIMs here!

The perfect Jordan 7-day itinerary and route

• Day 1: Fly into Amman and explore the city
• Day 2: Wake up early and visit Jerash, then drive to the Dead Sea. Stay either near the Dead Sea or continue driving to Petra for the evening. 
• Day 3: Petra and Petra by night (if you’re there on a Monday, Wednesday or Thursday)
• Day 4: Petra during the day, driving to Wadi Rum late afternoon/evening.
• Day 5: Wadi Rum 4×4 through the desert tour.
• Day 6: Drive to Aqaba.
• Day 7: Either fly out of Aqaba or drive back to Amman.

This 7-day Jordan itinerary can be changed to suit you and how much time you want in each area. However, this plan is just a good starting point and includes all of the major things to do in Jordan!

This itinerary also includes a lot of driving. Your longest drive will be Aqaba > Amman, which can take around 4 hours. You might want to consider this when booking flights!

Need to hire a car for your visit to Jordan? We highly recommend this company. They’re reliable, cheap and have car rentals all over the world! 🚗 LOOK AT CAR HIRE PRICES IN JORDAN NOW!

Getting around Jordan

Hiring a car is the best way to get around Jordan. Public transport in Jordan isn’t reliable or regular, and even the buses that do run only go into the big cities. Travelling to places like Wadi Rum and Petra will be easier if you have your own car.

If you’re not sure about driving in Jordan yourself, be sure to check out my post: Driving in Jordan: The Ultimate Car Hire Guide.

Alternatively, if you’d rather leave the driving to someone else, you can hire a private driver. You can hire a driver either for the day or a few days, and pay the price and a tip at the end. This will of course be more expensive, but it still gives you the choice to drive to where you want to.

➡ Check out private driver options here!

Do I need a car to travel around Jordan?

Driving in Jordan is safe and straightforward. Some of the main attractions are a distance away from each other, so to maximise your time in the country, you may want to hire a car. 

If you’re looking to hire a car in Jordan, we rent our cars from this company. They’re reliable, cheap and have car rentals all over the world!  ➡ You can check out the prices for car hire in Jordan now!

Day 1: Amman

🌌 Number of nights: 2-3

🛌 Where to stay: Nomads Hostel

🚗 Driving time from Amman airport: 30 minutes

Amman is the capital city of Jordan and home to the international Queen Alia airport, so it’s likely you will begin your trip here. Situated in the north of the country, Amman is one of the most liberal and Westernised Arab cities in the Middle East. There’s no strict dress code, but I still felt the need to cover up and go by my Jordan dress code.

Depending on your flight arrival time to Jordan, or what sort of things you like to do in cities, there are a few parts of Amman you don’t want to miss. We stayed at Nomads Hostel in a private room for under £30 a night. It was within walking distance of one of the most popular roads in the city, Rainbow Street.

Even if you’re not staying close to Rainbow Street, I advise checking it out for its hippy-vibe bars and fun restaurants! Thursday nights are when it’s the most lively, as that’s when Jordanians officially start their weekend.

If you’re into your history, check out the Temple of Hercules, and the 2000+ years old Roman Theatre. The venue is still used for concerts and events from time to time and can seat up to 6000 people. Entry is free, so it’s a great idea for budget backpackers.

Dress appropriately and visit the King Abdullah Mosque, which is located in the city centre. It’s easily recognisable with its blue-domed roof and gigantic size.

If I could change anything about my trip to Jordan, it would be to plan a bit longer in Amman. Reading other travel blogs I realise just how much we missed. Although it does mean I can now convince Tom to make another trip back to Jordan!

Day 2: Jerash and the Dead Sea

🌌 Number of nights: 2-3

🛌 Where to stay: The Crowne Plaza

🚗 Driving time from Amman: 50 minutes

If you already have your car, I suggest waking up early to start your second day in Jordan. Start your drive by heading 50 minutes north to the ancient ruins of Jerash. The ruins date back to over 2000 years ago, and Jerash is known as the most well-preserved Roman city site outside of Italy.

Spend your morning taking photos and learning about the history of Jordan before driving 90 minutes to the Dead Sea.

The Dead Sea

The second activity of your day will be driving to the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is a salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. The lake’s surface is 430 metres below sea level, making it the lowest lake in the world.

Due to the amount of salt in the water, you’re able to float effortlessly. Before entering the water, be sure to cover your skin in the Dead Sea mud, which lays on the shores by the coastline. The Dead Sea mud is known to enhance skin elasticity and wrinkes, as well as skin conditions like eczema and acne. It’s a bit messy, but it’s an experience!

It’s not recommended to spend longer than 20 minutes at a time in the Dead Sea, due to the high salt concentration. We found we still had time to read a book and relax before becoming quite thirsty and needing to exit the water.

One of the best and easiest ways to visit the Dead Sea is by paying for access via a hotel. As the lake is a lot lower than the road, it can take some time to find the best public beach, and they can be tricky to get to.

If you have the budget, you can pay one of the hotels for an unlimited buffet lunch and access to their beachfront on the Dead Sea. When we visited in 2022, we paid £30 each for beach access and a meal at the Crowne Plaza.

Where to stay near the Dead Sea

NOTE: If you do not want to stay near the Dead Sea or Jerash, you can stay in Amman and complete these as day trips. Then, from Amman, you can travel to Petra, which is next on the list. Not sure where to stay in Amman? Check out my detailed area guide for Amman here.

If you do want to stay near the Dead Sea, these are some of the best hotels with private Dead Sea access.

🇯🇴 The Crowne Plaza: we booked a day pass for the Dead Sea here, and it was beautiful! The beach for the Dead Sea was perfect. ➡ BOOK THIS HOTEL NOW!

🇯🇴 Zerø Føur Dead Sea Apartments: a highly rated accommodation for those who want to enjoy the Dead Sea in luxury! ➡ BOOK THIS STAY NOW!

Day 3 + 4: Petra and Petra by Night

Petra

🌌 Number of nights: 2-3

🛌 Where to stay:  Petra Moon Hotel.

🚗 Driving time from the Dead Sea: 2.5 hours (188km)

Petra is an ancient lost city and is now known as one of the seven wonders of the world; and also a UNESCO World Heritage site. The buildings are half-built and half-carved into the rock, surrounded by mountains and full of narrow passageways and gorges.

Due to Petra being such a unique tourist attraction, it is one of the world’s most famous archaeological sites, and can get extremely busy.

I recommend budgeting at least 5-8 hours whilst visiting Petra by day. The site in itself is over a hundred square miles; which is four times the size of Manhattan, New York!

When visiting, you don’t need to walk to every corner of the site, but you will be given a map to see which rock-carved buildings and sites interest you the most.

The most famous is The Treasury, which is around a 30-minute walk from Petra’s entrance. This is where you’ll have your Instagram photos and climb to high rock faces to see the Treasury from different angles.

Petra is busy at any time of day, but we found the quietest time to be around 3pm in the afternoon. Most of the tourist buses and coaches arrive early in the morning and have left by this time.

➡ Need more information about Petra? Check out my full Petra guide here.

Optional extra: Petra by Night

Petra by Night is slightly different to visiting Petra during the day. It’s a different ticket, and you’ll need to exit before returning to Petra at Night. It also is not included in your Jordan pass.

Petra by Night takes place on a Monday, Wednesday or Thursday (at the time of writing this in October 2022). Tickets cost around £20, and the event lasts around 2 hours in total.

As you arrive at Petra, there will be a large line to re-enter and walk by candlelight down to the Treasury. When you arrive at the Treasury, you will sit on traditional Jordanian mats and watch a short performance by some locals playing instruments and storytelling.

Sadly, Petra by Night is an incredibly popular activity, which means it may be hard to even see the performers. If you want to experience it for yourself, my best advice is to arrive early to snag a seat at the front.

My unpopular opinion? If you’re tired from Petra by day, or haven’t got the budget for Petra by night, don’t worry about it. It’s a beautiful experience but it’s not something I would change my itinerary around for, and we much preferred Petra by day.

Note that Petra is located in the town of Wadi Musa. It’s easy to get around Wadi Musa by car or taxi, so don’t worry about staying too close to the actual Petra site if you’re on a tight budget.

Where to stay in Petra (Wadi Musa)

💸 For budget backpackers: stay at either the Petra Boxtel Hostel or the Nomads. Both are perfect for meeting new friends and other backpackers to explore Petra with. ➡ BOOK THESE HOSTELS NOW!

🇯🇴 For couples: the Petra Moon Hotel. The Petra Moon Hotel is close to the Petra visitor centre, and a double room includes breakfast. It has a swimming pool, good wifi and comfortable rooms. Perfect for first-timers visiting Petra! ➡ BOOK THIS STAY NOW!

Day 4 + 5: Wadi Rum

🌌 Number of nights: 2-3

🛌 Where to stay: UFO Luxotel Bubble Camp

🚗 Driving time from Petra: 2 hours (114km)

Next, head to Wadi Rum, the largest desert in Jordan. Wadi Rum covers around 183,352 acres of land and is one of the most unique and incredible landscapes we have ever seen.

As you enter Wadi Rum, it becomes clear why so many space movies are shot here. Famously known as being the set of the Matt Damon movie; The Martian, it’s not hard to see why! Most of the sand is a bright shade of red, with jagged, unique rocks and boulders across the landscape.

There are many things to do in Wadi Rum, including staying in a unique bubble tent that allows you to star gaze from underneath your duvet. Even on a backpacker’s budget, you can book a tour to drive in a 4×4 over sand dunes and to some of the historical sites, as tours can be as cheap as £20/$25 per person from your hotel!

One of the best experiences and things to do in Wadi Rum is to meet and talk with the local Bedouins. We found them to be warm and welcoming people who enjoy telling you stories of their past and culture, with an invite to join their tent for tea and a night of dancing. We also took part in a stargazing trip organised by our hotel, which was one of the best things we did during our trip to Wadi Rum.

Where to stay in Wadi Rum

If you need a unique stay in the desert of Wadi Rum, I recommend the following places to stay.

🇯🇴 For the best bubble tents in Wadi Rum: UFO Luxotel has classic bubble dome rooms, with views overlooking the desert, seemingly in the ‘middle of nowhere’. All rooms come with A/C and wifi, and a large balcony with a hammock.➡ BOOK THIS BUBBLE TENT NOW!

💸 For budget backpackers: check out Wadi Rum Desert Adventures. It’s one of the most popular authentic desert camps, at a budget price. From the friendly staff to the incredible location, it’s known as one of the best Bedouin camps to stay in in the Wadi Rum desert. ➡ BOOK THIS ACCOMMODATION NOW!

Day 6: Aqaba

🌌 Number of nights: 1-2

🛌 Where to stay: Lacosta Hotel

🚗 Driving time from Wadi Rum: 1 hour 10 minutes (80km)

The final part of your 7 day road trip around Jordan is visiting Aqaba. Aqaba is the only coastal city in Jordan. It borders both the Red Sea and Israel, and on a clear day, you can see directly into the Israeli city opposite!

Aqaba is around an hour’s drive south of Wadi Rum. It’s one of the best places in Jordan to scuba dive and snorkel, because of the colourful corals and crystal-clear waters. Even if you don’t want to swim, Aqaba is an interesting and vibrant city with lots to explore. It is also home to Jordan’s second international airport, King Hussein Int’l.

We felt safe throughout our stay in Aqaba, and even felt safe walking around at night. In fact, we found the nighttime markets to be when Aqaba really came alive!

Where to stay in Aqaba

If you need a night or two’s accommodation in Aqaba, I recommend the following places to stay.

💸 For budget backpackers: check out Hakaia Home. It’s one of the best hostels in Aqaba and is only a seven-minute walk from the JETT bus station. ➡ BOOK THIS HOSTEL NOW!

🇯🇴 For couples: check out Lacosta Hotel. It’s a 4* hotel in a central location and has its own area of private beach. ➡ BOOK THIS HOTEL NOW!

Day 7: Onward travel from Aqaba or Amman

Aqaba is home to King Hussein International Airport, so you can either book your onward flight from here or drive back to Amman.

The drive back to Amman will take around 4 hours. It is a direct route via Desert Highway or the coastal road. Both are incredibly safe and easy to follow, but if you are unsure about driving in Jordan, be sure to check out my detailed driving tips for Jordan here.

Jordan 7 day itinerary: FAQs

1) What is the Jordan Pass and do I need to buy one?

If you want to save money whilst visiting Jordan, the Jordan Pass is worth it. As it covers both your visa entry fees and gives you access to most of the main attractions, the Jordan Pass is worth buying.

The Jordan Pass also includes queue jumps at the airport and at some locations. As Jordan is becoming increasingly popular, this can save you a lot of time. If we were to break whether having a Jordan Pass is worth it down or not, we would see that:

💰 A tourist visa on arrival is £45 ($50) and a day trip to Petra (without a Jordan Pass) is £100 ($110). This totals £145 ($150) already.

🪪 The total price for a Jordan Pass is £80 ($100) if you are only visiting Petra for one day. This alone makes the Jordan Pass worth it.

So, in summary, yes – buying a Jordan Pass is worth it!

➡ Need more information? Check out my detailed Jordan Pass post here.

2) What time of year should you visit Jordan?

☀️ If you visit Jordan during the summer months (June to August), expect high temperatures and stifling, hot weather. Days in Jordan in the summer are exceptionally sunny and dry.

🌸 🍁 Autumn and spring are the best times to visit Jordan. Spring (March-May) and autumn (September-November) have cooler temperatures and evenings.

3) What to wear and pack for Jordan

Jordan is a predominantly Muslim country (with over 95% of all Jordanians practising the Islamic faith). This means most women will be wearing some sort of covering, with hijabs, al-amiras and khimars being the most common.

You do not need to wear a face covering, hijab, al-amira or khimar in Jordan if you are a tourist. If you aren’t religious and don’t normally wear a covering, this is not expected of you.

Wear what you feel comfortable wearing in Jordan, as long as your shoulders and legs (down to your knees) are covered. It’s more about respect for their culture and religion than a ‘hard and fast’ rule. No one’s going to ‘tell you off’, but you’re going to feel uncomfortable showing excess skin or your cleavage. 

It’s also a level of respect that you can show the Jordanian locals, plus not causing too much-unwanted attention.

4) Are 7 days enough for Jordan?

If it’s your first time in Jordan, I recommend at least seven days. This gives you enough time to see the major sites in the country without rushing. It also gives you more time for long drives and leeway if something doesn’t go to plan.

5) Is Jordan cheap to travel?

Jordan is one of the most budget-friendly destinations in the Middle East, but it still isn’t ‘cheap’. Buying the Jordan Pass will help you save money on activities and your visa, and it is recommended that all tourists buy the Jordan Pass before entering the country.

As mid-range backpackers, we were able to travel around Jordan comfortably. The most expensive restaurants were around the tourist sites like Petra, which we avoided. Seek out the smaller, more local places to eat to save money, and avoid eating near any of the main attractions.

6) What tours should I do in Jordan? 

Looking to book a tour in Jordan? Tours are one of the best ways to see the hidden gems of the country you are visiting. If you’re travelling during peak season, I highly recommend pre-booking your tours to ensure you don’t miss out!

When travelling, we use this company to book our tours. Tours include skip-the-line tickets to the world’s most iconic attractions, walking tours by top local experts, immersive food and beverage tours, cooking and craft classes, bucket list experiences, and niche offerings you won’t find anywhere else! 

Some of the best tours in Jordan include: 

• Scuba diving in the Red Sea ➡ BOOK NOW!
• Private Petra tour with transfers ➡ BOOK NOW!
• Day trip to the Dead Sea from Amman ➡ BOOK NOW!

➡ Check out more tours for your trip here!

7) Do I need a SIM card to travel around Jordan? 

Yes, it’s worth downloading an eSIM on your phone to ensure you can use it for directions and avoid roaming charges as soon as you arrive. 

ESIMs are easy to download and ready to use within a few minutes of purchasing, so there’s no longer a need to hunt down free Wifi! ➡ You can check out the prices and packages for eSIMs here!

A Jordan 7 Day Itinerary: In a Nutshell

So, there you have it! Everything you need to know for a perfect Jordan 7 day itinerary and route. When you’re planning a trip to Jordan, make sure you let me know over on Instagram or in the comments below!

If you haven’t seen my blog before, I write posts aimed at first-time backpackers on a budget. I’m currently travelling around the world with my boyfriend (read more here!), creating guides and itineraries for you to follow in our footsteps!

Keep an eye out for more Jordan content, all written from a personal and realistic point of view. You can sign up for my newsletter and juicy travel updates here!

As always, thanks for reading and supporting the blog!

Happy travelling 🙂

Jennie x

Visiting Jordan? Check out my other posts below:

• Is The Jordan Pass Worth It? A Must-Read Before Purchasing!
• Tipping in Jordan: Everything You Need To Know
• Driving in Jordan: The Ultimate Car Hire Guide
• Is Petra Worth Visiting? A Must-Read Before You Go!