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Latest update: 19 September 2025
Two weeks in Jordan sounds like plenty of time, but trust me: it flies by. Fortunately, you can see all the highlights in that time without constantly being stuck in the car, from the bustling capital Amman to the desert of Wadi Rum, from history in Petra to floating in the Dead Sea. This route takes you to everything that makes Jordan special without rushing around like crazy.
Jordan itinerary
This 15-day route, which I’ve driven myself, takes you to all the must-sees of Jordan in logical order. You start relaxed in the north to acclimatize, work up to the absolute highlights (Petra and Wadi Rum), and finish chilled out at the Dead Sea. It’s perfect for those who want both culture and nature, from Roman ruins to desert adventures.
This is the itinerary:
Amman (3 nights) | Madaba (2 nights) | Dana (2 nights) | Wadi Musa (2 nights) | Wadi Rum (2 nights) | Aqaba (1 night) | Dead Sea (2 nights)
A few practical things first: arrange your Jordan Pass, make sure you have enough cash (many places don’t accept cards!), and definitely read my other practical tips for Jordan!
Car rental in Jordan
For this trip, you need to rent a car. The roads are generally fine, but there are a few things to watch out for. There are unexpected speed bumps along the way, and watch out for crossing animals: camels, turtles, dogs, cats, goats, and sheep. You also see many hitchhikers along the road.
Traffic merges and crosses randomly—that takes some getting used to. But just pay attention, and you’ll drive around just fine. Make sure your car is well insured with Discover Cars or Rentalcars.com. By the way, I only pick up my car when I leave Amman; you don’t need it in the city.
Day 1-3: Arrival in Amman – immediately taste the atmosphere
I arrive late in Amman, so I go straight to bed. Tomorrow, the real Jordanian adventure begins. At four o’clock at night, I’m sitting upright in my bed: the morning prayer echoes through the speakers across the city. Welcome to Jordan!
Amman surprises. It’s a city that at first glance might not have the instant appeal of other Middle Eastern destinations like Marrakech or Istanbul, but beneath the surface lies a city full of life, history, and delicious food. Built on seven hills means you’re constantly walking up and down stairs – good for your calves. In the evenings, the streets fill with people, brightly lit shops and restaurants, and a constant stream of honking taxis. From the Citadel with beautiful views to the impressive Roman theater, from a food tour through the sugar market to drinking coffee with a view of the mosque: Amman has enough to offer for a few days of exploring.
Where to stay: Rainbow House – apartment with terrace, walking distance from Rainbow Street
➜ Read more: What to do in Amman: complete guide to Jordan’s capital
➜ Read more: Food and restaurants in Amman: from falafel to knafeh (and everything in between)
Day 4: Jerash and Ajloun castle
Route: Amman → Jerash → Ajloun Castle → Mount Nebo → Madaba
Jerash is sometimes called the Pompeii of the Middle East. I had NO idea there were such Roman ruins in Jordan. In my head it grew into a huge mega complex, but reality is fortunately somewhat smaller than expected – but still impressively large enough. The location is somewhat surreal: this ancient Roman city borders the modern world directly next to a major road full of buildings.
About half an hour’s drive from Jerash lies Ajloun Castle (Google Maps location), a castle on a mountain with beautiful views over olive trees and hills. It’s a pretty big castle with lots of rooms to explore. During my visit, quite a few screaming girls were running around. Apparently, the castle is popular for school trips.
Then I drive to Madaba with a stop at Mount Nebo. That’s the place where Moses looked out over the Promised Land. Fantastic views and a small church with beautiful mosaics.
Where to stay: Black Iris Hotel Madaba – simple but neat with free parking
➜ Read more: Jerash in Jordan: smaller than expected, cooler than imagined
Day 5: Madaba – mosaic city full of surprises
Madaba, Jordan’s mosaic city, has much more to offer than just that famous map in St. George’s Church. St. John the Baptist Church is worth visiting, with tunnels and a tower you can climb.
You can see how mosaics are made at Najd, and Kawon Once Upon A Time is a bookstore with a lovely courtyard. You can even buy Dutch books there! At Abu Jabber Sweet, you can taste sweets like knafeh.
Carob House & Farm is a special experience you need to book in advance. This 2-hectare (5-acre) farm practices regenerative farming. The tour at 5:00 PM lasts about 1.5 to 2 hours and starts with tea and a chat. Then you walk around the property and get an explanation about sustainable agriculture. You can also have a 5-course dinner in the restaurant’s courtyard in the center of Madaba.
Where to stay: Black Iris Hotel Madaba
➜ Read more: Visiting Madaba: all the tips for Jordan’s mosaic city
Day 6: Kings Highway to Dana
Route: Madaba → Umm ar-Rasas → Wadi Bin Hammad → Kerak → Dana
Today, you drive the King’s Highway with various stops. At Umm ar-Rasas (Google Maps location), we’re the first visitors of the day. It’s a pretty large site with ruins you need some imagination for, but the covered mosaics are beautiful.
Wadi Bin Hammad is the highlight of the day. This 2-hour hike through the water is incredibly beautiful. The water usually comes to your ankles, sometimes above your knees. Beautiful pink flowers, high rock walls: it’s gorgeous! The mountain roads getting there are a bit adventurous, but it’s worth it.
Then we drive to Kerak Castle (Google Maps location). It’s already late afternoon and we’re a bit tired. We also totally didn’t expect Kerak Castle to be so big, so it’s a shame we don’t visit the castle with full energy.
Then we drive to Dana to chill, eat at our accommodation, and go to bed early. There’s quite a hike on the program tomorrow.
Where to stay: Hobbit Village Dana – small-scale accommodation in the middle of nature with fantastic views
➜ Read more: Dana in Jordan: what you miss if you drive straight to Petra
➜ Read more: Wadi Bin Hammad in Jordan: wading in a wadi
Day 7: Dana Nature Reserve – hiking paradise
Dana is the nature reserve you probably don’t allocate enough time for. And that’s a shame, because while everyone rushes to Petra and Wadi Rum, you miss one of the country’s most beautiful pieces of nature here.
Wadi Ghuweir Trail is a 6-hour hike with a guide (about 160 JOD/$110 for two people, including transport and lunch). The nature is spectacular: sometimes shallow water you zigzag through, sometimes challenging climbing with handles and ropes. If you have more time, you can do an extra hike like the Wadi Dana Trail (4-5 hours, without a guide) or just enjoy the peace and those fantastic views. From the main street, you can do some simple shopping at Amir and Samir and get a drink at sunset.
Where to stay: Hobbit Village Dana
➜ Read more: Dana in Jordan: what you miss if you drive straight to Petra
➜ Read more: Wadi Ghuweir Trail: tips for Jordan’s most beautiful wadi hike
Day 8: Little Petra and big Petra
Route: Dana → Wadi Musa
We actually also wanted to visit Shobak Castle, but it was closed for maintenance. It’s on the route to Wadi Musa, so check if it’s accessible during your visit.
My best friend and I choose two days in Petra and on the first day we start at Little Petra via the ‘secret’ route. I can really recommend the Back Door Trail. For 10 JOD, you take a taxi from the Petra visitors center to Little Petra (shuttles also run every half hour). For another 5 JOD you take a pickup truck to the beginning of the trail and walk in 50 minutes to the Monastery. That saves you 800 steps you would otherwise have to climb!
You should check out Little Petra (Siq al Barid) first, by the way. It’s a smaller archaeological site 5 miles (8 kilometers) from the big Petra. It was built by the same Nabataeans as a storage room and inn for caravans. You’ll find chambers carved from rocks here, too, but much smaller. Nice and quiet, and you can see everything in half an hour.
Where to stay: Nomads Hotel Wadi Musa – neat, rooftop bar, parking in front of the door
➜ Read more: The smart way to visit Petra in Jordan (+ Wadi Musa tips)
Day 9: finally Petra!
And then it’s time for Petra! For the Treasury, timing is everything. Come as early as possible (Petra usually opens at 6 AM) for the best photos. We were there at 8:10, but we should have come earlier. By 10:30, the sun was almost entirely on it.
Due to the regional situation, Petra is almost deserted in 2025. This is very nice for us visitors because we have all the space and time. But some vendors have become more persistent because they’re earning less. The Treasury, Monastery, and the Siq (the long rock passage to the Treasury) are the absolute highlights of my visit to Petra.
Where to stay: Nomads Hotel Wadi Musa
➜ Read more: The smart way to visit Petra in Jordan (+ Wadi Musa tips)
Day 10-11: Wadi Rum – desert magic and realism
Route: Wadi Musa → Wadi Rum
The desert of Wadi Rum is on many bucket lists, and rightfully so. This UNESCO World Heritage site is really spectacular. I just found it hard to choose how to visit Wadi Rum. There are so many providers who all offer about the same little tour. You can choose a jeep tour of a few hours, with or without an overnight stay. But you can also stay longer in the desert, so you can see more. That’s what I ultimately choose: 2 days and 2 nights. Feeding camel cookies along the road, listening to stories by the campfire in the evening about hunting and camel milk – but there are also moments when you just wait: for food, for the sunset, and also for nothing.
Where to stay: Desert camp (various providers available)
➜ Read more: Everything about Wadi Rum: costs, tours, and what you can really expect
Day 12: Aqaba – honestly not my city
Route: Wadi Rum → Aqaba
Unfortunately, Aqaba disappoints. It’s much bigger than expected, has lots of concrete, is busy traffic, and has little of that Jordanian charm you encounter in other places. After the magic of Petra and Wadi Rum, Aqaba feels like an anticlimax.
But there are nice sides too. The local coffee culture is good. Yaffi Coffee House is, for example, a new place for young people. You eat well at Fokhara, which serves generous portions and friendly service.
The Lonely Planet city walk along the sights isn’t that special. The 16th-century fort, the ruins of Ayla, and the old Byzantine wall are all pretty run-down or under restoration. The beaches are okay for a quick dip at Berenice Beach Club, for example, but don’t expect paradise.
Where to stay: Aysel Hotel – simple and cheap, easy street parking
➜ Read more: What to do in Aqaba, Jordan? (+ why it’s not my city)
Day 13: To the Dead Sea via Wadi Mujib
Route: Aqaba → Wadi Mujib → Dead Sea
Today is quite a drive. On the way to the Dead Sea, we actually wanted to stop at Pink Lake but couldn’t find it. Along the Dead Sea, there are stalls where you can stop for access to the water, something to drink, and a shower.
Before we go to our resort to relax, we get active one more time. Wadi Mujib is different from the other wadis. For 13 JOD per person, you walk the Siq Trail with a mandatory life jacket. No vegetation, but impressive rock walls. At some points, there are ropes and handles to help you get to the waterfall. You get completely wet, and little fish suck onto your feet.
Then we drive to the Mövenpick Resort at the Dead Sea. What a world of difference after weeks of simple accommodations! An upgrade and welcome drink, chocolate hour, happy hour… I remember again why I prefer booking small-scale places!
Where to stay: Mövenpick Resort Dead Sea – luxury resort at the Dead Sea
➜ Read more: The Dead Sea in Jordan: practical tips and Instagram vs reality
➜ Read more: Wadi Mujib: From easy hike to survival mode in Jordan
Day 14: The Dead Sea – Instagram vs reality
The Dead Sea is more of a ‘must have seen’ thing than a place where you want to spend the whole day. The floating is fun, but one dip is enough for me. Many people do entire photo shoots on those sharp salt crystals – anything for the socials! The nature around it is a bit… dead. No animals, no greenery, no beautiful sandy beach. Mainly bare rocks.
I stay at the Mövenpick Resort at the Dead Sea. The nice thing about a resort is that you have direct access to the Dead Sea, plus all facilities: showers, free towels, lounge chairs, pots of mud, and even someone who smears you with mud (if you want that). So, a quick dip in the Dead Sea, and I spend the rest of the day by the pool with a view of this unique place, the lowest point on earth.
Where to stay: Mövenpick Resort Dead Sea
➜ Read more: The Dead Sea in Jordan: practical tips and Instagram vs reality
Day 15: Goodbye to Jordan
Route: Dead Sea → airport Amman
Breakfast down in record time and back to Amman airport (45-minute drive) with a backpack full of memories and the wish to come back again!
More Jordan inspiration
Useful links for your Jordan trip
- Accommodation. Booking.com is always useful, but be sure to compare prices. For example, through Trivago and Trip. Rather stay in a hostel? Try HostelWorld.
- Activities. Book the best tours and activities at GetYourGuide, Klook and Viator. “Free” walking tours book with Freetour or GuruWalk.
- Attractions and museums. For 5% off museums and attractions, use discount code KIMOPREIS22 at Tiqets.
- Car rental. Compare your options at Discover Cars and Rentalcars.com.
- Guide books. I love the practical guides by Lonely Planet, for sale at Amazon.
- SIM card. Beware of unexpectedly high phone and internet costs. Buy a local SIM card when you arrive, or arrange one online via Airalo.
- Package deals. Rather go on a catered trip? You could check out Expedia or CheapOair.
- Flights. Compare all your options! At least check Expedia, Kiwi and Trip.
- Yoga retreat. Or: go for a yoga retreat in Jordan.
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