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Latest update: 5 September 2025
Wadi Ghuweir tops pretty much every “most beautiful hikes in Jordan” list for good reason. The scenery is absolutely stunning: narrow canyons, a tropical oasis, crystal-clear water, and rock walls in the most gorgeous colors. To fully enjoy it, you need to know a few things. I’m happy to share my experience and tips with you!
Which trail will you do in Dana?
You probably started just like me with tons of online research looking for the best travel route through Jordan, and at some point, came across the Dana Nature Reserve. Then you discover there are so many hikes you can do there that you have no clue which one you should pick. I get it. I only have time for one hike in Dana, and I want a longer one. The most obvious choice is the Wadi Ghuweir Trail or the Wadi Dana Trail. They’re about the same length.
Why did I choose the Wadi Ghuweir Trail? Because you walk a good distance between rock walls there, while the Wadi Dana Trail is more open terrain – at least that’s how it looks in the photos online.
The options for the Wadi Ghuweir Trail
Okay, choice made. But then there’s still a decision: are you doing the hike independently or with a guide? You can do both. Some people might claim you can’t go without a guide on-site, but that’s not true. They say this because they want to offer you their services. So stick to your plan to go on your own if that’s what you want.
These are basically your options for doing the Wadi Ghuweir Trail:
- Full Wadi Ghuweir Trail independently (arrange a taxi to drop you off at the start and pick you up at the end)
- Full Wadi Ghuweir Trail with a guide
- Half Wadi Ghuweir Trail independently (drive to the parking area with your own car and turn back halfway to your car)
- Half Wadi Ghuweir Trail with a guide
If you decide to go alone, check with your accommodation whether it’s safe to go. Watch the weather forecasts and ask about the water level. Between November and March, for example, there’s a chance of flash floods. You don’t want to be here then!
The route follows the water, so you can’t get lost. Though sometimes you need to figure out the best way to get past certain points. Like when the water is pretty deep or powerful, or the rock walls are smooth and high.
Length of Wadi Ghuweir Trail
Before you head out, it’s handy to know how long the hike actually is. Most online sources say the full trail is 10.5 miles (17 kilometers). But we turned on Strava, and the Wadi Ghuweir Trail is about 8.7 miles (14 kilometers). You can walk a bit further, but this is measured from the parking area at the start to the parking area at the end.
We take about 6 hours for those 8.7 miles (14 kilometers), including a long lunch break.
If you want to do the half Wadi Ghuweir Trail with a guide, it’s 7.5 miles (12 kilometers)—3.7 miles (6 kilometers) there and back, and it takes about 5 hours. If you go without a guide, you can turn around whenever you want, of course.
Cost of Wadi Ghuweir Trail with a guide or taxi
You’ll notice that different prices are mentioned everywhere online for doing the hike with a guide. That’s because it’s not super tightly organized. There’s no big tour operator you can book with – you arrange it with the people at your hotel, the guide, or the driver directly. And those negotiations can turn out differently price-wise.
First of all, it’s definitely not cheap. I’m really shocked by the prices.
Commonly mentioned prices are 170 to 180 JOD ($240-255) for transport and guide for up to 4 people. If you’re going as a couple, you pay the same amount. So it might make sense to check if someone else from your accommodation also wants to go to split the costs.
I book through my accommodation, Hobbit Village, and pay 160 JOD ($225) for transport, a guide, and lunch. That works out to about $56 per person.
If you only need the taxi, expect to pay around 50 JOD ($70). That sounds extremely expensive, but it’s explainable: from the route’s endpoint, it’s still a two-hour drive back to Dana Village. Looking at a map, the endpoint doesn’t seem that far, but you have to go all the way around and through the mountains where you can’t always drive at full speed.
Wadi Ghuweir Trail: jalla, jalla!
My best friend and I walk the full trail with a guide. We really want to walk the whole thing and find it easier than arranging a taxi. The price we get through Hobbit Village also seems fair. And besides, I’m not great with climbing and heights, so it is nice that a guide ensures I return in one piece. Local guides know exactly how to get over natural obstacles most efficiently.
So: jalla, jalla!
In the morning, we leave by van for the starting point. This is about 45 45-minute to an hour drive from Dana Village. Our driver is extremely careful with his car, so it takes an hour, haha.
By the way, this is the Google Maps location of the parking area at the starting point. Here, a friendly man has set up a small rest stop where you can still have a cup of tea. You won’t encounter anything else along the way, and there is no toilet either.
As slowly as our driver drives, that’s how fast the guide goes. He leads us over the Wadi Ghuweir Trail at breakneck speed while lighting a new cigarette every five minutes. We barely have time to enjoy the wadi, so after a while we decide to set our own pace and he can wait for us. At the end, his pace slacks off – then it’s much less beautiful nature-wise, and we end up setting a quicker pace.
Climbing and scrambling along the route
The wadi actually consists of three parts, each with its own character:
- Wadi Ghuweir: the first part, with narrow canyons and changing colors in the rocks
- Wadi Al-Nakheel: the valley of palm trees
- Wadi Ushayqir: the open final section
Initially, it’s mostly shallow water, and zigzaging through it works fine. But soon, some climbing and scrambling come into play. Handholds and ropes are attached in some places, but sometimes they’re so deteriorated that the guide looks for alternative routes. Due to the power of nature (flowing water, falling rocks), the route through Wadi Ghuweir can be slightly different every day.
Sometimes, there are steep rock sections you have to climb up, slide down a rock into the water, or even rappel a bit. At some points, it’s almost impossible with my fear of heights, and I lean my full weight on the guide. In other words, I’m glad I chose to do the Wadi Ghuweir Trail with supervision.
Spectacular nature along the way
Most of the hike, you walk through the canyon, along the rock walls, so you’re mostly walking in shade. It’s stunning here. This is my first visit to Jordan, and here I am, seeing Wadis for the first time. It’s so gorgeous. I’ve never seen anything like it. The colors of the rocks keep changing. There’s an explosion of green: palm trees, ferns, and pink flowers (oleander). The crystal-clear water of the river. Wow. It feels very surreal, like paradise.
Halfway through, we stop in a sort of oasis full of palm trees. Against the rock wall, our guide makes a fire and conjures up a warm meal with lots of vegetables. It’s impressive how tasty this is—I could learn something from it with my cooked-up meals (aka: hot dogs and pancakes) at multi-day music festivals. Arabic tea with it; there is nothing more to do.
It’s quite possible you’ll encounter some animals along the way. For example, a desert fox or desert cat. You won’t spot those easily, though – the chance of a herd of goats is higher, haha. To our surprise, our guide plucks a bird of prey from its nest along the way. I understand he means well and wants to show it to us, but I actually don’t think it’s okay at all. He only lets it go after we’ve taken a photo.
The last part of the hike is much sunnier. The canyon opens up, and we walk through more open terrain. Here, the river also runs dry, and that’s quite a sad sight. We end up at the parking area where the van is already waiting to take us back to Dana Village. That takes us way over two hours because the driver tries to avoid every stone and every hole in the road.
Practical tips for the Wadi Ghuweir Trail
What’s really unfortunate is that our guide doesn’t speak a word of English. We didn’t ask about this beforehand because we didn’t consider the possibility. So wise lesson: ask about that. I think it’s such a shame, because we don’t understand each other at all.
We bring simple water shoes for the deeper sections because we don’t want soaked hiking boots on such a long trail (you know, so you’re not sloshing around in your shoes). The guide walks in flip-flops himself and doesn’t understand this concept. So when we put on our water shoes with barely any soles at a wet section and then ask him if we can put our regular shoes back on, he says it’s not necessary. But we walk at a snail’s pace because we feel every stone through those flimsy water shoes. He lets us struggle for quite a distance without it being really necessary. He probably thinks we’re losing time by switching shoes, but this goes much slower.
So we switch shoes a few times, both necessarily and unnecessarily. We try several times to make it clear why we’re doing this until we just give in and go into the water with our hiking boots. That turns out to be the last time the water is even that high, so we slosh around in soaking wet shoes for two hours. Meh.
So, what did we learn? Always ask if your guide speaks English and make sure you have good shoes. Preferably choose shoes you can keep on the whole time, so no soggy hiking boots. But honestly, I think bringing simple water shoes should be sufficient if your guide speaks decent English.
Packing list for the Wadi Ghuweir Trail
- At least 2 liters of water per person (with a Lifestraw you can even drink water from the river)
- Snacks for along the way
- Water shoes or extra shoes
- Clothing that can get wet (shorts are okay for ladies on the trail too, you don’t have to wear long pants)
- Sunscreen
- (Waterproof) backpack for your stuff
- Band-aids (just in case!)
- Camera/phone
FAQ about the Wadi Ghuweir Trail
Between November and March, there’s a chance of dangerous flash floods. April through October is safe, but always check current conditions before departure, for example, with your accommodation. In terms of temperature, spring and fall are the most pleasant.
Try to start the hike as early as possible in the day because of the intense sun!
You can wear shoes that can get wet or bring water shoes so you can alternate. With us, the shoe dilemma became a thing: We wanted to switch between water shoes and hiking boots depending on the terrain, but our guide didn’t understand this. We ended up sloshing around in soaking wet shoes for the last two hours.
160-200 JOD ($225-280) for two people (including transport, guide, and lunch), 45-55 JOD ($65-75) for transport only, or free if you go independently.
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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