7 Days in Jordan: The Perfect One-Week Itinerary, Day by Day

The classic 7-day Jordan itinerary is a north-to-south loop: Amman and Jerash first, then the Dead Sea, the King’s Highway to Petra, a full day in Petra, a night in a Wadi Rum desert camp and a last day on the Red Sea at Aqaba. One week is enough to see Jordan’s highlights without rushing, as long as you give Petra at least one full day and spend a night in Wadi Rum rather than visiting it as a day trip.

This is the route we have refined over years of guiding guests around Jordan, and it is the backbone of our Experience Jordan Tour. Here is how it works day by day, with drive times, where to sleep and how to change it if you would rather hike or cycle.

7 days in Jordan at a glance

• Day 1: Arrive in Amman
• Day 2: Jerash, Ajloun Castle and lunch with a local family
• Day 3: Amman city tour and an afternoon at the Dead Sea
• Day 4: Mount Nebo, Madaba and Karak Castle on the way to Petra
• Day 5: A full day in Petra
• Day 6: Wadi Rum jeep tour and a night in a Bedouin camp
• Day 7: Boat trip and snorkelling in Aqaba, then fly home from Aqaba or drive back to Amman

Where you sleep: 3 nights in Amman, 2 nights in Petra (Wadi Musa), 1 night in Wadi Rum and 1 night in Aqaba or Amman.

Day 1: Arrive in Amman

Most international flights land at Queen Alia International Airport, about 35 km south of Amman. Check into your hotel and, if you arrive in daylight, take a walk around downtown: Rainbow Street, the old souks and a plate of hummus and falafel are the best introduction to the city.

Tip: buy the Jordan Pass before you fly. It covers your tourist visa and entry to Petra, Jerash, Wadi Rum, the Amman Citadel and more than 40 other sites on this route.

Day 2: Jerash, Ajloun Castle and a home-cooked lunch

Head north to Jerash, one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the world. Walk the colonnaded streets, the Oval Plaza, the temples and the theatres; give it at least two to three hours. Continue through olive groves and pine forest to Ajloun Castle, a 12th-century Ayyubid fortress with views over the Jordan Valley.

On our tours we finish the day with lunch in a family home in a nearby village, which is a great chance to ask about everyday life in rural Jordan. Jerash is about an hour from Amman, so you are back in the city by evening.

Day 3: Amman city tour and the Dead Sea

Start with the Amman Citadel and the Roman Theatre, then walk through the old city past the King Hussein (Al-Husseini) Mosque and stop for street food. In the afternoon, drive down to the Dead Sea, about an hour from Amman and more than 400 metres below sea level.

Float in the salty water, cover yourself in Dead Sea mud and relax at a resort. You can stay the night at the Dead Sea or return to Amman, which keeps tomorrow’s drive south shorter.

Day 4: Mount Nebo, Madaba and Karak on the way to Petra

Take the scenic route south. Stop at Mount Nebo, where Moses is said to have looked out over the Promised Land, then in Madaba to see the 6th-century mosaic map of the Holy Land in St George’s Church. Continue on the King’s Highway to Karak Castle, a huge Crusader fortress full of vaulted halls and passageways, before arriving in Wadi Musa, the town next to Petra, in the evening.

If you are short on time, the faster Desert Highway takes about 3 hours from Amman to Petra; the King’s Highway takes 4 to 4.5 hours without stops, so allow a full day with the visits.

Day 5: A full day in Petra

Enter early through the Siq, the narrow gorge that opens onto the Treasury. Continue along the Street of Facades to the Royal Tombs and the Colonnaded Street, then climb the roughly 800 steps to the Monastery in the afternoon, when it catches the best light.

One day covers Petra’s main sights at a good pace. If you can, add a second day for the High Place of Sacrifice and Wadi Farasa, or for the back-door hike in from Little Petra. Read our guide to hiking into Petra for ideas.

Day 6: Wadi Rum jeep tour and a night in the desert

Drive about 1.5 to 2 hours south to Wadi Rum. Meet your Bedouin hosts and set off on a 4×4 jeep tour through red sand valleys and canyons, past ancient rock inscriptions, sand dunes and natural rock bridges.

Lunch is often cooked over an open fire in the shade of the mountains. Watch the sunset from the rocks, then spend the night in a Bedouin camp with dinner, endless cups of tea and some of the clearest night skies you will ever see. We always recommend staying overnight: the desert is at its most magical at sunset and sunrise.

Day 7: Aqaba and the Red Sea

Aqaba is about an hour from Wadi Rum. Join a boat trip on the Red Sea to swim and snorkel over coral reefs, with lunch on board. From the water you can see the coasts of Jordan, Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

If you fly out of King Hussein International Airport in Aqaba, stay the night here. If you fly from Amman, drive back north (about 4 hours) and spend your last night in the city.

How to change the route

• More Petra: drop Karak and drive the Desert Highway on Day 4 to reach Petra by early afternoon, with time for Little Petra or, on the evenings it runs, Petra by Night.
• Skip Aqaba: if you are not a beach person, go straight from Wadi Rum to the Dead Sea on Day 7 and spend your last night there.
• Visiting in summer: add the Wadi Mujib Siq Trail (open 1 April to 31 October), a canyon hike in the water near the Dead Sea.
• Less driving: fly out of Aqaba instead of Amman to save the 4-hour drive on your last day.

An active 7-day Jordan itinerary

If you would rather walk or cycle than sit in a car, you can see the same highlights on foot or by bike. Each of these tours takes 8 days including arrival and departure:

• Jordan Hiking Adventure: hike from Dana and Little Petra into Petra, explore Petra’s trails and summit Jabal Umm Ad-Dami, Jordan’s highest peak, in Wadi Rum.
• Jordan Active Adventure: a mix of hiking and cycling from Petra to Wadi Rum, also available as an e-bike version on request.
• Cycle Jordan: ride sections of the Jordan Bike Trail through Petra and Wadi Rum to the Red Sea.

Not sure if these are for you? See how fit you need to be to hike or cycle in Jordan.

When to do this itinerary

We run this route all year. Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) bring the most comfortable temperatures for Petra and Wadi Rum, and are our busiest months. Winter is quieter and can be cold in Petra and the desert at night; summer is hot in the south but perfect for the Dead Sea, Aqaba and water hikes. Read our full guide to the best time to visit Jordan.

Do this itinerary with us

Our Experience Jordan Tour follows this route in 8 days with a local guide, small groups of up to 14 people, hotels, a night in a Bedouin camp, breakfasts and most lunches included. Prefer your own dates or pace? We can build it as a private tour, or contact us and we will help you plan.

Wondering whether it is safe? Read Is Jordan safe to travel? And if you have more time, see Jordan beyond Petra and Wadi Rum.

Frequently asked questions

Is 7 days enough for Jordan?

Yes. A week lets you see Amman, Jerash, the Dead Sea, Petra, Wadi Rum and Aqaba at a comfortable pace. With 10 days you can add a second day in Petra, a hike in Dana or a canyon like Wadi Mujib.

How many days should I spend in Petra?

At least one full day. Two days let you explore beyond the main trail, for example the Monastery and the High Place of Sacrifice on separate days. The Jordan Pass offers 1, 2 or 3 days of Petra entry.

Should I stay overnight in Wadi Rum?

We strongly recommend it. A night in a desert camp gives you the sunset, the stars and the sunrise, which day visitors miss.

Can I do this itinerary without a car?

Partly. There are buses between Amman, Petra and Aqaba, but Jerash, Ajloun, the King’s Highway and the Dead Sea are much easier with a driver or a tour. That is why many visitors hire a driver or join a tour.

Which airport should I fly out of?

If your flight leaves from Aqaba, you finish the trip on the Red Sea. If it leaves from Amman, allow about 4 hours to drive back from Aqaba, or end the trip at the Dead Sea, which is about an hour from the airport.