Jordan: Petra, Wadi Rum & the Dead Sea

Amman, the Rose City, red desert and salt sea

8 days through Amman, Petra & Wadi Musa, Wadi Rum, and beyond.

Jordan: Petra, Wadi Rum & the Dead Sea is a 8-day curated route with 4 destinations and 37 places to eat, see, and do. Plan it in TripsCircle.

1
Destination 01
Amman
9 places

Hilly capital with Roman ruins, souks and Levantine food. Stay 2 nights.
- Photo: Aneta Angielczyk · Google
  Amman Citadel
  Hilltop ruins of the Temple of Hercules and an Umayyad palace, with views over downtown.
  Tip Covered by the Jordan Pass.
  SeeJabal al-Qal'a$1.5 hrLate afternoon
- Photo: Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 4.0
  Roman Theatre
  2nd-century theater cut into the hillside, seating 6,000, with small folklore museums.
  SeeDowntown$45 minMorning
- Photo: Petar Milošević · CC BY-SA 4.0
  Jerash
  One of the best-preserved Roman provincial cities, with an oval plaza and colonnaded streets, 48 km north.
  Tip Go early; allow at least three hours.
  See$$3.5 hrMorning
- Photo: miiika · CC BY-SA 4.0
  Rainbow Street
  Café and shop-lined street in Jabal Amman, busy in the evening.
  DoJabal Amman$1.5 hrEvening
- Photo: Makeandtoss · CC0
  King Abdullah I Mosque
  Blue-domed modern mosque that welcomes non-Muslim visitors outside prayer times.
  Tip Robes are provided for women.
  SeeAbdali$40 minMorning
- Photo: مطعم هاشم · Google
  Hashem Restaurant
  Open-air downtown institution serving falafel, hummus and foul since 1952.
  Tip Open nearly around the clock; cash only.
  EatDowntown$40 minBreakfast
- Photo: 張遇 · Google
  Sufra
  Traditional Jordanian dishes like mansaf and maqluba in an old Rainbow Street villa.
  Tip Reserve for dinner.
  EatJabal Amman$$1.5 hrDinner
- Photo: EH · Google
  Habibah Sweets
  Downtown sweet shop famous for hot kunafa served on paper plates.
  EatDowntown$20 minAfternoon
- Photo: Jafra Restaurant & Cafe · Google
  Jafra Café
  Downtown café with live oud music, mint tea and shisha.
  DrinkDowntown$75 minEvening
2
Destination 02
Petra & Wadi Musa
9 places

The Nabataean rock-cut city and its gateway town. Stay 2–3 nights.
- Photo: Nicolò Scala · Google
  The Siq and Treasury (Al-Khazneh)
  A 1.2 km slot canyon opening onto Petra's carved Treasury facade.
  Tip Arrive at 6 am opening for quiet photos.
  SeePetra$$$2 hrEarly morning
- Photo: Aneta Angielczyk · Google
  Monastery (Ad Deir)
  Climb about 800 rock-cut steps to Petra's largest facade and nearby viewpoints.
  Tip Start after lunch when the steps are shaded.
  DoPetra3 hrAfternoon
- Photo: Aleksander Romanov · Google
  High Place of Sacrifice
  Ridge-top Nabataean altar reached by a stepped trail, returning past tombs via Wadi Farasa.
  DoPetra2.5 hrMorning
- Photo: Royal Tombs · Google
  Royal Tombs
  Row of grand tombs carved into the cliff, with swirling colored sandstone inside.
  SeePetra60 minLate afternoon
- Photo: Robby Ocampo · Google
  Petra by Night
  Candle-lit walk through the Siq to the Treasury with Bedouin music, three nights a week.
  Tip Usually Mon, Wed and Thu; confirm days locally.
  DoPetra$$2 hrEvening
- Photo: Dorina Hajdu · Google
  Little Petra (Siq al-Barid)
  Smaller, quieter Nabataean site with a painted ceiling, 9 km north of Wadi Musa.
  Tip Free entry and no crowds.
  SeeFree60 minAfternoon
- Photo: Petra Kitchen · Google
  Petra Kitchen
  Evening cooking class where you make and eat a Jordanian mezze and main course.
  Tip Book a day ahead.
  EatWadi Musa$$$2.5 hrEvening
- Photo: Fredrick Jose antony cruz · Google
  Al Qantarah Restaurant
  Buffet restaurant near the Petra gate known for zarb, meat and rice cooked underground.
  EatWadi Musa$$75 minDinner
- Photo: Laurie Kimball · Google
  Cave Bar
  Bar set inside a 2,000-year-old Nabataean tomb at the Petra Guest House by the gate.
  DrinkWadi Musa$$60 minEvening
3
Destination 03
Wadi Rum
10 places

Red sand desert of sandstone mountains and Bedouin camps. Stay 1–2 nights.
- Photo: 박짱똘 · Google
  Wadi Rum jeep tour
  Half- or full-day 4x4 trips to dunes, canyons, rock bridges and inscriptions.
  Tip Book through a camp registered at the visitor center.
  Do$$4 hrAfternoon
- Photo: Nógrádi Attila · Google
  Khazali Canyon
  Narrow cleft with Nabataean and Thamudic rock carvings.
  See30 minMorning
- Photo: Miguel Secanella · Google
  Burdah Rock Bridge
  Guided scramble to one of the desert's highest natural arches.
  Tip Requires a local guide and some climbing.
  Do$$4 hrMorning
- Photo: joe hu · Google
  Um Fruth Rock Bridge
  Small natural arch you can climb onto for photos over the sand.
  Outdoors30 minAfternoon
- Photo: Steve · Google
  Red sand dunes
  Dunes banked against Jebel Umm Ishrin where you can climb or sandboard.
  Outdoors45 minSunset
- Photo: Giorgos So · Google
  Lawrence's Spring
  Spring on Jebel Abu Judaidah linked to T.E. Lawrence, with views over the valley.
  See45 minMorning
- Photo: Wadi Rum Balloons - Jordan Hot Air Balloon · Google
  Hot-air balloon over Wadi Rum
  Sunrise balloon flights over the desert, run seasonally from Wadi Rum.
  Tip Weather-dependent; book in advance.
  Do$$$$3 hrSunrise
- Photo: Sahem William Haddadin · Google
  Zarb dinner at a Bedouin camp
  Chicken, lamb and vegetables slow-cooked in a pit under the sand, served at most camps.
  Eat$$1.5 hrDinner
- Photo: الفلك والطقس والأبراج · Google
  Rest House Wadi Rum
  Restaurant by the visitor center with set lunches and views of the Seven Pillars of Wisdom.
  Eat$$60 minLunch
- Photo: Sahem William Haddadin · Google
  Bedouin tea by the fire
  Sweet sage tea brewed over fire at camps and canyon stops.
  DrinkFree30 minEvening
4
Destination 04
Dead Sea
9 places

Float in the lowest point on Earth and visit biblical sites nearby. Stay 1–2 nights.
- Photo: Streaming Service · Google
  Amman Beach
  Public beach complex with pools, showers and Dead Sea access at day-pass prices.
  Tip Don't shave the day before; salt stings.
  DoSweimeh$$3 hrAfternoon
- Photo: Ivan Kuchař · Google
  Bethany Beyond the Jordan
  UNESCO site of Jesus' baptism on the Jordan River, with church ruins and a guided walk.
  Tip Entry is by guided shuttle; bring water.
  SeeAl-Maghtas$$2 hrMorning
- Photo: Berthold Werner · CC BY 3.0
  Mount Nebo
  Hilltop where Moses is said to have seen the Promised Land, with Byzantine mosaics.
  See$60 minAfternoon
- Photo: Alina Urse · Google
  Madaba Mosaic Map
  6th-century mosaic map of the Holy Land on the floor of St. George's Church.
  SeeMadaba$45 minMorning
- Photo: نزهان الجبوري · Google
  Wadi Mujib Siq Trail
  Wade and scramble up a sandstone gorge to a waterfall in the Mujib reserve.
  Tip Open roughly Apr–Oct; book with RSCN and expect to get wet.
  Do$$3 hrMorning
- Photo: Panorama Dead Sea Complex · Google
  Panorama Dead Sea Complex
  Cliff-top viewpoint and small museum above the Dead Sea.
  Tip Come for sunset over the water.
  Outdoors$60 minSunset
- Photo: Sean Blair · Google
  Haret Jdoudna
  Madaba restaurant in a restored Ottoman courtyard serving mezze and grills.
  EatMadaba$$1.5 hrDinner
- Photo: Panorama Dead Sea Complex · Google
  Panorama Restaurant
  Restaurant at the Panorama complex with Dead Sea views and Jordanian dishes.
  Eat$$75 minSunset
- Photo: Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea · Google
  Kempinski Ishtar sunset bar
  Resort terrace bar facing the Dead Sea and the hills across the water at sunset.
  DrinkSweimeh$$$60 minSunset

The moments that shape this trip.

01Amman Citadel
02Jerash
03The Siq and Treasury (Al-Khazneh)
04Monastery (Ad Deir)
05Wadi Rum jeep tour
06Amman Beach

Planning Jordan: Petra, Wadi Rum & the Dead Sea.

Jordan packs Roman ruins, a Nabataean city and a red-sand desert into a compact road trip. Start in Amman at the Citadel and Roman Theatre, with a day trip north to the colonnaded streets of Jerash. Drive the King's Highway south to Petra, walking the Siq to the Treasury and climbing to the Monastery. Spend a night in a Wadi Rum desert camp after a jeep tour of dunes and rock bridges, then float in the Dead Sea at the end.

Good for Active travelers who want ancient sites, desert landscapes and Levantine food.

When to go

Spring and autumn bring warm days and cool nights, the best conditions for hiking Petra and camping in Wadi Rum. Summer is very hot, and winter nights in the desert drop near freezing.

Getting around

A rental car is easy on Jordan's good highways; the Desert Highway is fastest and the King's Highway is the scenic route. JETT buses link Amman, Petra and Aqaba, and Wadi Rum camps arrange pickups from the visitor center.

Tips for your crew

Buy the Jordan Pass before arriving; it waives the visa fee and covers Petra and Jerash entry.
Check your government's travel advisory before booking, as regional tensions have led several countries to advise caution for Jordan in 2026.
Give Petra at least two full days and start before 7 am to have the Siq to yourself.

Jordan: Petra, Wadi Rum & the Dead Sea

8 days through Amman, Petra & Wadi Musa, Wadi Rum, and beyond.

Amman

Amman Citadel

Roman Theatre

Jerash

Rainbow Street

King Abdullah I Mosque

Hashem Restaurant

Sufra

Habibah Sweets

Jafra Café

Petra & Wadi Musa

The Siq and Treasury (Al-Khazneh)

Monastery (Ad Deir)

High Place of Sacrifice

Royal Tombs

Petra by Night

Little Petra (Siq al-Barid)

Petra Kitchen

Al Qantarah Restaurant

Cave Bar

Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum jeep tour

Khazali Canyon

Burdah Rock Bridge

Um Fruth Rock Bridge

Red sand dunes

Lawrence's Spring

Hot-air balloon over Wadi Rum

Zarb dinner at a Bedouin camp

Rest House Wadi Rum

Bedouin tea by the fire

Dead Sea

Amman Beach

Bethany Beyond the Jordan

Mount Nebo

Madaba Mosaic Map

Wadi Mujib Siq Trail

Panorama Dead Sea Complex

Haret Jdoudna

Panorama Restaurant

Kempinski Ishtar sunset bar

The moments that shape this trip.

Planning Jordan: Petra, Wadi Rum & the Dead Sea.

When to go

Getting around

Tips for your crew

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