Every traveler will find something to love on a tour of Jordan. You can hike through paradisiacal canyons, relive the ancient history of the Nabataeans, Greeks and Romans, visit the world wonder of Petra and the vast desert of Wadi Rum, but you can also dive and snorkel in the Red Sea and float on the Dead Sea. An all-in-one vacation destination that we thoroughly enjoyed!
Highlights
Itinerary
Embark on a journey through the captivating landscapes and rich history of Jordan with our comprehensive two-week itinerary and travel tips. We recommend renting a car and exploring on your own.
Day 1 – Departure to Jordan
Today you fly to Amman, the capital of Jordan. With a direct flight from Amsterdam, it’s about 4 to 5 hours flying time; add a few extra hours for a flight with a layover. If you book a few months in advance, you can find round-trip tickets starting from €350.00.
In Jordan, depending on our daylight saving time, it’s either 1 or 2 hours later than in Belgium and the Netherlands.The local currency is the Jordanian Dinar (JOD 1.00 ≈ €1.30).The official language is Arabic.
Since we didn’t need a car in Amman and weren’t eager to navigate through the city center, we waited to pick up our rental car until several days later.
Getting from the airport to the city
The easiest way to get from Queen Alia International Airport to the city center is by taxi or Uber, but due to the considerable distance, this can be quite expensive! Expect to pay around JOD 32 (€42).
A cheaper alternative is the bus. Tickets can be purchased for JOD 3.3 (€4.25) at the small ticket counter just outside the doors of the arrivals hall. The bus does not go all the way to the old town on Rainbow Street. Get off after about half an hour at the Seventh Circle. From here you can continue your journey by taxi or Uber. The Uber ride will cost you less than JOD 3 (€3.80) and takes about fifteen minutes.
Day 2 – Amman
A bustling, yet incredibly charming hub of activity – that’s Amman. There’s enough to see for a day of intense city exploration, but you don’t have to stay for multiple days. From trendy streets such as Rainbow Street with its myriad of restaurants and bars, to Roman ruins and vibrant souks that instantly evoke that oriental feeling. Amman is the perfect place to start your journey through Jordan!
Read all our tips here for a day of city tripping in Amman.
Staying overnight in Amman
Amman is large, but most of the attractions are located near Rainbow Street in the Jabal Amman neighborhood. This trendy area, full of restaurants and bars, is the perfect starting point for a day exploring Amman.
Beautifully decorated Airbnb with private bathroom and shared living room. Large and cozy terrace overlooking the citadel. Very close to Rainbow Sreet.
Day 3 – Jerash
Before we left for Jerash, we first picked up our rental car, which we managed to obtain for just under €400 through Rentalcars with Eras & ACE. Excellent service! Satisfied, we drove to Jerash, which is located fifty kilometers north of Amman.
Jerash is one of the best preserved Roman cities in the world! Here you can walk between, under and alongside spectacular ancient ruins. To be honest, we didn’t have high expectations, but we were blown away by the beauty of this place. Definitely a must visit!
Read all our tips for a day of sightseeing in Jerash.
If you’re short on time, you can combine a visit to Jerash with a drive along the King’s Highway to Dana in one day. However, it’s best to leave early for Jerash! From Amman, it’s about an hour’s drive to Jerash and then another 6 to 7 hours to Dana.
Staying overnight in Jerash
We spent the night in Jerash itself and it suited us quite well. However, you can count the hotels in this city on one hand, so don’t wait too long to reserve a room. If you can’t find a place to stay, you can always drive back to Amman and stay there.
Day 4 – King’s Highway
Today is a long drive from Jerash to Dana, more than two hundred kilometers. Fortunately, the views make up for it! We decided to take the “trickier” but very beautiful King’s Highway. We made several stops along the way, such as Madaba, which has a much visited (but in our opinion a bit overrated) sixth century mosaic. A stop at Kerak Castle is also an option.
Wadi Bin Hammad Location
On the way, we made a detour that we found very rewarding. We visited Wadi Bin Hammad, where you can take a short walk (round trip) of 4.5 kilometers. The water in this wadi is warm! Be careful: expect wet feet!
Access to Wadi Bin Hammad costs JOD 5 (€6.50). At the starting point, they will also ask if you want a guide, but in our opinion, that’s not necessary at all.
Day 5 + 6 – Dana
The hiking paradise of Jordan? That must be Dana! In this protected reserve, you can hike to your heart’s content. We did our own two-day trek along the Wadi Ghuweir Trail and the Dana Trail. Were these perhaps the most enjoyable days of our vacation in Jordan?
Read all about our two-day hike through Wadi Ghuweir and Wadi Dana.
Staying overnight in Dana
The old village with its stone houses is still being rebuilt. Many former residents moved to the city and Dana was left empty. Thanks to hiking tourism new life is being breathed into the town and gradually more and more hotels are being built.
Day 7 + 8 – Petra
In the morning you can drive from Dana to Petra in just an hour. We recommend that you do the Backdoor Trail on this day as you can only start in the afternoon. It starts at Little Petra and ends at the Monastery. To see the rest of Petra, it’s better to get up early the next day to be the first at the main entrance!
Read all about our visit to the wonder of the world Petra.
Staying overnight in Petra
The town near Petra is actually called Wadi Musa and is completely geared to tourism. There are many hotels to choose from, but we really appreciated the coziness of B&B Nonna Aisha.
Spacious, cozy house with ample rooms and a (shared) luxurious bathroom. Very friendly host. Just a 3-minute drive from Petra.
Day 9 + 10 – Wadi Rum
Off to the desert! The Wadi Rum Visitor Center is a 1 hour 45 minute drive from Petra and you will usually be expected there around 10am. Depending on the tour company you book with, you will park your car either at the Visitor Center or in Wadi Rum Village. You will then get into a jeep with a guide who will show you the highlights and possibly take you to a Bedouin camp for the night. It’s an experience not to be missed!
Read all about our visit to the Wadi Rum desert.
Most tours end around 4 pm. So, there’s still plenty of time to drive to the next stop: the Red Sea in Aqaba! Yes, finally time for a shower to wash off all that sand!
Day 11 – Aqaba
Aqaba’s coral reefs are some of the most beautiful in the Red Sea region. It’s time to grab your snorkel or even go diving. The water is pleasantly warm, even in winter the temperature rarely drops below twenty degrees. Spending a few days here can be a very pleasant change during your vacation in Jordan. We even saw a turtle here!
Read our tips for snorkeling in Aqaba.
Staying overnight in Aqaba
There’s not much to see in the center of Aqaba. So we decided to stay outside the city, about 15 kilometers south, at the so-called “South Beach”. Here you’ll find all the great diving and snorkeling spots. The hotels are also better equipped for exploring the underwater world. They usually rent the equipment themselves and can give you comprehensive, personalized advice.
We slept in a room at hotel Arab Divers Aqaba. This accommodation has its own diving school, rents out all the equipment you need and can give you comprehensive advice tailored to your needs. It is a twenty minute walk from the beautiful Japanese Garden reef.
Day 12 + 13 – Dead Sea
The Dead Sea is a truly remarkable natural phenomenon. Not only is it the lowest point on Earth – approximately 420 meters below sea level – but it also has an astonishing 33% salt content, allowing you to float effortlessly on its surface!
Most of the resorts are located on the northern side of the Dead Sea, which is quite a drive from Aqaba. Expect about a four-hour drive. However, this brings you closer to the airport. In addition to the opportunity to relax on the beach after an active vacation, the location of the Dead Sea makes it a perfect finale to your tour of Jordan.
Read all about our visit to the Dead Sea.
Staying overnight at the Dead Sea
If you want to float in style on the Dead Sea, you’re most likely to find yourself on the private beaches of large, luxurious resorts. These may be your most expensive nights in all of Jordan, but you certainly get what you pay for. Indulge yourself and enjoy the experience!
Budget
You might not expect it, but traveling in Jordan is generally more expensive than in other Arab countries. To traverse the country, you usually need a rental car, which already increases the cost of traveling around. So, what is the average cost per person for this two-week journey through Jordan?
This estimate does not include the cost of airfare.
Staying overnight in Jordan
Accommodation costs can vary greatly per person and location. For a private double room in a budget hotel or hostel, you can expect to pay around €40 to €50 per room. However, in most places you can find more luxurious hotels or unique accommodations that will be considerably more expensive.
One exception is an overnight stay at the Dead Sea. There are few to no budget hotels in the area, so staying at a resort is often the only option. A room with breakfast here starts at €90.
During this vacation, we stayed in double rooms in hotels or hostels and paid an average of about €32 per night, including two nights with breakfast and dinner at the Dead Sea Spa Hotel. In total, we spent about €450 per person on overnight stays.
Transportation in Jordan
Public transportation in Jordan is not very well organized. In the capital, Amman, Uber is a convenient way to get around. But for the rest of the country, you’ll have to rent a car.
Driving in Jordan is totally manageable! Traffic can be a bit busy and chaotic around the capital, but in the rest of the country it’s generally very calm. The traffic rules are similar to those in Belgium and the Netherlands, but are generally less strictly enforced. It doesn’t hurt to adapt your driving style to that of the locals.
We rented our car from Eras & ACE through Rentalcars.com for just under €400. We’re very satisfied with the service! Our bright red car was in excellent condition, and the man at the office was very friendly, never trying to push unnecessary extra insurance on us at any point.
Fuel in Jordan is more expensive than in most other Arab countries, but still about 20% cheaper than in Belgium and the Netherlands. We paid around €150 for petrol during this round trip.
Eating and drinking in Jordan
Food in Jordan is generally inexpensive and very tasty! You’ll often find a variety of small dishes on the menu, such as falafel, hummus, baba ganoush, and various grilled vegetables. Mansaf, a dish of stewed lamb, creamy yogurt sauce, and rice or pita bread, is considered the national dish.
A meal in a local restaurant will typically cost between JOD 5 and 10 (€6 – €14), while a meal in a more expensive restaurant can cost around JOD 15 – 25 (€20 – €32). In more visited places, such as Petra or the Dead Sea, prices may be slightly higher than in less touristy areas.
Are you traveling to Jordan in March or April? Then keep Ramadan in mind! Before sunset, most eateries are closed, especially in the less touristy areas.
We almost always ate at restaurants this trip and on average spent about €15 to €20 per person per day on food and drinks. So a total of about €200 per person.
Activities in Jordan
Many attractions in Jordan require an entrance fee, and not every hike is free. With the Jordan Pass, you can save a lot of money on several must-see attractions such as Petra, Jerash, and the Citadel and Roman Theatre in Amman.
In Dana, you can do both the Wadi Ghuweir Trail and the Wadi Dana Trail as day hikes, but the return trip will cost you between JOD 40 and 50 (€50 and €65) per person each time. You can combine the two hikes and make it a two day hike like we did. Then you’ll only pay JOD 12.5 (€16) per person for transportation to the start of the Wadi Ghuweir Trail.
If you want to visit the Wadi Rum desert, you’ll almost always have to take a tour organized by one of the many operators in the area. Expect to pay around €150 on average for a two-day stay, including accommodation, meals and a full-day guided program.
Practical
Best time to travel
The best time to visit Jordan is generally in spring (March to May) and fall (September to November). During these seasons, the average temperature is between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius and there is little rainfall.
During the summer months (June to August), the heat in Jordan can be very intense, with temperatures regularly exceeding 35 to 40 degrees Celsius.
Travel documents
If you are a Belgian or Dutch citizen, you will need a visa to enter Jordan. This can be purchased at the airports or almost all other border crossings for JOD 40 (€52) and is valid for 30 days. You’ll also need a passport valid for at least 6 months.
Another and often cheaper way to obtain a visa is with the Jordan Pass. If you purchase it before you arrive in Jordan, you won’t have to pay any visa fees. The Jordan Pass also gives you free access to more than 40 tourist attractions such as Wadi Rum, Petra and Jerash. There are 3 types of passes, which differ only in the number of days of access to Petra included, and cost JOD 70 (€90), JOD 75 (€98), and JOD 80 (€105). You can buy the Jordan Pass here.
A Belgian or Dutch driver’s license is accepted everywhere in Jordan, so it is not necessary to apply for an international driver’s license for a round trip.
Find more information on the FPS Foreign Affairs website or that of the central government.
Paying in Jordan
The official currency of Jordan is the Jordanian Dinar. One Jordanian Dinar is composed of 10 dirhams, 100 piasters, or 1000 fils and is approximately worth €1.30.
Make sure you always have enough cash on hand because many places only accept cash payments. While most places in Jordan have ATMs, remote locations like Dana, for example, may not.
Most banks block the use of your debit or credit card outside of Europe to prevent misuse. Don’t forget to activate your card before departure!
Mobile internet
You can easily use your Belgian or Dutch smartphone in Jordan. By far the most economical option is to buy a local SIM card. We bought our SIM cards at the airport from Orange. For JOD 15 (€20) you can enjoy 20GB of mobile data for up to 30 days! Coverage is generally excellent, but keep in mind that in remote areas like the Wadi Rum desert, you may not have coverage.
Electricity
Sockets in Jordan are of the C, D, F and G types. The specific type of socket you’ll encounter depends on the location and accommodation you’re staying in. The most common type of socket in Jordan is type C, which is also used in Belgium and the Netherlands. So you won’t usually need a travel adapter, but it can be very handy to have one. We bought this universal travel adapter and are very happy with it. You can instantly charge a number of USB devices simultaneously with it, so you’re not constantly looking for that one extra outlet!
More information? Read all of our travel tips about Jordan here.
