Jordan is definitely one of the most diverse places we have ever visited. This country is a home to incredible archaeological ruins with beautiful cobbled streets, deserted scenery, cities which remained hidden between the mountains for decades, delicious food and not to miss you will visit the lowest point on earth and lot more —–Jordan should be one of the top destinations in the Middle East for every traveler. For a small country like Jordan it has too much to offer and this one week Jordan itinerary 7 days will be a perfect Jordan Travel guide for 7days in Jordan. If you are planning Jordan for your next trip, follow our unique 1 week Jordan itinerary and explore the best this country stores for you! Planning for a relaxed and longer trip – follow our Jordan Itinerary 10 days – ultimate guide and places to visit.
Our One Week Jordan Itinerary 7 Days
- Day 1: Arrive in Amman and explore the city of Amman
- Day 2: Day trip to Jerash, Al-karark and drive to Petra for Petra by Night
- Day 3: Full day at Lost City of Petra
- Day 4: Visit Little Petra and head to Wadi Rum
- Day5: Aqaba – Visit the Red Sea
- Day6: Float in the Dead Sea
- Day 7: Drive back to Amman and board flight back home
Things to know in Jordan before you go!
Best time to visit Jordan : One Week Jordan Itinerary
Usually The best times to visit Jordan are during spring (March to May)or autumn(September to November). But we took a chance visiting in the month of February which is the winter( December – February). It was relatively colder yet manageable. We packed few layers of woolens and were good to go, didn’t feel we were in Iceland honestly. However nights were cooler but the days were bright and warm.
Note: Winter is the off season in Jordan and you won’t find too many visitors there. So the deals you get with hotels and airfares are comparatively cheaper. In addition you would find most of the touristy places empty and all for yourself to click some of the best pictures for your Instagram feed.
Is Jordan safe? : One Week Jordan Itinerary
Answer is: yes, absolutely.
Jordan borders Syria and Iraq, probably the two most antagonized countries but, Jordan itself has always been a peaceful nation and we didn’t feel unsafe or uncomfortable for a single moment. The people are so friendly and polite they helped us with everything possible they could.
You might find some vendors pitching you multiple times to sell their products, avoid them softly just by saying Shukran (meaning thank you) if you don’t wish to buy anything from them and they are not harmful in anyway. We found people some people answering so rudely to the vendors and that wasn’t polite in our vision.
How to get Jordan travel pass? : One Week Jordan Itinerary
You can get your Jordan pass before arrival which is really well designed for the visitors. Having this pass means that you have pre-booked most of your entry fees for over 40 Jordan attractions.
It would costs 70/75/80 JD(per person) and depending on the days you want to visit Petra. It gives you the ability to visit the top sights and attractions saving time, money and efforts. It also includes the visa fee, while you don’t have to wait in the queue at the airport, hence making the experience hassle free.
You can get the Jordan travel pass packages from the link here.
How to get Jordan Visa : One Week Jordan Itinerary
Jordan offers Visa on Arrival facility to many countries including India. Check the comprehensive list of countries here. Moreover if your country is part of Visa on Arrival list then buying a Jordan Pass is highly recommended as Jordan Pass would cover visa on arrival cost.
Buy a prepaid SIM card at the airport itself
On arrival we purchased a SIM card so that we can easily get in touch with our pick-up cabs and hotels. Zain is the major telco in Jordan. We recharged with 30GB internet pack, 30min of international call, local free incoming calls and SMS for 17 Jordan Dinar which was valid for a month. You can also check their price list as per your requirements and number of days you are staying.
Language in Jordan : One Week Jordan Itinerary
Communication isn’t a big problem here, as most of the people speaks and understand English. But there are some areas or occasions where you might not to able to make people understand things you want, as it happened with us multiple times. So we kept our phone handy and used google translator whenever required.
What should you wear in Jordan? : One Week Jordan Itinerary
We felt Jordan is a very liberal country, from other middle eastern countries we visited, in terms of women apparels. We would still suggest to be respectful towards their culture and dress modestly and avoid showing too much of skin in public areas. You don’t have to cover up from head to toe, and on the beach you can surely flaunt your best bikinis.
How to hire a car in Jordan? : One Week Jordan Itinerary
You can pre-book a self driving car before arrival and collect it from the airport itself. The best we would suggest is the Rentalcars which would give you the best deals from a range of various companies and is trusted globally. We have used the same earlier and would definitely recommend. All you need a valid international license and you should be at least 21 years of age to drive a car in Jordan.
Note: Its a left hand drive in Jordan.
However in this trip we didn’t wish to self drive, so we hired a driver for the entire trip to ourself from a local tour company called Zaid Tours and Travels. You can definitely check out their offers for car and city tour services at great deals. We would highly recommend them. Please ask for Hasan(+962798957505) and give our reference, he would be the best driver one could ever find.
Our One Week Jordan Itinerary
Day 1 : Arrive In Amman And Explore Amman
We boarded our flight from Nairobi, Kenya via Cairo, Egypt and landed in Jordan at Queen Alia International Airport by late evening. However we stayed for 10 days in Jordan we took this day at ease as we were dead tired after those long hours of travelling.
Depending on the time that you arrive in Amman, you might be able to start exploring straight away!
Visit the Citadel and Roman Theatre
Once you check-in, freshen up and start your city tour so that you can make the most of the time here. Directly head to the Amman Citadel that stands towering the highest hill of Amman which is situated 850 meters above sea level and gives you the wonderful panoramic view of this old city.
In this historic site you can witness a 1700 meter wall that dates back to the Bronze Age, the ruins of the iconic Temple of Hercules, and the Umayyad Palace moving further uphill. With so many significant landmarks located inside one site, the Amman Citadel is arguably one of the best places to visit in Amman. We had spend almost 2hrs inside the citadel itself wandering around the place which really left us astounded. Entry charge for the Citadel is 3 JD per person and free with Jordan pass.
Once we were done with the citadel, drove for another 5 min down town and reached the Roman Theatre. This Roman Theatre is from the 2nd century dating back to the Roman period when the city was known as Philadelphia. This theatre back then could accommodate 6000 spectators, but after multiple devastating earthquakes it can now only hold 500-600 people at max. Entry charge for the Roman Theatre is 2 JD per person and free with Jordan pass.
Where to stay in Amman:Â Sulaf Luxury Hotel
Day 2: Day Trip To Jerash, Al Karak And Drive To Petra
We started early morning from Amman and nearly drove for an hour (48kms) and reached the city of Jerash which has been inhabited since the Bronze Age. You would see that Jerash is one of the best preserved Greco-Roman cities, and also one of the most visited sites in Jordan. It is also considered as one of the largest and most well-maintained sites of Roman architecture till date.
Every step we took inside this broken city left us in awe seeing the ruins of the Corinthian columns and all the stunning artifacts. It’s history goes back more than 6500 years, which is absolutely worth visiting!
Entry charges for Jerash is 10 JD per person and free with Jordan pass.
Al Karak Castle
From Jerash we directly headed towards Al Karak city which is a drive of almost 2hr 40min. There is nothing much to do and see around this city apart visiting the Al Karak castle which is the crusader castle, so definitely you can take out some time for that. Entry charges are 2 JD per person and free with Jordan pass.
Petra By Night
So after the full day city tour directly drive to Petra which would take another 2 hours. We would recommend building your itinerary around Petra on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays where you can witness the stunning Petra by night. It was a Monday evening when we checked-in to our hotel in Petra and right after our last meal geared up for Petra by night, its an occasion you truly can’t afford to miss.
We entered from the main gate and walked till the Treasury (almost 1hr). That was one magical night we will ever forget in our lifetime. The entire gorge was lit up with 1500 candles and on reaching the Treasury we quietly sat there for almost 2 hours gazing at the illuminated stars and the ruins with a different perspective altogether. You can buy the ticket to visit Petra by night from the information centre which is just nearby the main gate. Entry charges for Petra by night are 17JD per person and not free with Jordan pass.
Where to stay in Petra:Â Petra Guest House
Day 3: Spend The Full Day At Petra
This was a wonderful day while we wondered in the wonderland of this ancient civilization. With so much of history and architectures around the lost city of Petra it is one of the seven wonders of the world, and today it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site too which is 6 km long. This city remained hidden until 1812 as it has been rediscovered 200 years ago as it remained buried due to the effects of multiple and massive earthquakes. Its very interesting to know that till date 85% of Petra is buried and still undiscovered.
We would suggest starting your day early morning when the crowd would be lesser. The gate opens at 6am-6pm. We hired a guide to explore this city, however its not impossible to go around without one. He is the best guide we can recommend- Sakher(+962798002248) and tell we said hello if you meet him!
Entry charges at Petra for one day is 50JD per person for two days its 55JD and for three days its 60JD and free with Jordan pass.
Click the link here to check out things that you can do in Petra.
Where to stay in Petra:Â Petra Guest House
Day 4: Little Petra and head to Wadi Rum
We checked out from our hotel at Petra and directly headed towards Little Petra also known as Siq al-Barid which took less than 20 min. As its name suggests it is a much smaller Nabataean site which was excavated in the year 1957-1983, with buildings on both sides carved into the walls of the sandstone canyon. There is no entry charges for Little Petra.
After a quick photo session we drove for almost 2 hours from Petra and reached Wadi Rum by noon crossing some scenic highways. The drive was truly amazing, even some camels came along to greet us on our way.
On arrival we collected our entry ticket from the ticket counter which was 5JD per person and free with Jordan Pass. On entering Wadi Rum desert it felt that we were standing right in the middle of a movie scene from Mission to Mars, which was actually shot here. It is also called the valley of moons which is a very famous destination to witness the barren red rock formations, stunning mountains, and for safari adventures too.
Post checking in, head out to explore the massive deserted landscape with a jeep tour for 2/3/4 hours(Click the link to book your preferred tour). If you miss booking online you can directly enquire for the same with the hotel/tent where you are checking in. If you are staying in Wadi Rum for 2 days we recommend booking half day sunset tour with Bedouin lunch.
Even if you miss the sunset tour, try to catch up with the sunrise tour as well that would be equally amazing. The desert safari costed us 30 JD per jeep(2hrs) and would charge 50 JD if you wish to go for 3 hours. While we started at 3pm and drove past top attractions like the Red Sand Dunes, Burdah Arch, Jabel Khazali and more. In the mean time we stopped at a Bedouin tent where we were offered tea and some local music entertained us. The trip ended right after the sunset which we saw sitting at one of the gigantic mountain rock and marking the end of the day!
Note: Pack some warm clothes, temperature might drop at night.
Where to stay in Wadi Rum: In Wadi Rum we decided to stay at Bubble Luxotel and that was the highlight of our trip. We would definitely recommend this property for your stay and have the best ever experience. Post dinner you can also go for star gazing if you are interested which would cost around 15 JD per person and the hotel would arrange that for you on request.
If you are looking for budget stay options you can also choose staying at luxurious Bedouin tent/camps, where you can camp right in the heart of the desert and know the Bedouin culture closely and enjoy local food & drinks. As we already had that experience of the same in Dubai so skipped it here.
Luxury Stay Option :Â Bubble Luxotel
Budget stay option : Wadi Rum Bedouin Camp
Day5: From Wadi Rum Drive To Aqaba, Red Sea
Post breakfast we checked out from our amazing bubble hotel at Wadi Rum, while our car picked us from the same pick and drop point. So another hour of driving and we could see the coast far away from the
road itself and could sense leisure!
Red Sea is famous for its Coral Reef, so if you are a water baby go for Scuba/Snorkeling/deep sea or just enjoy going for glass bottom boat tour for coral reef viewing. Book your packages here. So after all the city hustle, long walks and hike it was time to chill by the beach and do nothing, or may be you can just read a book and eat some good food and seriously do nothing…
We stayed at Grand Tala Bay Hotel and had the best time relaxing, trust us. The beaches were pristine, while we rested on the loungers and grabbed some wine sunbathing for the whole day. However we could not touch our feet to the water as the temperature was freezing, so we decided lets skip that part.
Where to stay in Aqaba:Â Grand Tala Bay Hotel
Day 6 : From Aqaba Drive To Dead Sea
The Dead Sea is not actually a sea but a huge salt water lake that is bordered by Jordan and Israel. So how about spending the last night and ending this amazing trip sitting at the lowest point on earth which is 400 meters below sea level? Sounds fun right even we were so excited.
We passed through Wadi Mujib, which is basically a river canyon popular for hiking between the rock formations. Unfortunately we could not go for the hiking trials as we went in the month of February which are the winter months and due to rainfall those trails remain closed. The Siq Trail at Wadi Mujib is generally open from April to October from 8am -3pm. We are sure it would definitely be a unique experience, do let us know
if you get a chance to hike through the trail.
From Aqaba we drove for nearly 3 hours to the northernmost point and definitely one cannot exit from Jordan without floating at The Dead Sea. It is definitely an experience of a kind so don’t miss this for anything. We checked-in at Holiday Inn which is a enormous and beautiful beach property, would definitely recommend this hotel for an amazing stay.
We would highly recommend staying at one of the 5-star resorts in this area which has private access to the Dead Sea. Even if you don’t stay in any of those expensive resorts and wish for a budget stay, you can still go to any one of the public beaches that can charge 20 JD per person(some are free too) and avail the same experience. But if you’re planning to stay for an entire day in the dead sea, then booking a good resort might be a wise decision.
Right before the sunset we went to the dead sea which was just 5 min walk from our resort and we both were all set to mud musk ourselves from face to toe and extract all its skincare benefits.
- Please note that the water from the dead sea is 10 times more saltier than
other oceanic and sea water, because of its high mineral content. - Be careful while floating in the sea as the water can severely burn your eyes
and mouth if it gets in. - Don’t forget to pack your water shoes.
- It is not recommended to spend more than 20 min inside the dead sea,
because too much of salt is not good for the skin and hair. - Immediately take a shower once you are out from the Dead Sea.
- Don’t even dare to think of swimming or go for diving in the Dead sea water,
trust us that would be the worst decision of your life.
Where to stay in Dead Sea: Holiday Inn
Day7 : Drive Back To Amman and Board Your Flight Back Home
Now this is surely the worst part we assume, bidding goodbye. Finally the trip has come to an end while we drove from Dead sea to Amman for an hour to board the flight back to our home country. If you couldn’t cover Amman sightseeing on first day and have time then cover the same today.
Note: This post contains affiliate links, and when you make a purchase using any of these links we get paid a small commission without any extra cost to you. Thanks
Envisioning the lovely end to this amazing time at Jordan. So guys hope you find this blog helpful planning yours, and if you have any queries please write it down in the comment section below. We would try to help with the best of our knowledge.
Continue Reading
Planning to club Egypt with Jordan? Egypt is a great option to travel with Jordan with flight distance between Amman and Cairo is only 1.30hr Check out our Egypt Itinerary here.
