4 day roadtrip across Jordan

Summary

Support this ad-free site with $2 😊

This has been the most action packed trip so far in my lifetime.  I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat, and add additional time.  I seek things I can't get anywhere else in my travels, and Jordan had so much to offer in a very compact package: truly unique natural scenery and one-of-a-kind archaeological sights.  That package is then wrapped up by a welcoming and safe country, friendly and welcoming people, decent infrastructure, good food, not a lot of crowds, good value for money. What more could you want? 

This itinerary offers a "one-way" plan through Jordan, from Jerash to Aqaba. It can easily be done in reverse and expanded into a one week itinerary for more enjoyment.  I think 5-6 days would be an ideal amount of time for a Jordan trip, although with just 4 days most sights can be seen at a quicker pace. 

Day 1: Arrive (AMM), Jerash

I arrived into AMM airport (coming from the Tel Aviv) and picked up my rental car at the airport.  I bought a Jordan Pass before arrival, which is cost effective for most as it includes the visa fees and entrance fees. 

From the airport I drove to Jerash (~1.5h) which has a fabulous archaeological site from its time as a city in Ancient Rome.  Before entering the site, we stopped in the (modern) city of Jerash for lunch and to purchase lots of water at a supermarket. 

The ruins are AMAZING. I don't know why they don't get more attention.  The site is very well kept, mapped, and signed with information posts. Everything was also accessible to walk around.  I truly felt like I was walking around Ancient Rome: here is the arched entrance, the plaza, the grand Cardo thoroughfare through town (with its visible underground sewer system, water drains, and carriage marks etched in the stone), the hippodrome, town baths, nymphaeum, cathedral, theaters, etc.  We enjoyed several hours walking around the site.

We happened to visit during the first Jordan Independence Day post-COVID, so there was a festive atmosphere everywhere. Jerash had a festival inside one of the Roman theaters. There were practice flyovers overhead for an airshow the next day.  The Jerash festival was in the late evening, and we wanted to get back to Amman before dark, but it was still fun to see it assembled.  We left the site as the entire town started coming in.

For the night, we stayed at the Marriott Amman. We stayed at Marriotts throughout Jordan since the rates were good, I had elite status and suite night awards, and Marriotts outside of North America and Europe often treat status members very well.  We were not disappointed. The suite upgrade confirmed into a huge room, welcome snacks/drinks were brought to the room, and a credit in the courtyard bar was offered, where we enjoyed post-dinner drinks in the warm Jordanian night. For dinner we had good food delivered to the room - a good choice to relax and recharge in the suite. 

Day 2: Amman, Dead Sea

The plan was to spend the first part of the morning in Amman, then drive to the Dead Sea, making stops along the way at Madaba and Mount Nebo.

Our Amman activities would involve eating snacks, particularly sweets at notable places in the city. [Zalatimo had a location at the AMM airport that made nice trays for gifts.] Unfortunately everything was closed - everyone was out enjoying Independence Day - so I left Amman empty handed after a lot of driving in circles. 

Undeterred, I was on the lookout for a bakery while driving and struck gold close to Madaba at a bakery called Al Mamlakah.  The proprietor could not have been kinder and more skilled. He gave us a ton of samples. We put together a relatively limited set of sweets to buy, which the baker even refused to take payment for. I did not find better sweets the rest of my trip and regretted not loading up a big tray.  I liked the mixed nut sweets more than the pistachio ones, and the kataifi sweets (thin shredded dough ones) in particular were fantastic.  

Madaba is known for mosaic craftspeople, so we stopped in one of the mosaic stores.

 It was geared towards tourists, and I'm generally not a fan of shops for tourist buses, but enjoyed the stop. We were given a brief tour of the work area where we could see all phases in action and strolled through a vast store room. The prices seemed reasonable, and the best value seemed to be things on the cheap (e.g., little mosaic frames) and expensive (e.g., outdoor tables) ends.  I wasn't prepared to purchase an entire outdoor table (nor do I have anywhere to put it!) but bought a few souvenirs here.

After, we briefly stopped at Mount Nebo, one of the most famous locales in the Old Testament. 

We arrived late afternoon at the Dead Sea Marriott. Check-in was a mess with lots of people waiting for rooms past check-in time; it was otherwise fine.

The Dead Sea is one of Earth's extremes and among the most unique places you can visit.  It is the lowest land-based point (the shores are 1,400ft/430m below sea level), the deepest salt lake, and one of the saltiest bodies of water (9x saltier than the oceans.) 

Just being around the Dead Sea was a unique experience - the way the heat collects in the basin made it feel like the heat was coming from the ground vs from the sky.  I have been to Death Valley's Badwater Basin but on a winter morning, so maybe it feels similar at a hotter time.  Similar to Badwater, it was eerily quiet while inside the sea. 

And of course, I loved the sensation of floating in the Dead Sea and the unique warmth of its water.  I think was in the water too long as my lips were severely chapped for days - ha. 

The hotel had a nice patio overlooking the Dead Sea with trees in full bloom.  After sundown I went inside the spa, which had several nice pools and steam rooms that I had all to myself.

For dinner we drove ~10mins to a traditional barbecue restaurant. As a tomato enthusiast, I especially loved the barbecued tomatoes found throughout Jordan. 

Day 3: The Dead Sea Highway, Petra, sleeping in Wadi Rum

We woke up early for the busy day ahead. Planned was a ~4h drive to Petra, an afternoon at Petra, and a ~1.5h drive to Wadi Rum, where we'd spend the night. 

I regret I did not schedule time for another Red Sea swim and spa visit.  One could easily add a day here to relax and visit additional sights around the Dead Sea (e.g., hiking opportunities, baptismal site of Jesus Christ.)

There are multiple ways to get from the Dead Sea to Petra:

• Travel south, through the length of the Dead Sea, taking Highway 65 (Dead Sea Highway) south, to 50 or 60 east, to 35 (King's Highway) south - this probably balances safety and scenery
• Travel north towards Amman and take Highway 15 south (Desert Highway) - highway 15 is probably the biggest/safest road.
• Don't take the route I took - somehow I ended up on local roads most of the way after passing highways 50 and 60 and turning east here.  This road was super tight and sketchy the entire way and no doubt took longer as I had to reduce speed.  The route was scenic, but I would never make these safety tradeoffs. Oddly, this route has Google Street View the entire way, unlike highway 50 & 60.

Along the Dead Sea Highway, I stopped around a place that is marked "Salt Beach" on Google Maps. It looked incredible from the highway.  If it looks interesting, always stop!  I parked along the side of the highway (close to an abandoned shack that seemed to offer "showers" once upon a time) and walked ~10mins to the beach.  It's a short but slow walk due to the salt deposits; don't take fancy or canvas shoes as the salt is super sharp. It's like walking on "fresh" volcanic rock and will tear your shoes. 

Getting to the shore is not to be missed - it was one of the most breathtaking views I've ever seen!  From there, the occasional camel kept us company on the road.

Petra is an ancient city primarily inhabited from a few centuries BC by the Nabataeans, ancient nomadic Arab peoples, to a few centuries AD, during the Roman Empire. It is a city partially carved into rock and partially built. The rock-carved buildings may be the most elaborately designed of the type in the world. The city itself is also partially concealed; the entrance used today is through a narrow gorge. 

Besides the famous Treasury, I was most impressed by the array of Royal Tombs and the Monastery. The Monastery requires a short hike to reach, with a little elevation gain.  You can hire a donkey to take you. I walked, my traveling partner chose a donkey, and the donkey and I seemed to race to the Monastery. The donkey ride was negotiable, and I think we paid 15JOD.

In the evening we started the drive to Wadi Rum, where we stayed the night. Wadi Rum is a beautiful red sand desert, originally seabed millions of years ago, with sandstone cliff formations throughout. It is truly a unique place on Earth and often used as a desert and Martian filming location.  It is also a wonderful stargazing location.

There are several tent camp operators inside Wadi Rum with varying degrees of poshness, from shared tents to glamping bubbles.  We selected one of the nicer options, called Aicha Camp, and really enjoyed it.  The entire operation is VERY impressively run.  Just imagine: you are in the middle of the desert, have a large tent or bubble to yourself with a comfortable bed, couch, and private bathroom with plenty of hot water. There's separately a large dining tent where you're provided an impressively good dinner and breakfast.  You can also schedule Wadi Rum excursions easily with your campsite operator at set rates. 

We stargazed late into the night. There was a little light pollution because of bright spotlights in the campsites, but the stargazing was still amazing.  It was dark enough to see the Milky Way, shooting stars, etc.  If even my old iPhone camera can capture the Milky Way over the campsite, you have to believe it was great.

Day 4: Wadi Rum, Aqaba

We slept in a bit after yesterday's long day and woke up just before breakfast closed. We booked a private 4hr Jeep tour with our camp operator (20JOD/hr, ~11a-3p). We just let them know at checkin that we wanted a Jeep tour and the time we wanted to start.  The operator hired a driver, and we worked out the routing specifics in the morning.  They have "standard" tour itineraries but were flexible to customize the tour however I wanted.  The Jeep tour was great.  The sights are truly incredible (there is no way to get around Wadi Rum otherwise), the photos don't do it justice, and our driver was great.  We covered both the northern and southern parts of Wadi Rum, which have different rock formations and sand colors. There was a brief rest in the middle for tea. 

Our bags were in the Jeep, so at the conclusion of the tour we were driven to our car in Wadi Rum Village. We spent a little bit of time at the Nabatean Temple (where we had an interesting chat with a solo woman doing the 40+ day Jordan Trail, a hike through the length of Jordan, she was almost done!), then started the 1.5h drive to Aqaba. 

The road between Wadi Rum and the highway was super scenic. There is an old rail line and train station along the route, with a locomotive and a few rail cars parked there.  It was mentioned on the Jordan Pass. Maybe it runs sometimes. Who knows.

In Aqaba, we stayed at the Al Manara, a new Marriott property in Aqaba's new resort development zone. I found a reasonable rate (~150 JOD) for the quality of the hotel, and I had a Marriott Suite Upgrade that confirmed.  You can see Egypt and Israel from Aqaba.

For the rest of the afternoon and through sunset, we hung out at the hotel's private beach along the Red Sea. It's a nice beach: there were few other people, the water was warm for pleasant swimming and super clear, and the shelling was nice. I think I saw a lionfish though, so be careful.  Seems like Aqaba would indeed be a nice place for snorkeling or scuba diving.

It's a short drive from the hotel to a busy part of town where you can have dinner. 

Travel day: Depart Aqaba 

Royal Jordanian offers 1-3 daily flights from AQJ to AMM. Since I added it to an American Airlines award, the AQJ-AMM flight was free. This day had one flight at 8am, so we didn't have enough time to enjoy the hotel or Aqaba, which seemed like a nice, relaxing town. 

Avis didn't have an office at AQJ, so at pickup I was given a number to arrange dropoff at the airport.  I made the appointment but the Aqaba guy didn't show up or answer my calls in the morning.  I left the car keys with the only open rental agency desk (they all seemed to know each other) so I wouldn't miss my flight. That worked out fine.

AQJ is a tiny airport with minimal facilities. Royal Jordanian's E190 looked beautiful in the surrounding backdrop and the low-altitude flight to AMM through the desert was pleasantly scenic.

How to get here

• Air - Most people will arrive through Amman (AMM).  Flag carrier Royal Jordanian has flights throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North America.  Major European and Middle Eastern airlines also fly to AMM.  There are occasional, very limited international flights to Aqaba.
• Land - There are a few land crossings with Israel. They don't seem easy - difficult to reach and limited hours. 
• How I traveled here - I visited May 2022.  I arrived into AMM from Tel Aviv. I flew Royal Jordanian economy from TLV-AMM for 6,000 British Airways Avios + $100 USD.  I had lounge access from TLV through oneworld elite status. The TLV-AMM route must be one of the most expensive cost-per-mile flights in the world, but there are no good alternatives. [As of 2024, TLV-AMM flights are suspended.  British Airways has also consistently devalued Avios so the cost has probably increased since then].  I departed on RJ & Etihad Airways, AQJ-AMM-AUH-ICN in business class for 40,000 American Airlines miles + $90 USD.

How to get around & driving precautions

Driving by car is the best way to get around. Public transportation could be possible via JETT buses but can be limiting.  Consider hiring a safe private driver if you have a larger budget. I hope the other routes between the Dead Sea and Petra are safer than the route I took.  The major highways are built well and safe to drive. Jordan requires foreigners to have an International Drivers Permit; while the rental agency did not ask for it, it's best to have for any police stops.  Below are a few tips for driving in Jordan:

• Check the fuel and tires on rental cars - this is general best practice but necessary in Jordan. I received a car with a near empty fuel tank and noticed way too late for comfort; thankfully I still made it to a fuel station.
• Don't get the lowest class economy car. I did, and it had no speakers (not ideal for long stretches of road!)
• There are random speed bumps EVERYWHERE.  
• If you are on a tight rural road going through blind spots (hills, cliffs, etc), honk before entering the blind spot. Some drivers are careless through blind spots and I had a very close call.
• Police stopped me twice on the Dead Sea highway, accusing me of speeding and asking for an 30JOD cash fine. I later learned these are bribes; for real speeding tickets, you get a paper and pay the fine to the rental car company. Both times I was accused of going ~90km/hr on an 80km/hr limit, and both times I was let go after a few minutes without handing over money. The first time I was stopped I had just passed a 90km/hr limit sign, so with that and the request for cash I was confident enough to push back. By the second time I realized it was a hustle.
• There are speeding and red light cameras in Jordan.
• While this sounds like lots of issues, I would rent a car again without hesitation.  The car really opened the country. I didn't expect driving in Jordan to be easy. Even the city driving was hectic but not crazy (e.g. Amman is chaotic but nothing like Delhi.)  
• Click for packing and preparation tips.  I can also help you plan your trip.

Miscellaneous Jordan Tips

• The late May timing was perfect.  It was a shoulder season so fewer crowds, and weather was hot but very manageable.
• I enjoyed Wadi Rum, Dead Sea, and Jerash more than Petra, despite Petra being THE most well-known Jordan attraction. Petra wasn't bad; I just think it's too hyped compared to everything else Jordan has to offer.
• It's pretty easy for English speakers to get around Jordan 
• Jordanians are generally kind but I did run into a few attempts to rip me off: some restaurants and bakeries attempted overcharging, Avis at AMM was going to charge me a higher rate until I noted the overcharge and showed my confirmation receipt, the aforementioned police stops.  Nothing too out of the ordinary, but be careful.
• Arriving at Wadi Rum Village at night was unnerving - it's completely dark and you park in a designed lot in the only village.  Random guys come up to you to ask where you are staying (in the middle of the desert). Then you hop in the bed of an old pickup with one of them to drive in total darkness through the desert to your campsite.  While they are coordinating across multiple camps and everyone was actually trying to help, its hard to silence the alarm bells ringing in my head.
• Hotels had entry security. Don't be alarmed - I always felt safe in Jordan. I think this is a residual effect of an unfortunate hotel attack 20 years ago.