TRAVEL GUIDE: 7 Day Jordan Itinerary

Jordan was by far one of my most epic trips EVER. I don’t remember the last time I fell in love with a country the way I fell in love with Jordan. Every moment of my trip was more breathtaking and magical than the last — and the people of Jordan are some of the kindest and most hospitable I’ve ever come across.

From a new wonder of the world to the lowest + saltiest sea on the planet, a stunning desert scape, and some of the world’s best preserved Roman ruins — Jordan truly has so much to offer.

Getting there:

First things first — buy the Jordan Pass BEFORE you get on your flight. The Jordan Pass will serve as your tourist visa, as well as your entrance ticket to almost all of Jordan’s main attractions! It’s cheaper if you buy it before you depart, so make sure you buy it before you leave.

Flight: Qatar Airways (I never want to fly anything other than Qatar again, if you can fly QA direct to Jordan, I definitely would!)

Currency: Jordan was so much more expensive than I thought it would be, so be prepared. The dollar is actually weaker here. The best way to get money is to pull it out of the ATM at the airport, you will definitely need cash so keep enough handy!

Planning Your Trip:

Tour or personal driver? Since I had a really specific itinerary in mind and wanted more flexibility to do what I wanted, I opted to go with a personal driver to take me around Jordan. I reached out to 4 different drivers/tour companies, and Al Fairoz was by far the most cost-effective and flexible company I found. I am so glad I made this choice – they were a huge reason my trip was SO smooth and enjoyable. Their customer service was incredible, and my driver went above and beyond at every leg of the trip! I highly recommend using Al Fairoz for your vacation. They have both tour options and private driver options available. If you would still like to reach out to any other drivers or tour companies, definitely let me know and I’ll be happy to recommend a few more.

Side-note: Almost everyone communicates via Whatsapp, so don’t forget to download that if you don’t already have it.

Day 1: Amman. Explore Jordan’s Capital City.

Spend the day exploring the capital of Jordan. Amman is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, making it very culturally rich. The absolute must-sees in Amman: The Citadel, Roman Theatre, and King Abdullah Mosque.

Where to Eat: Hashem for falafels, Sufra for traditional Jordanian food + rooftop views, Fakhr el-Din for fine Lebanese cuisine, and Brisket for the best Middle Eastern burgers and meats!

Where to Stay: W Amman

Day 2: Petra by Night

IMPORTANT: I planned my entire itinerary around seeing Petra by Night because you are only able to experience this three nights of the week. It only runs on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday night each week — so make sure you plan accordingly!

Start your day in Amman with falafels at Hashem — one of Amman’s most famous restaurants. It’s really more of a hole in the wall, but it’s been a go-to for locals, tourists, and celebrities alike. There are no real menus, the servers just bring you what they this is right, and it’s all vegetarian. It’s a 24-hour restaurant, so stop by at any point during your stay! If you have any sightseeing left to do in Amman, see if you have time to squeeze it in. If not, start your drive over to Petra. The drive from Amman to Petra should take approximately 3 to 4 hours.

Plan to arrive in Petra with enough time to check in to your hotel, grab a quick bite and head over to see Petra by Night. Petra by Night is a truly magical way to experience one of the world’s most incredible archaeological sites. The show runs every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday starting at 8:30 pm.

Try to get to the Petra Visitor Center by 8:15 pm. Petra by Night is one of the few attractions in Jordan that is not covered by your Jordan Pass, so you should arrive a few minutes early to buy a ticket. The entrance to Petra by Night costs around 17 JD.

Explore the old city by candlelight: walk through the Siq (small canyon) in silence and arrive at the most famous part of the old city. Breathtaking is an understatement to describe what you’ll see when you arrive at Al Khazneh (the treasury) and see it lit up with 1,000 candle lanterns. I *SO* wish I could go back and take this moment in all over again.

After you arrive at the Treasury, Petra’s most recognizable site, you will be asked to take a seat on the floor where you’ll listen to beautiful traditional Jordanian music played by native Bedouins. Sip on delish fresh mint tea, and enjoy the melodious music and changing lights! I mean, it’s not everyday that you get to enjoy a mesmerizing show in a city that was built in 300 B.C.

Make sure to get a good night’s sleep, you’ll have a long day tomorrow!

Where to Stay: Old Village, Movenpick Petra, Petra Marriot

Day 3: Petra by Day

Day 4: Explore Petra

Petra is MASSIVE, so try to get an early start! Grab an early breakfast, either at your hotel or at a restaurant on the way to the Visitor Center. I didn’t personally try it, but Sanabel Bakery was recommended as a good place to get on-the-go meals. If you’re looking for a heavier breakfast, try the buffet at the Movenpick Hotel which is conveniently located right across the street from the Visitor Center.

Petra Visitor Center opens at 6 am, so try to get there soon after! The tour buses start coming in around 8 am. If you are looking to get pictures while the main attractions are not crowded, really early in the morning is definitely the best time to do so. You should decide ahead of time whether you plan on hiring a guide or exploring Petra on your own. If you are exploring on your own, download the Visit Petra app on your phone. If you’d rather hire a guide to take you around, you can either get an official guide from the Visitor Center.

Start your journey by heading towards the Siq, keep an eye out for the Obelisk Tomb and Djinn Blocks before you get there. Walk through the Siq, take a moment to really take in its grandeur. After you pass through the Siq, you’ll come across Al Kazneh — or The Treasury. One of Petra’s most iconic landmarks, The Treasury is where you want to get all your content for the gram. Channel your inner Indiana Jones, see if you can find a nearby camel to add to your frame, and capture some dramatic shots of yourself in front of one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Once you’ve gotten all your content in this spot, turn around and look to the left of The Treasury. Climb the stone steps to get an even better view! Take some more pictures, climb back down and start walking towards the Petra City Center. Once you’re tired or as it starts to get dark (whichever comes first), make your way back to your hotel for a cozy dinner and show. I went back to my hotel a little early because I was still jet-lagged and exhausted, and I was switching hotels this evening to the Petra Bubble Luxotel. The hotel offered a great dinner and show, and I called it a night really early.

Where to Stay: Petra Bubble Luxotel. Enjoy an evening in a spacious inflatable pod with a dramatic backdrop of the breathtaking view of the Petra Mountains. Each bubble suite has it’s own private outdoor hot tub. This hotel is pretty pricey, but I really wanted the experience of having a personal hot tub in the desert — which is pretty much the main attraction. I only stayed here one night in Petra. While I loved my time here and staying in a massive heated bubble under the stunning night sky is amazing, if you’re looking to save some money, I’d skip this one first.

Day 5: Petra + Wadi Rum

I really wanted to catch the sunrise in the hot tub so I woke up really early, hence the early bed time the night before. I had some breakfast at the hotel, checked out, and made my way back down to Petra to explore some of the more off the beaten path parts of Petra. There’s a lot of amazing sights to see and trails you can explore in Petra, so I highly recommend doing some research to find what works best for you! I hired a tour guide for this day who knew the terrain so I could comfortably explore some more without having to worry about getting lost. My guide took me up to the top of some of the cliffs and some of the local natives had even set up cafes for visitors to grab tea. The view while sipping on hot tea was truly breathtaking. After several hours of exploring different parts of Petra, I made my way back to the Visitor Center, grabbed lunch and started to head towards Wadi Rum. The drive from Petra to Wadi Rum takes about two hours, I mostly slept the whole way because I was still SO tired. After a few hours, we pulled up to a visitor center in Wadi Rum, after which they directed us to a parking lot. There I said goodbye to my amazing driver for the day, and hopped into a jeep that would take me to this stunning luxury hotel in the middle of the dessert called Aicha Memories.

Calling Aicha a luxury hotel is doing it a disservice, it’s actually more of a full-on luxury experience. I cannot describe how I felt when I first saw these amazing glass pod structures pop up from afar as I was riding in the jeep. It’s truly an out-of-this-world moment, further enhanced by the fact that there is no phone service or wifi here, so you’re completely unplugged. Everything about this hotel in the desert is breathtaking and larger than life.

The hotel is located between two massive rock faces, and has two types of living quarters: the glass domes and the glamping tents. They’re both fantastic, but the glass pods is what sets Aicha apart from all the other lodging options in the area. Where as most of the stargazing pods are made of plastic, the pods here are made from glass — which means they’re easier to clean to get the perfect view AND it’s just way more luxurious. Let me tell you, the view from the panoramic dome does not disappoint. Everywhere you look, you feel like you’ve been transported to Mars. Surreal is the only way to describe it. The details inside the dome are just as breathtaking. They provide warm fur Bedouin jackets for when the temperature drops at night, the domes are fitted with stunning chandeliers and beautiful gold accents, and the massive bed and sofa really give you a royal feel.

Now, you may be wondering what you’re supposed to do all day in the middle of the desert with no wifi or phone service. Well, Aicha has you covered there too. After checking in and walking around a little, I went on an incredible desert safari! I explored the Wadi Rum desert, hiked up incredible rock structures with my guide, stopped to catch a stunning desert sunset! As we were watching the sunset, my guide started making some hot tea and I got to drink fresh tea as I watched the sun rapidly sink into the horizon. It was honestly one of the most serene ways to enjoy the sunset. But of course as soon as the sun sets, it rapidly gets cold so we made our way back to the hotel. After the desert safari, I made my way over to the main tent for dinner. Dinner is included with your stay, and the spread is AMAZING. There were plenty of vegetarian options and everything was delicious!

After dinner, we did my favorite activity at Aicha and possibly the highlight of my whole trip: Stargazing! Stargazing in the Jordanian desert is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It’s like you could just see the whole galaxy with your bare eyes. It truly felt like someone painted the sky with glitter. Our stargazing guide pointed out the different constellations to us and shared some of the mythology behind them. They even took professional photos of us with the stars. The photos were to die for, and there is absolutely no photoshop required! I even got to see a shooting star for the first time ever, and it was the perfect reminder that the universe is always on my side.

After stargazing, I went back to my room to warm up a bit and then made my way to the cafe in the back of the hotel to smoke some sheesha and drink coffee. The cafe is extra special because they built a roof and walls attached directly to the cliffs — so the face of the cliff is actually one of the walls of the restaurant! Aicha actually had to get permission from UNESCO to build around the cliffs and ensure they would be preserved as Wadi Rum as a UNESCO protected area. They imported each piece of intricately carved furniture from across the Middle East and you can tell how much thought was put into the decor. After my nightcap, I retired to my bedroom to wake up early for a camel ride through the desert.

Where to Stay: Memories Aicha Luxury Camp is a complete luxury experience in the Wadi Rum desert, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Day 6: Dead Sea + Ma’in Hot Springs

I woke up early for my last full day in Jordan, and had an amazing breakfast in the main tent at Aicha Memories. After breakfast I packed my bags and went off for a camel ride through the desert. I had to leave to meet my driver, so it was a short ride, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. After the camel ride, I hopped into a 4x4 jeep to make my way back to Wadi Rum village where my driver and car from Al Fairoz were waiting for me. We left Wadi Rum, and made our way to the Dead Sea.

The Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth, sitting 1,388 feet below sea level, and got its name because of its very high salt content, making it impossible for most living organisms to survive in its waters. The Dead Sea is known for it’s amazing healing properties both for your skin as well as spiritually and biblically. Tourists from all over the world come to the Dead Sea to cover themselves in the mud masks and wash off and float in the Dead Sea’s salty and buoyant waters. Floating in the Dead Sea, I felt SO light and free. I took the time to really imagine myself being free of any unnecessary stress and anxiety I was holding on to, and I left feeling so much better. I walked around looked for some of the salt deposits/salt shorelines by the Dead Sea and then left to head to my hotel closer to the Ma’in Hot Springs Spa & Resort.

When I originally did my research about Jordan, I realized the main attraction by the Dead Sea only took a couple of hours, so instead of staying right next to it, I decided to spend my last night at a high-end spa resort near hot springs so I could relax! Ma’in Hot Springs are the most popular thermal springs and waterfalls in the hills near the Dead Sea and exactly what I needed to wrap up a perfect week solo-tripping through the Jordanian desert. I checked into my hotel and headed over to the hot springs as the sun was setting. After bathing in the hot springs and roman bath, I headed over to the spa for a massage, and then had a late dinner at the hotel restaurant. The next morning, I had an incredible breakfast at the hotel, spent a few hours by the stunning hotel pools and then my driver picked me up to take me back to the airport for my next adventure! This was the best way to end my trip because I was relaxed, and the Dead Sea + Ma’in Hot Springs are less than an hour away from the airport, which makes them the ideal last stop before you head out.

Where to Stay: Ma’in Hot Springs Resort and Six Senses Spa or if you’d prefer to stay near the Dead Sea, stay at the Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea

Jordan will always hold a special place in my heart because I really felt like I used this trip to reflect, re-evaluate, and step into a new phase of my life, and I could not have picked a better place to do it. From floating in the Dead Sea and reminding myself what it feels like to truly feel light and free to hiking through cliffs in the desert giving me perspective on how small we are in a world so vast, to telling myself the universe is always on my side as I see a shooting star fly across the most stunning, star-filled sky I’ve ever seen, to exploring one of the 7 Wonders of the World — Jordan was everything I needed and more. I hope this inspires you to embark on the journey of a lifetime in Jordan, and as always let me know if you have any questions! xo