A Week in Jordan: Petra, Wadi Rum, Dead Sea

Jordan is small, safe, and packs incredible variety into a week.

Self-drive vs. tour

Self-drive: Rent a car in Amman ($35/day), drive the country highway. Easy, safe, roads are good. Recommended. Guided tour: $1,200-2,000/person for 7 days. Includes guide's expertise but way more expensive.

Jordan Pass: Buy before arrival (JOD 70 = $99). Includes visa (saves JOD 40) + Petra (1-day: JOD 50, 2-day: JOD 55) + 40 other sites. Pays for itself.

Day 1: Amman

Citadel, Roman Theater, Rainbow Street for evening. Try mansaf (national dish — lamb in yogurt sauce) at Sufra or Hashem.

Days 2-3: Petra

Drive Amman → Petra (3 hours, 250 km via Desert Highway).

Day 2: Enter Petra (via Jordan Pass). Siq walk → Treasury → Street of Facades → Royal Tombs → Colonnaded Street → Monastery hike (800 steps up). Full day, bring 3L water, wear hiking shoes.

Day 3: Petra by Night (Mon/Wed/Thu evenings, JOD 17 separate ticket — walk Siq by candlelight). Second day in Petra: hike to High Place of Sacrifice for view over Treasury.

Day 4: Wadi Rum

Drive Petra → Wadi Rum (1.5 hours, 100 km). Overnight in a desert camp. $60-150/night per person depending on quality.

• Budget camps: basic shared tent, communal toilet
• Mid-range: private bedouin tent, shared shower
• "Bubble" camps: bubble domes with AC and star-viewing windows ($200+/person)

Activities: 4x4 jeep tour ($40/person, 3-4 hours), camel ride ($25/hour), rock climbing available for experienced climbers.

Day 5: Dead Sea

Drive Wadi Rum → Dead Sea (3 hours, 250 km). Stay at a Dead Sea resort. Day passes available at most resorts ($40-80) if not staying.

• Float (you can't sink — salinity is 34%)
• Mud treatment (the famous dark mud is sold dried for $30+/kg, or you can scoop it free from the beach)
• Avoid shaving 24 hours before — saltwater on cuts stings brutally

Dead Sea is 400 meters below sea level — lowest point on earth. The air pressure and sun exposure are intense.

Day 6: Jerash + back to Amman

Drive Dead Sea → Jerash → Amman.

Jerash is the best-preserved Roman provincial city on earth. Oval Plaza, Cardo Maximus, Hadrian's Arch, hippodrome with occasional gladiator reenactments. 2-3 hours.

Day 7: Amman departure

Last meal at Shams El Balad (modern Jordanian). Flight home.

Cost (2 people, 7 days)

• Flights US: $900-1,300
• Car rental 7 days: $280
• Fuel: $100
• Jordan Pass × 2: $200
• Accommodations: $110/night × 6 = $660 (including desert camp and Dead Sea)
• Food: $40/day × 7 = $280
• Activities: $250

Total: $2,670-3,070 with flights.