One Week in Jordan: 7 Stops From Petra to Wadi Rum

One week in Jordan is just enough time to float in the Dead Sea, walk through a 2,000-year-old Roman city, hike to Petra's Monastery and fall asleep under the stars in Wadi Rum. The country is roughly the size of Portugal, so you can drive the length of it along the historic King's Highway and the Desert Highway, which makes it one of the easiest bucket list trips in the Middle East to plan. The best time to visit Jordan is spring (March to May) or autumn (September to November), when days are warm but not scorching. Here's a seven-stop route from north to south that covers the country's must-see sights.

Amman: Roman Ruins and Rooftop Cafés

Most trips start in Amman, and it deserves at least a full day. Climb the Amman Citadel on Jabal al-Qal'a to see the Temple of Hercules and the Umayyad Palace, then look down on the 6,000-seat Roman Theatre carved into the hillside below. Downtown, line up at Hashem Restaurant for falafel, hummus and fresh bread, then head to Habibah for a warm slab of kunafa. In the evening, stroll Rainbow Street in Jabal Amman, where rooftop cafés serve mint tea with views over the city's white stone hills.

Jerash: One of the Best-Preserved Roman Cities Anywhere

An hour north of Amman, Jerash is a hidden gem that rivals anything in Italy. You'll walk under Hadrian's Arch, cross the vast oval Forum ringed by Ionic columns, and follow the Cardo Maximus, a colonnaded street still rutted by chariot wheels. The Temple of Artemis and the South Theatre are highlights, and the theatre's acoustics are so good that a whisper from the stage carries to the back row. Go early in the morning for soft light and few crowds, and pair it with a stop at Ajloun Castle, a 12th-century fortress just 30 minutes away.

The Dead Sea: Float at the Lowest Point on Earth

At around 430 metres below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest place on land, and its water is nearly ten times saltier than the ocean. That means you float effortlessly, which is as strange and fun as it sounds. The easiest way to visit is with a day pass at one of the resorts near Sweimeh, which gives you beach access, freshwater showers and pools. Slather yourself in the mineral-rich black mud, let it dry, rinse off, and stay for sunset over the hills of the West Bank. Just don't shave the day before, and keep the water out of your eyes.

Wadi Mujib: Hike Through a Water-Filled Canyon

A short drive south of the Dead Sea, Wadi Mujib is Jordan's answer to a natural water park. The Siq Trail takes you upstream through a narrow sandstone gorge, wading, swimming and scrambling up small cascades with the help of ropes and ladders until you reach a thundering waterfall. It takes around two to three hours and you'll be soaked the whole time, so bring water shoes and a dry bag. The trail is open roughly April to October, and it closes after rain because of flash flood risk, so check conditions before you go.

Dana Biosphere Reserve: Jordan's Wildest Landscapes

Dana is Jordan's largest nature reserve, stretching from the highlands down to the Wadi Araba desert, and it's one of the most underrated things to do in Jordan. Base yourself in the restored Ottoman-era stone village of Dana, perched on the canyon rim, or at the candle-lit Feynan Ecolodge at the bottom. The Wadi Dana Trail is a full-day, mostly downhill hike through changing landscapes, where you may spot ibex and griffon vultures. Dana is also the starting point for the Dana to Petra trek, a multi-day section of the Jordan Trail that ends at the back door of Petra.

Petra: The Treasury, the Monastery and Petra by Night

No one-week Jordan itinerary is complete without Petra, the rose-red Nabataean city that's one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Walk the 1.2-kilometre Siq, a twisting slot canyon, until the Treasury (Al-Khazneh) appears through the gap. Give yourself two days if you can: one for the Street of Facades, the Royal Tombs and the High Place of Sacrifice, and another for the 800-step climb to the Monastery (Ad-Deir). Buy the Jordan Pass before you arrive, since it covers your visa fee and Petra entry. On Monday, Wednesday and Thursday nights, Petra by Night lights the Siq and Treasury with over a thousand candles.

Wadi Rum: Sleep Under the Stars in the Valley of the Moon

End your trip in Wadi Rum, a protected desert of red sand and towering sandstone mountains that has stood in for Mars in films like The Martian and Dune. Book a jeep tour with a local Bedouin guide to see Lawrence's Spring, the Khazali Canyon inscriptions and the natural rock bridges of Burdah and Umm Fruth. In the evening, try zarb, a Bedouin feast of meat and vegetables slow-cooked in an underground pit. Then spend the night at a desert camp, or splurge on a bubble tent, and look up at one of the clearest night skies in the Middle East. From here, it's under an hour to the Red Sea at Aqaba if you want to add a day of snorkelling.

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