Which travel route Jordan will you take? – 2x Inspiration for a 10-day round trip Jordan

Are you going on a 10-day round trip Jordan? And do you already know which itinerary Jordan you will take? Most people have around 8 to 12 days to spend. Although that’s a nice number of days, the fact remains that you can’t do everything. You want to see the Treasury in Petra of course and the Wadi Rum but also floating in the Dead Sea should not be missed. To get the best Jordan travel experience, I have some options of itineraries Jordan you could use. Because I had the luxury of being able to travel solo around beautiful Jordan for just under a month, I still visited just a few more places.

If you take a tour of Jordan then of course you have to see the historically important places. But also the Wadi Rum should not be missed and what about floating in the Dead Sea?

Which travel route Jordan will you take?

I will therefore include these places in both itineraries. With one, you have just a bit more time to spend there and the emphasis is a bit more on Jordan’s historical background and the other itinerary has a bit more nature and adventure in it. So which do you choose? Do you emphasise history or nature? Or do you make a combination of both itineraries? Do you take a bit more time and visit everything?

How many days for Jordan?

The more days the better of course… I spent almost a month there and, of course, by no means saw everything this interesting country has to offer. Most round trips offered are around 10 to 14 days. If you take about 10 days to travel around and then take an extra day or maybe 2 to rest and relax at the Red Sea, I think you will have a nice trip where you can see a lot and relax.

Do you need a visum for Jordan?

Yes, you can buy a visa on arrival at the airport but a better option is to buy the Jordan Pass in advance. You can buy it online and this pass includes the visa and a whole bunch of entrances. Read more about this pass.

Is it safe to travel to Jordan?

I experienced Jordan as a very safe country. First I travelled solo in Jordan with my hire car and the contacts I had were positive. At some points I felt rejected on sight by, mostly, older men. I suspect this was mostly due to my choice of clothing. I always had my shoulders covered and my 3-quarter yoga leggings but still no headscarf or ankles covered. That’s why I wrote this blog back then. Later I did a trip with 5 other women and we never had any negative reactions. Thinking about that, when traveling alone you are more focussed on your surroundings then with a group.

As a woman alone in Jordan, I never for a moment felt unsafe. Feeling watched is very different from actually feeling unsafe. Not a single man made advances that made me feel uncomfortable.

The Jordanian people are very hospitable and are super nice. I think if I had only travelled there for 10 days I wouldn’t have realised but after 3 weeks I started to get a bit annoyed by it, unfortunately. Fortunately, by then I was also moving on to the next country smoothly. I spent those last few days in Madaba…. A lovely city to stay in.

Also in Amman, after I had eaten out, I walked a bit back even though it was dark and I still had 15 minutes to walk. People were nice, greeted me and allowed me to walk. I did not feel unsafe or unwelcome there either. I don’t recommend it to anyone to walk far in the dark in a city but it felt fine to me.

Well during the day, I did once feel that someone was following me, this was in the souk near the street market in central Amman. I suspect a pickpocket. This man kept following me for a while and when I stopped around a corner and he had to catch up with me I did not see him again. Of course, I then sought eye contact with him to give him good notice that I was watching him 🙂

Inspiration for a 10 day tour Jordan

What is the appropiate way to dress in Jordan?

Dress fashionably in Jordan, not too nude. Keep in mind that people cover themselves well. Bear in mind that it is a Muslim country and men therefore mostly do not see skin on women in the streets. Anything they do see can give them ideas. And that they get ideas is in turn the ‘fault’ of the woman….

There is still something for men in Muslim countries to learn if you ask me. Until then, I take into account what I wear but don’t go out on the streets wrapped in a big cloth. I still want to feel comfortable in my own clothes and still be somewhat presentable in photos.

Can you travel through Jordan yourself?

I drove myself around Jordan in a hire car the first time I visited. I am going again soon and then I will go in a group with women and we will have a bus with driver. Also very nice and super luxurious of course.

I found the locals very helpful and friendly. Should you need help and ask for this I am sure they will be happy to help you. The roads are well maintained in Jordan and I found the traffic pretty quiet. Of course it is a bit busier in the cities but overall it is very good driving. The country is not laid out with roads and so it is pretty clear how to get from point A to point B.

Of course, Jordan is a middle-eastern country and so things are a bit different from the Netherlands. If you just drive slowly, indicating in time which way you want to go, everything will be fine.

• Read more about tips for driving in a foreign country

Which travel route will you take through Jordan?

Historical Travel Route Jordan

• Day 1 & 2 Historical Travel Route Jordan

Start your trip in Amman. I started this city by visiting the Jordan Museum. You learn something about the country’s history right away and how it compares to other countries in the Middle East or in the world I liked the museum. After this I went for a walk, through the busy market, souk and past the mosque. After this, I visited the theatre and the citadel. Visiting the citadel against the sunset I did like it a lot!

Read about what to do in Amman

You can still spend the night in Amman but you could also drive to Jerash. It is an hour’s drive, so it is fine to do in the early evening or the next morning.

• Day 3 Historical Travel Route Jordan

Start your day in Jerash by visiting the archaeological site. If you start the day in Amman drive out early so you can spend the whole morning wandering around here. In the afternoon, you can drive on (20km) to Aljoun to visit the castle and dive into nature. Near the castle you have some eateries sitting nearby so you can have lunch but you can also have lunch at the entrance to the nature reserve (Aljoun Forest Reserve Visitor Centre).

You can also choose to travel on to Umm Qais, 70 km, after visiting Jerash. I have not been here and so this remains a bit of a draw for me. What have I missed? So one option is to leave the castle and the walk in the nature reserve but drive on to Umm Qais where you will see the excavations of the ancient city of Gadara.

• Day 4 Historical Travel Route Jordan

From Umm Qais (87 km) or Aljoun (60 km), drive to As-Salt. This place is also very nice for a nice walk in the city centre. At the local tourist office, you can get some information about a nice walk in the centre. They have several walks on paper for you. Again, the town of As-Salt has quite a bit of history to show and it has a nice friendly atmosphere.

Then drive on to Madaba in the afternoon. Also in Madaba, you can do a nice city walk that takes you past some important churches and excavations. This walk is described in the Lonely Planet. If you just enter a few places to visit in your navigation, you will find that the city is not very big and you can easily walk from one church to another. Along the way, you can enjoy the street scene.

See what I visit in Madaba

Inspiration for a 10 day historical travel route Jordan

• Day 5 Historical travel route Jordan

After a fine night in Madaba, you can drive on to the Dead Sea but you’ll pass some very interesting places along the way. How about Mount Nebo? The place where Moses looked out over the Promised Land? Of course you’ll want to make a stop there. For a small price, you can walk up the mountain. You’ll find a small museum and, of course, a nice view of the surroundings… and thus the Promised Land.

If you drive on after that, it is a must, of course, to visit the Baptismal Site of Jesus Christ. When you get close to the lowest point in the world, the Dead Sea, turn right and drive up to this site. It is well signposted and when you get there you buy a ticket and wait for the bus to take you to the site. You are not allowed to go there independently and the whole trip is catered incl with a fine explanation. I found it interesting!

After this, you drive to your hotel by the Dead Sea and, of course, float for a while … read the newspaper … or however you want to pose in the water! And at most hotels they have a private beach where they have Dead Sea mud for you so you can continue your journey the next day with a baby-soft skin.

• Day 6 Historical travel route Jordan

This morning you can have a quick float in the Dead Sea before travelling further down. On your way to one of the new wonders of the world: namely, the ancient city of Petra. Make sure you set your navigation to drive on the Kings Highway, which is the road number 35. And just to be clear, Petra is near the city of Wadi Musa.

First you drive down along the Dead Sea for quite a while and then you go up into the mountains. The Kings Highway is the old road used by the Crusaders. You will pass through several villages and will be able to witness Jordanian life along the road.

Have lunch somewhere in a village along the Kings Highway or go to the Crusader castle in Kerak and have lunch there. Not much is left of the castle itself and it is more the surroundings and the view that is very impressive.

You will cover about 250 km today and take about 4 hours to do so. So it’s a nice change if you can make a longer stop somewhere.

• Day 7 Historical travel route Jordan

If you arrive in Wadi Musa and are checked in, I would go and inquire for the Petra by Night option. It’s a fun introduction to the area. You will walk through the long Siq that night and come face to face with the Treasury by night. It’s just a short show of less than half an hour, a light and sound show. Get your ticket for the light show as early as that afternoon at the entrance to Petra.

The next morning is nice to start before sunrise and once again walk that long Siq to get back to the Treasury. This time you will experience it quite differently than in the dark of course. The sight so suddenly remains impressive! You also have a chance that if you are early you can still get a nice photo without too many other tourists standing around 🙂

Read the following blog about how I spent my day(s) in Petra and figure out a nice itinerary for yourself. In Petra you can buy food and drinks, there are several restaurants along the main road. Of course, it is recommended to carry a small backpack with drinks and some food.

Enjoy the evening at a fine restaurant in Wadi Musa itself or close to the entrance to Petra and make sure you get a good night’s sleep. You have probably covered the necessary kilometres.

• Day 8 Historical travel route Jordan

Next morning, drive on to the magical desert the Wadi Rum (120 km). Most camps in the Wadi Rum include picking you up in the village (Wadi Rum Village) itself. Many times they do give you an option on where to park the car and where they will pick you up.

After this, I took a seat on the back of the pick-up and let them drive me into the desert on my way to the campsite. That afternoon, I went straight on a tour that lasted into the evening, after sunset. Most of the highlights of this desert were visited and the guide told me beautiful, vivid stories about the background of the different places.

That evening I sat on a terrace eating dinner at a fine temperature with the high mountains still visible against a beautiful starry sky as a backdrop. What a nice place it was and how much I enjoyed that day and evening.

Read more about what I did and saw in the Wadi Rum

• Day 9 Historical travel route Jordan

Then drive to your last destination, Aqaba ( 70 km). Check into a hotel that has a swimming pool or is nice and close to the Red Sea that you can swim in. Be aware that most beaches are public so sunbathing and swimming in your bikini can be a bit strange.

Book a nice snorkelling or diving trip because that is what the Red Sea is famous for. There are several wrecks off the coast where diving trips go. But even snorkelling you can spot a wreck.

Travel route Jordan – Inspiration for a 10 day travel route Jordan

• Day 10 Historical travel route Jordan

On this last day, you’ll drive back to Amman. This can be done via the Desert Highway or the road along the Dead Sea if you don’t have much time. But of course, you can also choose the tourist road again, the Kings Highway. Enjoy a nice cup of tea en route, a nice lunch somewhere and then slowly drive on to Amman where this amazing 10-day Jordan tour comes to an end.

Are you a bit more into adventure on the road and looking for a challenge? In the next Jordan itinerary, also a 10-day, I include a bit more nature and thus adventure. A hike in Dana and the Wadi Mujib are included in this 10-day Jordan itinerary.

Adventurous travel route Jordan
Inspiration for a 10 day trip Jordan

Adventurous Travel Route Jordan

Looking for a trip with more adventure and nature than the previous one? Then check out this itinerary Jordan.

• Day 1 Adventurous travel route Jordan

Start your day by travelling to Madaba in your rented car. Visit the city centre with some beautiful churches and an archaeological site. If you then drive on to the Dead Sea, you can stop off along the way at Mt Nebo. Look over the promised land from the mountain as Moses once did there.

Afterwards, check in at your hotel and enjoy the unique feeling of being able to float in the Dead Sea. Rinse yourself off and dip into the pool at your hotel for a while and slowly let it all sink in. You’re at the lowest point in the world! What better way to start a trip in Jordan?

I really recommend getting a hotel by the Dead Sea. Otherwise, there is little fine beach where you can get to the Dead Sea on the Jordanian side. You will soon find yourself on a pebbly beach and there is no Dead Sea mud available to rub yourself with. Your skin will feel wonderfully soft the day after!

• Day 2 Adventurous travel route Jordan

If you like, you can float in the Dead Sea before you check out but after that we’ll go on another adventure – Wadi Mujib. One of the most beautiful gorges in Jordan with immense rock walls and clear blue fast-flowing water. I thought it was super! It’s just a short walk and swim in the wadi but what a feeling!

In the afternoon, you can head to the Wadi Bin Hammad for another fine hike or head to the Ma’in Hotspring to relax. Great option for your night to stay at is Alhidan – Jordan.

• Day 3 Adventurous travel route Jordan

After yesterday’s adventurous day, you can have a nice drive on the Kings Highway. The oldest road in Jordan, the road over which the Crusaders also used to ride. Then also grab the view of Kerak Castle and possibly a visit to it. Look over the area just like the crusaders used to.

After this, drive on to Dana Biosphere Nature Reserve. That same afternoon, take a nice walk in the area, explore the village and the paths around it. Or hike all the way down the Dana Trail before heading back up. I did this in one morning. Who knows, you might be able to find a guide and drive to the Shaq al Reesh Trail. This is located close to the village of Dana.

Adventurous trip with a lot of hiking and nature – Jordan

• Day 4 – 5 Adventurous travel route Jordan

Make sure you arrange in advance to have a guide for today, and if you are travelling alone, a group, to do the Wadi Ghuweir Trail. This one is pricey alone so you’ll want to share the car and guide cost, (160 JOD). I have a local contact who can arrange this trip for you, send me a message if you want contact with guide Ahmad.

• Day 6 – 7 Adventurous travel route Jordan

After a good night, possibly still in Dana or already in Wadi Musa, you will head out early in the morning to see the first rays of the sun falling on the Treasury in Petra. While waiting for the sunrise you can eat your brought breakfast and buy a cup of tea from the Bedouin.

You can spend the rest of the day going to the Monastery. This is a beautiful place and definitely a must visit.

I can recommend you to possibly do the high place of sacrifice trail. I really liked that hike. You will get a bit more out of the busy part. I found it a nice, long walk. At the end of that walk, you can then turn left on the main road, so further into Petra and do the long hike up. To the Monastery, if you still have the time and puff for that then.

You can choose to do this in 2 days of course. I took 2 days in Petra to visit everything.

Petra by Night is something you want to see, of course!

• Day 7 – 8 Adventurous travel route Jordan

The Wadi Rum is truly a beautiful desert. I love deserts, the peace and space there…. I love it! If you spent 2 days in Petra then you have 1 more day to spend in the desert. Just make sure you are there for 2 nights then. So on day 2 from Petra drive to the desert in the evening….

Then make sure you book a day trip around the highlights of the desert at your campsite. Every hotel or campsite can arrange this for you or provide a tour themselves. If you have two days, you can just take in all the interesting spots of the Wadi Rum desert.

• Day 9 Adventurous travel route Jordan

After visiting the Wadi Rum, drive on to the Red Sea for a day of rest. Go snorkelling and swimming in the Red Sea and look back on a super trip through Jordan.

• Day 10 Adventurous travel route Jordan

On this last day of your 10-day Jordan tour, you will travel back to Amman via the Kings Highway. If you have less time then take the road along the Dead Sea or the Desert Highway. Enjoy the views of this wonderfully diverse country one last time.

Which trip will you choose? Do you go for the historical or the adventurous? Or do you do a combination of both and just travel around Jordan for a bit longer?

Share this fine travel inspiration or save it for your next round trip!

Want to read more about travelling in the Middle East?

Hiking in a wadi: Oman / Jordan – Which one do you like the most?

Complete travel guide for Abu Dhabi and Dubai

Visit the ancient old city of Jerusalem – Israël

Journey through 1916 – Wadi Rum adventure by Train

Go hiking along the Lycian Coast – Turkey

After Jordan I went on to Oman to tour with 5 amazing ladies

All you need to know for your trip to Oman – Essentials for your trip to Oman

I hope you enjoy this world as much as I do