Jordan

SAT 06/09/25 – SAT 13/09/25

Our week in Jordan takes us through some of the world’s most incredible ancient sites and natural wonders. We’ll explore the remarkably preserved Roman city of Jerash, float effortlessly in the Dead Sea’s therapeutic waters, and discover Petra—one of the New Seven Wonders—with its breathtaking rock-carved Treasury and tombs. The journey continues through dramatic landscapes: from Crusader castles and pristine wilderness reserves to the otherworldly red desert of Wadi Rum, where we’ll experience authentic Bedouin hospitality under brilliant starlit skies. Between the iconic sights, we’ll soak up Jordanian culture in Amman’s bustling markets and savour traditional cuisine.

Key Information

Capital: Amman

Official Language: Arabic (English widely spoken in tourist areas)

Currency: JOD Jordanian Dinar (1 GBP = 0.89 JOD, 1 JOD = £1.12)

Population: Approximately 11 million

Landscape: Diverse, from the Dead Sea to desert canyons and ancient cities

Summary of Plan

1	Sat 06-Sep	Travel to Jordan	Fairmont Amman
2	Sun 07-Sep	Jerash & Amman	Fairmont Amman
3	Mon 08-Sep	Mount Nebo & Dead Sea	Movenpick Dead Sea
4	Tue 09-Sep	Shobak, Dana Reserve & Petra	Seven Wonders Luxury Camp
5	Wed 10-Sep	Petra	Seven Wonders Luxury Camp
6	Thu 11-Sep	Little Petra & Wadi Rum	Wadi Rum Cave
7	Fri 12-Sep	Return to Amman	Amman Airbnb
8	Sat 13-Sep	Fly Home	Home

Jordan Driving Tips

• Drive on the right hand side
• Invisible speed bumps are scattered around, along with potholes and police checkpoints
• There are no toll roads
• Petrol is around £1 a litre, diesel a bit less
• Speed limits: 50-60 km/h in urban areas, 80-90 km/h in rural areas, 100-120 km/h on highways

DAY 01 [06/09/25] – Travel to Jordan

Fairmont Amman – night 1/2

We’re flying with Royal Jordanian RJ114 from London Stansted at 15:45 for 5:10 arriving at Amman Queen Alia International at 22:55. We’re on an Airbus A330-212 with snacks in flight.

We can use our Jordan Pass for a free visa on arrival.

We’ve hired a Hyundai Elantra or similar from Enterprise. Budget approximately JOD 237 including the super collision damage waiver and unlimited distance for one week.

We’re staying in the Fairmont Hotel in Amman for two nights in a Fairmont King room. The rate includes breakfast. Budget approximately 400 JOD for two nights.

Address: 6 Beirut Street 5th Circle, Abdoun, Amman

DAY 02 [07/09/25] – Amman and Jerash

Fairmont Amman – night 2/2

This morning, we’ll leave Amman for a short drive north to Jerash where we’ll find some of the world’s best Greco-Roman ruins. Reaching its peak as a favourite of the emperor Hadrian, Jerash is home to a collection of archways, theatres, baths, public buildings and colonnaded streets. Grand columns encircle the city’s centrepiece of the Oval Plaza.

After, we’ll return to Amman and enjoy a wander around the city. There isn’t a huge amount to see in Amman, hence the short amount of time planned here, but we should spot something interesting:

• Amman Citadel
• Hashemite Plaza
• Roman Nymphaeum (Public Fountain)
• Grand Al-Husseini Mosque
• Rainbow Street to see it lit up

DAY 03 [08/09/25] – Mount Nebo & Dead Sea

Movenpick Dead Sea Hotel – night 1/1

We’ll start to make the journey from Amman to the Dead Sea with a stop at Mount Nebo.

Mount Nebo is an elevated ridge located in Jordan, approximately 700 metres above sea level. Part of the Abarim mountain range, Mount Nebo is mentioned in the Bible as the place where Moses was granted a view of the Promised Land before his death. The view from the summit provides a panorama of the West Bank across the Jordan River valley. The city of Jericho is usually visible from the summit, as is Jerusalem on a very clear day.

According to the Bible (Deuteronomy), Moses ascended Mount Nebo, in the land of Moab (today in Jordan), and from there he saw the Land of Canaan (the Promised Land), which God had said he would not enter. Moses then died there. A monument atop Mount Nebo commemorates Moses’ death after seeing Canaan, across the Jordan valley.

After our visit to the viewpoint and church, we will head straight to the Dead Sea.

Named for the lack of life in its waters, this lake is so intensely salty that the water density makes swimming very difficult, but bobbing on the water’s surface is a fun experience. Some travel guides advise limiting your time in the water to around 15-20 minutes due to potential skin irritation from the salt and the risk of dehydration. Some people on Reddit suggest you avoid farting or peeing in the water as it might burn a little!

On arrival to the Dead Sea, we check into the Movenpick Dead Sea hotel, standard king room with breakfast. Budget approximately 150-200 JOD per night.

DAY 04 [09/09/25] – Shobak & Petra

Seven Wonders Luxury Camp – night 1/2

We’ve got a three-hour drive today to Petra, with a short stop at a Dana Nature Reserve viewpoint, Shobak castle, our hotel for the night and then into Petra for the rest of the day.

There is another option for a stop too, Kerak Crusador Castle, the remains of a sizable 12th-century crusader castle complex with a moat, tunnels & landscape views. It doesn’t add too much time to journey and it’s included in our Jordan pass. Let’s see what time it is when we leave the Dead Sea and think about whether it’s worth a visit or not.

Enjoy the scenery and stop off at the viewpoint overlooking the Dana Nature Reserve.

Shobak is an ancient castle built to protect the eastern flank of the Latin Kingdom and its trade routes to the sea before it fell to Saladin in 1189. Entrance to the castle is 1 JOD, but free with the Jordan Pass. It is open during the hours of daylight so times vary depending on the season. Local guides are available to hire at the entrance gate for 10 JOD.

Drive on to the hotel, Seven Wonders Luxury Camp where we have booked Double Dome, 2 people Bed and Breakfast. Budget approximately 100 JOD per night. Check in starts at 3pm, but they will look after our bags for us in case we arrive early. We can have dinner at the camp (between 18:30 and 21:00), but there are better options around Wadi Musa.

The camp is only 15 minutes away from Petra so we could hop back into the car and drive there, or we can take the lift for 7 JOD if we’re fed up with driving for the day. There is a cafe within Petra so we could grab a snack there too if we didn’t manage to get something on the journey.

Petra, ‘Rose City’, dates back to 300 BC, was the capital of the Nabatean Kingdom and is considered the crown jewel of Jordan, featuring an impressive series of tombs and dwellings carved directly into the rock. The iconic view is of the Treasury’s glorious facade, glimpsed from a narrow cleft known as the Siq, and is perhaps the single-most striking sight of the entire region.

DAY 05 [10/09/25] – Petra

Seven Wonders Luxury Camp – night 2/2

We’ve got breakfast included at the camp so treat ourselves to full stomachs then head on into Petra for a good dose of exploration.

A few people have recommended the Al-Khubtha Trail and the photos look truly stunning, although the stairs look somewhat perilous!

If we didn’t visit Petra by night last night, then we should see if we can see it tonight.

DAY 06 [11/09/25] – Little Petra & Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum Cave – night 1/1

We’ve got breakfast included at the camp so treat ourselves to full stomachs then head on out to horse ride around Little Petra. We start riding at 9am for two hours with Mountain Horse Stables, Little Petra Litte, Wadi Musa, Jordan (3 mins drive away from our hotel).

After the ride we’ll head on over to Wadi Rum. Wadi Rum is a protected area of desert that impresses with sandstone mountains, canyons and arches.

We have a really exciting trip in Wadi Rum planned, with a 4-hour jeep tour to start and then a night under the stars in a cave planned for the night. The Bedouins who own the campsite will meet us in Wadi Rum village, situated at 5 km from the visitors’ centre.

The jeep tour includes:

• Lawrence Spring
• Khaz’al Canyon
• Sand Dunes Area
• Little Bridge
• Nabataen Temple

Our cave stay includes traditional food and drinks and they will stay close by all night to keep the fire tended to.

DAY 07 [12/09/25] – Back to Amman

Loft Apartment Jabal Amman B – night 1/1

We will wake up in the unique surrounds of the Bedouin camp this morning, with the sun on our faces and then we will be fed some interesting breakfast before saying goodbye to the camp and being taken back to our car.

We will return to Amman for some last-minute discoveries: perhaps the Roman Theatre, the vibrant Rainbow Street, or simply savour a final Jordian meal whilst reflecting on a week where we’ve touched antiquity, floated on biblical waters, and slept under desert stars.

We are staying at an Airbnb (Loft Apartment Jabal Amman B) in the Jabal Amman area with check in from 14:00. Budget approximately 40 JOD.

DAY 08 [13/09/25] – Home

Flight Home

Sadly we need to fly back to Stansted today. We fly at 10:50 on flight RJ113 so should aim to leave the Airbnb around 7:00 for a 40 minute drive, dropping the car back off at the airport approximately 8:00.

We have three lounge options in the airport:

• Plaza Premium Lounge rated 4.2 above duty free area.
• Crown Lounge rated 4.4 dedicated lounge lift (L4) straight ahead of the Aldeasa duty free
• Petra Lounge rated 4.5 North Pier opposite gate 208 next to WHSmith and Pharmacy 1

Budget Summary

Approximate costs for two people:

• Flights: £400-600 return per person (varies by season)
• Car hire: JOD 240 for the week including insurance
• Accommodation: JOD 800-900 for 7 nights (mix of hotels and camps)
• Jordan Pass: £70-100 per person (includes visa and major attractions)
• Food and activities: JOD 200-300

Total estimated budget: £1,800-2,200 per person for the week