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🇯🇴 Itinerary · Jordan · 30 days

1-month Jordan itinerary 2026: the country in depth

30 unhurried days: the Roman North, the desert castles, the Dead Sea, Dana, Petra, Wadi Rum, Aqaba and segments of the Jordan Trail. Budget and transport.

🔄 Updated June 1, 2026

📅 See the program 🔄 See variants

In brief

Duration

30 days

Stops

9 places

Average budget

€3,200-5,200

Total distance

~1,800 km

Profile

Grand trip

Season

Mar-May, Sep-Nov

North (Umm Qais-Jerash) 4d · Amman 3d · desert castles 2d · Dead Sea 3d · Dana 4d · Petra 5d · Wadi Rum 4d · Aqaba 3d · return 2d

Itinerary map

The route at a glance

1-month Jordan itinerary map: Umm Qais, Jerash, Amman, desert castles, Dead Sea, Dana, Petra, Wadi Rum, Aqaba

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Detailed program

9 days, day by day

1

~€65/day

North · D1 to D4 · Rome, Crusaders and green hills

  • D1-2 Arrival, Jerash and its colonnades, Ajloun Castle in the wooded hills.
  • D3 Umm Qais (ancient Gadara), views over the Sea of Galilee and the Golan Heights.
  • D4 Pella site, Jordan Valley, a first walk on a Jordan Trail segment.
🛌 🛌 Ajloun then the northern valley (4 nights)·🚗 Rental car
2

~€70/day

Amman · D5 to D7 · The city of hills

  • D5 Citadel, Roman theatre, lively downtown and souks.
  • D6 Jabal Al Weibdeh (cafés, galleries), Rainbow Street, the food scene.
  • D7 Day trip to Salt, an Ottoman town of preserved charm (UNESCO).
🛌 🛌 Downtown · e.g. Toledo Amman (3 nights)·🚗 Car·Amman guide →
3

~€60/day

Desert castles · D8 to D9 · The Umayyad East

  • D8 Castle loop: Qasr Kharana, Qasr Amra (UNESCO frescoes), Qasr Azraq.
  • D9 Azraq reserve, oasis and wetlands, a night in the eastern desert.
🛌 🛌 Azraq (2 nights)·🚗 Car
4

~€75/day

Dead Sea & Mujib · D10 to D12 · The lowest point on Earth

  • D10 Float, mud bath, spa, Bethany baptism site.
  • D11 Wadi Mujib canyon, water siq (in season), Mukawir (Herod's fortress).
  • D12 Madaba, Byzantine mosaic map, Mount Nebo.
🛌 🛌 Dead Sea · e.g. Dead Sea Spa Hotel (3 nights)·🚗 Car + 🥾 canyon
5

~€70/day

Dana · D13 to D16 · The great reserve and the Jordan Trail

  • D13 King's Highway, Karak Castle (Crusaders), arrival in Dana.
  • D14-15 Trek from Dana to Wadi Feynan (a flagship Jordan Trail segment), a night in an eco-lodge.
  • D16 Rest in the perched village of Dana, birdwatching and canyons.
🛌 🛌 Dana · e.g. Dana Guest House + Feynan (4 nights)·🚗 Car + 🥾 trek
6

~€70/day

Petra · D17 to D21 · The rose-red city in depth

  • D17 Siq and Treasury at opening, royal tombs, theatre.
  • D18 Monastery (Ad-Deir), High Place of Sacrifice, ridge trails.
  • D19 Little Petra and the Back Door hike to the Monastery, away from the crowd.
  • D20-21 Trek from Petra to Wadi Rum on the Jordan Trail, two days through sandstone and canyons.
🛌 🛌 Wadi Musa · e.g. Petra Moon Hotel (5 nights)·🚗 Car + 🥾 trek
7

~€80/day

Wadi Rum · D22 to D25 · The desert

  • D22 4×4 tour: arches, red dunes, canyons, the Khazali petroglyphs.
  • D23 Climbing or a hike to the Burdah Rock Bridge, one of the highest arches.
  • D24 Camel ride, a bivouac far from the main camps.
  • D25 Sunrise, a free morning, photography in the golden light.
🛌 🛌 Wadi Rum · e.g. Bedouin bubble camp (4 nights)·🚙 Camp 4×4
8

~€75/day

Aqaba · D26 to D28 · The Red Sea

  • D26 Drive to Aqaba, first dives on the coral reefs.
  • D27 Diving course (PADI) or the Cedar Pride wreck, among the best accessible sites.
  • D28 Seafront downtime, old Aqaba quarter, fish market.
🛌 🛌 Aqaba (3 nights)·🚗 Car + 🤿 diving
9

Flight

Return · D29 to D30

  • D29 Drive back to Amman on the Desert Highway (4h), or flight Aqaba → Amman.
  • D30 A last day in Amman, final shopping, return flight to Paris.
🛌 🛌 Amman (1 night)·🚗 + ✈️ return flight

How much

Itinerary budget (per person, flight included)

Backpacker

€3,200

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight: €450
  • 🏨 2★, camps and eco-lodges: €42/night
  • 🍜 Canteens: €20/day
  • 🎟️ Jordan Pass: €100
  • 🚗 Car 29 d + trek guides: €900
Recommended

Comfort

€4,200

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight: €550
  • 🏨 3-4★ and camps: €80/night
  • 🍽️ Mixed restos: €32/day
  • 🎟️ Jordan Pass: €100
  • 🚗 Car 29 d + guides: €1,100

Premium

€7,000 and up

per person

  • ✈️ Upper-cabin flight: €1,400
  • 🏨 5★ and luxury camps: €200/night
  • 🍽️ Fine dining: €60/day
  • 🚖 Private driver-guide
  • 🎫 Guided treks + diving course: €900

Shorter, longer

Other possible durations

1 week

1 week

Amman, Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea. The essential format.

2 weeks

2 weeks

The whole country, from the desert castles to the Dana reserve.

You're here

1 month

1 month

Jordan in depth: hikes, deserts and the Red Sea.

How to get around

Itinerary logistics

A month runs self-drive from Amman, with on-foot segments on the Jordan Trail (Dana-Feynan, Petra-Wadi Rum). The car is the thread between the walks; a local guide accompanies the long treks and handles luggage transfers.

🎟️

Jordan Pass

~€100 · visa + 40 sites · buy online before departure

🚗

Rental car

€35-55/day · the thread between stops · French licence accepted

🥾

Jordan Trail (segments)

Dana-Feynan, Petra-Wadi Rum · guide + portering advised

🤿

Diving at Aqaba

PADI course possible · reefs and wrecks reachable from shore

Adapt by season

Spring and autumn, timed with the Jordan Trail

A month blending sightseeing and hiking is timed to spring (March-May) or autumn (September-November), exactly the seasons when the Jordan Trail is walked: 18 to 26°C, open trails, springs in water. Wadi Mujib only opens its water siq in the warm season (roughly April-October). Summer is too hot to walk the southern deserts; winter makes nights at Wadi Rum and Dana very cold.

Author tips

What I would redo (and change)

✅ Would redo

  • • In October 2024 I walked from Petra to Wadi Rum over two days via the Jordan Trail: leaving Petra on foot from the back, sleeping under the stars between the two sites and reaching the desert without a car was the high point of the whole trip.
  • • Giving Petra five days: the site is so vast that you still find new trails on the fourth day.
  • • Taking a Bedouin guide for the Dana and Jordan Trail treks: he handles water, portering and safety, and tells the country better than any paper guide.

⚠️ Would change

  • • Cut Aqaba to 2 nights if you don't dive and add a night at Wadi Rum.
  • • Skip Umm Qais and Pella if the North draws you less, for more time at Dana.
  • • Schedule the treks in spring or autumn: summer makes the southern Jordan Trail dangerous.

FAQ

Itinerary FAQ

Isn't a month too long for Jordan? +
Not if you hike. The country is compact, but the Jordan Trail (Dana-Feynan, Petra-Wadi Rum) and the time spent on each site transform the trip: you walk, you slow down, you dig deeper instead of chaining visits. It's the format for hiking and desert lovers.
Do you need a guide for the Jordan Trail? +
For the committed segments (Dana-Feynan, Petra-Wadi Rum), yes: a local guide handles water, portering, route and safety. Short marked trails are self-guided. Count the guide in the budget for long treks.
Can you dive at Aqaba without experience? +
Yes. Aqaba is a good place for a first certification (a 3-4 day PADI Open Water course), with reefs and wrecks reachable from shore, warm water and low swell.
What budget for 30 days? +
Count around €3,200 backpacking, €4,200 in comfort and €7,000 and up premium, flight from Paris, Jordan Pass, car and guides included, per person. Trek guides weigh on the lower budget.
Is the Jordan Trail walkable all year? +
No. It is walked in spring (March-May) and autumn (September-November). Summer is dangerous in the southern deserts (heat, little water) and winter brings cold and floods. Time your month to these windows.
What's the best period for this grand tour? +
Spring and autumn, the only seasons when you can do everything: sightseeing, a Dead Sea float, Jordan Trail treks and desert. Avoid summer in the South and check the Wadi Mujib opening for your dates.

Marie Laurent ✓

·

Southeast Asia specialist · itinerary personally tested.

Last updated: June 1, 2026.

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