Jordan Off the Beaten Path: 6 Day Itinerary

Six days buys the version of Jordan where nothing gets rushed, including an actual night under Wadi Rum’s stars and a full day on the Red Sea in Aqaba, instead of driving past both on the way to a flight. Petra still anchors the trip, but it stops being the only thing on it. This extends the 5-day itinerary with Jerash and Aqaba; the 7-day version splits the last day into a full Aqaba day plus a separate departure day.

Book these before you go:

Day Focus Distance Drive time
1 Amman, then Jerash 46km 45min to 1h
2 Dead Sea, then King’s Highway to Wadi Musa 60km / 198km under 1h / 3 to 3.5h
3 Petra, day 1 - -
4 Petra, day 2, then Little Petra - -
5 Wadi Musa to Wadi Rum (overnight camp) 110km 1.5 to 2h
6 Wadi Rum to Aqaba, then departure - about 1h

Day 1: Amman, Then Jerash

Spend the morning in downtown Amman, the Roman theatre carved into a hillside in the middle of the modern city still hosts events two thousand years after it was built. Then head 45 minutes to an hour north, 46km, to Jerash, which has some of the best-preserved Roman ruins outside Italy and, improbably, a re-enactment show in its old Hippodrome with armored performers and actual chariots on the original track. It runs most days except Tuesdays, with an extra showing on Fridays, worth checking before committing the afternoon. Back to Amman for the night.

Day 2: The Dead Sea and the King’s Highway

Head to the Dead Sea first, 60km and under an hour, where the altitude drop pops your ears on the way down; there is no genuinely free full-service beach, most visitors pay a day pass, 20 to 25 JD, for a shower and pool (check current fees before assuming otherwise). From there, take the King’s Highway south rather than the faster Desert Highway, roughly 198km and 3 to 3.5 hours in driving time, longer with stops at Kerak’s Crusader castle and the Dana Biosphere Reserve’s canyon views. Arrive Wadi Musa by evening.

Day 3: Petra, the First Pass

Walk the Siq rather than ride it, the horses near the entrance run on a familiar script, a free-looking ride followed by an aggressive tip demand once committed. At the end of the gorge, the Treasury is a Nabataean tomb facade, not a treasury, no functional rooms behind it at all. From there, work through the Street of Facades and the Royal Tombs, then take the climb to the High Place of Sacrifice for the best view in the site; the Petra guide has the full breakdown if a detail needs checking.

Day 4: The Monastery and Little Petra

An early start for Ad-Deir, over 800 rock-cut steps and roughly an hour’s climb each way, larger than the Treasury and, in a fair reading, the better building precisely because so few visitors bother making the climb. In the afternoon, drive 15 to 20 minutes to Little Petra, a compact Nabataean site that is free, quiet, and a nice change of pace.

Day 5: Into Wadi Rum

Transfer 110km, 1.5 to 2 hours, to Wadi Rum and spend the afternoon on a jeep tour through the red sand and rock formations with a Bedouin driver. The 5 JD protected-area entry is covered by the Jordan Pass ; the separate 4x4 vehicle fee, 25 JD privately owned or 35 JD for a rental, is not. Overnight in a desert camp, where the stargazing needs no explanation once you are actually lying there looking up.

Day 6: Aqaba and Departure

Catch the sunrise over the desert before heading to Aqaba, about an hour away on the Red Sea, for an afternoon swim, snorkel, or dive before the flight, whether that is out of Aqaba’s own airport or a transfer back up to Amman. If diving, ask the dive shop about the wait before driving back up to altitude, operators disagree on the exact hours, so do not assume a same-day drive to Wadi Rum or Petra is automatically fine.

Why Route Jerash Through Amman Instead of Straight From Petra?

Because the direct drive from Petra to Jerash runs roughly 278km and 3 to 3.5 hours, almost the same distance as the Amman leg, for one site. Routing it through Amman instead (as this itinerary does on Day 1) turns that into a single half-day add-on rather than burning a near-Amman-length half day of driving on its own.

Does This Loop Leave Room for a Slower Pace?

Somewhat. Six days covers every major stop without a single rushed transfer, but it does not leave a genuine rest day anywhere in the schedule. The 7-day itinerary adds exactly that by splitting the Aqaba day from the departure day, giving the Red Sea leg room to breathe.