10 days Jordan: Amman, Jerash, Dead Sea, Petra (2d), Wadi Rum (2d), Aqaba diving

Trip map

Click each numbered marker to see the corresponding day.

Day by day

1. 1

   Day 1

   Arrival Amman

   Direct Paris-Amman flight (4h30, Royal Jordanian/Air France, €350-600 return). Jordan Pass scanned on arrival: free visa for stays >= 3 nights (otherwise 40 JOD). Private taxi €20-30 to centre (35 km). Settle hotel in Jabal Amman (walking distance from Rainbow Street) or 1st Circle. Evening discovery: Rainbow Street, Wild Jordan Cafe (Citadel view), Books@cafe, first shawarma at €3-5. Quiet walk to adjust to time difference (1h winter, 0 summer).

   Tips

   • · Jordan Pass 80 JOD = €104 recommended for this 10d itinerary (covers Petra 3 days + 40 sites + visa)
   • · Careem app (Jordanian Uber) or yellow metered taxi for city transfers (~€3-5 in centre)
   • · Withdraw 100-150 JOD at airport ATM for first payments
   • · Jabal Amman hotels: Toledo 3* (€60-80), Art Hotel Downtown boutique (€90-120)
   Amman →
2. 2

   Day 2

   Amman + Jerash

   Morning Amman Citadel (Jabal al-Qal'a, Jordan Pass): Roman Hercules Temple (162 AD), Umayyad palace (8th c.), archaeological museum (Ain Ghazal statues, 9,000 years). Panoramic view over 7 hills. Down to Roman theatre (2nd c., 6,000 seats). Coffee at Hashem (legendary falafel since 1956, €2-3). Afternoon drive Jerash (1h, 50 km): Roman ruins among world's best-preserved, Hadrian's Arch (129), reconstructed hippodrome (chariot race 11am/2pm, €12 extra), cardo maximus, temples of Artemis and Zeus. Back to Amman, dinner mansaf at Sufra or Beit Sitti.

   Tips

   • · Jerash chariot race: separate €12 ticket NOT included in Jordan Pass, 45 min show except Friday
   • · Water, hat, closed shoes at Jerash (site without shade, slippery limestone)
   • · JETT bus Amman-Jerash: 3 JOD one-way, 1h, 6 departures/day (Tabarbour station)
   • · Authentic mansaf: Sufra (€25-35/person) or Beit Sitti cooking class (€50/person)
   Amman →Jerash →
3. 3

   Day 3

   Amman → Madaba → Mount Nebo → Dead Sea

   Early morning departure south. First stop Madaba (45 min, 30 km): Saint George's Basilica houses the Holy Land map mosaic (6th c., world's oldest Jerusalem map, 16 million tesserae). Visit old town mosaic workshops. 10 km further, Mount Nebo (Jordan Pass): per tradition Moses saw the Promised Land here, panorama over Dead Sea, Jordan River and Jerusalem (clear weather). Modern Franciscan memorial and Byzantine fragments. Drive Dead Sea (1h, dizzying descent to -430 m, world's lowest point). Settle 5* resort (Movenpick Resort & Spa, Kempinski Ishtar). First swim: unique buoyancy at 33% salinity. Therapeutic mud baths included. Sunset over West Bank.

   Tips

   • · Dead Sea: NEVER water in eyes (intense burn) or open cuts
   • · 15 min max per swim (rapid dehydration) + 2 L water per day
   • · Plastic sandals strongly recommended (crystallised salt cuts)
   • · 5* resort €250-450/night high season - alternative shore Bedouin camp €50-100
   Madaba →
4. 4

   Day 4

   Dead Sea → Petra (3h) via King's Road

   Morning Dead Sea swim and resort spa (hammam, salt scrub, massage €60-90). Afternoon drive to Petra via King's Highway - 3h, 230 km, one of the Middle East's most scenic roads. Stop Wadi Mujib canyon (view from bridge) or Siq Trail descent if in season (21 JOD, April-October). Stop at Kerak: 12th c. Crusader fortress (Jordan Pass), keep, underground maze, 360° valley view. Continue to Wadi Musa (1h30, Petra gateway village). Settle hotel near entrance (Movenpick Resort Petra 4* at 50 m, Petra Marriott). Early dinner. Evening Petra by Night (Wed/Thu/Mon 8:30pm, 17 JOD NOT included in Jordan Pass): 1,500 candles light the Siq up to the Khazneh.

   Tips

   • · Petra by Night Wed/Thu/Mon only - book at visitpetra.jo
   • · King's Highway more scenic than Desert Highway but 1h longer
   • · Kerak fortress: flashlight useful for underground keep
   • · Hotel Petra Guest House literally at the site entrance (3*, €80-130/night)
   Petra →
5. 5

   Day 5

   Petra Day 1: Siq + Khazneh + Monastery

   Wake 6am, quick breakfast. Petra entry 6:30am sharp (Jordan Pass scanned, otherwise 50 JOD/day): 30 min before tourist rush. Descend the Siq (1.2 km, 80m-high pink-ochre sandstone canyon) - almost total silence at this time. First glimpse of the Khazneh (Treasury) through the gap: 30m-high carved pink facade (1st c. BC), one of the Middle East's most iconic images. Crowd-free photos until 8am. Colonnaded street, Nabataean theatre (4,000 rock-cut seats), Royal Tombs (Urn Tomb, Silk Tomb with blue-red veins). Lunch Basin Restaurant (buffet €25). Afternoon Monastery (Ad-Deir): 800 steps (2h round trip), 47m facade, crowds x10 less than below. Sunset viewpoint above Monastery.

   Tips

   • · 6:30am ENTRY IMPERATIVE: by 8am cruise groups arrive, Khazneh packed
   • · Water (2L), hat, SPF50, closed shoes - site as big as Manhattan
   • · Don't pay donkey to Monastery (10-20 JOD) if you can walk
   • · Iconic Khazneh photo: Al-Khubtha trail (45 min from Royal Tombs, plunging view)
   Petra →
6. 6

   Day 6

   Petra Day 2: High Place + Petra Trail

   Morning return Petra (entry 7am, limited crowds until 9am) for High Place of Sacrifice: 800 steps cut in cliff (1h climb), 360° panoramic view over the whole Nabataean site - Khazneh, theatre, Royal Tombs - from above. Less frequented trail, Bedouins selling tea and silver jewellery. Descend via Wadi Farasa (Lion fountain, Roman Soldier tomb). Afternoon: Royal Tombs in detail (Corinthian Tomb, Palace Tomb), Petra Church (restored Byzantine mosaics), Lion Triclinium. Exit Petra late afternoon. Traditional dinner at My Mom's Recipe Restaurant in Wadi Musa (mansaf €12, makloubeh €10, family atmosphere). Night hotel.

   Tips

   • · High Place of Sacrifice: less frequented trail vs classic route, 50% fewer people
   • · Friendly Bedouins: tea offered (free), jewellery from €5-10 (negotiate 30%)
   • · Petra Church mosaics: little-known, 15 min visit, HUGE historical interest
   • · Wadi Musa dinner: My Mom's Recipe or Three Steps Restaurant (terrace view) €15-25/person
   Petra →
7. 7

   Day 7

   Petra → Wadi Rum (2h) + Day 1 desert

   Quiet morning at hotel or Little Petra (Siq al-Barid, 10 km north, free) - Petra's satellite with carved facades and painted frescoes 11th c. BC. Drive Wadi Rum (2h, 100 km via Desert Highway, Disi exit). Arrive Wadi Rum Visitor Centre (5 JOD entry or Jordan Pass), meet your camp's Bedouin guide. Half-day 4x4 tour (4-5h, included in camp night €60-100): Lawrence's Spring, Khazali Canyon (2,000-year-old Thamudic petroglyphs), Big Red Dune (40m climb, 360° view), Um Frouth natural bridge (15m high). Sunset over orange dunes - magical golden light, blue shadows. Arrive camp 6pm, Bedouin tea, dinner zarb (sand-cooked 3-4h). Night under the stars: zero light pollution, Milky Way visible to naked eye.

   Tips

   • · Recommended camps: Memories Aicha (transparent bubbles €150-250/night) or traditional Bedouin camps €30-60/person
   • · Warm clothes MANDATORY: 10-15 °C summer night, -5 °C winter
   • · Book 4x4 tour via your camp (otherwise €80-150 scam at Visitor Centre)
   • · No alcohol in camps (traditional Muslim area) - bring if needed
   Wadi Rum →
8. 8

   Day 8

   Wadi Rum Day 2: hike + camel ride

   Sunrise 5:45am - mandatory: dunes turn unforgettable pink-orange, total silence, photographers on the lookout. Camp breakfast 7am (fresh Bedouin bread, goat cheese, honey, sweet tea). Burdah Rock Bridge hike (3h, natural arch bridge, world's highest at 35 m) or alternative Jebel Khazali (1h, accessible petroglyphs). Bedouin picnic in the open desert. Afternoon camel ride (1-2h, €20-40/person) - slow and zen pace to observe Martian landscapes (Lawrence of Arabia 1962, Dune 2021, Star Wars shoots). Visit to a Bedouin family for tea and discussions (often organised by camp). Back to camp 5pm, 2nd sunset over dunes. Zarb dinner and starry night.

   Tips

   • · Burdah Rock Bridge: demanding (walking shoes, 2L water) but unique panorama
   • · 2 Wadi Rum nights = real immersion (1 night stays superficial for this landscape)
   • · Camel ride more zen than jeep but slower: choose by mood
   • · Bedouin shops at Visitor Centre: silver €10-50, scarves €5-15
   Wadi Rum →
9. 9

   Day 9

   Wadi Rum → Aqaba (1h) + diving

   Drive Wadi Rum -> Aqaba (60 km, 1h via Desert Highway). Settle sea hotel (Movenpick Aqaba 4-5* with private beach access, Intercontinental, or boutique hotels). Scuba diving with PADI/SSI centre (Aqaba International Dive Center reference): Cedar Pride (Lebanese cargo deliberately sunk 1985, became artificial reef at 25m, abundant fauna), Tank Wreck (American tank submerged at 6m, snorkeling accessible), Japanese Garden (lush coral reef, 10-18m). 2 dives + gear + boat: €80-120. Otherwise snorkeling from Berenice Beach Club (€15/day) or exploration of Tala Bay. Sunset over Red Sea with view of Eilat (Israel), Aqaba (Egypt) and Saudi Arabia on horizon. Fresh fish dinner at port (Ali Baba Restaurant, €25-40/person).

   Tips

   • · Aqaba diving: less crowded than Sharm el-Sheikh (5x fewer divers) but same corals
   • · Try-dives from €50-80 (PADI 5* centre, English-speaking instructors available)
   • · Berenice Beach Club and Tala Bay: best clean public beaches (entry €10-20)
   • · Free snorkeling from beach at Marine Science Station (south Aqaba) - reefs accessible at 5m
   Aqaba →
10. 10

    Day 10

    Aqaba → Amman flight → Paris return

    Morning beach relax or 2nd Aqaba dive (Big Bay, less frequented reef). Brunch hotel or marina. Royal Jordanian internal flight Aqaba-Amman (45 min, €50-80) - saves 4h drive vs Desert Highway. Arrive Queen Alia International 2-3pm. Souvenir shopping airport duty-free (olive oil €10, zaatar €5, mini mosaic €15-50). Evening flight Amman-Paris (5h direct, Royal Jordanian or Air France). 3h margin recommended for airport (security sometimes slow, exit tax queue). End of trip. For Paris-suburb nights: last RER B metros until midnight, otherwise taxi €40-60 depending on zone.

    Tips

    • · Internal Aqaba-Amman flight vs 4h drive: always prefer flight (€50-80 for 4h saved)
    • · Typical Jordan souvenirs: Madaba mosaics, local olive oil, desert sage tea, zaatar
    • · 3h Amman airport margin MANDATORY (security + long terminal walk)
    • · Driver tip if you have one: 5-10 JOD/day cash at end of trip
    Aqaba →

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