The perfect 7-day Jordan itinerary for first-timers
Amman → Petra → Wadi Rum → Dead Sea, with exactly where to sleep each night.
If it's your first trip to Jordan, the good news is that the country is wonderfully compact. The three landmarks most people come for — Petra, the desert of Wadi Rum, and the Dead Sea — sit within a few hours' drive of one another, looping out from the capital, Amman. Seven days is enough to see all of them at a relaxed pace, with time left over to wander.
This is the itinerary we recommend most often to first-timers. It assumes you land in Amman and rent a car (the easiest way to travel here), but it works just as well with a private driver. Read our guide to getting around Jordan if you're still deciding.
Days 1–2 · Amman & the Roman north
Ease in. Spend your first afternoon in Amman's hilltop old town — the Citadel for the view, the Roman Theatre below it, and a long dinner of mezze downtown. On day two, take a half-day trip north to Jerash, one of the best-preserved Roman cities anywhere, then loop back for the evening.
Don't rush Amman. A slow first day on local time is the difference between enjoying Petra and sleepwalking through it.
Where to stay
Base yourself near Rainbow Street or in Jabal Amman — walkable, full of cafés, and close to the sights. Budget for roughly 40–80 JOD a night for a comfortable mid-range room.
Days 3–4 · Petra, slowly
Drive south on the Desert Highway (about three hours) and give Petra two full days, not one. Most visitors see only the walk in through the Siq to the Treasury and turn back — but Petra is an entire city.
- Day 3: The classic route — the Siq, the Treasury, the Street of Façades, and the Royal Tombs.
- Day 4: Climb to the Monastery (Ad-Deir) early, then the High Place of Sacrifice for the view back down.
Buy the Jordan Pass before you arrive — it bundles your visa with entry to Petra and dozens of other sites, and pays for itself almost immediately.
Day 5 · A night in Wadi Rum
It's a short drive from Petra to the desert. Arrive by mid-afternoon, take a 4x4 tour to the dunes and rock bridges, and stay the night at a camp. Dinner is traditionally zarb — meat and vegetables slow-cooked underground — and the stargazing is genuinely some of the best on earth.
Days 6–7 · The Dead Sea & home
Drive north to the Dead Sea for your final two days. Float in water so salty you can't sink, coat yourself in the famous mineral mud, and do very little else. It's the perfect decompression before flying home from Amman, about an hour away.
A realistic budget
For a week, two people travelling mid-range should plan on roughly $1,200–1,800 excluding flights — covering a rental car, fuel, the Jordan Pass, mid-range hotels and meals. It's easy to spend less, and just as easy to spend more.
Planning your own trip? Download our free day-by-day version of this itinerary at the bottom of the page — it includes the exact hotels and driving times we use.
About the author
Layla Haddad
Layla is a travel writer based in Amman. She has spent the last six years exploring every corner of Jordan — from the Roman north to the Red Sea — and writes the itineraries and safety guides here. She speaks Arabic and English and answers reader questions personally.