Petra in 5 Days — Petra + Wadi Rum + Dead Sea + Aqaba Red Sea

Activities

1. 10:00 Amman AMM → Wadi Musa (3h drive south) 3 hours drive

   Private transfer ($80 / JOD 56), shared JETT bus ($15 / JOD 11, 4 hours), or rental car ($40/day). Most travelers do a private transfer for predictability. Stops include the King's Highway scenic route + Kerak Crusader Castle if requested.

   Cost: $15-80 / JOD 11-56 TIP: Buy Jordan Pass online BEFORE flying to Jordan (covers your visa + Petra + Wadi Rum). Save passport photos at hotel for the Wadi Rum permit.
2. 13:30 Wadi Musa lunch at Al Wadi or Three Steps + hotel check-in 1.5 hours

   Wadi Musa is the village adjacent to Petra entrance — 5-10 min walk from the Visitor Center. Lunch + check into hotel + rest.

   Cost: $10-25 / JOD 7-18 TIP: Stay near the Petra Gate (Mövenpick, Petra Marriott) for the 6:00 sunrise tomorrow. Movenpick is literally 50 m from the entrance.
3. 15:30 Petra afternoon entry — Siq walk + Treasury 3 hours

   First Petra entry to time the afternoon light on the Treasury. Walk through the 1.2 km Siq sandstone gorge — Nabataean water channels, votive niches, and the famous Treasury reveal at the end.

   Cost: Jordan Pass JD 70 / $99 covers TIP: Avoid horse-drawn carts (overpriced JD 25 + jarring). Take it slow — the Siq itself is the show. Treasury sunlight angle is best 10:00-14:00; afternoon visit is still magical with softer light.
4. 18:30 Dinner at My Mom's Recipe (rooftop) or Al Saraya buffet 1.5 hours

   Slow Jordanian dinner — mansaf, mezze, freshly-baked taboon bread. My Mom's Recipe has the canonical Wadi Musa rooftop view at sunset.

   Cost: $15-35 / JOD 11-25 TIP: Reservation recommended for the My Mom's Recipe rooftop. Mansaf takes 30-45 min to prepare — order on arrival.
5. 20:30 Petra by Night (Mon/Wed/Thu only) — 1,500 candles in Siq 1.5 hours

   Candlelit walk back through the Siq to the Treasury — 1,500 candles light the gorge, Bedouin music + storytelling at the Treasury. 1.5h experience.

   Cost: $24 / JD 17 TIP: Buy ticket same-day at Visitor Center (not pre-bookable online). Arrive 20:00 to walk slowly + get a front-row seat. No flash photography — tripods allowed.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 06:00 Sunrise Petra entry — Siq + Treasury (golden hour) 2 hours

   Re-enter Petra at 6:00 opening for the canonical sunrise experience. Walk the Siq with no crowds + soft golden light + early Bedouin tea cafes opening. The Treasury at sunrise is the most-photographed Petra moment.

   Cost: Jordan Pass covers TIP: Bring water + sunscreen + comfortable walking shoes (Petra is 8-15 km of walking daily). Headlamp helpful in the early Siq if pre-6:00 entry by negotiation.
2. 08:30 Al-Khubtha Trail — Treasury from above viewpoint 1.5 hours round trip

   30-min stair climb behind the Royal Tombs to the cliff edge directly above the Treasury — most-photographed Petra angle.

   Cost: Included with Petra entry TIP: Bedouin guides at the trailhead offer 'better viewpoint' detours for JD 5-10 — usually worth it for a quieter spot. Keep small children well back from unfenced edges.
3. 10:30 Walk to Monastery (Ad Deir) base — pass Qasr al-Bint 1 hour

   Walk from the Treasury through the Street of Facades, past the Great Temple + Qasr al-Bint + Basin Restaurant to the Monastery trail base. About 45 min slow walking with stops.

   Cost: Free TIP: Stop at Cave Bar for mint tea + Basin Restaurant for lunch BEFORE the Monastery climb. Fuel up — 800 steps ahead.
4. 12:30 Monastery (Ad Deir) 800-step climb + viewpoint above 2.5 hours round trip including viewpoint

   800 steps up the carved Nabataean staircase to the 47m Monastery — bigger than the Treasury. Optional 10-minute extra climb past the Monastery to the ridge viewpoint above (the canonical 'Monastery from above' angle with Wadi Araba Valley stretching to Israel).

   Cost: Included with Petra entry TIP: Hire donkey to base of final stairs (JD 10-15 / $14-21) but climb final section yourself. Bedouin tea cafes at the top sell mint tea + flatbread JD 3-5 / $4-7 — the canonical Petra lunch with the canonical view.
5. 16:30 Descend Monastery + exit Petra + light dinner at Three Steps 2.5 hours descent + dinner

   Walk back down the Monastery steps + through Petra to the entrance. Total Petra walking today: 12-15 km. Reward at Three Steps with a casual mezze + hummus dinner.

   Cost: $8-20 / JOD 6-14 TIP: Pacing on the descent — Petra's most common injury is twisted ankles on the Monastery steps coming down tired. Hold the handrail.
6. 19:30 Optional: Little Petra (Siq al-Barid) by car 1 hour

   Smaller Nabataean trading outpost 10km north of Petra — 'Little Siq' gorge + painted Nabataean dining room ceilings + fewer crowds. Free entry (covered by Jordan Pass).

   Cost: Bolt or taxi JD 15-25 / $21-35 round trip TIP: Most travelers do Little Petra as an extension; if you're tired from the Monastery, swap for a Cave Bar nightcap and skip Little Petra to Day 3 morning.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 09:00 Wadi Musa → Wadi Rum (2h drive south) 2 hours

   Drive south to the Wadi Rum Visitor Center. Most Bedouin camps include the round-trip transport from Petra ($25-40 per person), or hire a private taxi ($60-80 one-way).

   Cost: $25-80 / JOD 18-56 TIP: Wadi Rum permit is included with your Jordan Pass. Bring your passport for the permit check.
2. 11:30 Wadi Rum Jeep Tour — Lawrence's Spring + Khaz'ali Canyon 4 hours

   3-4 hour 4×4 jeep tour with Bedouin driver. Stops: Lawrence's Spring + Khaz'ali Canyon (Nabataean + Thamudic petroglyphs) + Um Fruth Rock Bridge + Burdah Bridge viewpoint. Lunch in the desert with Bedouin tea.

   Cost: $50-70 / JOD 35-50 (often included in camp package) TIP: Sand boarding optional (most jeep tours include it). Bring a head covering — sun + wind in open jeeps is intense.
3. 16:30 Check in to Bedouin camp + sunset on the deck 1.5 hours

   Sun City Camp, Memories Aicha Luxury Camp, or Wadi Rum Bubble Luxotel — the three canonical luxury options. Check in, settle into the bubble tent, walk to the canyon-edge deck for sunset.

   Cost: Camp full-board $80-400 / JOD 56-282 TIP: Bubble tents have private bathrooms but no Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi only at the main tent). Bring a layer — desert temperatures drop 15-20°C at night even in summer.
4. 19:30 Bedouin Zarb Dinner — sand-pit cooked lamb + Bedouin music 2 hours

   The canonical Wadi Rum experience — Bedouin staff unearth the zarb sand pit (lamb + chicken + vegetables cooked underground for 3-4 hours), serve communal-style with rice + bread + mezze. After dinner, fire-side rebab music + storytelling.

   Cost: Included in camp full-board TIP: Vegetarian zarb option must be arranged in advance. Limited alcohol at most Bedouin camps (cultural respect). Stargazing from the deck after dinner — Wadi Rum has zero light pollution.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 05:30 Sunrise camel ride from Bedouin camp 1 hour

   The canonical Wadi Rum morning — Bedouin guide leads a 1-hour camel ride through the desert to a sunrise viewpoint. Slow, silent, surreal.

   Cost: Included in camp full-board TIP: Bring a layer — pre-dawn desert is cold. The Bedouin guide brings hot mint tea for the viewpoint stop.
2. 08:30 Camp breakfast + check-out 1.5 hours

   Bedouin breakfast — pita + hummus + zaatar + olives + Bedouin tea. Pack up, check out by 11:00.

   Cost: Included in camp full-board
3. 11:00 Wadi Rum → Aqaba (1h drive) 1 hour

   Drive south 1 hour to Aqaba — Jordan's only seaport, on the Red Sea Gulf of Aqaba. Aqaba Special Economic Zone offers visa-free entry if entering directly from Saudi Arabia or Egypt.

   Cost: Bolt or shared taxi JD 20-35 / $28-50 TIP: Many Wadi Rum camps offer a paid shuttle to Aqaba for $25-40 per person — usually easier than hailing a taxi from the visitor center.
4. 13:00 Aqaba lunch + Red Sea beach club afternoon 3 hours

   Lunch at Berenice Beach Club or Royal Yacht Club + afternoon swim/snorkel in the Red Sea. The Gulf of Aqaba is one of the world's top diving destinations — coral reefs start 10 m offshore.

   Cost: Beach club entry JD 10-25 / $14-35 TIP: Royal Yacht Club has the best food + cleanest snorkel area. Avoid the public beaches — crowded + scrappy.
5. 16:30 Snorkel tour OR scuba diving session 3 hours

   30-min boat to the Japanese Garden coral reef + 2-hour snorkel/scuba session. Even snorkeling sees colorful fish, soft corals, the wreck of the Cedar Pride freighter (15-20m depth, scuba-only).

   Cost: Snorkel $35-50 / scuba single tank $60-90 TIP: Book through Aqaba Adventure Divers, Sea Star Watersports, or Royal Diving Club. Bring underwater camera (rental available).
6. 20:00 Aqaba dinner at Floka or Ali Baba 1.5 hours

   Aqaba's seafood is the canonical Red Sea Jordan dinner — fresh fish from the gulf, grilled with za'atar + lemon. Floka (Greek-Lebanese) and Ali Baba (Jordanian seafood) are the two canonical picks.

   Cost: $20-50 per person / JOD 14-35 TIP: Reservation recommended for sunset terrace seating at Floka.

Meal Recommendations

Activities

1. 08:00 Aqaba → Dead Sea (4h drive north) 4 hours

   Long drive north along the Dead Sea Highway. Most travelers hire a private driver for the day ($100-150) — the route covers Wadi Mujib + Dead Sea + Mt. Nebo + Madaba in one circuit.

   Cost: $100-150 private driver / JOD 70-105 TIP: Stop at Wadi Mujib viewpoint (the 'Grand Canyon of Jordan') for photos.
2. 12:30 Dead Sea lunch + float 3 hours

   Reach the Dead Sea by 12:30. Lunch at Mövenpick Dead Sea or Kempinski Ishtar (day-pass JD 30-50 / $42-70 includes pool + beach + buffet lunch). Float in the Dead Sea for 1 hour max.

   Cost: Day-pass $42-70 / JOD 30-50 TIP: Don't get water in eyes/mouth — 33% salinity stings badly. 15-20 minutes float maximum per session, shower immediately after. Don't shave that morning — even small cuts burn.
3. 16:00 Mt. Nebo + Madaba mosaics 2 hours

   Mt. Nebo is where Moses saw the Promised Land (per tradition) — viewpoint over the Jordan Valley to Jerusalem. Madaba is 'the city of mosaics' — Byzantine map of the Holy Land in St. George's Greek Orthodox Church (6th century).

   Cost: Jordan Pass covers both sites TIP: Both sites within 15 min of each other. Mt. Nebo's view is best clear afternoons; Jerusalem visible 80km west on rare clear days.
4. 19:00 Continue to Amman + arrival dinner 1.5 hours

   Amman is 1 hour from Mt. Nebo/Madaba. Check into Amman hotel (downtown or Abdoun district). Dinner at Sufra (traditional Jordanian) or Romero (Italian institution).

   Cost: $25-60 / JOD 18-42 TIP: Stay in Jabal Amman or Abdoun for the best restaurant + bar walking access. Downtown Amman is cheaper but quieter at night.

Meal Recommendations