Jordan Uncovered — Self-Launched

Land at Queen Alia International Airport and take the Sariyah airport express bus (or a shared white taxi) into Amman for roughly £5–7 — no need to pre-book a private transfer. Check into a hostel or budget hotel around Downtown/1st Circle, then spend the late afternoon walking Rainbow Street, Hashem Restaurant for cheap falafel and hummus, and the Roman Theatre if you still have energy. Buy a local SIM at the airport (Umniah/Zain, ~£9 for a tourist data pack) and pick up cash from an ATM. Note: if you plan to use the Jordan Pass (recommended — it covers your visa fee and Petra entry), you must buy it online BEFORE arrival.

🚌Sariyah airport express bus or shared taxi from QAIA (~£6)

🛏Hostel or budget hotel, Downtown Amman (~£15)

• →Sariyah airport bus into Amman
• →Rainbow Street wander
• →Roman Theatre (optional, ~£2)

Take a JETT or local minibus from Amman's Tabarbour/Abdali bus station up to Jerash (~£2 each way, about 1 hour). Pay the site entry yourself — it's included in the Jordan Pass, otherwise ~£11. Jerash is one of the best-preserved Roman cities outside Italy: Hadrian's Arch, the Oval Plaza, the colonnaded Cardo Maximus and two theatres. Self-guide with a free audio app or pay a licensed site guide ~£15–20 if you want the stories; bookable in advance via GetYourGuide if you prefer to lock it in. On the way back stop for a late lunch at a women-run café in the Souf area (Beit Khayrat Souf, the community café G Adventures uses — walk-in friendly) for a traditional Jordanian meal (~£6). Back in Amman, walk up to the Citadel and the Jordan Archaeological Museum in the late afternoon (~£2 or included in Jordan Pass).

🚌JETT coach or minibus Amman–Jerash return (~£4)

🛏Hostel or budget hotel, Downtown Amman (~£15)

• →Jerash archaeological site entry
• →Optional licensed guide at Jerash (~£17)
• →Beit Khayrat Souf community café lunch
• →Amman Citadel & Archaeological Museum

Take the early JETT/minibus to Madaba (~£2.50, 45 mins) and see the famous 6th-century mosaic map of the Holy Land in St George's Church plus the Archaeological Park (~£3). Local minibuses run from Madaba to Mount Nebo (or a shared taxi ~£5) where you get the classic Dead Sea panorama from the summit — free to walk the grounds, small fee for the Moses Memorial church. Continue south to Wadi Musa either by the scenic King's Highway (shared taxi, ~£20–25 per person if you split it in a group of 3–4 — this is the honest budget way to replicate the tour's route) or the cheaper Desert Highway bus from Madaba/Amman (~£6, faster but less scenic). Check into a guesthouse in Wadi Musa, eat early and get an early night ready for Petra.

🚌Minibus Amman–Madaba (~£2.50), shared taxi Madaba–Nebo–Wadi Musa (~£22 share)

🛏Guesthouse in Wadi Musa (~£16)

• →St George's Church mosaic map & Madaba Archaeological Park
• →Mount Nebo viewpoint and Moses Memorial
• →King's Highway scenic drive

Be at the gate for opening (6am in summer, 6:30am winter) to walk the Siq before the heat and crowds — the 1km gorge between 80m sandstone walls opening onto the Treasury is the moment you came for. Petra entry is covered by the Jordan Pass; without it, one-day entry is ~£50. Climb to the Monastery via the 800 steps, then the High Place of Sacrifice or the Royal Tombs if your legs allow. A licensed local guide at the gate costs ~£25 for 2–3 hours or ~£50 for a full day and is well worth splitting with other travellers; you can also pre-book a Petra walking tour through GetYourGuide. Late afternoon: Turkish bath in Wadi Musa (~£38) if you want the recovery. This evening, buy a Petra by Night ticket (~£25, Mon/Wed/Thu) — candles line the Siq and Bedouin musicians play in front of the Treasury.

🚌Walking (Wadi Musa is walkable; local taxi ~£2 if needed)

🛏Guesthouse in Wadi Musa (~£16)

• →Petra full-day entry (Jordan Pass)
• →Licensed Petra guide (shared cost, ~£12)
• →Petra by Night (~£25)
• →Optional Turkish bath (~£38)

Take a minibus or shared taxi from Wadi Musa to Wadi Rum Visitor Centre (~£8–10, about 2 hours). Most desert camps include a jeep transfer from the village into camp. Book a small desert camp (bubble/glamping-style tents go for £15–30 per person; basic Bedouin camps cheaper) directly or via Booking.com, and add a 2-hour 4x4 tour through the camp (~£20–25) covering the red dunes, the Khazali canyon inscriptions, mushroom rock and Lawrence's Spring. Catch sunset from a dune with tea, then a Bedouin zarb dinner (meat and vegetables cooked underground) back at camp. After dinner, walk out beyond the lights with your camp host for a stargazing walk — the Milky Way here is unreal — or join a guided astronomy session (~£10).

🚌Minibus/shared taxi Wadi Musa–Wadi Rum (~£9); camp 4x4 pickup included

🛏Wadi Rum desert camp, shared tent (~£22 incl. dinner & breakfast)

• →Wadi Rum 4x4 tour (~£22)
• →Wadi Rum protected area entry (~£4)
• →Sunset viewpoint & Bedouin dinner
• →Optional guided stargazing walk (~£10)

Morning transfer from camp back to the Wadi Rum road, then a shared taxi or minibus north toward the Dead Sea (~£18–22 per person shared; a full private taxi is ~£55 but split 3 ways it's similar). Stop for lunch at Al Safi community café in the Jordan Valley (the G Adventures-supported spot — walk-in and cheap, ~£6). Pick a budget-friendly Dead Sea hotel or guesthouse on the Amman-side shore — the big resort hotels charge day-pass rates of £30–50, so either stay one night at a mid-range hotel with beach access (~£40–50 double) and use its floating beach, or buy a cheaper public/private beach day pass like Amman Beach (~£15). Float, mud up, rinse off in the showers, then relax by the pool.

🚌Shared taxi/minibus Wadi Rum–Dead Sea (~£20)

🛏Budget hotel or guesthouse near the Dead Sea (~£20 shared)

• →Al Safi community café lunch
• →Dead Sea swim & mud (beach pass ~£15)
• →Sunset by the water

Take a local taxi or minibus the short hop to Bethany Beyond the Jordan (Baptism Site), a UNESCO World Heritage site on the riverbank with Byzantine churches, caves and the baptismal pools (~£12 entry, guides are mandatory-ish at ~£7 for the shuttle route). Continue to Amman by shared taxi or bus (~£5–8). Afternoon: wander the Jabal al-Weibdeh neighbourhood for coffee and bookshops, or check out the Jordan Museum. Finish with a farewell dinner — try a cheap local mansaf or mezze spot in Downtown for ~£10, or split a taxi to the more famous Hashem/al-Quds area.

🚌Taxi/minibus to Bethany (~£4), shared transport to Amman (~£6)

🛏Hostel or budget hotel, Downtown Amman (~£15)

• →Bethany Beyond the Jordan entry & shuttle (~£19 total)
• →Jabal al-Weibdeh café wander
• →Jordan Museum (~£5)

Depending on your flight, squeeze in one last cheap breakfast (falafel and mint tea for ~£2) or a final walk through the souk, then take the Sariyah airport bus or a shared taxi back to Queen Alia (~£6). If you're leaving overland, budget the 10 JOD overland departure tax in cash. Currency tips: keep ~50 JOD in cash for tips and small entries — ATMs in Amman and Wadi Musa are reliable, but Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea have none.

🚌Sariyah airport bus or shared taxi to QAIA (~£6)

🛏None (departure day)

• →Last-minute souk shopping
• →Airport transfer