Petra & Wadi Rum by Bike — Self-Launched

Land at Queen Alia International (AMM) and take the Airport Express bus or a shared airport taxi into downtown Amman (JD 3.30 bus / ~JD 20 shared taxi). Check into a budget hotel in the Al-Weibdeh or downtown area, then walk the Rainbow Street cafes and climb to the Amman Citadel for sunset views over the Roman Theatre. Buy a Jordan Pass online before arrival — it covers your visa fee and Petra entry in one go. Tonight pick up cash (Jordan is very cash-based) and sort a Jordanian eSIM or local SIM from Orange/Zain at the airport.

🚌Airport Express bus ~£3.50, or shared airport taxi ~£10 pp

🛏Budget hotel or hostel in Amman downtown, ~£28/night

• →Amman Citadel & Roman Theatre entry (~£2)
• →Rainbow Street evening stroll

Catch a JETT bus or shared service taxi north to Jerash (60–75 min, ~JD 3–5) and spend the morning in the best-preserved Roman provincial city in the Middle East — Hadrian's Arch, the Oval Plaza, the colonnaded Cardo Maximus. Early afternoon, pick up a pre-booked hybrid bike from a local Jerash or Amman hire shop (or rent from a Petra-based operator for the week, ~£20–25/day, deliverable to Amman) and ride a rolling ~35km loop through the olive groves and villages below the ruins before being picked up or riding the minibus back. Book the bike the day before — few shops have same-day walk-in availability.

🚌JETT bus or shared taxi Amman–Jerash ~£4; bike hire ~£22

🛏Guesthouse in Madaba, ~£26/night

• →Jerash archaeological site (included on Jordan Pass)
• →Cycling ~3.5 hrs through the Jordan Rift Valley foothills

Morning in Madaba: St George's Church and its 6th-century mosaic map of the Holy Land, plus the Archaeological Park. Then ride out of town and up Mount Nebo (7km climb, ~450m gain) — take it slow or wave down a passing taxi with the bike if the heat bites — for the view over the Jordan Valley. The reward is a long, glorious descent to the Dead Sea shore. Stop at a public beach such as Amman Beach or a paid day-use spot at Suweimah (~JD 15–20) to float in the hypersaline water and mud up. Overnight in a cheap Madaba or Dead Sea-area guesthouse, ready to head south.

🚌Bike hire day ~£22; taxi/lift backup ~£8

🛏Guesthouse Madaba/Dead Sea area, ~£28/night

• →St George's Church mosaic map (~£2)
• →Mount Nebo cycle ascent
• →Dead Sea beach day-use (~£18)

Take the early JETT or Trust International bus from Amman/Madaba to Wadi Musa (~3.5 hrs, ~JD 12–15), or a shared minibus from Madaba via the Desert Highway. Drop bags at a Wadi Musa budget hotel, then walk down to the Petra visitor centre for a mid-afternoon entry. Ticket tip: a 2-day Petra ticket (JD 60 with Jordan Pass or ~JD 60 standalone) is worth it — this entry gets you straight through the Siq to El Khazneh (the Treasury) in lovely low light with far fewer people than an early-morning wave. Explore the Street of Facades and the Royal Tombs on the way out.

🚌JETT/Trust bus to Wadi Musa ~£14

🛏Budget hotel in Wadi Musa, ~£28/night

• →Petra 2-day entry (Jordan Pass or ~£62)
• →Walk the Siq to El Khazneh

Be at the gate for opening (6am in summer, 7am winter) and climb the 800 rock-cut steps to the High Place of Sacrifice for the panorama over the valley before the heat. Descend via the Wadi Farasa and the Roman Soldier's Tomb, then take the 800-step trail to El Deir (the Monastery) — the biggest facade in Petra and the day's biggest leg-stretch. Unlike the guided tour you've got the whole day to pace it: pack water (2–3L), snacks and a hat. Optional Petra by Night (Mon/Wed/Thu, ~JD 17) if your dates line up. Evening in Wadi Musa for cheap falafel and a resupply.

🚌On foot / local taxi to gate ~£3

🛏Budget hotel in Wadi Musa, ~£28/night

• →High Place of Sacrifice hike
• →El Deir (Monastery) climb
• →Optional Petra by Night ~£18

Rent a hybrid or mountain bike in Wadi Musa (~£18–22/day) and ride the quiet back road north to Little Petra (Beidha), about 25km round trip with a stiff climb out of town — a good leg-warmer before tomorrow. Little Petra is free with your Petra ticket and quietly stunning: squeeze through the narrow Siq Al-Barid fissure into carved chambers, painted frescoes and rock-cut benches, with a fraction of the crowds. Stop for tea with a Bedouin family and, if you're feeling it, walk the 8km trail from Little Petra back to Petra's Monastery entrance instead of riding. Back in town by late afternoon.

🚌Bike hire ~£20

🛏Budget hotel in Wadi Musa, ~£28/night

• →Little Petra & Siq Al-Barid (free)
• →Optional Little Petra–Monastery trail

Long but memorable day. Take an early shared minibus or taxi down the Wadi Araba road toward Aqaba (~2 hrs, ~JD 10–15 pp shared), or if you've kept the bike, ride the final flat stretch through Bedouin territory and date palms to the coast — watch for camels on the road. Dump bags at a Red Sea budget hotel or hostel (Aqaba has good-value dorms and 3-stars, ~£30/night) and spend the afternoon on a public beach or a low-cost day-use beach club. Wander Aqaba's old town, the Aqaba Fort and the fish market for a cheap grilled seafood dinner. Book your Wadi Rum camp for tomorrow through Booking.com or a local operator (many camps include transport from Aqaba).

🚌Shared minibus Wadi Musa–Aqaba ~£11

🛏Budget hotel/hostel in Aqaba, ~£30/night

• →Red Sea beach afternoon
• →Aqaba old town & fort stroll

Take the morning bus or a shared taxi from Aqaba to Wadi Rum Visitor Centre (~1 hr, ~JD 8–10). Check in at a Bedouin camp in the protected area — goat-hair tents or bubble tents run £25–40 pp half-board; pay the JD 5 reserve entry fee. In the afternoon do a 3–4 hour 4x4 jeep tour (~JD 35–45 shared, book direct with the camp) hitting the Lawrence Spring, Khazali Canyon inscriptions, the red sand dunes and a sunset viewpoint. Back at camp for a traditional zarb dinner cooked underground, then mint tea and the Milky Way — bring a headtorch and a warm layer, desert nights get cold.

🚌Aqaba–Wadi Rum shared taxi ~£9

🛏Bedouin desert camp, half-board, ~£32

• →Wadi Rum reserve entry (~£6)
• →4x4 jeep safari ~£40 shared
• →Zarb dinner included in camp rate

Up early for sunrise over the sandstone jebels with camp coffee and flatbread breakfast — a short walk or a quick 4x4 hop to a nearby viewpoint. Catch the JETT or client bus from the Wadi Rum Visitor Centre back to Amman (~4 hrs, ~JD 15–18, runs late morning), or a shared taxi to Aqaba for a flight/train connection. If you've got a late flight, spend a last couple of hours in Amman's downtown for knafeh at Habibah and a final wander through the gold souk before heading to Queen Alia airport.

🚌Wadi Rum–Amman JETT bus ~£17; airport taxi ~£10

🛏None (onward travel) or Amman budget hotel ~£28 if flying late

• →Wadi Rum sunrise
• →Amman downtown & knafeh stop