Petra & Wadi Rum Trek — Self-Launched

Fly into Queen Alia International Airport and take the Sariyah airport express bus or shared shuttle to downtown Amman (~£6, runs hourly-ish; a taxi is around £20-25). Settle into a budget hotel in the Al-Weibdeh or downtown (Al-Balad) area, then walk the Hashemite Plaza–Rainbow Street loop, grab falafel and hummus for dinner (~£4-5) and stock up on snacks, wet wipes and a headtorch for the desert. Buy your Jordan Pass online before arrival if you haven't (JD 70 / ~£78 including visa waiver and 3 days of Petra entry).

🚌Sariyah airport express bus ~£6 or shared shuttle

🛏Budget hotel, downtown Amman or Al-Weibdeh (dorm or private double)

• →Rainbow Street and Al-Weibdeh walk
• →Falafel and knafeh dinner downtown
• →Buy desert supplies and water

Take the early JETT bus from Amman's Abdali station to Aqaba/Rum (approx. £12, roughly 7am, ~4 hrs, book online a day or two ahead), getting off at the Wadi Rum Visitor Centre or arranging pickup with your camp. Other options: a minibus to Aqaba then a shared taxi back up to Rum (~£10 total). Pay the JD 5 reserve entry, meet the Bedouin family/trekking outfit you've booked for the next four days, and do a short jeep transfer into the protected area past the Seven Pillars of Wisdom to a Bedouin camp near Um Al Bdoun. Evening zarb dinner cooked underground with your hosts (~£8 equivalent, often included in camp or trek package).

🚌JETT bus Amman–Wadi Rum ~£12 plus shared jeep transfer ~£5

🛏Bedouin desert camp near Um Al Bdoun (tent or sleep-out under stars; basic shared bathrooms)

• →JETT bus Amman to Wadi Rum
• →Wadi Rum Visitor Centre and reserve entry
• →Seven Pillars of Wisdom viewpoint
• →Walk to Um Al Bdoun Bedouin campsite
• →Traditional zarb dinner

First full walking day: transfer by jeep to the mouth of Siq el Barrah and trek the canyon and open desert with your Bedouin guide, roughly 5-6 hours at an easy-medium pace on soft sand. Guides are mandatory for trekking in the reserve — a local outfit (e.g. Bedouin Directions, Rum Wonders or Jordan Tracks' Wadi Rum partners) typically charges £55-75 per person per day including guide, cook, camp gear, all meals and unlimited water, so book a 5-day trekking package in advance. Lunch and hot dinner cooked at a wild camp; sleep out under the stars.

🚌Jeep transfers within the reserve included in trek package

🛏Wild desert camp, Wadi Rum (tents plus sleep-out option, no facilities)

• →Siq el Barrah canyon trek
• →Open desert walking
• →Wild camp with Bedouin cook
• →Optional camel backup for luggage

The big adventure day: guide-assisted scramble up Jebel Burdah, a non-technical but exposed climb, to stand on the Burdah Rock Bridge archway with huge views over the Jebel Umm Fruth area. If the exposure or heat isn't your thing, stay at the base or at camp — no shame, plenty of people do. From 2027-style longer treks you can also add Jabal Umm ad Dami, Jordan's highest peak, if your outfit offers it. Back to a wild camp for tea, bread and dinner around the fire.

🚌On foot with jeep luggage support

🛏Wild desert camp, Wadi Rum

• →Guided scramble up Jebel Burdah
• →Burdah Bridge archway viewpoint
• →Optional extension to Jabal Umm ad Dami
• →Campfire dinner and stargazing

Walk from camp to the Umm Fruth Rock Bridge for an easy scramble and photos, then cross to the ruins of Lawrence House and on into remote red-sand dunes dotted with Nabataean and Thamudic rock inscriptions. Your guide can point out the petroglyphs — ask them to explain the inscriptions rather than simply walking past. Finish at a Bedouin camp for a real shower (a treat mid-trek) or continue wild camping if your outfit includes it.

🚌On foot with jeep luggage support

🛏Bedouin camp or wild camp, Wadi Rum

• →Umm Fruth Rock Bridge scramble
• →Lawrence House ruins
• →Red-sand dune crossing
• →Rock inscription viewing

Final desert leg: walk out through Wadi Umm Al Ishrim, a narrow sandy wadi at the northern edge of the reserve, then be transferred to Little Petra (Siq al-Barid). Spend the afternoon exploring Little Petra's carved facades and the Painted Bazaar free of the crowds, then overnight in a budget guesthouse in Beidha or Wadi Musa (~£15-20). Optional camel ride through the wadi instead of walking, roughly £15-20 arranged direct with your guide. Eat a proper Jordanian dinner in Wadi Musa (~£6-8).

🚌Bedouin jeep to Little Petra ~£8; onward shared taxi to Wadi Musa ~£3

🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel in Beidha / Wadi Musa

• →Wadi Umm Al Ishrim walk
• →Little Petra (Siq al-Barid) visit
• →Optional camel trek
• →Evening in Wadi Musa

Get an early start (7am) and walk the back trail from Little Petra into Petra via the cliffs and the Monastery (El Deir) — the classic route is 2.5-3 hrs, but the Petra end of the trail sits inside the site, so either join a small guided back-trail group via GetYourGuide or a Wadi Musa agency (~£35-45) or go with an authorised local guide from Little Petra. From the Monastery descend to Petra's city centre and Roman amphitheatre, then exit via the Treasury and the Siq. Budget a full day; the Jordan Pass covers entry on three consecutive days. Late afternoon JETT bus or shared taxi back to Amman (~£12-15), overnight downtown. Dinner in Amman (~£6).

🚌Shared taxi Wadi Musa to Amman ~£13 or JETT bus ~£12

🛏Budget hotel, downtown Amman

• →Back trail from Little Petra to Petra
• →The Monastery (El Deir)
• →Petra city centre, tombs and Roman amphitheatre
• →The Treasury and the Siq
• →Optional Turkish bath in Wadi Musa

Breakfast at the hotel, a last wander through the Amman Citadel or the Jordan Museum if your flight is late (Citadel entry is covered by the Jordan Pass), then take the Sariyah airport bus back to Queen Alia (~£6). If you have an extra day or two, add a Dead Sea day trip from Amman (~£25-35 with transport via GetYourGuide or a shared taxi) or a Jerash half-day before flying home.

🚌Sariyah airport express bus ~£6

🛏N/A (departure day)

• →Amman Citadel or Jordan Museum
• →Optional Dead Sea day trip
• →Airport transfer