Jordan & Saudi Arabia: Ancient Trade Routes — Self-Launched
12 days · Jordan & Saudi Arabia
G Adventures charges £2,350
No-markup version: ~£1,290 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 12-day self-launched version of G Adventures' Amman-to-Jeddah route through the cradle of the ancient incense and pilgrimage trade routes. You'll hit the Roman ruins of Jerash, float in the Dead Sea, walk the Siq into Petra, sleep in a Wadi Rum Bedouin camp, cross the Durra border into Saudi Arabia's little-visited northwest, 4x4 through Jibal Hisma and Wadi Dissah, explore Hegra (Madain Saleh) and AlUla's oasis, then ride Saudi's Haramain high-speed train to Medina and finish in Jeddah's old town. Everything is bookable yourself: JETT and local buses, shared 4x4s and Bedouin guides, GetYourGuide day tours, and budget hotels/guesthouses. Costs are approximate backpacker/mid-budget rates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Amman — settle into downtown
Amman, Jordan
Land at Queen Alia International and take the airport express bus or a fixed-price taxi (~£20) to downtown Amman (Jabal Amman / Rainbow Street area). Check into a budget hotel or hostel. Use the afternoon to sort a Jordan Pass online (JD 70–80, covers visa-on-arrival fee plus Jerash and Petra entry — buy before you fly to waive the JD 40 visa fee), withdraw Jordanian dinars, and pick up a local SIM (Orange/Zain, ~£8 for data). Eat cheap at Hashem's falafel downtown and wander the Roman Theatre and the Citadel at sunset.
🚌Airport express bus or taxi from Queen Alia (~£20)
🛏Budget hotel/hostel, downtown Amman (~£20)
- →Roman Theatre & Citadel
- →Rainbow Street wander
- →Buy Jordan Pass + local SIM
Jerash Roman ruins + Dead Sea float
Jerash & Dead Sea, Jordan
Take an early JETT bus or a shared taxi/servees north to Jerash (~£6–8, ~1hr) for the best-preserved Roman provincial city outside Italy — colonnaded cardo, Hadrian's Arch, hippodrome and two theatres. Either join a GetYourGuide Jerash + Dead Sea day tour from Amman (~£45–55 including entry), or self-organise: bus back to Amman then a minibus/taxi to a public Dead Sea beach such as Amman Beach (~£12–15 entry + towel). Float, mud up, rinse off. Return to Amman for the evening and eat at a local hummus/falafel spot.
🚌JETT bus/shared taxi to Jerash, minibus to Dead Sea (~£15)
🛏Budget hotel/hostel, downtown Amman (~£20)
- →Jerash archaeological site
- →Dead Sea swim & mud bath
Madaba mosaics, Mt Nebo & Karak Castle → Wadi Musa
Madaba, Mt Nebo, Karak, Wadi Musa
Take a shared taxi or minibus south to Madaba (~£3) and see the 6th-century Byzantine mosaic map of the Holy Land in St George's Church (~£3). Continue to Mt Nebo for the panoramic views over the Jordan Valley and Dead Sea (~£2). Then catch a bus/servees down the King's Highway to Karak and explore the Crusader castle (~£3). From Karak take a minibus or shared taxi to Wadi Musa (Petra's town, ~£6–8). Check into a guesthouse near the Petra entrance and buy your Petra ticket if your Jordan Pass wasn't already sorted.
🚌Shared taxis/minibuses Madaba → Mt Nebo → Karak → Wadi Musa (~£15)
🛏Guesthouse in Wadi Musa (~£18)
- →Madaba mosaic map
- →Mt Nebo viewpoint
- →Karak Crusader castle
Petra — the Siq, Treasury & Monastery
Petra, Jordan
Start at the gate for opening time (6am) to beat the crowds and heat. Walk the 1km Siq to the Treasury, then on through the Street of Facades, Royal Tombs and the Roman theatre. Climb the 800 steps to the Monastery for the best view, and — if you have legs left — the 900 steps to the High Place of Sacrifice. Consider a licensed local guide at the gate (~£20 shared) or a self-guided audio app. Evening options: Petra by Night (Mon/Wed/Thu, ~£17, candlelit Siq) or a Turkish bath in town (~£45).
🚌Walk (Petra gate is 5–10 min from town)
🛏Guesthouse in Wadi Musa (~£18)
- →Petra full-day entry (Jordan Pass)
- →Monastery hike
- →Optional Petra by Night
Little Petra → Wadi Rum 4x4 & Bedouin camp
Siq al-Barid, Wadi Rum
Morning shared taxi to Little Petra (Siq al-Barid, ~£8 entry) — a quieter free-ish intro to Nabatean carving. Then catch the local minibus from Wadi Musa to Wadi Rum village (~£7, 1.5hrs). Book a night at a Bedouin camp directly (many list on Booking.com or via the Wadi Rum Visitor Centre) that includes a jeep tour — a 4-hour 4x4 excursion plus dinner, breakfast and tent is typically £35–50 per person. Watch the sunset from a dune, eat zarb (sand-baked meat) and sit round the fire.
🚌Minibus Wadi Musa → Wadi Rum (~£7)
🛏Bedouin desert camp, Wadi Rum (~£38 incl. dinner & breakfast)
- →Little Petra
- →Wadi Rum 4x4 jeep tour
- →Bedouin camp evening
Cross the Durra border → Al Bad (Madyan), Saudi Arabia
Durra Border, Al Bad, Tabuk
Leave camp early and take a taxi to Aqaba (~£15) then to the Durra border crossing south of Aqaba (~£10). Budget time for formalities — buy your Saudi tourist e-visa in advance online (~£100, or free with a qualifying hotel booking campaign). On the Saudi side arrange a taxi/wait for a shared ride to Haql or Tabuk (~£25). Base in Tabuk, then day-trip by shared 4x4 or hire a driver to Al Bad (Madyan) — the ancient wells and Nabatean ruins where Moses is said to have found refuge. Cash and conservative dress matter here; ATMs are sparse.
🚌Taxi Aqaba → Durra border → Tabuk (~£40)
🛏Budget hotel in Tabuk (~£30)
- →Durra border crossing
- →Al Bad (Madyan) ancient site
Jibal Hisma red desert by 4x4
Jibal Hisma, Tabuk Province
Hire a 4x4 and driver for the day from Tabuk (~£70–90 for the vehicle, split between travellers — ask at your hotel or a local tour operator) and head into Jibal Hisma, the red sandstone mesa country sometimes called Saudi's Wadi Rum. Stop for short hikes up rock fins and dunes, hunt for the prehistoric inscriptions, and picnic in the shade. This is genuinely untouched tourism — expect to see almost nobody. Back to Tabuk for the night; pack for an early start.
🚌Private 4x4 hire with driver, shared (~£40/person)
🛏Budget hotel in Tabuk (~£30)
- →Jibal Hisma 4x4 & hiking
- →Rock formations & inscriptions
Tabuk → Wadi Dissah → AlUla
Wadi Dissah, AlUla
Drive south toward AlUla with a shared 4x4 or a hired car (full-day transfer ~£35–45/person split). Stop at Wadi Dissah (Wadi Qaraqir) where the 4x4 can push deep into the green, palm-fringed canyon — picnic lunch by the water. Arrive in AlUla in the late afternoon, check into a guesthouse or budget hotel in the old town, and watch the sun go down over the sandstone from Harrat viewpoint. Book your Hegra tour (via the Experience AlUla site) for the next day — slots sell out.
🚌Shared/hired 4x4 Tabuk → Wadi Dissah → AlUla (~£40)
🛏Guesthouse in AlUla (~£25)
- →Wadi Dissah canyon
- →AlUla sunset viewpoint
AlUla — Hegra, oasis trail & Elephant Rock
AlUla (Al 'Ula), Saudi Arabia
Walk the Heritage Oasis Trail through palm groves and mud-brick lanes in the morning (free). Then take the official Hegra tour (Rawi-guided, booked on the Experience AlUla site, ~£20–25) to the UNESCO-listed Nabatean rock-cut tombs — the largest site outside Petra. Late afternoon visit a local farm for dates and tea, then finish at Elephant Rock (Jabal AlFil) for sunset tea and a Yemeni-style dinner nearby. If you fancy it, alight at the mirrored Maraya concert hall for a photo.
🚌Local taxis/ride-hailing between sites (~£8)
🛏Guesthouse in AlUla (~£25)
- →Hegra guided tour
- →Heritage Oasis Trail
- →Elephant Rock sunset & farm tea
AlUla → Medina (pilgrim route)
Medina, Saudi Arabia
There's no direct train from AlUla, so take a bus or a shared car down the old pilgrim corridor to Medina (~£25–35, 5–6hrs; limited weekly services, so check SAPTCO/private options early). In Medina, visit the Quba Mosque (the first mosque built by the Prophet) and the Qiblatain Mosque, and walk outside the Prophet's Mosque complex — non-Muslims cannot enter the haram, but you can learn about the founding of Islam, the Holy Cities and the pilgrimage routes with a licensed local guide or at the Islamic University's visitor exhibits. Modest dress and headscarf for women are essential.
🚌SAPTCO bus/shared car AlUla → Medina (~£30)
🛏Budget hotel in Medina (~£30)
- →Quba & Qiblatain mosques
- →Prophet's Mosque surroundings
- →Old town of Medina
Haramain high-speed train → Jeddah old town
Medina to Jeddah
Ride the Haramain high-speed train from Medina to Jeddah (~£20–25, 2hrs, book via the Haramain site/app — it's the same line G Adventures uses). In Jeddah, walk the Corniche where locals swim and picnic, then head into Al-Balad, the UNESCO-listed old town — coral-stone houses, wooden rawashin balconies, spice souks and hidden alleys. End with a Jeddah food walk: try fresh Yemeni mandi, sambousek and Jeddah's own grilled-fish papdum dish, sayadeya.
🚌Haramain high-speed train Medina → Jeddah (~£22); walk/metro locally
🛏Budget hotel in Al-Balad or Corniche, Jeddah (~£30)
- →Al-Balad old town
- →Jeddah Corniche
- →Local food tour (self-guided or GetYourGuide)
Depart Jeddah
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Take the airport bus or a taxi to King Abdulaziz International (~£8) and fly out. If you have a late flight, squeeze in a final coffee in Al-Balad or a morning at the Jeddah fish market. No departure tax is charged separately — it's in the airfare.
🚌Airport bus/taxi (~£8)
🛏—
- →Departure
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,290 | £2,350 |
| Duration | 12 days | 12 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,060 per person (45%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,290
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Jordan & Saudi Arabia: Ancient Trade Routes — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,290 per person for 12 days in Jordan & Saudi Arabia. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £2,350 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,290 — a saving of roughly £1,060 (45%) per person.
How long is the Jordan & Saudi Arabia trip?+
This itinerary runs 12 days, covering 12 day-by-day stops through Jordan & Saudi Arabia.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, culture, hiking trip through Jordan & Saudi Arabia, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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