Self-Launched 8-Day Jordan Loop: Amman, Petra, Wadi Rum & the Dead Sea
8 days · Jordan
Jordan Horizons Tours charges £1,085
No-markup version: ~£655 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A DIY version of Jordan Horizons Tours' classic 8-day private circuit — Amman, Jerash and Ajlun, the Baptism Site, Dead Sea, Petra, Little Petra, Wadi Rum and Aqaba — but booked yourself. Jordan is one of the easiest Middle Eastern countries for independent travel: microbuses run the Desert Highway, JETT buses cover the main tourist corridors, and the Jordan Pass bundles your visa fee with Petra and Jerash entry. Expect roughly a third of the tour price, with the same sights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Amman — settle into Downtown
Amman
Fly into Queen Alia International Airport (AMM). Buy a local SIM at the airport (Zain or Orange, ~£10 for 10GB) or rely on roaming. The airport shuttle bus to Tabarbour bus station costs ~£5; from there a Careem or Uber to Downtown is ~£3. Alternatively a shared airport taxi is ~£12. Check into a budget hotel or hostel in Downtown Amman (Jabal Amman or the 2nd Circle area are handy). Evening: walk the Rainbow Street and Hashemite Plaza area, eat falafel and hummus at Hashem Restaurant (~£4) and grab knafeh at Habibah Sweets.
🚌Airport shuttle bus + Careem ride from Tabarbour, ~£8 total
🛏Budget hotel/hostel in Downtown Amman, private single or dorm, ~£18-25
- →Rainbow Street evening stroll
- →Hashem Restaurant falafel dinner
- →Knafeh at Habibah Sweets
Jerash and Ajlun day trip by public bus
Jerash / Ajlun
Get an early start: take a taxi or Careem to Tabarbour (Shamal) bus station and grab a minibus to Jerash (~£1.20, about 1 hour, leaves when full). Spend the morning walking Hadrian's Arch, the Oval Plaza, the Cardo Maximus and the Temple of Artemis — bring the Jordan Pass for entry. Then take a shared taxi or minibus from Jerash to Ajlun (~£2) to climb the beautifully restored Ayyubid castle, Qala'at ar-Rabad. Return to Amman by bus before dark. Evening: shisha and mezze on Rainbow Street, ~£8 for food.
🚌Minibus Tabarbour–Jerash ~£1.20, shared taxi Jerash–Ajlun ~£2, return ~£3
🛏Same Amman budget hotel
- →Jerash ancient city self-guided walk (Oval Plaza, Cardo, Temple of Artemis)
- →Ajlun Castle (Qala'at ar-Rabad) entry
- →Rainbow Street cafes
Baptism Site and the Dead Sea
Dead Sea / Petra
Take a Careem or a taxi (agreed rate, ~£20-25 one way) south to Bethany Beyond the Jordan, the Baptism Site of Jesus — a Unesco-listed site with its own shuttle from the visitor centre (entry ~£12, or included in some Jordan Pass tiers; book online ahead). Continue by taxi ~25 minutes to Amman Beach or a day-pass resort at the Dead Sea (Amman Beach public access ~£15; a hotel day pass with pool and towel ~£25-30). Float, mud up, then shower off. In the late afternoon head to the JETT office in Abdali and take the evening JETT bus to Petra/Wadi Musa (~£8, about 3.5 hours), or arrange a shared minibus. Check in to a guesthouse in Wadi Musa village.
🚌Taxi Amman–Baptism Site–Dead Sea ~£30, JETT bus to Wadi Musa ~£8
🛏Wadi Musa guesthouse near Petra entrance, ~£20-28
- →Bethany Beyond the Jordan Baptism Site
- →Dead Sea float and mud bath
- →Dead Sea day-pass beach
Petra — the Siq, Treasury and Monastery
Wadi Musa / Petra
Walk 10 minutes from your guesthouse to the Petra visitor centre. Entry is covered by the Jordan Pass (one-day Petra pass) — pick it up as an e-ticket or at the gate. Walk the Siq at opening time (6am) to have the Treasury nearly to yourself, then continue the main trail: Street of Facades, the Royal Tombs, the Colonnaded Street and Qasr al-Bint. In the afternoon tackle the 800-step climb to the Monastery (Ad Deir) — a proper workout but well worth it. Guided options exist: GetYourGuide sells a 2.5-hour Petra main-trail tour (~£50), but the site is extremely well signposted and a self-guided walk is easy. Optional Petra by Night (Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, ~£14). Turkish bath in Wadi Musa ~£20 if you need it after the steps.
🚌Walk from guesthouse; no transport needed
🛏Same Wadi Musa guesthouse
- →Petra main trail self-guided
- →The Treasury (Al-Khazneh)
- →Royal Tombs
- →Monastery (Ad Deir) climb
- →Optional Petra by Night
Little Petra and Wadi Rum desert camp
Little Petra / Wadi Rum
Cheap early minibus or taxi from Wadi Musa to Little Petra (Al Beidha), 15 minutes, ~£5 round trip or share a taxi. Explore the smaller, quieter Nabataean site and the trail down to the Neolithic village. Return to Wadi Musa, then take the 1pm-ish minibus or a shared taxi down the Desert Highway to Wadi Rum Village (~£6-8, about 2 hours). Your camp's jeep picks you up. Book a desert camp direct (Rum Magic Camp, Desert Season camp-style places run ~£25-35 for a standard tent with dinner and breakfast), and add a 3-4 hour jeep tour with a Bedouin driver (~£30-40 per person when split; GetYourGuide and Viator sell the same trips). Sunset at the Lawrence's Spring / Um Fruth viewpoint, dinner in the communal tent, tea, stars.
🚌Taxi to Little Petra ~£5, minibus Wadi Musa–Wadi Rum Village ~£7
🛏Wadi Rum desert camp, standard tent with half-board, ~£30
- →Little Petra (Al Beidha)
- →Wadi Rum 4x4 jeep safari
- →Sunset viewpoint and Bedouin camp dinner
Wadi Rum to Aqaba — Red Sea afternoon
Aqaba
Catch sunrise in the desert, breakfast at camp, then take a shared taxi or minibus from Wadi Rum Village to Aqaba (~£6, 1 hour). Drop your bag at a budget hotel or hostel in Aqaba's old town (~£22-30). Spend the afternoon at the public South Beach or snorkel the Aqaba Marine Park — snorkel gear hire is ~£8, and a boat trip to the Japanese Garden reef is ~£25-35 via GetYourGuide or a local dive shop. Walk the corniche at sunset, browse the souq, eat grilled fresh fish at a local restaurant (~£10).
🚌Shared minibus Wadi Rum–Aqaba ~£6
🛏Budget hotel or hostel in Aqaba old town, ~£25
- →Wadi Rum sunrise
- →Aqaba South Beach snorkelling
- →Corniche sunset walk and seafood dinner
King's Highway north: Kerak, Madaba and Mount Nebo
Kerak / Madaba / Amman
This is the trickiest day without a car. Easiest DIY option: take the morning minibus from Aqaba to Kerak (~£5, about 2.5 hours), visit the Crusader castle (entry ~£2 with Jordan Pass), then take a minibus up to Madaba (~£3). From Madaba catch a taxi to Mount Nebo (10 minutes, ~£6 return) for the view over the Jordan Valley and the mosaic museum, then return to Madaba to see St George's Church and its famous mosaic floor map. Minibus or JETT bus Madaba to Amman (~£1.50, 45 minutes). If the connections look tight, ask your accommodation to organise a shared taxi for Kerak–Madaba–Nebo (~£35 split between travellers) — still far cheaper than a private tour. Sleep in Amman.
🚌Minibus Aqaba–Kerak ~£5, minibus Kerak–Madaba ~£3, taxi to Nebo ~£6, bus Madaba–Amman ~£1.50
🛏Amman budget hotel (Downtown or 2nd Circle), ~£22
- →Kerak Castle
- →Mount Nebo viewpoint and mosaic museum
- →St George's Church mosaic map, Madaba
Amman old town, then departure
Amman
Morning at the Amman Citadel and the Roman Theatre (both covered or discounted by the Jordan Pass), plus the Jordan Museum if time allows. Last shawarma in Downtown. Airport shuttle bus from Tabarbour, or a Careem to Queen Alia International (~£12) — allow 3 hours before your flight.
🚌Airport shuttle bus ~£5 or Careem ~£12
🛏None — departure day
- →Amman Citadel
- →Roman Theatre
- →Jordan Museum (optional)
Self-launched vs. Jordan Horizons Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Jordan Horizons Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£655 | £1,085 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £430 per person (40%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Jordan Horizons Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£655
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 Self-Launched 8-Day Jordan Loop: Amman, Petra, Wadi Rum & the Dead Sea cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £655 per person for 8 days in Jordan. 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 Jordan Horizons Tours?+
Yes — Jordan Horizons Tours charges around £1,085 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £655 — a saving of roughly £430 (40%) per person.
How long is the Jordan trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Jordan.
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, 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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