Ultimate Active Jordan — Self-Launched

Land at Queen Alia Airport and take the airport express bus (Sariyah/Trust shuttle, ~8 JOD, ~£9) or a shared taxi to downtown Amman; a private taxi is ~25-30 JOD. On arrival, get a Jordan Pass online before you fly (from ~70 JOD / ~£78 — it includes your visa fee and Petra + Jerash entry, which saves real money). Check into a downtown hostel or budget hotel near Hashemite Plaza. In the late afternoon do your own market walk: Roman Amphitheatre from the outside, the fruit and vegetable market, Souq Al Bukhari and the Gold Souq, snacking on falafel, fresh bread and olives. Finish with knafeh at Habibah Sweets. Evening free to eat and plan the next days.

🚌Airport express bus ~8 JOD (~£9); walking in downtown

🛏Downtown Amman hostel or budget hotel (private room or dorm)

• →Airport express bus to downtown
• →Roman Amphitheatre (exterior)
• →Fruit market and Souq Al Bukhari walk
• →Gold and spice souqs
• →Knafeh at Habibah Sweets

Morning at the Citadel on Jebel al-Qala'a — spend 2-3 hours on the Temple of Hercules, Umayyad Palace and the Jordan Archaeological Museum. Walk downhill to the Roman Theatre and take a guided tour inside (~2 JOD). After lunch downtown, take a local taxi or Careem (~10-12 JOD return) out to the Dehir area to visit a Bedouin family for a traditional coffee-making session — arrange this in advance through your hostel or a community-tourism operator like Baraka Destinations; expect ~15-20 JOD per person including coffee and a chat about daily life, goat milking and rural routines. Dinner back in Amman at your leisure (tryBooks@Cafe or a local hummus/falafel spot in Jabal Amman).

🚌Walking in downtown; taxi/Careem to Dehir ~12 JOD return

🛏Downtown Amman hostel or budget hotel

• →Amman Citadel entry (~3 JOD)
• →Roman Theatre guided visit (~2 JOD)
• →Bedouin coffee-making experience in Dehir (~15-20 JOD)
• →Jabal Amman evening stroll

Take an early JETT or local minibus from Amman's Tabarbour bus station to Jerash (~1-2 JOD, ~1 hour) and spend 3 hours exploring the colonnaded cardo, Hadrian's Arch, hippodrome and temples (entry included in your Jordan Pass; otherwise ~10 JOD). A local guide at the site is ~25-30 JOD for a group — split it with other travellers or join a small-group tour booked via GetYourGuide (~£20-30). For lunch, eat at Beit Khayrat Souf, the women-run café near Jerash supported by Planeterra (~6-8 JOD) — book ahead or just turn up. In the afternoon take a taxi (~8-10 JOD) to Ajloun Castle and hike the trail down toward Mar Elias Church, one of Jordan's oldest churches (~2 hours, easy-moderate). Continue by taxi or shared minibus to Umm Qais (~12-15 JOD) and check into a local village guesthouse or homestay — book via Baraka Destinations or Airbnb; expect ~20-25 JOD per person with dinner and breakfast.

🚌Minibus Amman–Jerash ~1.5 JOD; taxi Jerash–Ajloun–Umm Qais ~20 JOD

🛏Umm Qais village guesthouse/homestay (half board)

• →Jerash archaeological site (Jordan Pass)
• →Beit Khayrat Souf women's café lunch
• →Ajloun Castle visit (~3 JOD)
• →Hike Ajloun to Mar Elias Church
• →Umm Qais village homestay

Morning at the Umm Qais (Gadara) archaeological site — Roman theatre, basilica and the famous view over the Sea of Galilee and the Golan Heights (Jordan Pass covers entry; otherwise ~3 JOD). Pick up picnic supplies in the village. In the afternoon walk the Arab Dam trail, a marked route through olive groves and wadis with views across the Yarmouk valley (~3-4 hours, moderate; maps and local advice from your guesthouse). Return to your guesthouse for free time — many host families offer cooking, beekeeping or farm experiences for a small fee. Dinner on your own in town.

🚌Walking; local taxi if needed

🛏Umm Qais village guesthouse/homestay

• →Umm Qais/Gadara ruins
• →Arab Dam hiking trail
• →Optional farm or cooking experience with host family

Long travel day south. Take a shared minibus or taxi to Irbid or Amman, then a JETT/minibus down the Desert Highway toward Tafilah or Qadisiyah (~10-15 JOD in total; total journey 5-6 hours, so start early). From Qadisiyah take a local taxi up to Dana village (~8-10 JOD). Settle into the Dana eco-camp or guesthouse (RSCN's Feynan/Dana guesthouses or a private budget option, ~15-20 JOD per person). Late afternoon: walk the 2km trail through Dana village, past stone houses perched on the canyon rim — the views are the point. Dinner at the camp.

🚌Shared minibus/taxi via Desert Highway to Qadisiyah ~10-15 JOD; taxi up to Dana ~9 JOD

🛏Dana eco-camp or village guesthouse

• →Travel south through Jordan's highlands
• →Dana village rim walk (2km)

Book a local Bedouin guide through the RSCN Dana office or your camp for a full-day hike — the Wadi Dana trail down to Feynan is the classic (14km, ~6 hours, descending; a guide is ~40-60 JOD for the day, split between a few travellers) or a shorter loop if you'd prefer. Ask specifically to walk with a shepherd and his herd for part of the morning — Dana's shepherds are usually happy to have company if your guide arranges it and you offer a small tip. Carry a picnic lunch and at least 3 litres of water. Return to camp in the late afternoon, or stay overnight in Feynan and arrange pickup the next morning. Dinner at camp.

🚌Walking; arranged pickup from trailhead if doing the full descent

🛏Dana eco-camp or village guesthouse

• →Full-day guided trek in Dana Biosphere Reserve
• →Shepherd walk
• →Picnic lunch in the reserve

Take a local minibus or shared taxi from Dana/Qadisiyah to Wadi Musa (~1.5-2 hours, ~8-10 JOD). Drop bags at a budget hotel in Wadi Musa (~15-20 JOD per person) and take a taxi to Little Petra (Siq al-Barid, ~5-8 JOD, entry included in Jordan Pass). Hike the back route from Little Petra to the Monastery via the ancient Nabataean steps — 3-4 hours, spectacular and almost empty of crowds. A local guide for this route is ~50-70 JOD for the day (split it, or book a small-group version on GetYourGuide for ~£30-45). Emerge at the Monastery and walk down past the Royal Tombs, the Colonnaded Street and the Treasury in the afternoon light. Taxi or 30-minute walk back to Wadi Musa. Optional: Turkish bath in town (~15 JOD).

🚌Minibus Dana–Wadi Musa ~9 JOD; taxi to Little Petra ~7 JOD

🛏Budget hotel in Wadi Musa

• →Little Petra (Siq al-Barid)
• →Back-door hike to Petra via the Monastery
• →Petra main sites: Treasury, Colonnaded Street, Royal Tombs
• →Optional Turkish bath

Optional early start to walk the Siq to the Treasury before the tour buses, or visit the High Place of Sacrifice. Mid-morning, take a minibus or shared taxi from Wadi Musa to Wadi Rum Visitor Centre (~1.5 hours, ~10-12 JOD) — book a desert camp in advance (Wadi Rum Night, Hasan Zawaideh or a smaller Bedouin-run camp, ~20-30 JOD per person half-board). Your camp jeep picks you up at the village and takes you in a 4x4 through the dunes, Khazali Canyon inscriptions, the red sand dunes and Lawrence's Spring (2-4 hour tour, usually included in the camp package; otherwise ~25-35 JOD per vehicle). Dinner at camp is a traditional zarb (meat and veg cooked underground). After dark, walk out from camp for the unpolluted desert sky — the stars are the whole show. Optional stargazing session ~20-30 JOD.

🚌Minibus/shared taxi Wadi Musa–Wadi Rum ~11 JOD; 4x4 with camp

🛏Bedouin desert camp in Wadi Rum (tented, half board)

• →Optional Petra early morning walk
• →Wadi Rum 4x4 desert tour
• →Khazali Canyon rock inscriptions
• →Red sand dunes and rock formations
• →Bedouin camp dinner and night walk

Leave camp after breakfast and head north — take a minibus to Aqaba or a shared taxi to the Wadi Araba junction, then a local taxi toward the Dead Sea highway (~25-30 JOD total split between travellers; a private driver for the day via your camp is ~60-80 JOD). Stop for a hike in the Wadi Araba section of the Jordan Rift Valley — the Fidan or Ghuweir trails are quieter, striking alternatives; ask your camp or driver to arrange a local guide (~30-40 JOD, split). Continue to the Dead Sea in the afternoon; use a public beach (Amman Beach, ~20-25 JOD day pass with towel and showers) or a budget hotel on the shore (~35-50 JOD per person). Float, mud up, and don't shave beforehand. Farewell dinner at your hotel or a local restaurant.

🚌Shared taxi/minibus Wadi Rum–Dead Sea area ~25-30 JOD

🛏Budget Dead Sea hotel or guesthouse near Sweimeh

• →Wadi Araba hike
• →Dead Sea float and mud bath
• →Farewell dinner

Last swim or sunrise float if you're up early. Take a taxi or shared minibus back to Amman (~15-20 JOD, 45-60 minutes) for your flight, or arrange a direct airport transfer (~30 JOD). If you have time before your flight, the Jordan Museum in Amman is a good final stop.

🚌Taxi/shared minibus to Amman ~18 JOD, or direct airport transfer ~30 JOD

🛏None (departure day)

• →Optional sunrise Dead Sea swim
• →Optional Jordan Museum in Amman