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The Milky Way above dark rock massifs and the distant lights of a camp in the Wadi Rum desert

Sample journey · 8–10 days

Jordan on foot and by starlight

Amman & Jerash, the walk from Dana to Feynan, Petra beyond the Treasury and a night in Wadi Rum

Photo: Dylan Shaw / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

Jordan is best known slowly and, wherever possible, on foot. It's a small country, so drives are short, leaving time for what matters: a morning in an empty canyon, a long descent from the highlands to the desert, an evening on a rock as the sandstone turns red.

This sample route runs north to south, from lively Amman to the Red Sea, with no doubling back. It suits travellers who like to move, yet the longest walking day can be shortened or swapped, and places to stay can range from simple to very comfortable. It's a starting point, to be shaped around your own pace.

The route

The journey

  1. Amman
  2. Jerash
  3. Dana
  4. Feynan
  5. Petra
  6. Wadi Rum
  7. Aqaba
  1. The colonnaded Oval Plaza and the ruins of the Roman city at Jerash, Jordan

    01Days 1–2 · Amman & Jerash

    A city of hills and Roman streets

    The first afternoon at Amman's Citadel, looking down over the Roman theatre and the hills of white houses, and the evening in the old town's lanes over falafel and knafeh. The next morning, about an hour north, Jerash: colonnaded streets, the Oval Plaza and its theatres, one of the best-preserved Roman cities outside Italy.

  2. The sun setting over the hills of the Dana valley, Dana Biosphere Reserve

    02Days 3–4 · Dana & Feynan

    From the highlands to the desert

    South along the King's Highway, past the mosaics of Madaba and the Crusader castle at Kerak, to the stone village of Dana on the edge of an escarpment. The next day, with a local guide, you walk down the Dana valley to Feynan: roughly 14 km and about six hours, almost all downhill on a rocky path. The plants change by the hour, and in the evening a simple desert-edge lodge awaits, often lit largely by candles. It's a long, warm day, best suited to regular walkers.

  3. A narrow sandstone canyon on the trail up to the Monastery, Petra

    03Days 5–7 · Petra

    Petra beyond the Treasury

    On the first day, through the Siq to the Treasury early in the morning, then onwards: the Royal Tombs, the steps up to the High Place of Sacrifice and a path back through quiet Wadi Farasa. On the second, Petra is entered 'by the back door': from Little Petra along an old trail to the Monastery, then down its hundreds of rock-cut steps. On certain evenings the Siq is lit by candles, and the walk to the Treasury feels entirely different.

  4. Sunset over sandstone cliffs and a wide desert valley in Wadi Rum

    04Day 8 · Wadi Rum

    Red sand and the night sky

    Around two hours' drive south lies Wadi Rum. With a local Bedouin guide, part of the day is by 4x4 and part on foot, into sandstone canyons and up to rock bridges. Sunset is watched from a rock, dinner is cooked in the sand, and at night, if the sky is clear and the moon small, the Milky Way can be brighter than almost anywhere in Europe. Camps range from simple tents to comfortable domes open to the sky.

  5. Coral and a giant clam underwater

    05Days 9–10 · Aqaba or the Dead Sea

    Water to end the journey

    From Wadi Rum it's less than an hour to Aqaba. Here you can snorkel over coral in the Red Sea and fly home, if suitable flights run at the time. The alternative is to drive back north to the Dead Sea, to float in the salt water in the evening light, with Amman's airport less than an hour away.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    Down the Dana valley

    A full-day walk from a highland village to the edge of the desert, one of Jordan's finest routes.

  2. 02

    Petra by the back door

    An old trail from Little Petra to the Monastery that relatively few walkers take.

  3. 03

    A night in Wadi Rum

    Sunset from a sandstone rock, dinner in the sand and, when the sky is clear, stars down to the horizon.

  4. 04

    The streets of Jerash

    Colonnades, theatres and an oval plaza: a Roman city where daily life is easy to imagine.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • More walking

    Instead of one day, a multi-day stretch of the Jordan Trail from Dana to Petra, with nights at camps.

  • Gentler

    Swap the Dana descent for shorter trails around the village, and take Petra at a slower pace with more rest.

  • With friends

    A private camp in Wadi Rum, a shared dinner and a fire: the route suits a small group of friends beautifully.

  • Add Egypt

    From the Aqaba area Sinai is close, and Cairo and the Nile a short flight away; a combination worth discussing separately.

Practical considerations

  • Spring and autumn are usually best for walking; summer days are very hot, and in winter nights in the highlands and desert can be cold.
  • The walk from Dana to Feynan is long and warm, with a rocky descent; it suits regular walkers and can be swapped for a shorter route.
  • Petra means many kilometres and a great many steps each day, so comfortable, broken-in footwear really helps.
  • Stargazing depends on the moon and on cloud; if it matters to you, dates can be planned around the new moon.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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