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Round camp huts on red sand beneath a wall of sandstone cliffs in Wadi Rum

Sample journey · 8–10 days

Jordan with children: castles, Petra by day and the Red Sea

The streets of Jerash and Ajloun castle, floating on the Dead Sea, Madaba and Mount Nebo, Petra and Little Petra, a night in a Wadi Rum camp and the coral off Aqaba

Photo: Hongbin / Unsplash

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

To children, Jordan feels like a real treasure map: castles with towers and secret passages, a city carved into rock, a red desert where science-fiction films have been shot, and a sea with coral just a few hours' drive to the south. This route is arranged so that everything is within reach without long hikes or rushing: the drives are short, visits are planned for the morning while it's cool, and afternoons are left for the pool, a rest or an ice cream.

We travel from north to south, from Amman and Jerash via the Dead Sea and the King's Highway to Petra, Wadi Rum and Aqaba, where the journey ends with a few days on the Red Sea. Petra is seen in daylight and at your own pace, with a first taste at Little Petra, where everything is closer and quieter. The journey suits families with school-age children and anyone on a first long-haul trip. We would fit the rhythm of the days, the stays and the activities to your children's ages and the season.

The route

The journey

  1. Amman
  2. Jerash & Ajloun
  3. Madaba & Mount Nebo
  4. The Dead Sea
  5. Kerak
  6. Little Petra & Petra
  7. Wadi Rum
  8. Aqaba
  1. The ring of columns and paved stones of the oval plaza at Jerash under a blue sky

    01Days 1–2 · Amman, Jerash & Ajloun

    Roman streets and a castle on a hill

    Two nights in Amman, a hilly capital where the smell of warm sesame and za'atar drifts from the bakeries in the evening. On the second morning, around an hour north to Jerash, one of the best-preserved Roman cities outside Italy: an oval plaza ringed by columns, a paved street still grooved by chariot wheels and a theatre where children can test how far their voices carry. After lunch, half an hour to Ajloun castle: a twelfth-century fortress on a hilltop with stairways, towers and narrow windows looking out over the green hills of northern Jordan. In the evening, back to Amman for dinner of hummus, falafel and bread straight from the oven.

  2. The calm blue expanse of the Dead Sea and a distant shore beneath a pale sky, Jordan

    02Days 3–4 · Madaba, Mount Nebo & the Dead Sea

    A mosaic map and the saltiest water

    On the third morning, south: in Madaba's Church of St George, a Byzantine mosaic map of the Holy Land where children can hunt for Jerusalem and the fish swimming in the river Jordan. Nearby is Mount Nebo, from which, on a clear day, you can see the Jordan Valley. Then the road drops more than four hundred metres below sea level to the Dead Sea, where you spend two nights at a hotel with a pool. Floating here is easier than anywhere else, but the water is very salty: for children it's best in short spells, lying on their backs, without splashing and with an adult alongside. Afterwards, a shower, mineral mud on arms and legs and a calm sunset over the water.

  3. A Nabataean facade carved among rounded sandstone rocks at Little Petra

    03Days 5–6 · Kerak & Petra

    Little Petra first

    On day five, south along the King's Highway, with a stop at the Crusader castle of Kerak, whose underground passages make children feel like real explorers. To the Petra area is around four hours with stops. In the late afternoon, Little Petra, Siq al-Barid: a narrow canyon of Nabataean facades, stairways and halls where everything is close, quiet and easy to clamber around. On day six, Petra from first thing in the morning: through the cool Siq to the Treasury, then along the Street of Facades and past the theatre to the Royal Tombs, their rock streaked pink, yellow and violet. Lunch in the shade, and on the way back tired legs can take a horse cart or a donkey with a handler. The afternoon is for the pool.

  4. Pale camp tents on red sand beneath a wall of rock in the Wadi Rum desert

    04Day 7 · Wadi Rum

    A night under the stars

    On the seventh morning, around an hour and a half to Wadi Rum. A Bedouin guide drives you by 4x4 across the red sand to rock bridges, ancient inscriptions carved into the cliffs and a dune that children can slide down. In the afternoon, sage tea in the shade of a rock, and you watch the sunset from higher ground as the cliffs turn deep red. The night is at a camp: a zarb dinner cooked in a pit beneath the sand, a fire and, if the sky is clear, more stars than city children have ever seen. For more time here, a second night is easy to add.

  5. The blue Gulf of Aqaba, boats and a mountainous far shore, seen from the beach in Jordan

    05Days 8–10 · Aqaba

    Coral a few metres from the shore

    From Wadi Rum to Aqaba is around an hour by road. Two nights at a hotel on the Red Sea south of town, where the coral reefs begin just a few metres from the shore. In the mornings, snorkelling among parrotfish and other bright fish, and for younger children a glass-bottomed boat. The afternoons are simply for the beach and the pool, the evening for a stroll along the waterfront and a fish dinner. On the last day, a flight from Aqaba if one suits the day, or a drive of around four hours back to Amman airport.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    Castles and passages

    Ajloun's towers above the green hills and Kerak's passages, where history turns into a game.

  2. 02

    Floating on the Dead Sea

    Water that holds you up by itself at the lowest point on land: short, careful and full of laughter.

  3. 03

    Petra at your own pace

    Little Petra first, then the Siq, the Treasury and the Royal Tombs in the cool of the morning.

  4. 04

    Stars and coral

    A night at a Wadi Rum camp and mornings with a mask over the reefs of Aqaba.

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

Make it your own

  • Shorter: eight days

    Give Amman and the Dead Sea one night less each and visit Jerash on the way, and the journey fits into eight days.

  • With teenagers

    For older children you can add the climb to Petra's Monastery, a wade through the Wadi Mujib gorge when it's open, and a try-dive in Aqaba.

  • Two nights in the desert

    A second night in Wadi Rum means no hurry: a morning camel ride, a short guided scramble up a rock bridge and one more sunset.

  • More time by the sea

    The Aqaba days can stretch to a week, or be swapped for a longer beach stay elsewhere on the Red Sea.

Practical considerations

  • The most comfortable months for families are usually March to May and September to November. From June to August the heat at Petra, Wadi Rum, Aqaba and the Dead Sea often passes 35–40°C, and in winter desert nights are cold, with occasional snow in the north.
  • The Dead Sea is extremely salty: it stings eyes and small cuts, and must not be swallowed. Children go in for short spells with an adult beside them, without ducking under or splashing, and shower afterwards. For very young children or any health questions, it's worth asking a doctor.
  • Petra involves a lot of walking on uneven ground in strong sun, so we start as early as possible, with hats, water and breaks. Horses, carts and donkeys are an option worth agreeing in advance.
  • The choice of international flights from Aqaba is limited and seasonal, so it's often easier to return via Amman. We check this when planning the journey.

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

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