Jordan: Petra, Wadi Rum & the Life of the Bedouin

Why I Love This Trip

Most people go to Jordan for Petra, and Petra deserves the hype. What makes this trip different is everything around it. You hike into Petra the back way from Little Petra, the way few visitors ever see it, then go back again at sunrise before the crowds.

You spend a night at a candlelit ecolodge, share a meal with a Bedouin family, eat lunch at a cafe run by women, and fall asleep at a desert camp in Wadi Rum. It is a trip about people as much as places, and it ends with the best possible reward: floating in the Dead Sea.

Where You Sleep

From Amman in the green north, the route runs south along the edge of the Rift Valley to Petra and the desert, then back up to the Dead Sea. The numbers on the map match the places you sleep.

1. 3nights

   Amman

   Days 1 to 3. Ajloun and Jerash on day 2

2. 1night

   Wadi Feynan

   Day 4. Candlelit ecolodge

3. 2nights

   Petra

   Days 5 and 6

4. 1night

   Wadi Rum

   Day 7. Desert camp

5. 1night

   Dead Sea

   Day 8

Day by Day

1. Day 1Overnight in Amman

   Amman

   Land, and a driver takes you to the hotel. Tonight we meet the group over a welcome dinner.

2. Day 2Overnight in Amman

   Ajloun and Jerash

   Start with a hike from Ajloun Castle through olive groves and farms to Mar Elias Church, stop for lunch at a cafe run by local women, then walk the Roman streets and columns of Jerash.

3. Day 3Overnight in Amman

   Amman

   See the Citadel and the Roman Theatre, eat your way through the city on a food tour, then have coffee with a Bedouin family to hear how life has changed and what has stayed the same.

4. Day 4Overnight in Wadi Feynan

   Mount Nebo, Dana and Wadi Feynan

   See the famous mosaics in Madaba, take in the view from Mount Nebo, then drive through the Dana Biosphere Reserve to an ecolodge in Wadi Feynan, lit by candles at night.

5. Day 5Overnight in Petra

   Wadi Feynan to Petra

   Spend the morning with the Bedouin community around Feynan, either on a walk with a local shepherd or cooking traditional dishes with a Bedouin family. Then on to Petra.

6. Day 6Overnight in Petra

   Petra

   Hike the back trail from Little Petra and walk into Petra the quiet way, arriving through the hills instead of the crowded main entrance.

7. Day 7Overnight in Wadi Rum

   Petra and Wadi Rum

   Return to Petra at sunrise, when it is quiet and glowing. In the afternoon, ride by 4x4 into the red sand of Wadi Rum, hike Siq Al Barrah and sip tea at sunset before a night at a desert camp.

8. Day 8Overnight in Dead Sea

   Pink Lake and the Dead Sea

   Stop at the Pink Lake, then float in the Dead Sea, about as relaxing as it sounds. Tonight is the farewell dinner.

9. Day 9Flight home

   Depart

   A transfer takes you to the airport for your flight home. Book a flight that leaves after noon.

Who It's For

This trip is for travelers who want history and culture with some real walking mixed in. The Petra hike has lots of steps and uneven ground, so you should be comfortable on your feet for several hours. Everyone on the trip must be 18 or older.

Traveling solo?You will not pay a single supplement. You will be paired with a roommate of the same sex, or you can choose to pay for a room of your own.

Why Book Through Me

This trip is run by G Adventures, and you'll pay the same price you would booking with them. Booking through me adds everything around it: flights that line up with the start and end of the trip, an extra night or two before or after, airport transfers and travel insurance. If plans change or something comes up on the road, you call me, not a call center.