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Are you planning a short trip and wondering what to do in Jordan in 5 days? You’ve come to the right place!
Jordan is a beautiful country and while 5 days is a bit short, it still gives you the opportunity to see some of the main landmarks and get a real feel for the country.
As you might know, putting together optimised itineraries is my strong suit and that’s exactly what you are going to find here.
I’ll tell you everything you need to know about spending 5 days in Jordan and what to do to make the best of your time.
How to get to Jordan
The best way to get to Jordan is to fly to Queen Alia International Airport which is located south of Amman, the capital.
There are a lot of direct international flights to this airport so that will be the easiest option.
Another option is to fly to Aqaba airport (and you can still use this itinerary just the other way round).
There are less international flights to Aqaba but if you are already in the Middle East, it could be an option.
How to get around Jordan
The best way to get around Jordan for 5 days (and following this itinerary) is with a rental car.
Roads in Jordan are in a pretty good state and driving is also quite easy. The only chaotic place is Amman city centre and if you follow my itinerary, you won’t go there anyway.
Rental cars are also fairly affordable and will give you the most flexibility.
Click here to see the car rental fares.
The other option is to book a 5-day tour of Jordan. This is actually the most optimised option since you won’t have to worry about a thing and won’t be tired from the driving.
You will be with a local guide and get to see the best of Jordan in the most optimised way.
Getting a Jordan Pass
Before going to Jordan, it’s important for you to get one of the Jordan passes. These can be bought online here.
For the following itinerary, the Jordan Wanderer at 70JD will be sufficient. It includes one day at Petra as well as another 40 attractions and the visa.
The visa by itself costs 40JD so the Jordan Pass is the best option but it’s important you get it before you fly to Jordan.
Your detailed Jordan 5-day itinerary
You can find below the self-drive itinerary for Jordan. Please note that I assumed that you are flying to Amman airport and chose to skip the city of Amman itself.
Amman is a nice place to visit but it’s definitely not the highlight of a trip to Jordan and since there are a lot of things to see in a short amount of time, I opted for the best of the best.
Day 1: Mount Nebo, Baptism Site and Dead Sea
When you get to the airport, pick up your rental car and set Mount Nebo as a destination in your sat nav.
It should take about 40 minutes. Once you get there, you’ll need to pay a small entrance fee and can explore the area.
This is a very important religious site since it is where Moses came, saw the Promised land and died.
Whether you are religious or not, this is a powerful place that has something quite magical.
You will also get to enjoy these wonderful views over the Dead Sea and Palestine. You can even see Jericho from there.
You can then take the car again and head to the Baptism site (Bethany Beyond The Jordan) which is about 40 minutes drive.
This is where Jesus Christ was baptised and therefore another important religious site in Jordan.
The visit will last a couple of hours.
After that, head to the Dead Sea. It’s about 30 minutes drive.
Due to the high concentration in salt and religious importance, the Dead Sea is not exactly somewhere where people go to sunbathe or anything of the kind.
It is a magical experience though and the views are fantastic.
If you want to swim in the Dead Sea, opt for a day pass in one of the resorts. They all offer them for 20 to 40JD so there are plenty of options.
The nearest one to the Baptism site is the Holiday Inn Dead Sea Resort. You can get there, have lunch (they have a pretty good buffet) and then go for the swimming experience.
Basically, you go down to the beach (there are facilities to change) and take the mud from the sea in your hands to spread it on your body.
It has amazing benefits so you can go crazy on the mud but don’t put it too close to your eyes since you will have to take it off then and you shouldn’t use the water from the Dead Sea on your eyes).
You can then go for a float in the Dead Sea and get rid of the mud.
Please note that you won’t actually be able to swim because the salt density pushes you up.
Here are some things you need to know before you go in the Dead Sea:
- Don’t put your head in the water. The salt will burn your eyes. If you have something on your face and want to touch it, make sure you do not touch your eyes.
- Do not shave before going to the Dead Sea (at least 24 or 48 hours) because it will burn otherwise
- Also don’t go if you have any recent injuries or tattoos
👟 Water shoes will come in handy at the Dead Sea because the beaches are not that smooth.
You can then enjoy the facilities of the resort which includes several swimming pools, a bar and more.
You can also go to one of the public beaches on the Dead Sea. This is definitely an option and I highly recommend stopping on some to take beautiful photos but as far as swimming goes, make sure you have access to a shower after because the salt is way too hard on your skin otherwise.
Once you’re done with your relaxing afternoon, you can go back to your car and head to Kerak which should take about 90 minutes.
Staying at the Dead Sea is also an option if you have the budget for it and would rather that but please note that the accommodation will be a lot more expensive and you’ll have to drive in the morning.
WHERE TO STAY: The Old House is a lovely guest house ideally located near Kerak Castle which will be your first stop tomorrow.
Day 2: Kerak, Dana Reserve and Little Petra
Head to the castle as soon as it opens (8AM) so you beat the crowds and can enjoy all the activities for the rest of the day.
Kerak Castle dates from the 12th century and was built by the Franks. It’s the perfect place to learn more about the Crusaders and architecture.
It was the main defence between Aqaba and Jerusalem and such a fascinating place. You will also enjoy the views and wandering around the tunnels and towers.
If you’ve opted for the 5-day Jordan tour, you will already be with a guide so it’s all good but otherwise, I would recommend taking a guide to visit it since there aren’t any signs and you won’t understand its true importance without someone explaining it.
You will be spending 1 to 2 hours in the castle (it depends if you have a guide or not) and can then head to the Dana Biosphere Reserve.
This one is actually a bit of a hidden gem so you can skip it if you want but I always find it important to add places that are a bit less touristy.
I recommend doing the Shaq Al Reesh (Feather’s Canyon) trail. It takes about 1 hour to complete and is not that strenuous.
It can be very hot though so make sure to wear a hat and take water.
Once you’re done, hit the road again in the direction of Wadi Musa. This is where you will find Little Petra, a beautiful archaeological site that is often overlooked.
Before getting there, make sure to stop en route to take a picture of ‘The Smallest Hotel In The World’ which is a VW Beetle hotel on the side of the road, near the Shobak Castle.
This is simply a photo stop though so it shouldn’t take too long. It will then be another 40 minutes to Little Petra.
In simple terms, this is a smaller version of Petra. It’s a Nabataean site with several carved houses and canyons.
It’s absolutely beautiful and a great introduction to Nabataean history. Also, it’s free to visit which is always a plus! You don’t even need the Jordan Pass.
Make sure to check out the different carved houses, take loads of photos and walk up to the canyon. It’s a bit of a climb and the rock steps are not ideal but it’s very nice.
🥾 TIP: Make sure to wear walking shoes all day today.
Optional: Petra By Night
While you will be exploring Petra tomorrow (and I can promise that this will be the highlight of your trip), you can also go to the Petra by Night show.
This can be booked at the visitor office of Petra or via your hotel.
It consists of a light show on the Treasury of Petra with 1,500 candles. It starts at 8:30PM from the visitor centre, you then walk down the trail to the Treasury and can sit on the ground while looking at the Treasury.
IS IT WORTH IT? You will find mixed reviews about Petra by night online. I would agree that it’s not the most exciting show you’ll ever see and if you have a tight budget, that’s not where you should spend your money.
Having said that, I still enjoyed it a lot because I knew it was a once in a lifetime experience and there was something quite magical about it.
WHERE TO STAY: Infinity Lodge is perfectly located near Petra but in a quieter area so you can relax and enjoy the fantastic views. Make sure to book for 2 nights.
Day 3: Petra
Today is the day you’ve been waiting for since you’ve started thinking about going to Jordan. You are going to Petra!
Now there are a few things you should know about Petra:
- It’s a lot bigger than you think. It’s absolutely huge and you will be walking a lot.
- There is no sign explaining the history of the place
- It gets very hot so make sure to take loads of water and a hat
Because of these reasons, I highly recommend two things.
Firstly, go as early as you can. Petra opens at 6AM and the earlier you go, the better the experience will be.
Don’t forget, this is one of the 7 Wonders of the World which means it can be very busy so if you go early you will be able to beat the crowds.
Also, that means you will get better photos and won’t suffer from the heat as much.
But my ultimate tip is not that, it’s to get a guide.
Honestly, out of all the things you should do in Jordan, this is the one I recommend the most.
Petra is such a beautiful place and there is so much history there.
It’s one of these places (a bit like Pompeii) where you simply can’t understand what things are for if you don’t have someone to explain it to you.
There are no signs and even if there were, they couldn’t be precise enough. The Nabataean civilisation is fascinating and what they managed to achieve is simply incredible.
So I recommend booking this guided tour online and opt for the 7AM departure.
You will see all the highlights of Petra including the Treasury, Royal tombs, theatre and street of facades.
The tour will finish near the restaurants. If you’ve booked the 7AM slot, it should be around 10 or 10:30 AM which means you have enough time to go to the monastery before lunch.
This part is not as famous but yet, the most beautiful part of Petra in my opinion.
The hike will take you about 90 minutes. It goes up but is not that strenuous. Just take some breaks when you need them.
You will notice that the Bedouins offer donkeys to ride up. Please, don’t do it. If you think that’s too hard for you, imagine for them. That’s simply not something anyone should do.
The walk is perfectly doable, even for elderly people. Take your time, go slow, grab an ice tea on the way, you’ll make it!
Once you get to the top, you will discover the stunning monastery. You’ll see that the facade is a lot bigger than the treasury.
The path continues to another couple of view points where you can admire the canyons. This is also beautiful and usually not busy at all.
Once you’re done, you can head back down and should get to the restaurants around lunchtime.
This is a good time to grab some food. It may not be the most amazing meal you’ll have in Jordan but it’s reasonable.
In the afternoon, you can head back to the theatre and the treasury.
If you want to get the typical Instagram photos of the treasury, you can go to one of the view points with the Bedouins. Make sure to negotiate. It should be about 4JD but they will ask for more.
For a free option, you can do the Treasury Viewpoint Trail. This is more impressive since you go higher but it takes about 90 minutes return so it depends if you’re up for it. It is free though!
If you still fancy some walking, you can go to The High Place of Sacrifice. It takes about 45 minutes to go up to the top. From there you will get beautiful views of the canyons.
You can then head back down which should be around 30 minutes.
Finally, once you head back to the visitor centre, you can go to Petra Museum. It’s a great place to learn more about the history and you will see a lot of artefacts that used to be in Petra and needed to be protected.
Also, there is AC so that’s always appreciated.
🍽️Dinner rec: Sajiat Al janoob is a great small restaurant. Their hummus was the best I had in Jordan and it was so cheap!
Day 4: Wadi Rum
Today is time to go to the desert where Lawrence of Arabia was filmed. This is going to be an amazing experience and I promise, you’ll love it!
I recommend leaving at 7:30AM. The drive is about 90-minute long from Wadi Musa and you’ll need to be in Wadi Rum by 9:30AM to do the Jeep Tour.
If you want to break the journey, you can stop at Petra View Shop, the views over the canyons are beautiful and you can grab yourself a coffee.
You can also stop at Wadi Rum station where you can see the old trains and take some beautiful photos.
Jeep Tour
Once you get to Wadi Rum, you’ll check in with the Bedouins and get breakfast. You will then hop on the Jeep and explore the desert.
This is a lot of fun!
PRO TIP: Make sure to wear a headscarf or to hold your hat, as well as good walking shoes.
You will go to all the main landmarks in Wadi Rum including Lawrence’s Spring, Al Ramal Red Sand Dune, Khazali Canyon, Little Bridge, Lawrence’s House, Abu Khashaba Canyon and Um Frouth Rock Arch.
Each stop is between 30 and 60 minutes which gives plenty of time to explore and take photos.
It’s so convenient because you can really enjoy the experience and have fun.
Also, there is no way you could actually navigate in this desert unless you know where you’re going.
The tour also includes lunch and a traditional Bedouin dinner which is also a highlight of the trip.
Optional: Sunset Camel Ride
Camel rides are always a bit of a touchy topic but in this case, it’s a good opportunity to try it in a more ethical setting.
This sunset camel ride is private and you will be with a Bedouin guide and his camels. They only have a handful for each family and they are very close to their camels.
The ride is at sunset time which is incredibly beautiful. The colours are amazing.
WHERE TO STAY: If you’ve opted for this tour, accommodation will be included at a guest house in Wadi Rum.
Alternatively, Beyond Wadi Rum Camp is an amazing camp in the desert and it’s ideal for an authentic experience.
Day 5: Aqaba
If you feel like you can get up at 4:30AM today, then make sure to go see the sunrise. Wadi Rum is a beautiful desert and the hues of red and orange are stunning as they are but they are even better at sunrise.
I know it’s early but it will be well worth it!
You can then go back to bed or get ready for breakfast. The hotel will bring you back to the village with a jeep where you can get your vehicle back and drive down to Aqaba.
This should take about 1 hour. Make sure to leave early enough so you can make it on time for your boat tour in Aqaba.
Aqaba is located on the Red Sea and it’s the best place to go snorkelling in Jordan. This is truly stunning and booking a boat tour is a must do.
Once you get there, you will board the boat and can enjoy the view.
It’s quite a cool place because you get to see 4 countries from the boat (Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Egypt).
You will then do two guided snorkeling tours during which you can see corals, colourful fish but also tanks and airplanes (yes, in the sea!).
The boat is very nice and has showers and large bathrooms. You also get lunch included as well as hot drinks.
In the afternoon, enjoy a bit of a relaxing time at the beach. South Beach in Tala Bay is particularly nice.
You can relax on a chair or do one of the activities like the banana boat.
Alternatively, you can also book a day at the Berenice Beach Club and enjoy all the amenities there.
HOW TO LEAVE AQABA: There is an airport in Aqaba and loads of flights to Amman. They are also quite affordable so I highly recommend leaving your vehicle in Aqaba and fly from there.
If that’s not convenient for you and you’d prefer to drive back to Amman airport, just take it into consideration and skip either the boat trip or beach time in Aqaba.
I hope this article has helped you plan your Jordan itinerary. If you have any questions or if there is anything else I could help with, don’t hesitate to leave a comment.
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