Cycle the Jordan Trail to Petra

Wonderful week in Jordan. Great organisation. Thank you.

This was an incredible, really enjoyable trip. The itinerary is well designed and there is plenty of variety in terms of the cycling, scenery and accommodation (not so much variety with the food, although it is excellent throughout – a particular shout out to the succulent ‘zarb’ cooked lamb at the Rainbow Camp in Wadi Rum).

The guides were excellent – Furat leads on all the MBA trips and has been doing this for a couple of years now which means he knows the trip inside out and the logistics ran absolutely seamlessly. He also adds value with (among other things) his sense of humour, photography skills and knowledge of the history and culture of Jordan. Driver/‘snack man’/bike mechanic Anas was also excellent with his ever present cheeky smile.

The ‘moderate’ rating feels about right to me. As a mostly road cyclist the distances are shorter than I would normally prefer but with the off-road terrain (including deep sand in places), the stunning scenery to look at throughout and everything else going on, this didn’t feel at all like a shortcoming of the trip. The mountain bikes provided were spot on for the terrain and well maintained.

It’s difficult to pick out highlights because it was consistently high quality, but to mention a few: the day 3 cycling along a section of the Jordan bike trail where the views were spectacular and the mostly off-road terrain (with a couple of punchy climbs and rocky descents) was great to cycle and provided just the right amount of challenge.

The hills and desert expanse of Wadi Rum (the “massive rampart of redness” as T. E. Lawrence described it) were also pretty breathtaking. Also the incredible hike via the ‘backdoor’ into Petra, which fortunately for us was mostly empty of other tourists due to the ongoing conflicts elsewhere in the region. This is obviously not so fortunate for the Jordanian tourist industry, but Jordan itself is absolutely fine, like an oasis of calm in the middle of all the upheaval, so now is actually a good time to visit.

Although you can get booze in Jordan (far more easily than in Morocco), there were a few ‘dry’ nights and what booze there is can be overpriced (JOD10 for a 500ml can of Petra beer at the Seven Wonders Bedouin camp in Little Petra felt like daylight robbery!)

It's not mentioned in the itinerary but there were a couple of optional paid add-ons - JOD30 to do an early morning/sunrise camel ride into the desert at Wadi Rum (I can recommend) and JOD35 to do an introductory Scuba dive at Aqaba (I elected to go snorkelling instead - JOD7 to hire a mask, although I was a bit underwhelmed with what I saw; it compared poorly to Dahab just 100 miles along the coast in Egypt, and to Bali, both being places where I've gone snorkelling on MBA trips this year).

Madaba is a pretty small place and there are no official activities on day 1 (you don’t meet Furat until the morning of day 2) so if you are short of things to do on that day and have the time, maybe check out Mount Nebo which is a short Uber/taxi ride from Madaba. And it’s worth adding a couple of days at the start or end of the trip to see Amman and various other sites that the MBA trip does not visit.

And if you are staying on, don’t bother booking the private transfer via MBA to get to the airport from Amman. Ubers are plentiful in Amman and mine cost JOD20 which is a lot less than the price MBA are charging (although to be fair their price is more in line with the going rate for getting to Madaba from the airport at the start of the trip).

TLDR: Stop thinking about it, just book! This was an amazing trip, everyone in our group had a blast, but if you're the kind of person who likes details read on.

The tour The this is really well considered and organised, most of the harder rides happen towards the start when you're still fresh. There's plenty of non-bike stuff too which I wasn't sure I'd be as into, but it was great way to break up time in the saddle. Furat is an unreal guide, he's always smiling, happy to answer the most inane questions and some pretty tough ones too. I really think he made the trip for a lot of us. The tour covers all of Jordan's hits and in my opinion there's no better way to see them. That said, you move at pace this means early starts and lots of packing and unpacking.

The riding It wasn't easy but very doable for anyone used to riding, you definitely don't need to be a mountain bike specialist. The off road sections aren't technical, you can take them as slowly as you want or just jump in the support vehicle. The sand sections are very challenging and take some getting used to. If you ride clipless consider getting pedal with flats so you don't need to be clipped in for these parts, this would have made a huge difference. The bikes themselves are great. They're well maintained with gearing perfect for the terrain and Anas is always there to help is anything goes wrong.

Accommodation This really varied from a homestay to wilderness camping to hotels and glamping. It's never luxury but you always have access to showers and a loo. You'll need earplugs although they didn't cut it in one spot where the neighbourhood wildlife were intent to keep us up. I loved the wilderness camping even though I'm usually someone who likes a plush hotel. Almost all of them have Wi-Fi and power (the wilderness camping being the exception). If you want to stay connected and juiced up get yourself a eSIM which gave me coverage even in some very remote places and make sure you've got a couple of power banks and multi USB charger. Many of the places you visit have a mix of outlets, take UK AND EU as some outlets will have one or the other.

Food This is usually the main reason I travel. There are loads of different dishes on offer, but you'll have hummus and pita with everything. Pro tip: Ask Furat how to pronounce hummus. We had a veggie and gluten free person in our group, both seemed to be looked after but I can't speak to their experience. As curious omnivore, there was always enough food, and it was tasty. It was always middle-easter fair so if you're a fussy eater you might be out of luck, no one is going to make you beans on toast. Shout out to Anas on the bike snacks: nuts, dates, candied dried fruit, chocolates the man had it all!

Safety I didn't feel unsafe at any point in the trip. Whether you're concerned about the terrain or the events across the border, my experience was smooth sailing all the way. If anything, it meant that many of the sites were quieter.

The trip was absolutely wonderful, if you like riding, exploring and learning about culture this trip is a must.

Words don't do justice to this trip. It was perfectly organised down to the last detail thanks to Furat and Anas' care and attention. I am so glad to have stumbled across this beautiful country and what a privilege to have experienced it by bike.

Jordan delighted us every single second of this trip. What a breathtaking country. Experiencing this on bikes allowed for a much greater experience, a real taste of Jordan! Challenging riding, delicious snacks, wonderful group dynamics, stunning scenery and a fantastic guide - best trip EVER.

The trip was well organised throughout, with good communication from MBA prior to departure. I really enjoyed the week cycling through challenging terrain with wonderful views. Furat was an excellent guide, patient and informative. The wild camping in the desert was spectacular and the Red Sea and Dead Sea experiences at the end of the week gave a luxurious end to the week.

I recently returned from an unforgettable group cycling tour in Jordan, and I wish I could give more than 5 stars! The entire experience was beyond amazing, with breathtaking landscapes and a perfectly planned route. The bikes were top-notch, and the journey was an absolute joy from start to finish.

Our guide, Farut, was exceptional – professional, patient, and always there when needed. He was not only incredibly knowledgeable but also brought so much fun and humor to the group. You couldn’t ask for a better guide!

A big shoutout to Anas, our backup driver, who was always nearby with a friendly smile, ready to help with anything. His snack stops were always on point, and his support was impeccable throughout the tour.

This trip exceeded all my expectations, and I can’t recommend it enough!

It was honestly the most amazing thing I have ever done. I arrived very late on the night before we set off which meant everyone else had already met and introduced themselves. As a solo traveler I was a bit nervous but was made to feel very welcome from the outset. The cycling was slightly harder than I anticipated but it was extremely well planned with frequent stops for food and rest. The accomodation was different every night and gave a real feel for the real Jordan. It was all amazing. Our hosts in the Bedouin camps were fabulous. The food was amazing . There were some amazing surprises along the way which made the trip even more spectacular. The scenery was breathtaking. Furat was our guide and he was fantastic. He was extrememly knowledgeable and very helpful. He managed to guide us, look after us and entertain us all at the same time. He explained everything so we knew what we were doing, when we were doing it and what was going to happen. Just fabulous.

Jordan is a truly stunning country - extraordinary landscapes, generous people and fabulous food. Seeing it by bike is such a privilege, and this tour is a non-stop sensory delight. From meeting families and enjoying their hospitality to the filmic desert surroundings, to the kindness and good humour of the guides, Furat and Anas, to the magical dawn camel ride, the whole week was a nonstop carousel of memories, set in biblical surroundings. And if you aren't big on cycling (I'm not). Anas is happy to scoop you up when the going gets tough and feed you dried apricots while he teaches you Arabic in the back of the truck, as you watch everyone else sweat it out.

I had a great time, the people on the trip all got on well, our Guide Furat Mai was brilliant, knowledgeable and led us superbly. the programme and routes gave a great insight into the history and geography of Jordan, I recommend a day in Amman either before or after to take in the museums and archeological sites there, easily arranged via the site. The collection & delivery to & from the airport was seamless. I will definately consider another trip with MBA.

Many sights taken in en route. Getting to see, and deal, the sand and rock as well as some of the key sights.