DURATION
LOCATION
ANNUAL LEAVE
SEASON
GROUP SIZE
MEETING POINT
ACCOMMODATION
Hotel · Glamping
DIFFICULTY
You won’t need to be super fit, but you should be in good shape and feel comfortable hiking for up to 6 hours a day on often unsteady ground
Pass through the sandstone mountains that guard Petra’s ‘backdoor’ before soaking up the secrets of the UNESCO World Heritage Site itself
Hop in a desert truck through the dunes of Wadi Rum to climb Jordan’s highest peak, with views all the way to Saudi Arabia
Swim, or float, in the Dead Sea – the lowest point on earth, famous for its healing properties
Looking for a longer adventure? Check out Hike Jordan and Snorkel the Red Sea to explore technicolour waterworlds as well as lunar sandscapes
Day 1
Welcome to Jordan
The start point for today is your hotel in central Madaba. You'll be met at the airport and transferred to Madaba, where you are free to check in after 14:00.
Day 2
Dana Nature Reserve
Driving
Hiking
After breakfast and a chance to meet your fellow adventurers, it's time for your briefing on the days ahead. Head south to Dana Nature Reserve, one of Jordan’s often-overlooked gems. Today you’ll be hiking the Shaq Al Reesh trail (or similar). This circular trail traverses from Al-Barrah, through a breathtaking siq, to Shaq al Reesh. Time permitting, after the hike you’ll continue south towards Shobak Castle for a panoramic tour. Pull out your camera and take a few great shots, as the castle is perched on the side of a rocky, conical mountain, looking out over fruit trees below on the way to Petra. Memories captured, you’ll then head to your first Bedouin camp experience of this adventure.
Day 3
The backdoor to Petra
Hiking
After an early breakfast, it's time to start your journey through Petra. You'll cross the desert and pass through Wadi Ghurab amidst the sandstone mountains that guard the approach to Petra. Continue via a Nabataean route that skirts the final mountain on a natural rock terrace. You'll soon reach a hidden plateau high above the impressive chasm of Wadi Siyyagh. The monastery suddenly comes into view as you follow the steps down to ancient Petra, where you'll have time to soak it all in and learn about its ancient past.
Day 4
Head to Wadi Rum and climb Jordan’s highest peak
Driving
Hiking
Head to the unique desert landscape of Wadi Rum, where you'll hop into a desert truck for the hour’s drive to the foot of Um Ad Dami (1800m) – the highest peak in Jordan. Hike up to the summit, from which the panorama is spectacular – to the south, you can see the border to Saudi Arabia and to the north, Jebel Rum. You'll descend to a remote Bedouin camp to relax and marvel at the stars in the clear desert night. Dinner here is a real experience – you’ll be served zarb, a delicious traditional dish cooked for 4-5 hours on hot coals under the ground.
Day 5
Wadi Rum to the Dead Sea
Driving
If you're an early bird, your Bedouin hosts will be able to point you towards a nearby sand dune for sunrise – a great opportunity to catch the unique, deep reds of the desert landscape one last time. After breakfast, you’ll drive north to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth, where you'll stop for a swim and a float before heading to the cosmopolitan city of Amman for your final night.
Day 6
Transfer to Airport
After breakfast and final goodbyes with your team, you'll be returned to the airport in time for your flight home.
Included
Guides
Local, professional, English-speaking guides
Accommodation
3 nights in a hotel and 2 nights in a Bedouin camp
Meals
All breakfasts, 4 lunches and 2 traditional Arabic dinners
Transfers
Both airport transfers and travel between locations
Equipment
In the desert you'll stay in fully equipped fixed Bedouin tents
Not Included
Flights to and from the meeting point
Travel insurance
Personal expenses
Some meals as described
Tips for your guides
Visas where required
Day 1
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 2
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 3
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 4
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 5
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 6
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
What is the food like?
For breakfast, expect a buffet typical of 3-star hotel breakfasts all over the world. Lunches will generally be either a packed lunch or buffet style. Where there isn't included, this will cost approx $10pp. Dinner (where not included) will be at local restaurants and will cost approx $15-$20pp. Your guide will be with you to make suggestions of where to eat and when to arrange group meals.
For dinner in the Bedouin camp on Day 2, you'll experience traditional Arabic food: either magloobah (rice with vegetables and chicken prepared in a traditional way with local spices) or mansaf (rice served with lamb and yoghurt). These dishes come with the classic accompaniments of hoummus, mtabbal (fried aubergine) and salad. Dinner at Wadi Rum on Day 4 is a real experience: here, they serve the famous zarb – rice, veggies, lamb and chicken cooked for 4-5 hours under the ground on coals, served with salads and side dishes.
Vegetarians, vegans and other dietary requirements and allergies can be catered for – please just let your host know on booking.
What is the accommodation like?
Little Petra
You will spend one night in a Bedouin camp located just 5km from Petra. Each tent is equipped with beds, mattresses, blankets and pillows, with showers and toilets available nearby. You'll be treated to traditional Bedouin cuisine, and the camp is the perfect place for a spot of star-gazing and to watch the sun rise the next morning.
Wadi Rum
The Bedouin desert camp consists of several communal areas for dining, having a fire and sitting outside. The tents are large canvas square style tents with a raised bed, mattress and furniture in each. If you would like to take your mattress outside to a nearby dune to sleep under the stars, let your guide know as this can be arranged.
Madaba, Petra & Amman
During your overnight stays in Madaba, Petra and Amman you will be tucked up in cosy local hotels. The exact hotel you stay in will be confirmed nearer the time based on group size and availability, but all are chosen for their excellent reputation, location and welcoming service.
Upgrades
For solo travellers looking for their own space, an optional private room and tent can be booked for an extra charge, see Optional Extras for the price. Please request this at the time of booking (this is subject to availability).
The Area
Logistics
Starts
Queen Alia International Airport, Amman
Catch any flight to arrive on Day 1
Ends
Queen Alia International Airport Amman
Depart any time on Day 6
Transfers
Arrival transfers from Amman airport to the hotel in Madaba are included for any time you choose to arrive on Day 1 or Day 2 of the tour (some flights arrive after midnight so fall in the early hours of Day 2). Departure transfers from the final hotel to Amman airport are included for any time you choose to depart on Day 6. If you need a transfer on other days then your host can arrange a private transfer for you, at additional cost. See the Optional Extras section for prices.
Travel options
There are frequent flights to Amman from airports in the UK and Europe. Choose any flight to arrive on Day 1 and depart on Day 6 - or extend your stay if you wish. Some flights arrive shortly after midnight - if you arrive in Amman in the early hours of Day 2 then your room will be ready and waiting for you, but if your flight arrives in the early hours of Day 1, you will need to book an extra night's accommodation before the tour as rooms are not usually available for check-in until the mid-afternoon. Your host can arrange an additional night of accommodation, subject to availability. See the Optional Extras section for prices.
Enjoy 12.5% Off Outdoor Gear
In need of a few more items? All bookings receive a 12.5% discount to use at Cotswold Outdoor, Snow + Rock and Runner's Need.
What do I need to bring?
- Main bag (duffel bag or small suitcase)
- Day pack (15-25 litres) to carry the essentials while hiking
- Light rain or windproof jacket
- Dry fit t-shirts or tops (shoulders covered)
- Hiking trousers or long shorts
- Buff or neck scarf
- Hiking boots (worn in)
- Hiking socks (synthetic or wool)
- Pyjamas/something to sleep in
- Swimwear
- Flip flops or sandals
- Walking poles (optional)
- Water bladder or 2 water bottles
- Sun protection (sun hat, sunglasses and suncreen)
- Insect repellent
- Personal first aid kit (inc. blister treatment)
- Toiletries (inc. travel towel and hand sanitiser)
- Toilet kit (toilet paper, wet wipes and ziplock baggies to carry out)
- Snacks
- Sleeping bag liner for the Bedouin camps (optional)
- Headtorch (optional) for the night in the desert
- Ear plugs (optional)
Post-trip Accommodation in Amman (Single)
Payable Before Departure
Post-trip Accommodation in Amman (Single)
…
Post-trip Accommodation in Amman (Twin or Double)
Payable Before Departure
Post-trip Accommodation in Amman (Twin or Double)
…
Pre-trip accommodation in Madaba (Single)
Payable Before Departure
Pre-trip accommodation in Madaba (Single)
…
Pre-trip accommodation in Madaba (Twin or Double)
Payable Before Departure
Pre-trip accommodation in Madaba (Twin or Double)
…
Optional Private Room Upgrade
Payable Before Departure
Optional Private Room Upgrade
… Per Person
Private Airport Transfer to/from Amman or Madaba Hotel (one way)
Payable Before Departure
Private Airport Transfer to/from Amman or Madaba Hotel (one way)
…
Fabulous few days away, there was so much crammed in it felt like a far longer break than it was. Great walking to Petra and up Jabal Umm ad Dami. Fabulous local guides, very knowledgeable, and entertaining. People, scenery & food all stunning. Would whole heartedly recommend this trip.
Overall a fantastic trip that really shows off the highlights of Jordan. Petra & Wadi Rum are the real stars of the show. Lovely food, stunning scenery, great guide and a great trip to book if you're short on time but have always wanted to experience this country.
I would thoroughly recommend this trip - it was absolutely incredible and I’ve made memories and friends I’ll treasure for life. Ali, our guide was absolutely brilliant. Thank you, Much Better Adventure to introducing me to Jordan and it’s amazing people!
Such a great trip! Our guide Ali was brilliant very welcoming and had a great sense of humour. I'd say the moderate rating was correct in terms of fitness level but on the day of the summit hike the heat (I was there early October) made the climb more challenging than a usual moderate climb. Not a negative at all just something to keep in mind if you're thinking of taking this trip. A hat is a must or head scarf to keep cool as the areas of shade are few and far between. Camping out in Wadi Rum and the journey there was a real highlight. Such an amazing country with wonderful welcoming locals. I'm confident this trip will exceed any expectations.
This trip was brilliant! A great mix of activities and covered a lot in a small amount of time. Highly recommend!
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A fantastic trip, don't let the current situation with Jordans neighbours put you off a trip to this part of the world.
Jordan is an amazing country to visit and this trip gives you a real and true taste of this part of the world.
The trip was great, with some incredible sights, particularly the Wadi Rum hike and Petra monastery. Our guide Raja was superb throughout the trip.
For me this was a trip of a lifetime. It was tough for a retiree but with the help of the guide and all of the leaders (who were amazing) it took me beyond what I believed I was capable of. It also allowed me to experience what I otherwise would not, and to be part of an amazing group of people. There were too many highlights to mention, every day was an adventure and I always felt protected and looked after. I understand now that it is very hard to rank an adventure trip, easy, medium or hard as we are all at such different levels and capabilities, so it is really up to the individual to understand the requirements and be prepared. Thank you to 'muchbetter adventures', Ali, and all the group leaders for a trip of a lifetime.
We've crunched the numbers to work out the total carbon footprint of this trip, and plant enough trees to suck 2x as much back out the atmosphere.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 278kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.
The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal for 2023 to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.
But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:
- Driving 1000miles/1609km would be approx. 281kg of CO2 in an average car (or 140.5kg per person if there was 2 of you in it).
- A return economy class flight London - New York would be approx. 1,619kg (1.66 tonnes) per person.
- 10 trees in a temperate forest are estimated to remove approx. 250kg of CO2 from the air in a period of 5-10 years.
What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. For every person booked with us since 2016 we’re planting enough trees to suck at least 2x more carbon out the atmosphere than is emitted by their trips. All native trees, as part of amazing projects that are re-foresting degraded land, tackling the biodiversity crisis and supporting local communities at the same time. We go further than that too, also funding re-wilding projects worldwide to help protect important keystone species from extinction. See the reforestation and re-wilding schemes we support. See our carbon action plan.
Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.
A moderate level of fitness is needed to enjoy this trip. You won’t need to be super fit, but you should be in good shape and feel comfortable hiking up to 6 hours a day on often unsteady ground. What’s more important is being comfortable with heights. There will be a few exposed sections, so those with vertigo may not be too comfortable. Your guide will never be far away to help you get through it, though.
Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
We recommend booking more than 31 days in advance to guarantee your spot on the trip. If requesting to book less than 31 in advance, the host will need to check accommodation availability before accepting your booking (please do not book flights until your booking has been confirmed by the host). Due to high demand in Jordan, if requesting a spot within two weeks of departure, chances are that there won't be any availability – so the sooner you can make plans the better.
The weather in the summer can get very hot, especially in the desert, with daytime temperatures averaging between 32-36°C. May to October tends to be exclusively sunny, while the nights are cool and balmy. Rain is unlikely but not unheard of, so do be prepared, especially if travelling between November and March.
We recommend going on this trip between September to October or March to April. Where the weather is just a little bit cooler.
Tips are not included in the trip cost. These are entirely at your discretion but there is an expectation to tip for good service. Your guide will help with advice however we suggest the below as a guideline per person:
Guide: $5+ per person per day Driver: $3+ per person per day Local guides: $3+ per person per guide Hotel porters: $2 per person per day Restaurants: £1 per person Jeep drivers: $2 per person
Of course, you are free to tip more or less and the amount should be reflective of your perception of service and quality – while often expected, a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service.
No. You'll need to have a larger bag suitable for all your belongings which will be transported for you, and then a small rucksack to carry personal items during each day of activity.
Ramadan will take place from 10th March to 8th April 2024. The national holiday of Eid ul-Fitr will follow for 2-3 days. Ramadan is an Islamic festival where the religious do not eat or drink during daylight hours. While this is a really interesting time to travel, you can expect some business hours will be shortened, alcohol is not permitted during daylight hours and some restaurants will be closed during this festival period. Activities for local people tend to be limited during the day and the nights are very active in cities with lots of different foods being sold and consumed. However in hotel restaurants and tourist areas food and drink are served as normal and Ramadan will not affect the inclusions on your trip. Liquor stores are likely to be closed for the month but in tourist enclaves bars stay open (although some may not allow alcohol outdoors - but inside is generally okay).
We recommend checking out the country specific information here and also talking to a travel nurse.
We are monitoring the UK government travel advice closely in response to the conflict over the border in Israel and Palestine. In addition, we are in close contact with our local hosts in Jordan in relation to the situation. Trips in Jordan remain unaffected and are running as scheduled. Last updated: Wednesday 11 October 2023
For current advice about travelling in Jordan, have a read of the FCO pages here.
Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine.
Travel insurance is compulsory for all of our adventures and you are required to provide your policy information before departing.
Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure. We also strongly recommend it includes cancellation and curtailment insurance, should you be unable to join your trip for specific reasons such as illness.
We fully endorse Campbell Irvine as their insurance offers all of the above, so get in touch with them or call on 020 7938 1734 to get your insurance sorted. We suggest that you book travel insurance as soon as you book your adventure, just to cover you for any last-minute life changes. We know you’re an active lot and injuries do happen!
We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.
If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.
All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. Children can be accommodated on some private departures.
You're in good company. Our adventures are typically made up of a mix of solo travellers and small groups of two or three friends who simply love adventure, pushing themselves and meeting awesome like-minded people. See here for more info about our lovely bunch of Much Better Adventurers.
Want to book a private trip? Just tap ‘Private Group’ in the dates and prices tab.
Your trip is led by carefully curated local hosts and expert guides. See here for more info about the guides we work with.
Pay In Installments
You can choose to pay for this trip in as many installments as you like, with no interest or fees.
Full Financial Protection
Your money is safe. Every booking is fully financially protected.
