Planning a Holiday to Jordan: The Effort Behind the Adventure (Part II)

Generally, we prefer Bradt guidebooks for entire countries and DK guides for specific cities, but in the case of Jordan we went for The Rough Guide to Jordan. As you’d expect from Rough Guides, it’s full of detailed, practical information — the kind that helps you understand not just what to see, but how to piece it all together into a realistic itinerary.

Once we learned more about the sights to the north and east of Amman, it became clear that a short visit wouldn’t do the country justice. We extended our plan to 10 full days (12 including travel) to give ourselves time to experience Jordan’s extraordinary range — Roman ruins, desert castles, vast canyons, and the legendary city of Petra.

With only eight weeks to go, we booked flights straight away to lock in prices. Heathrow remains our most convenient option, so even though the fares were slightly higher, the ease of access and reduced overall travel time made the decision simple.

Planning a trip like this takes far more time than it seems on paper. Each day has to balance ambition with realism — especially in a country where distances can be deceptive and public transport limited. We decided not to hire a car, which meant building the itinerary around buses, shared taxis, and the occasional private driver. Fortunately, we discovered that long-distance taxi journeys in Jordan are both affordable and surprisingly efficient, offering the kind of flexibility that organised tours rarely do.

Our plan slowly took shape: two nights in Amman to adjust and explore, then north to Ajloun Castle and Umm Qais, with visits to Gadara and Bethany Beyond the Jordan before returning to the capital. From there, we’d head south along the historic King’s Highway, stopping overnight at Dana Biosphere Reserve, then onward to Petra for two nights — enough time to see it in daylight and by torchlight. After Petra, we’ll travel to Aqaba for a night by the Red Sea, before venturing into the otherworldly landscapes of Wadi Rum.

The journey will end in comfort: a night of well-earned luxury at a hotel near the Dead Sea, followed by a final evening in Amman. It feels like the perfect balance between adventure, history, and rest — the kind of itinerary that takes shape only after hours of reading, mapping, and cross-checking every leg of the journey.

In total, the research — and our meticulous reading of the guidebook — took over 10 hours. It’s time well spent. Crafting an itinerary like this isn’t just about logistics; it’s about anticipation, understanding, and the joy of seeing a plan come together.

Our next post will cover the practical side: hotel bookings, timings, public transport, taxis, and how we turn all of this planning into a single, easily accessible itinerary — available as an app, webpage, or PDF for fellow travellers to use.