Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Jordan: Dana to Petra on Foot, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea
8 days from Amman: three days walking the Jordan Trail from Dana into Petra by the back door, Petra again at opening, a night in Wadi Rum and a last night on the Dead Sea.
8 days · Round trip from Amman · up to 12 guests
Wadi Dana, where the walk to Petra begins Photo: Philipp Dennert, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dana_Nature_Reserve,_May_2010.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Amman
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Active
Three walking days in a row on rough desert trails: about 14 km down Wadi Dana with a descent of roughly 900 m, about 14 km of rolling wadis the next day, then about 13 to 15 km from Little Petra over the back trail to the Monastery and out through Petra, with about 800 steps down. Expect 5 to 7 hours on your feet each day with a daypack; the support vehicle carries your bags. On each walking day there is a way to sit part or all of it out, and Petra at opening the next morning is optional.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 4 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 545 (estimated price)
- Season
- March to May and October to November
Highlights
Why this trip
- Walk down Wadi Dana from the stone village of Dana to the copper-mining valley of Feynan, about 900 m lower
- Two nights in trail camps with dinner cooked by the support crew and a sky with no town lights
- Little Petra at about 8 am, then the back trail to the Monastery, arriving from above instead of up 800 steps
- Back in Petra at opening the next day for the Siq and the Treasury before the day-trippers
- A 4x4 tour of Wadi Rum to sunset, a zarb dinner and a desert sunrise
- The Madaba Map, Mount Nebo and a golden-hour float in the Dead Sea
- Kerak's Crusader castle on the drive south to Dana
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 545 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Amman
Queen Alia International Airport to your hotel in Amman
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Amman
- Drive about 45 min
Evening
Fly into Queen Alia International Airport (AMM), about 35 km south of Amman, and plan to land by about 4 pm so you reach the evening briefing (the exact latest arrival is confirmed with your final itinerary). Your Jordan Pass and visa are arranged before you fly, and a driver meets you in the arrivals hall for the 45-minute drive to a central hotel. If you land early, rest: tomorrow is a long day on the road and the walking starts the day after. In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a briefing that matters more than usual on a walking trip: what goes in your daypack, how the support vehicle moves the bags, what the trail camps are like and how each walking day can be shortened. We check boots and water bottles, then walk to a welcome dinner of mezze, grilled meat and fresh bread at a local restaurant.
Included
- Pick-up at Queen Alia International Airport (AMM)
- Welcome briefing with your guide, including a kit check for the walk
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
Kerak Castle and the road to Dana
Amman to Kerak on the Desert Highway, then the King's Highway through Tafila to Dana
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Dana
- Drive about 3.5 h
We leave Amman at about 8:30 and drive south on the Desert Highway, about an hour and three quarters, to Kerak. The castle was begun by the Crusaders in the 1140s on a ridge above the town and later held by Saladin's successors and the Mamluks; your guide takes you through its vaulted halls and galleries, dark and cool even in spring, and out to the walls for the view west towards the Dead Sea.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal in Kerak. In the afternoon we follow the older King's Highway south through Tafila, about another hour and three quarters, to Dana, a village of stone houses on the rim of a great canyon at about 1,200 m. Late in the day we walk through the lanes to the edge of the village as the low sun lights Wadi Dana, the valley you walk down tomorrow.
Evening
Dinner is at the guesthouse.
Included
- Kerak Castle with your guide
- Sit-down lunch in Kerak
- Evening walk through Dana village to the viewpoint over Wadi Dana
- Dinner at the guesthouse
Activity: Kerak Castle has uneven floors, dark passages and steep stone steps; bring a small torch or use your phone's light.
Down Wadi Dana to Feynan
Dana village to Feynan on foot, down Wadi Dana
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Feynan
Afternoon
The first walking day starts at about 7 am, so we are on the lower, hotter ground before midday. With a licensed local trail guide we drop off the edge of Dana village and follow the Jordan Trail down Wadi Dana, about 14 km and roughly 900 m of descent, five to six hours with stops. The path winds down past terraces and springs, then the rock turns from pale limestone to red sandstone and dark granite as the valley opens and the air warms. Look up for Nubian ibex and raptors on the cliffs; in spring the lower slopes are green. Lunch is a picnic carried in our daypacks, as no vehicle reaches the canyon floor. The trail ends at Feynan, where heaps of black slag mark copper mines worked from the Bronze Age to Byzantine times.
Evening
Our support crew has set up camp nearby, with hot showers, and cooks dinner as the light goes.
Included
- Guided walk down Wadi Dana on the Jordan Trail with a licensed trail guide
- Dana Biosphere Reserve entry
- Picnic lunch on the trail
- Dinner at the trail camp near Feynan
Easier option: Skip the walk and ride with the support vehicle, which drives round by the Dead Sea Highway to the camp, about two and a half hours.
Free time: Late afternoon free at camp
Activity: About 14 km, mostly downhill, with roughly 900 m of descent on loose stone. Poles help on the knees. Carry at least 2 litres of water.
Across the hills towards Petra
Feynan on foot towards Ras al-Feid, then by support vehicle to a camp near Little Petra
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Little Petra
- Drive about 1 h
Another 7 am start in the cool. From Feynan we walk south on the Jordan Trail, about 14 km over five to six hours, through dry wadis and over low passes in the foothills of the Sharah mountains. This is Bedouin grazing country: in spring you may pass black goat-hair tents and flocks moving between wells, and your trail guide knows the families who use these valleys. The walking is rolling rather than steep, on stony paths and sandy riverbeds, with wide views back across Wadi Araba.
Afternoon
At midday the support vehicle meets us where a track crosses the trail, and the crew cooks lunch in the shade. In the afternoon we finish the walk, then ride about an hour up into the hills to the second camp near Little Petra, missing out a long middle section of the trail so tomorrow stays a fair length.
Evening
A second dinner at camp, and a clear night sky.
Included
- Guided walk on the Jordan Trail from Feynan with a licensed trail guide
- Lunch cooked by the support crew on the trail
- Support-vehicle transfer to the camp near Little Petra
- Dinner at the trail camp
Easier option: Walk the morning only, about 7 km, then ride with the support vehicle after lunch.
Free time: Late afternoon free at camp
Activity: About 14 km of rolling ground with short climbs, on stony paths and soft sand. Hot in the open by late morning, even in spring and autumn.
Little Petra and the back door to Petra
Little Petra on foot by the back trail to the Monastery, through Petra and out by the Siq to Wadi Musa
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Wadi Musa
We walk into Little Petra, Siq al-Barid, at about 8 am, before anyone else: a narrow canyon of Nabataean houses, cisterns and dining rooms that probably served caravans bound for the main city, with a rare painted ceiling of vines and birds in the Painted Biclinium. From there the back trail climbs gently over open sandstone, with views down to Wadi Araba, and in about three hours brings us to the Monastery, Petra's largest facade, from above and behind. Most visitors earn it by climbing about 800 steps; we walk down them instead.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal inside the site. In the afternoon we walk the Colonnaded Street past the Great Temple, the Royal Tombs and the Theatre to the Treasury, then out through the 1.2 km Siq to the gate in Wadi Musa.
Evening
Your hotel is a short walk or drive away, and the evening is free.
Included
- Little Petra (Siq al-Barid) and the Painted Biclinium
- Guided walk on the back trail from Little Petra to the Monastery
- Petra with a licensed local guide: the Monastery, the Colonnaded Street, the Royal Tombs, the Theatre, the Treasury and the Siq
- Sit-down lunch inside Petra
Optional experiences
- Petra by Night, on the evenings it runs (price given at booking)
Easier option: Skip the back trail: the vehicle takes you to the main gate in Wadi Musa and you walk in through the Siq to meet the group for lunch, about 4 km.
Free time: Evening free in Wadi Musa
Activity: About 13 to 15 km in all, including about 800 rock-cut steps down from the Monastery and the gentle climb out through the Siq.
Petra at opening, then Wadi Rum
Petra on foot, then Wadi Musa to Wadi Rum
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Wadi Rum
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
Yesterday you walked into Petra from the back; this morning you go in through the front, at opening, about 6 am, which is the one early start that is worth it. The Siq is cool and nearly empty, and you reach the Treasury before the tour buses do. With the crowds still on the road, your guide shows you the Street of Facades and takes those who want it up the steep steps to the High Place of Sacrifice for the view over the city.
Afternoon
We are out by about 11:30 for a sit-down lunch in Wadi Musa, then drive about two hours south to Wadi Rum, a desert of red sand and sandstone mountains listed by UNESCO in 2011. After settling in at camp, Bedouin drivers take us out by 4x4 to Lawrence's Spring, the rock carvings of Khazali Canyon, a red dune and the Um Fruth rock bridge.
Evening
We stop on high ground for sunset, then dinner is zarb, lifted from an oven buried in the sand.
Included
- Second Petra visit at opening: the Siq, the Treasury and the Street of Facades
- Sit-down lunch in Wadi Musa
- Wadi Rum Protected Area entry
- Afternoon 4x4 tour with Bedouin drivers: Lawrence's Spring, Khazali Canyon, a red dune and the Um Fruth rock bridge
- Sunset from high ground and a zarb dinner at camp
Easier option: Skip the early start: sleep in at the hotel and meet the group for lunch in Wadi Musa.
More active option: Climb the steep rock-cut steps to the High Place of Sacrifice and come down past the Garden Tomb.
Activity: Wadi Rum sits at about 1,000 m, so nights are cool for much of the year and cold in early spring and late autumn.
Desert sunrise, Madaba and the Dead Sea
Wadi Rum on the Desert Highway to Madaba, then Mount Nebo and down to the Dead Sea
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Dead Sea
- Drive about 4.5 h
Morning
Wake early for sunrise, and walk up the dune behind camp as the light runs down the cliffs. After breakfast we leave at about 8:30 for the longest drive of the trip, about 340 km and four and a half hours in all.
Afternoon
It runs over the 4-hour cap because the Dead Sea is the right place to end a walking week and there is no shorter road to it from the desert, so we break it into three: about three and a half hours north on the Desert Highway with a coffee stop, a sit-down lunch in Madaba, then short hops on. In Madaba the floor of the Church of St George holds the Madaba Map, a 6th-century mosaic of the Holy Land with Jerusalem at its centre. Ten minutes on, Mount Nebo looks over the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea, and then the road drops to the shore, about 430 m below sea level.
Evening
Float at golden hour; dinner is your choice.
Included
- Sunrise walk in Wadi Rum
- The Madaba Map at the Church of St George
- Sit-down lunch in Madaba
- Mount Nebo and the Memorial Church of Moses
- Time to float in the Dead Sea at the resort's beach
Optional experiences
- Spa treatments at the resort
Free time: Evening free at the Dead Sea
Activity: Do not shave on the day you float, and keep the water away from your eyes; the salt stings, worse on walking blisters.
Bethany and home
Dead Sea to Bethany Beyond the Jordan, then Queen Alia International Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
Float once more before breakfast, while the water is flat and the beach is quiet; your legs will thank you after three days on the trail. Mid-morning we drive about twenty minutes north to Bethany Beyond the Jordan, Al-Maghtas, where John is believed to have baptised Jesus, listed by UNESCO in 2015. A short walk through tamarisk and reeds leads to the remains of Byzantine churches and down to the Jordan River itself, here only a few metres wide, with Israel and the West Bank on the far bank. From Bethany it is about an hour to Queen Alia International Airport, where we arrive around 1 pm. Your guide sees you to the terminal and checks your flight before saying goodbye. If you are staying on in Amman, we can drop you in the city instead; tell us when you book.
Included
- Bethany Beyond the Jordan (Al-Maghtas) with your guide
- Drop-off at Queen Alia International Airport (AMM)
Easier option: For a flight before about 3:30 pm, we go straight from the resort to the airport.
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 3:30 pm to include Bethany.
- Amman1 night
- Dana1 night
- Feynan1 night
- Little Petra1 night
- Wadi Musa1 night
- Wadi Rum1 night
- Dead Sea1 night
- Ammanend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Feynan sits low on the edge of Wadi Araba and is too hot to walk from June to September, so we run only in spring and autumn and start walking at about 7 am. Dana and Wadi Rum nights are cool to cold. In winter, rain can bring flash floods to the wadis. Watch for Nubian ibex and raptors on the Dana cliffs; spring brings wildflowers.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Regular walkers who want to reach Petra on foot rather than by coach
- Travellers happy with two nights in trail camps, with beds and hot showers
- People who have seen the classic Jordan sights or want them alongside real walking
- Solo travellers, with a stated single supplement
Not for you if you want
- Anyone who cannot walk 14 km on rough, stony ground three days running
- Travellers who want two nights in each place; see our classic Jordan trip
- Step-free access: Petra means sand, rock and long flights of steps
- Summer travel: we do not run June to September because of the heat at Feynan
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Amman1 night
- Dana1 night
- Feynan1 night
- Little Petra1 night
- Wadi Musa1 night
- Wadi Rum1 night
- Dead Sea1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights: 1 in Amman, 1 in Dana village, 2 in trail camps near Feynan and near Little Petra, 1 in Wadi Musa near the Petra gate, 1 at a desert camp in Wadi Rum, 1 at a Dead Sea resort
- Hotels of at least 3-star-plus standard in Amman, Wadi Musa and at the Dead Sea; a village guesthouse with private bathrooms in Dana; named when we confirm your dates
- Trail camps with beds, a toilet tent and hot showers, set up by our support crew
- A Wadi Rum tent with its own bathroom and hot water
- Rooms and tents shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up and drop-off at Queen Alia International Airport (AMM)
- Our own air-conditioned vehicle and driver from Amman to Dana and from Wadi Musa to the airport
- A support vehicle carrying your bags on the three walking days, and the transfer to the second trail camp
- 4x4 tour in Wadi Rum with Bedouin drivers
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for all 8 days
- A licensed Jordanian trail guide on the three walking days
- Licensed local guides at Kerak and Petra, and Bedouin guides in Wadi Rum
Activities
- Jordan Pass with 2 days in Petra, arranged before you fly
- Kerak Castle
- Dana village and the Dana Biosphere Reserve
- Guided walk on the Jordan Trail: Dana to Feynan, Feynan towards Ras al-Feid, Little Petra to Petra
- Little Petra (Siq al-Barid)
- Petra on two visits: by the back trail to the Monastery, and from the main gate at opening
- Wadi Rum: 4x4 tour, sunset and sunrise
- Madaba Map at the Church of St George
- Mount Nebo
- Floating in the Dead Sea
- Bethany Beyond the Jordan
Meals
- 7 breakfasts
- 6 lunches: sit-down lunches in Kerak, Petra, Wadi Musa and Madaba, a picnic in Wadi Dana and a crew-cooked lunch on day 4
- 5 dinners: welcome dinner in Amman, Dana guesthouse, both trail camps, and a zarb dinner in Wadi Rum
Not included
- International flights to and from Amman
- Travel insurance, which must cover hiking
- Dinners in Wadi Musa and at the Dead Sea
- Drinks
- Tips for your guides, driver and camp crews
- Petra by Night and spa treatments
- Walking boots, trekking poles and personal gear
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 545 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
Prices in these answers apply from Jan 1, 2027. Black Friday offer: 15% off the small-group price for requests received by Dec 1, 2026. From CAD 2,715 per person. Dec 2 to Dec 31: from CAD 2,940. From Jan 1, 2027: from CAD 3,195.
What does the price include?
Seven nights in hotels, a Dana guesthouse, two trail camps and a Wadi Rum camp, 18 meals, your Jordan Pass and visa, Dana reserve entry, a licensed trail guide and support vehicle, airport transfers both ways, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every visit in the day plan, including Kerak, Petra twice, the Wadi Rum 4x4 tour, Madaba, Mount Nebo and Bethany.
How fit do I need to be for the Dana to Petra walk?
You should be comfortable walking 14 km on rough, stony ground, three days in a row, with 5 to 7 hours on your feet. Day 3 is a long descent of roughly 900 m, hard on the knees. If you walk a few hours most weekends and train on hills, you will manage; the support vehicle can take you on any day.
Do I have to carry my bags?
No. The support vehicle moves your main bag between every stop, so you walk with a daypack holding water, lunch, a layer and sun cream. Pack one soft bag rather than a hard suitcase, as it travels on rough tracks.
What are the trail camps like?
Walk-in tents with beds and mattresses, a toilet tent and a hot shower, set up by our support crew, with dinner cooked at camp. They are simple but not basic. The Wadi Rum camp has tents with their own bathroom. We tell you each camp's alcohol policy when we name it.
How big is the group and who leads it?
The small group is 7 to 12 guests. A See Sight Tours guide is with you for all 8 days, with a licensed Jordanian trail guide on the walking days, licensed local guides at Kerak and Petra, and Bedouin guides in Wadi Rum.
I am travelling solo. What does a room of my own cost?
A room and tent of your own is from CAD 545 more, about 17 percent of the trip price, shown before you book. If you are happy to share with another solo traveller, say so when you request to book and we tell you whether we can pair you.
When is the best time to go?
March to May and October to November. The low ground around Feynan is far too hot for walking from June to September, so we do not run then. Winter brings cold nights in Dana and Wadi Rum and a flash-flood risk in the wadis. Spring has wildflowers; autumn has settled weather.
Do I need a visa for Jordan?
Most visitors do, and we arrange it with your Jordan Pass before you fly. For stays of 3 nights or more the Pass waives the tourist visa fee, and it also covers your two days in Petra. We ask for your passport details when you book.
How is this different from your classic Jordan trip?
This is the walking version: three days on the Jordan Trail from Dana into Petra, one night in most places and two trail camps. Our classic Jordan trip, Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea, stays two nights in each base, adds Jerash and Petra by Night, and walks only inside Petra.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guides and support crew. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote it.
How does booking work?
The small group is from CAD 3,195 per person sharing, with taxes. Pick your start date and send a request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until we do.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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