6 Days in Jordan: Visit Jordan in a Week (including Flights!)

Indiana Jones riding off into the sunset. The windswept dunes of Arrakis. A wide view of dusty red Mars. Even if you don’t know much about Jordan, you’ve probably seen it in movies – and maybe that’s what has inspired you to make a trip of your own to this distant country.

I’ve been fortunate to visit Jordan once, and am planning a return trip early next year. Based on my trip, I fell in love with this safe, tourist-friendly Middle Eastern country, and decided to start a whole website encouraging others to explore it too!

Best of all, this itinerary for 6 days in Jordan works perfectly if you only have one week to visit. You’ll spend about one day reaching Jordan, five full days on the ground, and an extra half-day before flying home (thanks, time zones!). So if you only have one week of vacation to plan your Jordan trip, that’s okay – it can totally be done, and you’ll see a ton while you visit.

Ready to see if this itinerary works for you and your schedule? Read on to discover my recommended six-day itinerary for Jordan; after reading, you’ll be all set to set out on your own incredible journey.

6 Days in Jordan Itinerary: A Quick Glance

Before jumping into the specific details of this six-day Jordan itinerary, I thought it might be helpful to cover the basics. Here’s a table sharing each day and the destinations you’ll visit if you follow my suggestions:

Looks good, right? If this itinerary for spending 6 days in Jordan sounds good to you, read on for all the details for each day, travel times, and more.

Day 1: Jerash, Ajloun & Amman

Six days in Jordan isn’t a lot of time to discover all the wonder this country has to offer. So, we’ll try to make each of the 6 days in Jordan count. Let’s start with the first one. 

Your first day in Jordan should start as early as possible. Grab breakfast at your hotel, and then head out to the Roman ruins of Jerash. It takes a 45-minute drive north of Amman to get there. Upon arrival, you’ll have to pay an admission fee to explore the ruins. Jerash is one of the best-preserved Greco-Roman cities in the Middle East and has plenty of sites to explore, like Hadrian’s Arch and the Temple of Artemis. It takes 2-3 hours to explore the whole site. You can choose to visit on your own or book one of the Jordanians who charge a fee to show you around. 

Make sure you dress appropriately depending on the season you’re visiting to explore the site comfortably. 

Once you’ve finished touring Jerash, have lunch and then hit the road again. You’ll drive another 45 minutes to Ajloun Castle, a gorgeous 12th Century Muslim fortress dating back to 1184 AD. There are plenty of rooms you can explore, and there’s also a museum housing interesting artifacts from diverse periods of Jordan’s history.  

You’ll make your way back to Amman from Ajloun Castle. The drive back to the capital takes about 90 minutes, which still gives you time to explore the Amman Citadel, an archaeological site with remnants of Jordan’s Roman past. 

After such a long day, it’s time to recharge your batteries. Instead of having dinner at your hotel, head up to Jabal Amman for a bite before turning in. Jabal Amman is near the historic district and downtown, making it an excellent option to get a glimpse of Jordan’s city life.

Now that you’ve had a delicious Jordanian dinner, it’s time to finish the first day of this Jordan itinerary for six days. 

Day 2: Madaba, Mount Nebo & Petra

I hope you’ve had a good night’s sleep because the second of your 6 days in Jordan is one of the longest. You’ll rise early, grab breakfast at your hotel, and head out of Amman. Make sure you get one last look since you won’t be back to the capital city until your last day for departure. 

After departing Amman, you’ll drive south of Amman to Madaba. It’s a short visit, but one you can’t miss. 

An ancient town, Madaba is popular for its collection of Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics, with the 6th-century mosaic map of the Holy Land in the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George as the most famous one. 

The next stop is Mount Nebo. It’s only 15 minutes away from Madaba and provides a fascinating window to explore Jordan’s religious history. According to the Hebrew Bible, Mount Nebo is where Moses saw the Promised Land (Israel). It is also where God buried Moses according to the Christian tradition. You can see Israel and Jericho across the valley and even Jerusalem on very clear days if the weather allows it. 

Before heading to our next stop, you’ll go back to Madaba for lunch. Once you’ve finished lunch, you’ll make the two-hour drive to Wadi Musa, the nearest town to Petra. You’ll arrive in the mid-afternoon, so you’ll have enough time to check in to your hotel, freshen up, and rest for a couple of hours until dinner.

After dinner, I’m sure all you want to do is find a decent bed where to rest your head. However, I promise that what’s coming is one of the most memorable experiences from this 6-day Jordan Itinerary. 

At 8:15, head to the Petra visitor center to purchase your Petra-by-Night tickets. The Petra-by-Night experience was one of my first trip’s highlights, and I’m sure it will be yours, too. The experience lasts two hours, where you’ll follow a candle-lit path through the Siq until you reach the magnificent Treasury – a 39-meters-high mausoleum carved in the rock face. There you find a nice stop to sit and learn about the Nabatean people. The dim light of the candles and stars above creates a magical atmosphere. 

After Petra-by-Night, call it a day. Make sure you sleep well, for tomorrow holds exciting adventures for you! 

Day 3: Petra

Yesterday you got to experience Petra by night. Today, it’s time to explore the capital of the ancient Nabatean Kingdom in broad daylight. 

You’ll rise early again – all your six days in Jordan will start early – and head up to Petra. The best way to explore Petra’s nooks and crannies is to hike. You find several Petra hiking trails that take you to different attractions. All travelers, and you included, do the Main trail, a 1.3-mile walk starting in the visitors center and finishing in The Treasury (where you were last night). From there, you can choose other trails. The Monastery, the Renaissance Tomb, or the Temple of Dushares are popular choices. 

Considering hiking is the main way to explore the ancient city, you need to bring the correct gear. (Also, by the way, don’t forget to consult my Jordan packing list before you set out on your trip…) Make sure you bring a bottle of water and shade (hat, sun visor, etc.), especially if you’re visiting during the summer months. The sun in Petra is merciless. Also, check out the difficulty of each trail. Some are not suitable for inexperienced hikers. 

After a long day exploring Petra, it is time to go back and get ready for dinner. While you can eat dinner at any local restaurant, I highly recommend booking dinner with a local family via A Piece of Jordan. It’s an excellent way to get a genuine glimpse of Jordanian’s everyday life and learn more about their culture from the inside. 

Day 4: Wadi Rum

Time to say goodbye to Petra and head to your next destination in this Jordan itinerary for 6 days: Wadi Rum.

Rise early and get your bags ready. Grab breakfast at your hotel before checking out. After a rich breakfast, you’ll drive two hours to Wadi Rum. Once you arrive, find your Wadi Rum camp and check-in. You’ll have a couple of hours to relax at your camp’s common area until lunch. Make sure you eat well since your day is just starting. 

After lunch, I recommend you take a 4×4 or jeep tour of the Wadi Rum desert. It’s a fun and convenient way to explore the desert’s surroundings. Your guide, a knowledgeable Bedouin, will take you to discover some of the most famous rock formations and hiking trails to explore the hidden nooks of Wadi Rum. Then, he’ll find a perfect spot where you’ll enjoy an unforgettable sunset. 

Once you’re back from your Wadi Rum tour, it’s time to indulge in a traditional Bedouin Zarb dinner. Many camps and their staff invite guests to partake in different activities after dinner. Stargazing is one of them. Once you’ve eaten, grab a cup of tea from the common room, and find a cozy spot outside to enjoy a short but sweet stargazing session before going back to your tent.  

Day 5: Wadi Rum & Dead Sea

On day five of your 6 days in Jordan, you’ll set your alarm to get up before sunrise to take a camel ride out into the Wadi Rum desert and watch the sunrise. 

Like the Wadi Rum 4×4 tours, most camps offer camel rides as an excursion. The Camel tour takes around 60-90 minutes, so you’ll make it in time to enjoy breakfast before leaving for the Dead Sea. 

You haven’t covered very long distances so far. However, the drive to the Dead Sea takes about 4.5 hours to drive, which means you need to be en route early. You can take two routes to get to the Dead Sea:

• Desert Highway/Route 15 – an inland route that’s a little bit shorter but offers scenic views
• Jordan Valley Highway/Route 36 – a route that works northbound through the Jordan Valley and along the shores of the Dead Sea

Once you arrive, find your Dead Sea resort and check-in. You can take time to freshen up and then explore your resort’s amenities. Most Dead Sea resorts fall on the high end, with fancy bars, restaurants, spas, and private access to the shores of the Dead Sea. 

Depending on your mood, you can choose to take a dip into the salty waters of the Dead Sea or enjoy your resort’s facilities. 

Day 6: Dead Sea & Amman

Can you believe it? It’s already the last of your 6 days in Jordan. 

Today, you’ll want to rise and shine early to make the most of your brief stay in the Dead Sea – try to get up before sunrise if you can. Watching the sunrise above the horizon while floating in the salty waters it’s a wonderful experience.  

After a last dip in the Dead Sea, head back to your hotel to pack things up, check out, and drive back (or catch your private transfer) to Amman. (Here’s a guide on traveling between Amman and the Dead Sea.) What time you drive back to Amman will depend on what time your flight leaves. It takes about an hour to return to Amman. However, I recommend you plan at least two hours to make the drive as Jordan’s traffic can be chaotic sometimes. 

As soon as you reach Amman, it’s time to get to the airport and catch that flight back home. While six days aren’t enough to explore all of Jordan’s attractions, it’s still a good number to get a good view of the main ones and without rushing as you can see.

If you’ve made it to the end of this post, you’re probably sold on visiting Jordan, right? If you have any questions about how to spend 6 days in Jordan, let me know in the comments or over in my Jordan Travel Tips Facebook group.