Dana to Petra Trek + Wadi Rum & the Dead Sea – 9 Days

The best part of this Jordan trip is the way it reaches Petra on foot, not by the usual road or crowded entrance. You cross Dana’s mountains, dry valleys, and shepherd paths for four days before arriving above Petra’s Monastery by the Back Door route. It feels like a journey, not just a visit to a famous monument.

I like the small group, capped at 14, and the practical support: local guides, a donkey for safety during the first three hiking days, luggage transfers, meals, and pre-arranged camps. The repeated praise for guides such as Motaz Zghoul and Mutaz Jarrar also matters. The main catch is simple: this is a serious trek, with long days, steep climbs, loose ground, and basic wilderness camping.

Key points at a glance

• Four demanding hiking days from Dana to Petra, covering roughly 15 to 17 kilometers per day.
• A quieter entrance to Petra, arriving near the Monastery rather than joining the standard approach.
• A small group of no more than 14 people, with a licensed English-speaking guide.
• Remote camping in Mansoura, Furon, and Ghbour Whedat, followed by Little Petra and Petra.
• Wadi Rum by 4×4 jeep, with time for short walks, scrambling, rock bridges, inscriptions, and sunset.
• The Dead Sea as a final rest stop, a welcome break after the trek.

What this nine-day Jordan trip actually feels like

This is not a sightseeing coach tour with a little walking added. The heart of the trip is a multi-day crossing from Dana Nature Reserve to Petra. The final three days soften the pace with Wadi Rum, the Dead Sea, and a return to Amman.

You spend eight nights away from home, starting and ending in Amman. The first and last days are mainly arrival and departure days. The active portion runs from Day 2 through Day 8, with hiking, transfers, desert touring, and time at the Dead Sea.

The group size is one of the strongest practical features. Fourteen people is large enough for a social atmosphere but small enough for the guide to keep an eye on everyone. Several published accounts describe solo participants enjoying the group, and one solo woman specifically appreciated having company while still being able to walk at her own pace.

The pace is organized, not luxurious. Drivers, local hiking support, luggage transfers, and meals take care of the logistical work. You still need to carry what you require during the day, but your larger bags are transferred by pickup truck.

Day 1 in Amman gives you room to arrive

The trip begins in downtown Amman, known locally as Al Balad. You check into a hotel and have time to settle in, eat, and possibly explore on your own, depending on your arrival time.

This is a sensible first night. Amman is a large, old city with modern districts and long-standing local customs. The schedule does not force a packed city tour before the trek, so you can use the evening to recover from your flight and get ready for an early start.

The next morning begins at about 7:30 am after breakfast. The published meeting time is listed as 7:00 am, so you should confirm the exact pickup arrangement after booking. Airport transfers are not included, and you need to arrange those separately.

Days 2 through 4 cross Dana’s wild side

The drive from Amman to the Dana starting point takes about two and a half hours. Then the walking begins in Dana Nature Reserve, an area with four ecological zones and a notable range of plants, birds, and animals.

Day 2: Dana Valley to Mansoura

The first hike covers about 15 kilometers. You begin along mountain trails overlooking Dana Valley before descending into Al Khashasha Valley. The day lasts roughly five to seven hours, with about 260 meters of ascent and 690 meters of descent.

That amount of downhill walking can be harder than it looks. Your legs are still adjusting, and steep descents often put more strain on knees than gradual climbs. Good footwear and trekking poles would be useful, though hiking gear is not included.

The overnight camp is in the Mansoura area, on the edge of the valley. This is wilderness camping, not a hotel night with a backup room nearby. The local hiking guide and donkey are included on Days 2 through 4 as a safety measure, which gives the support team a practical way to help if someone struggles with equipment or fatigue.

Day 3: The climb toward Furon

Day 3 covers about 16 kilometers, with 563 meters of climbing and 170 meters of descent. The first hour rises through the mountains, then the view opens toward the Sharah Mountains and the broad Wadi Araba Desert.

This is one of the days when fitness matters most. The hike is described as challenging, but the reward is a long view that continues toward the Furon camp. After arrival, you can sit with tea and take in the setting before dinner.

That pause is part of the appeal. You are not rushing from one photo stop to another. The camps create space for conversation, rest, and a closer look at the desert after the day’s walking.

Day 4: Remote trails around Ras Al-Feid

The longest and most strenuous hiking day covers about 17.1 kilometers. You follow small, connected Bedouin shepherd paths around the Sharah Mountains, with 750 meters of ascent and 920 meters of descent.

This section passes some of the most rugged ground on the trip. Black mountain peaks rise beside the route, while canyons drop away below. Later, the rock forms become softer, with mushroom-shaped formations near the Ghbour Whedat camp.

The figures tell you more than the marketing language can. With nearly 1,700 meters of combined ascent and descent, this is a full mountain day. You need to be comfortable walking for several hours on uneven ground and managing your own pace. The guide keeps the group together, but the trip is not built around a casual stroll.

Day 5 brings you from wilderness to Little Petra

After three nights in remote country, the route begins to show more signs of settlement. You pass Bedouin camps, sheep pens, and small agricultural plots. This gives you a glimpse of everyday life in the area rather than only its ancient monuments.

The route also passes Nabataean remains, including wine and olive presses, aqueducts, and other water systems. These details help explain how people lived in such a dry region. The water infrastructure is not just an archaeological curiosity. It shows the planning needed to support communities, farming, and trade.

The day finishes at Al-Beidha, better known as Little Petra or Siq al-Barid. A canyon of soft sandstone leads you toward the site, followed by a narrow, steep flight of stairs. Little Petra is often treated as a quick side stop, but here it becomes part of the walking story, reached from the surrounding country rather than by a simple vehicle transfer.

You should expect the day to remain active. The schedule gives a 12-hour block, though no separate walking distance or elevation figures are supplied for this section. The transition from remote trails to an archaeological site also means a change in feel: fewer empty horizons, more visible traces of settlement, and a stronger connection between the trek and Petra itself.

Day 6 enters Petra by the Back Door

This is the trip’s signature day. After breakfast, you walk down Wadi Ghurab through sandstone mountains and follow an old Nabataean route toward Petra.

The trail skirts a mountain on a natural rock terrace. Some sections have been improved to make the route safer, but the path still narrows before reaching a high plateau above Wadi Siyyagh. This is not the standard entrance through the Siq, and it avoids much of the traffic associated with Petra’s usual approach.

Then the Monastery appears in the cliff face. The sudden view is the payoff for the miles before it. A Bedouin café near the Monastery offers a place to stop for refreshments if you want one, and Nabataean steps lead down into the wider Petra complex.

The route is not effortless. Narrow ledges, steps, and uneven rock require care, especially after several days of hiking. But entering Petra from above gives the site a stronger sense of discovery than arriving directly at its main monuments.

The schedule lists admission as free for this day, but the Jordan Pass, visa, and entrance fees are not included in the package. You should check how your Petra entry is handled before departure and budget accordingly.

Day 7 trades hiking boots for a Wadi Rum jeep

After breakfast, the group leaves Petra for Wadi Rum. The pace changes sharply. Instead of another long mountain crossing, you meet Bedouin hosts and set out by 4×4 jeep.

The desert outing includes valleys, narrow gorges, ancient rock inscriptions, sand dunes, and rock bridges. You can get out to walk, scramble, and explore at your own pace. The day is scheduled for about five hours, followed by sunset and an overnight stay at a Bedouin camp.

This is a smart addition to the trek. Dana and Petra give you long-distance walking and ancient sites, while Wadi Rum offers open desert and a different kind of movement. The jeep allows you to cover more ground without asking your tired legs to hike another 17 kilometers.

Dinner and tea are included, as is the camp night. The setting is simple, and comfort will depend on the camp arrangements rather than hotel standards. The point is the desert atmosphere, the evening sky, and time with Bedouin hosts. If you need a polished resort night every evening, this section may feel too basic. If you enjoy a change from formal sightseeing, it fits the trip well.

Day 8 lets the Dead Sea do the work

The last full day heads to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth. You can float in the salty water, apply Dead Sea mud, use the pool, or book spa treatments if available through the resort arrangement.

This stop is more than a standard attraction. After four hard hiking days, the Dead Sea gives you a chance to rest without planning another activity. The water is unusually buoyant, and the mud is a familiar part of the experience, though you should follow local instructions and avoid getting salt water in your eyes.

In the late afternoon, the bus returns to Amman along the winding road. You spend the final night in an Amman hotel, which is useful if you have a morning flight. Airport drop-off is not included, so allow plenty of time and arrange your ride in advance.

Camps, meals, and support make the price easier to assess

The price is $1,595 per person. That is not a low-cost walking trip, but the package includes a good amount of support: eight nights of accommodation, transport, a licensed English-speaking guide on Days 2 through 8, local hiking support, luggage transfers, eight breakfasts, six dinners, and seven lunches.

The included food matters on a trek. You are not required to find a restaurant after every long hiking day, and the camping sections include dinner and breakfast arrangements. Several published accounts single out the food as a strong part of the trip, which is especially useful after hours on the trail.

You are also paying for route planning and support in remote areas. The Bedouin paths are not the sort of route most visitors would arrange alone, and having a local hiking guide plus a donkey on the first three days adds a layer of practical security.

The price does not include airfare, travel insurance, hiking equipment, tips, personal expenses, airport transfers, or the Jordan Pass. The Jordan Pass, listed as Jordan Wanderer, covers visa and entrance-fee arrangements, so you should price that separately before deciding on the total budget.

The guides shape the experience

The strongest personal praise centers on the guides. Motaz Zghoul is described as attentive, reliable, funny, and good at creating a friendly group. Mutaz Jarrar is also praised for care, humor, information, and making sure everyone is looked after.

Guide assignments can change, so you should not book on the assumption that one named guide is guaranteed. Still, the repeated pattern is useful: the operator appears to place real weight on trip leadership and group care.

That matters on a hike with different fitness levels. You need a leader who can keep the group moving while giving people room to stop, drink, and manage their own pace. The published experiences also describe helpful local support at camp, which is important when the day ends far from regular facilities.

Who should book this trek

You should consider this trip if you want Jordan’s major sights connected by foot. It suits people who enjoy long walking days, basic camping, changing scenery, and a social small-group format.

It is also a good choice if you are traveling alone and want a structured trip. The group limit keeps the experience personal, and the included transfers remove much of the work involved in moving between Dana, Petra, Wadi Rum, the Dead Sea, and Amman.

You should think twice if you dislike steep paths, remote camps, or early starts. The physical requirement is explicit: you need a strong fitness level. The daily distances are moderate by expedition standards, but the elevation changes, heat, uneven ground, and several consecutive hiking days can make them demanding.

Good weather is required. If conditions cause cancellation, you are offered another date or a full refund. The minimum group size also applies, so a departure can be moved or refunded if that minimum is not reached. Cancellation terms depend on timing: six full days or more before the start allows a full refund, two to six days allows 50 percent, and less than two days is nonrefundable.

Should you book Dana to Petra, Wadi Rum, and the Dead Sea?

I would choose this trip if the walk from Dana to Petra is the main reason you want to visit Jordan. The route gives you something a standard Petra tour cannot: several days of open country, old shepherd paths, remote camps, and a dramatic arrival at the Monastery.

The value is strongest when you count the support, meals, luggage transfers, guides, Petra access planning, Wadi Rum, and the Dead Sea as one package. It is less compelling if you mainly want comfortable hotels and short walks.

Bring a real hiking shoe, sun protection, a refillable water bottle, and clothing suited to both warm days and cooler desert nights. Confirm the exact accommodation, airport arrangements, Jordan Pass details, and guide assignment before paying. If you are fit, flexible, and happy with basic camping, this is a substantial and memorable way to see southern Jordan.

FAQ

How long is the tour?

The experience lasts approximately nine days, beginning and ending in Amman. The first day is for arrival, and the ninth day is for departure.

Where does the tour start and finish?

It starts in Amman, Jordan, and ends back at the Amman meeting point.

What time does the tour start?

The meeting time is listed as 7:00 am. The Day 2 hotel pickup is described as taking place at 7:30 am after breakfast, so confirm the exact pickup time after booking.

How large is the group?

The tour has a maximum of 14 participants.

How much hiking is involved?

The Dana to Petra section includes several long days. Days 2, 3, and 4 list distances of about 15, 16, and 17.1 kilometers, with five to seven hours of hiking on the first two days and substantial elevation changes throughout.

Is camping included?

Yes. The itinerary includes wilderness camping in Mansoura, Furon, and Ghbour Whedat, plus a Bedouin camp in Wadi Rum. The package includes eight nights of accommodation in total.

Are meals included?

Yes. The package includes eight breakfasts, six dinners, and seven lunches.

Is airport transportation included?

No. Airport pickup and drop-off are not included.

What happens if the tour is canceled because of weather or group size?

If poor weather causes cancellation, you are offered a different date or a full refund. If the minimum number of participants is not reached, you are offered a different date or experience, or a full refund.