This trip was originally published on travelfreak
Jordan has a lot to explore, especially given how small the country is. History - ancient sites in Petra from the 100s AD to religious sites from Judaism, Christianity and Islam; deserts; the Dead Sea (which is unique in itself); the Red Sea for diving; and a different culture - the lives and customs of the Bedouin people. Honestly, a week did not feel long at all, given the varied things you can experience everyday! Planning the trip was easy, book all the hotels, rent a car and you are good to go. It was a good decision to rent a car to drive around as all the places we visited were mostly within 2-4 hours of each other. So the driving was generally comfortable and convenient (except the last day but will write about it later:) ). A lot of websites had suggested hiring a car with a driver/guide but we wanted to have more flexibility and hence just got a car. It worked out perfectly for us, notwithstanding what people wrote on travel sites about it being tough to drive in Jordan. Anyways, our itinerary was a pretty relaxed one, with plenty of free time to chill out and do stuff on the go. The basic itinerary was as follows: Day 1: Land in Amman - explore nearby - overnight in Amman Day 2: Drive to Dead Sea - take a dip etc - drive to Petra via Kings highway - overnight in Petra Day 3: Explore Petra - overnight in Petra Day 4: Quick trip to Little Petra - drive to Wadi Rum - explore in evening - overnight at Bedouin Camp in Wadi Rum Day 5: Morning jeep drive in Wadi Rum - drive to Aqaba - overnight in Aqaba Day 6-7: Dive in Red Sea - 2 nights in Aqaba Day 8: Dive in morning - drive back to Madaba via Kings highway - overnight in Madaba Day 9: Fly back to London! I found this itinerary on trip advisor and I think its perfect for a week. There are only two changes I would make to it. One, when in Amman, one should not miss a visit to Jerash. Second, the drive on Kings highway is long with plenty of things to see on the way. We did not keep spare time for this drive, but would suggest one should do that. That way, one can also visit Mount Nebo, Bethany, Kerak castle, Shobak castle, Dana Reserve and other spots on this beautiful route. Or if you are feeling very adventurous, there is an option for a one-week trek to reach Petra. It sounds exotic and a trek of a lifetime. Maybe you can try that out?
More details on my blog
http://travelfrreak.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/jordan-week-in-middle-east_28.html
http://travelfrreak.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/jordan-petra-and-wadi-rum.html
http://travelfrreak.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/jordan-aqaba-and-kings-highway.html
http://travelfrreak.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/impressions-of-jordan.html
