Walking Across Jordan: From Aqaba to Amman on Foot

Walking across Jordan from Aqaba to Amman is very achievable for a fit, well-prepared walker, but it is a serious undertaking. The direct road distance is only a little over 300 km, yet any route worth walking bends through desert valleys, climbs onto a high plateau and passes through towns and ancient sites, which adds a great deal. Heat, cold nights, scarce water, flash floods in the wadis and heavy road traffic are the main challenges. Hospitality is the main reward.

This is a guide to what that journey involves, from the Red Sea coast through Wadi Rum and Petra to Madaba and Amman, written as Leon McFarlane prepares to cross Jordan later in his planned walk from the southern tip of Africa to Windsor.

The shape of the land: from sea level to the plateau

Jordan is a long, narrow country, and its south to north line runs across very different terrain. Aqaba sits on the Red Sea at sea level, at the end of the great rift valley that runs north through Wadi Araba to the Dead Sea. Inland, the land rises steeply onto a desert plateau. The desert floor at Wadi Rum lies at roughly 800 to 1,000 metres, and the highlands around Ras an-Naqab, Shobak and Dana rise higher still. Further north the plateau is cut by deep canyons draining west towards the Dead Sea, before the land opens again around Madaba and Amman.

So walking across Jordan is not a flat desert crossing. It involves long climbs, cold upland nights in the cooler months and some of the hottest lowland days in the region in summer. Snow is not unusual on the southern highlands in winter, while summer temperatures in Aqaba and the lower valleys can pass 40 degrees.

Highlights of walking across Jordan

Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum is a protected desert of sandstone and granite mountains, red sand and narrow canyons, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is home to Bedouin communities who have known this country for generations. It is best understood not as empty wilderness but as a landscape of knowledge: where water collects after rain, which routes are safe, how weather and rock behave. Walkers are strongly advised to go with locally licensed guides, and the protected area's current rules should be checked before setting out. Ancient inscriptions and rock drawings in Thamudic, Nabataean and other scripts show how long people have travelled through it.

Petra and Wadi Musa

Petra, the Nabataean capital carved into rose-coloured rock, lies beside the town of Wadi Musa. It deserves several days, not a rushed afternoon, and the real story is less the Treasury than the trade and water engineering behind it. The site's official description can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage Centre website.

The King's Highway

North of Petra, one of the oldest routes in the region runs along the plateau through towns and villages. The King's Highway is mentioned in the Book of Numbers, and today it passes the Dana Biosphere Reserve, the Crusader castles at Shobak and Kerak, and the dramatic gorge of Wadi Mujib. It is slower and more winding than the Desert Highway to the east, which carries heavy freight traffic between Aqaba and Amman, and for a walker the choice between roads is a practical one as much as a scenic one: shoulders, traffic, gradients and where the next water is.

Madaba, Mount Nebo and Amman

Madaba is known for its mosaics, above all the sixth-century mosaic map of the Holy Land in the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint George, which shows Jerusalem in remarkable detail. Nearby, Mount Nebo is revered as the place where, according to the Bible, Moses looked out over the Promised Land. On a clear day the view crosses the Jordan valley and the Dead Sea. From there it is a short distance to Amman, a capital built over the ancient city of Rabbath Ammon (Philadelphia in Roman times), shaped by generations of arrivals and long-established Jordanian communities alike.

Practical challenges: heat, water and floods

• Water. Jordan is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world. Settlements can be far apart in the south, so every day needs a water plan, with spare capacity in case a source fails.
• Heat and cold. Early starts avoid the worst of the sun. Desert nights can be cold, even after a hot day, and the highlands can be bitter in winter.
• Flash floods. Rain falling miles away can send a wall of water down a dry wadi or canyon. Avoid valley floors when rain is forecast and follow local warnings.
• Traffic. On the main highways, lorries are the everyday danger. High visibility and choosing roads with safe shoulders matter more than the scenery.
• Remote terrain. In desert areas, register your plans, carry reliable communication and turn back early rather than late.

Respect goes a long way too. Dress modestly away from tourist sites, ask before photographing people, and expect to be offered tea or coffee by strangers. Accepting with thanks, and listening, is often the best part of the day.

The Jordan Trail: walking Jordan as a hiker

Hikers who want a waymarked route should look at the Jordan Trail, a long-distance path of more than 600 km running the length of the country from Umm Qais in the far north to Aqaba, typically walked over about 40 days. Unlike a road walk, it follows footpaths and valleys and is best tackled in sections with local guides and support for water and accommodation. Spring and autumn are the usual hiking seasons.

On the road through Jordan

For Leon, Jordan is planned as the first Middle Eastern chapter of the walk. How the expedition reaches Jordan, and exactly where walking begins there, will be decided nearer the time and declared openly. The current plan follows the shortest honest line from the south through the Wadi Rum corridor and Petra, then north towards Madaba and Amman, with roads chosen only after checking that they are legal and safe for a pedestrian. The plan's working estimate is roughly 500 to 650 km of walking, depending on that road choice, at his usual pace of about 175 km a week, 30 to 35 km a day and never after dark. You can see the provisional line on the route page.

If you are wondering how those daily distances work, read how far can you walk in a day, and for the honest approach to risk, see is it safe to walk in Turkey, which covers a later chapter of the walk. In every place Leon passes, the plan is for an act of kindness to be paid for and recorded on the kindness ledger. Read who Leon is, follow his journal once he is walking, or support the walk.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to walk from Aqaba to Amman?

At 30 to 35 km a day, a direct road walk takes around ten days, but a route through Wadi Rum, Petra and the King's Highway is far longer and usually takes three weeks or more.

Is it safe to walk across Jordan?

Jordan is generally welcoming to walkers, but heat, flash floods and road traffic are real hazards. Check current official travel advice, avoid border areas and plan water carefully.

When is the best time to hike in Jordan?

Spring and autumn offer the most comfortable temperatures. Summer is very hot in the south, and winter brings rain, cold nights and occasional snow on the highlands.

Do you need a guide in Wadi Rum?

It is strongly advised, and the protected area's rules should be checked in advance. Local Bedouin guides know the terrain, water and weather, and their knowledge is the heart of the place.