An 8-night loop from Amman: Jerash, the Dead Sea, Madaba and Mount Nebo, the King's Highway through the Mujib canyon, Kerak and Dana, then Petra and the Wadi Rum desert. Every road is paved and a small car is enough.
Road route calculated from the stops (OpenStreetMap). Driving times assume no stops and no traffic: add time for photo breaks.
March to May and September to November; summer is scorching in the south. In winter, snow can block the mountain roads around Petra, and the wadis are prone to flash floods from November to March.
🚗 56 km · 50 min of driving from Amman
Route 40 west: a long descent to 400 m below sea level.
🚗 40 km · 50 min of driving from Dead Sea
A climb of about 1,100 m via Mount Nebo, on hairpin bends, with slow lorries. Drive it in daylight.
🚗 180 km · 2h55 of driving from Madaba
King's Highway (35): down into the Mujib canyon and back up on hairpin bends, then Kerak and Tafila. Slow, with few petrol stations.
🚗 57 km · 1h05 of driving from Dana
King's Highway (35) south via Shobak, across the plateau. Snow possible in winter.
🚗 112 km · 1h50 of driving from Wadi Musa
Route 35 south, then the Desert Highway (15). The Wadi Rum road branches off to the east: 28 km to the village.
🚗 317 km · 4h of driving from Wadi Rum
Skip Dana and the night at the Dead Sea: Amman (2 nights), Madaba (1) with a return trip for a swim, Wadi Musa (2) via the King's Highway and Kerak, Wadi Rum (1). Back to the airport on the Desert Highway.
| Small car, annual average (Amman airport) | ≈ €17 a day ($19) |
|---|---|
| All categories, February (cheapest month) | ≈ €27 a day ($31) |
| All categories, August (most expensive month) | ≈ €42 a day ($48, Kayak, Sept. 2026) |
| Vehicle | A small car is enough: the whole loop is paved. The car stays in Rum village and the camps come to collect you by 4x4. |
|---|---|
| Where to pick it up | At Queen Alia Airport, 30 km south of Amman, on the way back from Wadi Rum. |
| Green plates | Only hire cars, which have green plates, may be driven by a non-resident tourist. |
| Insurance | Take a low excess: many Jordanian drivers have poor insurance or none at all, the French Foreign Ministry points out. |
| Age and licence | Minimum age 21. An EU licence is valid for 3 months; the rental company or the police may ask for an International Driving Permit. |
⚠️ Do not drive at night outside Amman: poorly maintained lorries, cars without lights, stray animals and unsigned roadworks.
Enough for stays of under 3 months, from age 21. An International Driving Permit may be required: take one.
As in mainland Europe. Overtaking is reckless: watch out for oncoming vehicles.
120 on some motorways, 40 in some urban areas. Follow the signs: enforcement is strict.
Legal limit. Drinking in the street is banned, but not in hotels and bars. Aim for zero.
The situation in the region can change quickly. Read your government's travel advice before you book, then again the day before you leave: it lists the areas to avoid and is updated continuously.
Frequent checkpoints on the main roads: keep your passport and licence within reach. Never photograph a checkpoint.
Many speed cameras on the Desert Highway; speed bumps sometimes poorly signed, even on main roads.
Advised against by the French Foreign Ministry, especially on the Desert Highway and the Dead Sea road.
Lorries and fatal accidents.
Check them at the rental desk. Seat belts compulsory in the front, hand-held phones banned while driving.
Do not leave the scene before the police arrive. If someone is injured, you may be prevented from leaving the country.
≈ €1.62 a litre of 95 (JD 1.31), €1.05 for diesel (JD 0.85)
Price recorded in September 2026: it changes every week, sometimes by 10 to 20 cents in a month. Check it before you go.
⛽ 762 km at 7 l per 100 km: about €90 at September 2026 prices, to share between passengers.
GlobalPetrolPrices, 21 September 2026. 90-octane, the best seller, costs 30 to 35% less. Few petrol stations on the King's Highway.
| Jordan Pass, bought before arrival | JD 70, 75 or 80 (€87 to €99): visa and more than 40 sites, Petra for 1, 2 or 3 days |
|---|---|
| Visa without the Jordan Pass | JD 40 (≈ €49) |
| Petra, staying overnight in Jordan | JD 50 for 1 day, JD 55 for 2 days, JD 60 for 3 days |
| Petra, without a night in Jordan | JD 90 |
| Petra by Night | JD 17, not included in the Jordan Pass |
| Wadi Rum, visitor centre | JD 5, included in the Jordan Pass |
| Petra buggy, visitor centre to the Treasury | JD 15 one way, JD 25 return |
| Petra, winter opening hours | 06:30 to 17:00, from 2 October to 1 March |
|---|---|
| Petra, summer opening hours | 06:00 to 18:00, from 2 March to 1 October |
| Mountain roads around Petra | Snow possible in winter, roads sometimes blocked |
| Wadis and canyons | Flash floods from November to March; never go in in rainy weather |
| Wadi Mujib Siq | Open a few months a year, depending on the water level |
Allow 9 days for this 8-night loop: Amman and Jerash, the Dead Sea, Madaba, the King's Highway to Dana, two nights in Petra and one in Wadi Rum. In 7 days, skip Dana and the night at the Dead Sea. An extra night in Wadi Musa gives you a second day in Petra.
Car hire: about €17 a day for a small car on average, €42 in August across all categories (Kayak), so €140 to €340 over 8 days. Jordan Pass: JD 70 to 80 (€87 to €99) per person, including the visa and Petra. Petrol: JD 1.31 a litre of 95, with 90-octane 30 to 35% cheaper.
The situation in the region can change quickly. Read your government's travel advice before you book, then again the day before you leave: it lists the areas to avoid and is updated continuously. Stay away from the Syrian and Iraqi borders.
It is not compulsory: for stays of under 3 months, an EU licence is enough from age 21. The rental company or the police may still ask for one, so it is better to have it. Apply for it in the country that issued your licence, at least a month before you leave. Only green-plated hire cars may be driven by tourists.
Yes, as soon as you visit Petra: JD 70 with one day, against JD 90 for the visa (JD 40) and the Petra ticket (JD 50) paid separately. It also covers Jerash, Kerak, Wadi Rum and more than 40 sites. Buy it before you arrive and stay at least 2 nights to be exempt from the visa fee. Petra by Night is extra.
The police carry out random checks, frequently on the main roads. Slow down and keep your passport and licence within reach. Never photograph checkpoints or soldiers. Speed cameras are numerous on the Desert Highway, and fines, from JD 15 to 150, are paid on the spot.
Driving rules, prices and closures checked in September 2026; hotels checked on OpenStreetMap and then on Booking. Rules change: read the official source before you leave, and check your own government's travel advice for the country. Stop photos: Wikimedia Commons, authors and licences under each image.
Off We Gooo road trip guide · offwegooo.com/en/road-trips/jordan · by Pierrick, updated 1 October 2026
