What is the Jordan Trail?

The Jordan Trail is a walking trail crossing and connecting the length of the country of Jordan from Um Qais in the north to Aqaba and the Red Sea in the south. Offering 40 days of trekking across more than 600 kilometers of trail, it traverses the diverse landscapes and vistas of the country.

Along the trail, you will witness the rolling wooded hills of the north, the rugged wadis and cliffs overlooking the Jordan Rift Valley, the salty waters of the Dead Sea, the pink sandstone rock of Petra, the dramatic sands and towering mountains in Wadi Rum, and the colorful corals of the Red Sea. It is also a journey through the layers of Jordanian history and an encounter with the country’s peoples and their cultures, traditions, and cuisine.

Best Sections:

Below are some of our favorite sections of the trail. If you would like to hike some or all of these with us click one of the buttons below.

Dana to Petra

The crown jewel of the trail is the famed Dana to Petra Trek, which has various options, 4, 5 or 6 days, including options for some transfers mid-route to bi-pass a steep ascent. It recently was named by National Geographic as one of the best 15 multi-day hikes in the world! It truly is a great hike with varying landscapes each day and finishes at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Petra.

Depending on your fitness level, time availability, accommodation requirements, we can put together a custom package to suit your needs. We also offer group tours of the Trek nearly every month which you can check out my pressing “More Details Below.”

Wadi Rum & Aqaba

In the south for the desert lovers, there is the longer Petra to Aqaba route, passing through the martian landscape of Wadi Rum. There are lots of options for extension in Wadi Rum, including scrambling or climbing, camel tours, horse riding tours, and the opportunity to live with the bedouin, experiencing their local way of life.

Whatever your fitness level, time availability, budget and comfort preference, we can customise a tour for you.

Local Communities

In conjunction with the Jordan Trail, we want to support the growth of local community based tourism service providers across the country. We have helped to pioneer this in the Ayoun region of north Jordan. We have worked closely with local hikers to help develop them as guides for our groups, and develop family homestays. We have run workshops for local families to educate them on the standards expected by tourists wanting to stay in their homes, and regular send individuals and groups to these families for overnight accommodation. We are also supporting them to develop new products that they can use, such as developing a story-telling visit. We worked with one of the local families to help them develop a range of local stories they could share with incoming groups, shared over a meal, to educate and inform groups about local life. We tested this with a local international school from the capital, bringing Jordanian and international students to hear the stories.

Development of the Jordan Trail

The Jordan Trail was a project that came about with the effort of many people that slowly but increasingly built up over a 20-year period. Our interest in the idea of the Jordan Trail came naturally from our outdoor pursuits.  Our efforts on the Jordan Trail started with joining our friends Tony Howard and Diane Taylor, long time explorers and adventurers, in trying to join up all the pieces in the puzzle of trails crossing the country. We hired a young adventurer to work full time on the project from 2013 to 2015. Together with with other Jordanian and foreign hikers we would research on Google Earth and maps, and then drive around endlessly scouting Jordan for the best paths; before finally walking and GPS-ing routes.  

Local communities often were invaluable in pointing out and showing old walking and shepherding trails, as well as in providing limitless qualities of sweet tea.  Next was map making and incorporating all the information in a website.  By 2015 the project was getting too big and needed to be formalized. We helped set up an association to continue the development of the Jordan Trail. Since its inception ,the Jordan Trail Association has become the focal point for, and taken the lead in, developing the Jordan Trail. We remain supportive and active in any way we can.

Currently, there are many sections that are very difficult to hike independently, due to various logistical challenges, such as transportation, accommodation, water & food. In the wider Experience Jordan team, we have all the local connections to provide a completely supported trip on any day or section of the trail.

Walk the trail:

Our experienced team walked the whole country from north to south to be ready to help you plan your walk along the trail!