Ultimate Jordan

Whilst staying in hotels, breakfasts will be taken at the hotel or in small adjoining restaurants. Whilst trekking, we will be accompanied by a cook who will prepare a breakfast of tea, coffee, flat breads, humus, yoghurt, dates and jams.

Lunches are also prepared by our cook. On some of the days, you will be provided with a picnic lunch of traditional breads, pastries, fruit, vegetables, boiled eggs etc. While in the desert, lunches are freshly prepared and will include tuna, rice, salads, humus and local breads.

Hot evening meals are provided each night (except in Amman) and you can expect chicken, lamb meat balls, potatoes, rice, fresh vegetables and salads. We can cater for most dietary requirements on request. In Amman expect to pay roughly 18-20$ for a meal.

Please be aware that the water in Jordan is not drinkable. Bottled water can be purchased in nearly all towns and villages but not in the desert. We recommend you bring a water bottle with a filtration system to save on plastic waste. Whilst trekking in the desert we will carry an ample supply of filtered water with us.

On this trip we will be staying in comfortable 3 star hotel accommodation, guesthouses and on campsites.

Hotel accommodation will be in twin or double en-suite rooms. Our hotel in Amman is positioned on the outskirts to avoid potentially long delays due to traffic when leaving the city.

In Dana, we use a well equipped quiet campsite. You will stay in a fixed camp with twin beds in small but comfortable tents with shared bathroom facilities. Blankets are provided and there is Wifi throughout the camp. In winter when there is a risk of snow we may stay in a nearby hotel instead.

In Petra you will stay in a simple guest house, with the Hasanat family, depending on availability. The place is ideal, quiet, and very well located at the top of the village of Wadi Musa. Here you will get to know your hosts Rana and Fayes, their house, their life in their neighbourhood (and even learning to cook Jordanian mezzes!). Unfortunately they cannot accommodate all groups due to the size of the house. If the house is already occupied, you will stay in an equipped camp, ideally located near "Little Petra", at the gates of the site. It is a "Bedouin" style camp, similar to the one in Dana, with large traditional tents, shared showers and toilets. There is a single electrical socket in each tent which is turned on at night fall. It is a good idea to bring along a multi USB charging hub to make the most of the single socket in your tent. In winter when there is a risk of snow we may stay in a nearby hotel instead.

In the Wadi Rum Desert we will sleep in 3 man tents (2 people per tent unless you requested a single supplement). Mattresses, tents and eating utensils are all provided but you will need to bring your own sleeping bag. As we can only carry a limited amount of water in the desert, there is no water provided for washing on these two nights. We recommend bringing some wet wipes so you can wash inside your tent.

All transportation costs including airport transfers are included. We will use comfortable private minibuses with seat belts for travel around the country. Your support vehicle in the desert is a 4x4 pickup with trailer for carrying gear.

Bag Weight: 15kg

During your trip your luggage will be transported by vehicle. Your main bag must be flexible (a duffle bag and not a rigid suitcase) and weigh a maximum of 15kg. Your luggage will be transported to your accommodation each afternoon and you will not be able to access it during the day. You should also bring a small day pack to carry water, snacks and anything else you may need whilst walking or sight seeing.

You will need to arrive in Amman on Day 1 of the trip. Queen Alia International Airport (AMM) is located 30km south of the capital city.

From London there are direct flights to Amman with British Airways and Royal Jordanian. The flight time is roughly 5 hours. Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa both offer indirect flights from Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh.

For those traveling from the US, Qatar have convenient flights via Doha from New York, Boston and Atlanta. Turkish airlines offer flights via Istanbul from San Francisco and Los Angeles. British Airways have convenient flights departing from Seattle.

Once your flight has landed, as you enter the airport building, please look out for a Kandoo representative who will be holding ‘Kandoo Adventures’ sign. They will be waiting before passport control and will assist with your visa before guiding you through the airport collect your luggage and meet your driver.

If you are changing airlines or re-checking your luggage at an airport on route, please ensure you leave a minimum of 3 hours between flights. This will account for any delays on arrival, travel time across airports (this can take longer than you think) and time taken to re-check baggage.

Travelling Responsibly

Here at Kandoo, we like to support our guests to make their travel more sustainable. As of 2025, we are offsetting the carbon on all of our trips from arrival in destination to dropping you back off at the airport. As we don't include flight travel in our trips these aren't included in our offsetting calculations, so we are providing you with the calculator below for you to do this yourselves.

eC02 Flights Calculator

Your pre-trek briefing is held in the hotel reception in Amman at 8am on Day 2 of your trip. You will be expected to have had breakfast prior to the briefing.

This briefing is a great opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have before starting the trip and also a chance for the guide to check everyone has the correct equipment and is fully prepared. Please bring your insurance documents and passport to the briefing with you.

The currency in Jordan is the Jordanian Dinar (JOD). For the latest exchange rates please see www.xe.com

It is best to take cash in US dollars, GB pound or Euros and exchange it locally. US Dollars are the most commonly used currency so will be easiest to exchange. There is currency exchange next to Baggage Claim as you exit the airport or you can exchange your cash in the currency exchange, hotels or banks, generally these offer the best rates than the airport. Credit and Debit cards are widely accepted and there are ATMs in the larger towns and cities. Travelers cheques are best avoided as you will be charged a hefty commission for exchanging them.

Expect to pay between $10 - $35 for a meal out in a local restaurant in Amman. To get around the city, a taxi will cost you around $5.26 for a 5km journey whereas the bus will be less than $1. Souvenirs are also relatively cheap so budgeting $50 for souvenirs will get you plenty! Our recommended guidance for spending budget in Jordan would be between $50-100 on top of your tips, to give you ample souvenir spending money.

You should budget for tips for your lead guide, Wadi Rum guides, cook and driver. The tip amount should be based on the service you feel you have received, but JOD 150 (equivalent to $200 / £160) will provide enough tips for each week on your trip.

Recommended tip amounts:

Lead Guide: JOD 50 per person per week

Wadi Rum Guides: JOD 25 per person per week

Driver: JOD 5-10 per person per journey

Drivers can be tipped after each journey, between 5 and 10 JOD depending on the length of the drive. Your Bedouin guides should be tipped at the end of your trek before you leave Wadi Rum. Your lead guide can be tipped after you return to Amman at the end of the tour. Tips are preferred in local currency.

Your passport should be valid for at least 6 months after your day of departure from Jordan.

A visa is required by European and US citizens and this can be purchased on arrival. Please check the latest requirements before departure.

No mandatory vaccinations are required.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you are fully and adequately insured for the duration of your trip. Please ensure that all activities, excursions and destinations in your itinerary are included in your travel insurance policy, in addition to your regular cover for cancellation and medical expenses. We ask that you keep a copy of your policy summary (containing policy number and the emergency contact number for your insurer) in your daypack at all times, so that we can access this information should we need to contact the insurer on your behalf.

Your guide carries a first aid kit at all times but we recommend you carry the following items: - Painkillers - Sunscreen for lips and skin - Moisturising cream (for sunburn) - Elastic bandage, regular bandages and Blister bandages - Sanitary products

Tent (per 2 people)

Mattress

Eating utensils

Depending upon the time of year you are travelling to the desert, the temperatures can be significantly different and equipment that may be essential for one month may not be necessary for another. Below we have outlined your main equipment list for the summer shoulder seasons of Sept - Nov and March - May, then included additional items that you may find useful in the cooler periods of December - February.

Main essentials:

Sun hat with wide brim

Sunglasses

Neck gaiter or scarf

Walking boots (with ankle support and sturdy soles)

Comfortable shoes (for the evenings)

Socks (quick drying and not too warm)

Short or long sleeved t-shirts

Trekking trousers or shorts

Fleece or soft shell jacket (for the evenings)

Waterproof and windproof hard shell jacket

Waterproof and windproof hard shell trousers

Swimming suit / shorts

Quick drying underwear

Pyjamas, travel towel

December to February only:

Lightweight gloves

Warm beanie style hat

Insulated jacket

Thermal base layers

Sleeping bag with a comfort rating of 0°C

Head torch and spare batteries

Water bottles or hydration pack

Wet wipes and hand sanitiser

30-40 litre day pack

80 – 100 litre duffel bag, max weight 15kg

Camera

Walking poles

Plastic bags for wet/dirty clothing

Your mask and snorkel if you want to enjoy the corals in the Red Sea (swimming goggles and fins provided)