Panorama Jordan Tour 11 Day 10 Nights Tour

Jordan packs a remarkable amount into a small country, and this 11-day private tour gives you a full sweep of it. You move from Byzantine mosaics and Crusader castles to Petra’s carved tombs, Wadi Rum’s red desert, Roman Jerash, and the black basalt forts of the eastern desert.

I like the smart pacing around Petra, with one guided day followed by a second day for your own exploring. I also like the private transport and the human touch of the Bedouin jeep outing, where tea, coffee, and a visit with the guide’s family are part of the plan. The main consideration is the price and fixed schedule: at $1,641.03 per person, you pay for convenience, but you have less freedom to reshape each day.

Key points at a glance

• Petra gets two full days: One day includes a three-hour guided walk, while the next leaves time for the Monastery, High Place of Sacrifice, and other trails.
• The route uses the Kings Highway: Madaba, Mount Nebo, Wadi Mujib, Karak, Dana, Shobak, and Little Petra make the journey south part of the sightseeing.
• Wadi Rum feels personal: A Bedouin guide leads a four to five-hour jeep trip with tea, a family visit, rock bridges, canyons, and a box lunch.
• Jordan’s quieter corners are included: Salt, Shaumari Nature Reserve, and the eastern desert castles add places many shorter tours skip.
• The package handles major logistics: Hotels, breakfasts, two dinners, airport assistance, transfers, entrance fees, bottled water, and selected guides are included.
• The walking level is moderate: Dana’s village walk is easy and only 2 kilometers, but Petra can mean seven or eight hours on foot and uneven ground.

Why this Jordan route works

The tour is designed as a private journey for your group alone, not a large coach trip. Your English-speaking driver handles the long transfers in a modern vehicle, while local guides step in at Petra, Jerash, Wadi Rum, and Shaumari.

That arrangement matters in Jordan. Several days involve long roads between major sights, and a private vehicle lets you stop at viewpoints such as Wadi Mujib without waiting for a bus full of people. You also avoid the daily chore of arranging taxis, tickets, and hotels.

The route has a clear north to south rhythm, then returns to Amman. You start with Amman and the central highlands, head south to Petra and Wadi Rum, spend time at the Dead Sea, and finish with Salt, Jerash, the eastern desert, and Amman.

The tradeoff is that this is a busy sightseeing trip. It is not a slow retreat with long free afternoons. Your longest days are likely to be Petra, Wadi Rum, and the Amman city tour. If you want a quiet beach-style holiday, this is not the right shape. If you want to see a lot of Jordan without arranging every transfer yourself, it makes good sense.

Arrival in Amman and the useful airport welcome

On arrival at Queen Alia International Airport, a representative meets you before visa control with a sign bearing your name. The representative handles the paperwork for the free Jordanian visa, provided your passport details are supplied in advance, then takes you to your driver.

That meet-and-assist service is especially useful after a long flight. You do not need to work out airport procedures, find the driver alone, or negotiate a transfer. The ride to Amman takes about 30 minutes, followed by your first hotel night.

The tour includes airport assistance on arrival and departure. It also includes four nights in Amman, though the schedule places those nights at different points in the journey rather than keeping you in the city at the start.

Madaba, Mount Nebo, and the Kings Highway

Day two heads south along the Kings Highway, an old route that gives the transfer real interest. Your first major stop is Madaba, home to the sixth-century mosaic map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land.

The map lies on the floor of the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George. It was made from about two million pieces of colored local stone and once measured roughly 15.6 by 6 meters. Only about a quarter survives, but the remaining section still shows hills, valleys, towns, villages, and the Nile Delta.

The church itself was built in 1896 over an earlier Byzantine church. I like this stop because it is compact but meaningful. You see an important Christian artwork in its actual setting, rather than encountering it as a detached museum object.

At Mount Nebo, tradition holds that Moses looked toward the Promised Land. On a clear day, the view reaches across the Dead Sea toward Jerusalem. Weather controls what you see, so keep expectations sensible, but the hilltop still provides a strong sense of the geography you will cross during the trip.

The Wadi Mujib viewpoint comes next. Jordan’s Grand Canyon is an expansive valley cut into the highlands. This is a scenic stop rather than a hike, which gives you a chance to look across the gorge without adding another demanding walk to an already full day.

Karak Castle and the first night near Dana

Karak Castle was built in 1132 or 1134 by King Baldwin I of Jerusalem. Its thick stone remains tell the story of the Crusader period, and the 45-minute visit gives you time to see the main features without turning the stop into a long archaeological study.

The castle is less polished than Petra or Jerash, which is part of its appeal. You get rough walls, mountain views, and a sense of how strongly the fort controlled the route below. Wear shoes with a firm sole because old castles often mean uneven surfaces, though the tour data does not specify a particular access route.

You then continue to Dana for the night. Dana is a welcome change of pace after the monuments and road stops. Dinner and breakfast are included at the Dana accommodation.

Dana Village, Shobak, and Little Petra

Day three begins with the self-guided Dana Village walk. The trail is rated easy, measures 2 kilometers, and runs from the Dana Guesthouse through terraced gardens, local craft workshops, and the village’s Ottoman-era buildings.

The stated walking window is 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., so you have some flexibility. This is one of the tour’s more grounded stops. Instead of only looking at ancient ruins, you see a living village, meet local residents, and get a sense of how the community fits into the surrounding reserve.

Shobak Castle follows. The castle is more ruined than Karak, but its position high above the surrounding valleys is the real reason to stop. Allow 30 minutes for the visit, with the best payoff coming from the setting and the wide views.

After that, you reach Al-Beidha, better known as Little Petra. The site has Nabatean dining rooms called triclinia and biclinia, along with surviving Nabatean fresco work on the ceiling of one biclinium. Three hours are allowed here, giving you time to look carefully rather than treating it as a quick photo stop.

Little Petra is not a substitute for Petra, but it helps explain the Nabatean world before you visit the main city. It also works well as a quieter introduction to the carved sandstone architecture.

Petra over two days, with time for the big climbs

Petra is the center of the trip, and the two-day arrangement is one of its strongest features. On the first day, an English-speaking guide leads you through a three-hour visit.

You walk 1.2 kilometers through the Siq, a narrow chasm lined with shrines, tombs, and carvings. The Treasury appears at the end, and it is the moment many people picture when they think of Jordan. From there, the route continues past the Street of Facades, Roman Theatre, and Colonnaded Street before ending at Qasr Bint.

The guided portion gives you structure and historical context, but the day lasts about seven hours because you then have free time. Use it to see the Byzantine Church, Temple of the Winged Lion, or other parts of the site.

The second Petra day lasts about eight hours and can be taken independently. Optional guided trails are available, but the details and prices for those options are not specified, so ask before booking if you already have a particular route in mind.

This second day is valuable because Petra is physically larger than it first appears. The Monastery requires about 800 steps, while the High Place of Sacrifice involves a shorter but still demanding climb. You do not need to attempt every trail. Pick one major goal, carry water, and leave time for the central route.

The tour includes entrance fees for Petra on both days. Horse carriages and camel rides are not included, and neither are personal expenses. I would treat animal rides as optional extras, not essential parts of the visit.

Wadi Rum by Bedouin jeep

After Petra, your driver takes you about 1.5 hours to Wadi Rum. At Wadi Rum Village, an English-speaking Bedouin guide meets you for a four to five-hour jeep tour.

The route includes the Nabatean Temple, Lawrence Spring, sand dunes, Khazali Canyon, Little Bridge, Um Frouth Rock Bridge, Lawrence House, and the Burdah Rock Bridge or arch, along with other stops. The day is less about ticking off ruins and more about seeing the huge red desert formations from ground level.

Tea and coffee are part of the welcome, and you may meet the guide’s family. That family connection gives the outing a more personal shape than a basic vehicle transfer through the desert. A box lunch is included during the jeep trip, and dinner and breakfast are included at the Wadi Rum camp.

The scenery is exposed, and the tour requires a moderate level of physical fitness. The schedule does not describe the condition of the jeep or camp facilities, so anyone with specific comfort needs should ask the operator before booking. You should also expect dust, sun, and bumpy roads.

A quiet Dead Sea pause

Day seven transfers you from Wadi Rum along the Dead Sea Highway to the hotel area at the Dead Sea. The night includes breakfast, but the supplied details do not specify a separate swimming session or spa treatment.

That distinction matters. The Dead Sea is included as a destination and overnight stop, not as a listed treatment package. You will have a change from the desert and ruins, but confirm the hotel’s exact facilities if floating in the salt water is a top priority.

Salt and Roman Jerash

Day eight heads north to Salt, a city known for late Ottoman houses, long-arched windows, and old streets. You walk along Hammam Street, where small shops sell local food, produce, clothing, household goods, handmade perfumes, sweets, bedding, and traditional crafts.

Al Ein Plaza is described as the heart of the city. You might see older men playing Manqala and hear the call to prayer. This is a good place to let the tour slow down for a few hours. You are looking at ordinary town life, not just preserved monuments.

Jerash then shifts the mood completely. Often called the Pompeii of the East, it was one of the Decapolis cities and grew after the Roman conquest. A 1.5-hour guided visit includes Hadrian’s Arch, the Hippodrome, the Forum, the Temple of Artemis, the Colonnaded Street, and the Nymphaeum.

The scale is impressive. The Temple of Artemis has columns about 12 meters high, with each drum weighing between 20 and 40 tons. The guide’s short tour helps you understand the layout, then you return to Amman for the night.

Eastern desert castles and Shaumari safari

Day nine takes you east to three Umayyad-era desert castles. Qusayr Amra is the standout for its preserved eighth-century frescoes, including scenes of music, bathing, wine, and nude figures. The paintings are unusual in an early Islamic setting and make this small building more than a simple roadside ruin.

Qasr Kharana is a two-story structure where Mesopotamian, Arabic, and Greek influences appear in the architecture. Qasr al-Azraq is built from black basalt and was once an Umayyad hunting lodge. It is also linked to T. E. Lawrence, who used it as a headquarters in the early twentieth century.

The three-site visit takes about three hours. The eastern desert is a long way from the country’s famous southern sights, so including it gives you a broader view of Jordan’s past. It also makes for a long driving day, which is worth knowing before you book.

In the afternoon, Shaumari Nature Reserve adds a different kind of stop. The reserve was created to breed and restore animals such as Arabian oryx, Persian onagers, Dorcas gazelles, and houbara bustards. A short safari of about one to one and a half hours is included.

Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed, but the reserve’s purpose gives the visit value even when animals keep their distance. The safari is a brief vehicle outing, not a full-day wildlife expedition.

Amman’s mosque, Citadel, and Roman theatre

Your final full day is a six-hour Amman city tour. It begins at King Abdullah Mosque, completed in 1989 as a memorial to the late King Hussein’s grandfather. Its blue dome is easy to spot, and it is the only mosque in Amman that openly welcomes non-Muslim visitors.

Dress respectfully and follow the site’s visitor rules. The tour then climbs to the Amman Citadel, located 132 meters above the city center. The ruins include the Temple of Hercules and an Umayyad palace.

The Roman Amphitheatre is another major stop. It is considered one of the largest in the Middle East and gives you a final look at the city’s Roman past. Six hours is enough for a broad introduction, though it will not cover every neighborhood or museum in Amman.

The next morning, your driver transfers you to Queen Alia Airport. Breakfast is included that day.

What the $1,641.03 price really buys

The price is not simply paying for sightseeing tickets. It covers 10 nights, breakfasts for all 10 mornings, two dinners, lunch provisions, a private vehicle with an English-speaking driver, airport assistance, entrance fees for listed sites, bottled water, the Petra and Jerash guides, the Wadi Rum jeep trip, and the Shaumari safari.

The accommodation pattern is four nights in Amman, one in Dana, three in Petra, one in Wadi Rum, and one at the Dead Sea. Exact hotel and camp names are not provided, so compare those details before paying if room style or location matters to you.

The value is strongest for someone who wants a private trip with the main arrangements settled in advance. It is less compelling for an independent planner who enjoys booking budget hotels, arranging local rides, and changing plans each day.

The tour has three online ratings of five, with strong praise for the company’s planning, responsiveness, drivers, operations, and hassle-free service. Aida is specifically associated with careful planning, while Hisham and Suleiman are named members of the wider team. That is useful background, but ask who will handle your own booking and which guides are assigned to your dates.

Practical limits and booking advice

You need a moderate level of physical fitness. Petra involves long walking days, steps, and uneven surfaces. Wadi Rum adds a bumpy jeep ride and exposed desert conditions, while Dana itself is the easiest walk on the schedule.

Lunch is included, including the Wadi Rum box lunch, but the package does not list every meal. The included dinners are the night in Dana and the night in Wadi Rum. Tips for guides and drivers, horse carriages, camel rides, and personal spending are extra.

Service animals are allowed. The tour is private, but the company notes that a minimum number of travelers may apply, so confirm that point for your booking. Cancellation is generous only when handled early: cancel at least six full days before the start for a full refund, with smaller refunds possible two to six days before. Poor weather or an unmet minimum may lead to a different date or a full refund.

Should you book Panorama Jordan?

Book this tour if you want Jordan’s headline sights plus several less obvious stops, and you value private transport over designing the trip yourself. The two Petra days, Bedouin-led Wadi Rum trip, Dana walk, Salt visit, and eastern desert castles make the route unusually broad.

Think twice if you prefer a slow itinerary, dislike long road days, or need exact hotel details before committing. For most first-time visitors with limited planning time, the combination of included hotels, transfers, meals, guides, and airport help gives the $1,641.03 price solid value. Ask about the assigned guides, room locations, Dead Sea hotel facilities, and optional Petra trails before booking.

FAQ

How long is the Panorama Jordan Tour?

The tour lasts 11 days and includes 10 nights.

Is the tour private?

Yes. Only your group participates in the private tour or activity.

Is airport pickup included?

Yes. A representative meets you before visa control at Queen Alia Airport, handles the free Jordanian visa paperwork, and takes you to your driver. Departure transfer to the airport is also included.

Is the Jordan visa included?

Yes. Jordan visa fees are included, provided the necessary passport details are supplied in advance.

How many nights are included in Petra?

The tour includes three nights in Petra, with breakfast each morning.

Are Petra entrance fees included?

Yes. Entrance fees for the listed sites are included, including both Petra visit days.

Is a guide included in Petra?

Yes. An English-speaking guide leads a three-hour Petra tour on day four. Day five is available for independent exploring, with optional guided trails offered.

Is food included?

Breakfast is included for all 10 mornings. Two dinners are included, one at Dana and one at the Wadi Rum camp. Lunch is included, including a box lunch during the Wadi Rum jeep tour.