The Best 7 Day Jordan Tour Itinerary (Family Friendly)

Welcome to the best 7 day Jordan tour itinerary on the internet (IMHO)! I went to Jordan for 7 days in September and had a brilliant time with my son and my friend. Here’s everything we did on our Jordan trip, and why!

Travelling to Jordan for a week was a dream, one that I thought would have to wait a few years once my son came along. My partner wasn’t keen to visit Jordan, so, fellow travel blogger and ex housemate Emily stepped up to join my 20-month son and I on a 7 day Jordan itinerary to beat all other Jordan itineraries.

I spent ages on this, not wanting anything to go wrong. The stakes were high with a toddler along for the ride. I deliberated over hotels, rearranged routes, and changed my mind a lot along the planning journey. But with experience I can say that this 7 day Jordan itinerary WORKS.

With Jordan’s relatively small size you can get a good look round the country in 7 days, although you could definitely stay for longer. I’ve listed some of the activities we didn’t get to do at the end, for if you have extra time.

Travelling round Jordan

We decided to travel Jordan by taxi and private transfers, which, having seen the roads I’m happy we did. There are options for buses, if you look around, and tours. You could also hire a car, although having travelled on some of the mountain passes now, I wouldn’t!

Between us, I didn’t think that the cost of the taxis was too bad. Especially as it gave us time to sit and look out the window, seeing more of the country in a relaxed way rather than worrying about directions, road rules, toilet stops and timings.

How to do a week in Jordan

Let’s crack on and get to the Jordan 7 day itinerary…

Map of the 7 day Jordan itinerary

Day 1: Flight and travel to Dead Sea

If you’re flying from Heathrow to Amman via British Airways, like I did, you’ll arrive into Amman Queen Alia Airport just after midnight. This was ok, although not ideal for a toddler. I packed a toddler carrier so he could stay asleep on me as I travelled through the airport, which turned out to be a great idea.

With baggage, visas and the Jordan pass, we had a few queues before we could leave the airport, although it was quiet and didn’t take too long. I’d definitely recommend you try and get off the plane ASAP though to get ahead.

Once we were out, it was straight to our accommodation by the Dead Sea, ready to start our Jordan travel itinerary.

We travelled by MyTransfers from the airport to O Beach Hotel. It was £67.

After an hour’s journey with crazy night drivers, police check points and being squashed in with buggies and car seats, we were glad when we got there!

Reggie and I had a wonderful room, although, unfortunately it had a few levels in it so I was too worried to leave him for any longer than a quick wee. It’ would be gorgeous’d be great for families with older children. Emily’s room didn’t have the different levels, so make sure to check before you book. She also had a better view.

Apart from that, it was wonderful. A HUGE bed, that Reggie and I were asleep in within 20 minutes of getting in the room. What a day!

Visiting the Dead Sea on a day trip from Amman

If you’re rejigging your 7 day Jordan itinerary from my suggestions here, it’s good for you to know that the Dead Sea is actually only an hour’s drive from Amman. You could visit it in a day trip.

I decided we’d stay there on our Jordan trip because it was £100 a night per room and you get earlier access before the tour buses come. The tours I saw were about £100 anyway. I also didn’t want to have to get up for a tour on the first day, and it just worked better for our itinerary for wanting to be in Petra on a day that they do Petra by Night. I also wanted to wake up when Reggie woke up, so to ease the pressure, we started our Jordan 7 day itinerary at the Dead Sea.

We stayed at the O Beach Hotel – mainly because it was the best priced and we just wanted to experience the Dead Sea. We didn’t need the bells and whistles of the better resorts like the Kempinski and the Marriott as we only really had one morning. I was happy with our decision, although of course, if you’ve got the money, spend it!

Day 2: Travel to Petra & Petra by Night

We spent a wonderful morning at O Beach Hotel and in the Dead Sea.

We enjoyed the (average) breakfast at the hotel and then went to explore the Dead Sea. God it was a mission! As I’m sure you know, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth so there were a LOT of steps to get down. With a pushchair and a toddler I didn’t actually get round to taking a picture of them, but I’d say it was over 100 steep steps down, in a few different directions, across different terrains.

I couldn’t process how we were going to get back up, but knew we’d come this far to experience the Dead Sea, so I couldn’t back out now. I had to deal with one step at a time, literally.

I’d read online how the high density salt water can hurt any cuts or sensitive areas – definitely don’t shave in the 24 hours before going in!

For this reason I decided not to let my son go in. I didn’t want to be stuck 100 steps down with a toddler screaming because it’d got in his cuts, or it hurt his winky (I had messages from women after saying it’d stung their VJJ when they’d gone in, FYI). Mine was fine you’ll be pleased to know.

Instead, Reggie was perfectly happy sat safely in the shade, strapped into his pushchair, watching YouTube just a few feet from us, while we ventured in.

Gawd it was salty!

Do not get any on your face, and then try to wipe it off with your hand. Voice of experience.

The baby wipes came in handy that day.

Once I’d found my flow in the buoyant water though, it was great! It made the last 24 hours of travel all worth it. Lying in the Dead Sea, in Jordan, with my son in immediate vision, and laughing with Emily – the holiday had begun!

We stayed down there about an hour. Could’ve stayed longer but time was ticking on our trip to Jordan, and we had 100 steps to get up with a toddler and a pushchair. They also say to stay in a max of 15 mins for the full benefits, and so you don’t get dehydrated. If you have time at the airport make sure to pick up some Dead Sea mud to apply after and let dry in the sun. You can wash it off in the shower afterwards.

I’m eternally grateful to the Dead Sea Gods for the man who offered to take the pushchair up for us after about 10 steps. Seriously, what a hero. I think it would still be there if it was left to us.

Save some energy for the way up!

A freshly squeezed orange juice from the hotel’s swim up bar, a litre of water, and a swim in the sun, and we were feeling good. Rejuvenated even.

We had an (average) buffet lunch at the hotel and then it was onto our next stop, Petra.

Our Dead Sea to Petra transfer was the best of the 4 journeys we took. We booked with this guy from Viator. I’d strongly recommend getting in touch with him to see if he’ll take you elsewhere in Jordan as his car was amazing and spacious, it was very clean, he helped with fitting the car seat I took and was just really nice and friendly but respectful of our need for some quiet!

This beach packing list for a family might help you to prepare for this adventure!

Petra by Night

We’d planned our Jordan trip around seeing Petra by Night, when the Nabatean ancient city is lit up majestically to wander around.

Petra by Night is held every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8:30 to 10:30pm. The ticket is 17JOD, and isn’t included in your Jordan Pass.

There are a few articles online about whether Petra by Night is worth the 17JOD fee. For me, it was. Despite a really challenging walk there, thanks to the pram and terrain, I still thought it was amazing, and definitely worth it. I loved seeing it by night and I’ll remember it as one of the stand out moments of the trip.

More than a 1000 lanterns light the 2km / 1 mile route from the visitor centre to the Treasury – amazing in itself. Then, once you get to the Treasury you sit down (it stinks btw) with a free tea, and you watch a Bedouin show featuring a flute (more like a recorder). Then there’s a bit of chat about the surroundings, and it’s all over. The whole show lasted about 45 minutes. I just enjoyed the sit down in such beautiful surroundings, with my son in my lap.

I dreaded the walk back, but we actually managed to get a lift back with a staff member, meaning we were some of the last there.

Where to stay in Petra

I’d recommend you stay in Wadi Musa, which is just outside of the Petra grounds. We stayed at Petra Jewel Luxury Hotel which was a 10-minute walk up or down a hill from the entrance. I chose Petra Jewel thanks to its location and price, and it turned out to be a great choice. The staff there were lovely to Reggie, and it had everything you needed. There was also a few slides and a swing over the road.

If you have money to spend, the Movenpick Resort Petra was fab. That would be my top recommendation and it’s just over the road from the entrance.

Two mid options financially and geographically, are the Petra Moon and the Venus Hotel.

These are the closest and best hotels to stay at in Wadi Musa.

Day 3: Petra

We got a glimpse last night, as Petra by Night only goes as far as the Treasury, but today, we were going for it. Petra is the iconic landmark of Jordan. It’s so unique and stunning that its a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the New 7 Wonders of the World.

Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade was filmed here.

After last night’s adventure, and a later start than planned, we decided to skip the first 2km / 1 mile walk through the sig and save our energy for when we were in there. We paid 25JOD to get a golf buggy return – absolutely no regrets. The joureny would’ve been fun for a bit, but I would’ve ended up carrying my son for most of it and being exhausted before we even got there.

This way Reggie had fun waving at everyone as we drove by, and we were dropped right at the Treasury full of the day’s energy.

We had breakfast outside the Treasury at the small cafe during the short period of the day that The Treasury (Al-Khazneh) is lit up, between 8 and 9am. The rest it’s in the shade.

With a few biscuits and (grim) long-life filled croissants in us, and a strong coffee we were ready to go. We’d shared the table with a lovely Dutch man and his three children. He was determined that being a father wasn’t going to stop his adventures. I love that outlook!

Petra is incredible. I’m going to write more about visiting Petra with a toddler, because it’s definitely worth it. There’s so much to see, soak up and explore. This was Reggie and I’s big mission, the first lookout point by the Treasury. After some misunderstanding with a local lad about whether we needed a guide or not (you do if you want a pic like this), he helped us get up to the viewpoint, and to carry my heavy nappy bag, so we were free to explore.

It was great to be up above the action, Reggie loved being trusted to climb up, and I was glad we’d managed it between us. We got the illustrious Petra picture!

After coming back down, we wandered along the ‘Street of Facades’ and all the market stalls, and into the ‘Starbucks Cafe’. It was cool and dark in here – a welcome change from the sun and stress of climbing up an ancient structure. We sat and had a drink, and something sweet, to gain the energy to get back out there.

There are a lot of things to do in Petra, and see. I didn’t expect it to be so big and sprawling, up as well as across. I wouldn’t recommend bringing a buggy here, you need to walk and carry.

I managed to see the Treasury, the Theatre, the Street of Facades and the Royal Tombs, before I had to give up. You could get a donkey, or a carriage, but I just didn’t feel comfortable doing either with Reggie, and I was happy with what I’d seen, and could see from a distance.

Instead, Reggie and I climbed back down from the tombs and went and sat by the Petra Theatre enjoying a juice and some toddler snacks. We were happy.

I debated staying around for Reggie’s nap, but just decided to get out so he could have it at home. I didn’t want to be out too long at this time anyway.

We left Petra at about 1pm, and it was a lot busier.

We got the golf buggy on the way back, and he fell asleep en route. Thankfully there were taxis waiting just by the golf buggy stop. I definitely paid a premium just to go up a hill, but it was worth it to get back to the hotel for a nap with Reggie already asleep.

Come 3pm and I was hungry, we wandered back down to the Petra site. We went to Red Cave purely on the basis that it wasn’t up a hill and it was serving shawarma, AND falafel, both of which I hadn’t had yet. We ordered both – cheap, cheerful, and quick too.

Once we were done we strolled over to the famous Cave Bar, cut into the rocks near Petra, to have a cold beer and wait for Emily to come back from her odyssey up to The Monastery.

Day 4: Little Petra & Wadi Rum for sunset jeep tour

We were about to get a taxi to Little Petra, and then our hotel guy told us about the free bus from the visitors centre. So off we popped down the hill and onto the bus. It was a 15-minute drive out to Little Petra and we were dropped just outside.

Little Petra is as it sounds, a smaller version along the lines of what we’d seen at Petra. It’s a lot less busy, and much more relaxed, especially for toddlers. We had fun playing in the caves, and climbing up the viewpoints. We were here about 90 minutes.

Just to manage your expectations on this Jordan travel itinerary, you might be a little disappointed by the ‘best view in the world’ advertised at Little Petra. Although the fresh orange juice and the cats made it all worth it for Reggie, and the adventurous climb up.

There are a few spots for refreshment, some market stalls, and lots of cute little kitties. It’s super chill here and a nice morning trip out.

Seeing as we wanted some brunch, and needed to be back for our taxi to Wadi Rum that afternoon, we got a taxi back to Petra, rather than wait for the bus. It wasn’t much.

We brunched at Mamas Recipe Kitchen which took a lot longer than expected, but was a good feed all the same. Just couldn’t get enough of that Moutabel!

That afternoon we headed out to the Kings Highway, a stunning drive from Petra to Wadi Rum. We stopped at the ‘Best View’, and could see out for miles.

Arriving into Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum is so striking, it’s been used for sets like set for movies like The Martian and Lawrence of Arabia. It’s one of the absolute must stops on a trip to Jordan.

When booking our Wadi Rum accommodation I was totally bamboozled by all the camps on offer. So much choice!

Some divine intervention led us to Desert Magic Camp & Resort, which was the perfect choice. Staying here was a real highlight of our 7 day Jordan tour itinerary. I’ve written a whole blog post about why I loved the Desert Magic Camp so much, here.

From the second we arrived they were so lovely and welcoming, especially to Reggie. In fact, they taught him how to fist pump, which is a pretty cool lesson to learn from the bedouins!

Desert Magic Camp was incredible. I went for the super luxury room, as is my way now. So glad I did. We had a huge room, with just a bed, sofa and chest of drawers in it. This meant there was plenty of space for Reggie to move about and play with his toys, without worrying about him hurting himself or damaging hotel property. Both of us could relax.

Desert Camp run many tours, but with Reggie, we just went for the shortest sunset tour. The two-hour sunset tour was perfect for us. We drove around to 5 different spots in the desert, saw the Lawrence of Arabia House, some cool rock formations, and then settled with tea on an open fire while we watched the sun set.

I feel emotional writing about it now, it was just the best day!

One of the highlights was Reggie sitting in the sand, getting a bit aggy, and then our driver came over and took Reggie’s shoes off and dug his feet into the sand and told him to feel the energy. A smile spread across Reggie’s face, it just warmed my heart.

On our return to the camp our Zarb barbecue dinner was about to be taken out of the ground.

“Zarb is a traditional Bedouin style of cooking where marinated meat and vegetables are buried in an oven dug in sandy ground. This method allows the food to slow-cook in its juices, resulting in tender, flavorful meat and perfectly cooked vegetables.”

– MUNCHERY

After a good feed we sat around the campfire with the rest of the guests watching the bedouins jam, while Reggie danced along to the music and stalked for cats.

Most of the camp went out stargazing that night, but Reggie and I went back to our luxury hut and he went to sleep and I sat on the terrace stargazing with an app on my phone. That bright star there is Uranus!

This was a real highlight on our Jordan travel itinerary, and felt like the first time I’d properly relaxed since about a week before setting off!

Day 5: Wadi Rum & travel to Amman

We decided to just chill at the Camp this morning. We could’ve done a camel ride, or go out on another jeep, but we chilled in the grounds instead. It was perfect.

We tried a bit of sandboarding, had a wonderful breakfast and lunch, and relaxed in the traditional Bedouin area. Reggie got to have some YouTube time in the room in front of the fan, I got to lie on the hammock, and we just got to chill before the long journey that afternoon.

It’s a 4+ hour journey from Wadi Rum to Amman. Reggie fell asleep as soon as we got in the car, seeing as I’d given the guy the wrong pick up address so my carefully planned taxi nap was out of whack. Make sure you know where to get picked up from – ask your camp staff to intervene if you need!

After about three hours we stopped at a services, thankfully. The staff in there were so nice to Reggie and he had a run round to break up the journey.

When we finally arrived in Amman (the traffic!) we were hungry, and tired, and sick of cars and travel.

So, we decided to go for the easiest option and went over the road from our hotel at Shams Alweibdeh Hotel Apartments to Cafe Maestro for dinner. It turned out to be an excellent choice.

We got a few things to share between the three of us, as is the Jordanian way.

So far we’d been pretty wide ranging in our food selections, but up until now the food hadn’t been centre stage as we’d had so much else going on. That was definitely about to change in Amman!

Where to stay in Amman

I spent hours and hours looking for the perfect hotel in Amman for us. We actually booked a different hotel but then realised it was quite far out. We cancelled and moved to the Shams Alweibdeh Hotel Apartments about a week before. This was great for our needs, and introduced us to the fabulous Cafe Maestro so I’m pretty happy we did it. We had a two-bedroom apartment here. Our rooms were nice, it was great to share a lounge and the staff were friendly. One of the main reasons for our choice was the pool, which unfortunately was really cold and in the shade so we didn’t use it much.

It was only a JOD or two away from everything we went to via taxi though, which was great.

Day 6: Amman

We all had the 4JOD breakfast buffet at our hotel. There was lots of selection, and it had a fab view over the city. It was nice for one day, but I wouldn’t have wanted it every day. I love an a la carte breakfast served hot – especially when you have children involved. Too much faff getting up and down all the time.

That morning Reggie and I went off to the Prince Hashem Bird Garden, while Emily went for an adult day in museums and hammams.

I’d planned our day out around all the toddler activities, but unfortunately within about 5 minutes of arriving at the playground in the bird garden, Reggie fell off the climbing frame. It was awful, so I’m going to breeze over it. He hit his head, the man at the ice cream shop gave me ice from the side of his freezer to put on it, and I bought two ice lollies – one for his head and one for him. I was frantically looking up paediatricians and head injuries…

I will be forever grateful to that fluffy chicken for making Reggie laugh again, and to Emily who I was desperately texting on the other side of the city, who was saying all the right things back to me.

In short, he was fine, just with a red head. We decided to leave the park and go to a soft play I’d marked. Called Yippee, it was in the Abdali Mall, and was absolutely brilliant. After the trauma of the morning, it was just a welcome safe space for us both. I could feel us both relax as the familiar sounds of Cocomelon songs played over the speaker and he had somewhere safe to explore where I could let him roam free. Staff were amazing too, especially Lemonie. She made us feel so much better about the fall.

We stayed about two hours, although you can actually drop your child off and go shopping if you like. It also runs as a nursery.

Yippee is right next to a food court with about ten different options. We decided to go for Lebnani Snack – where you could order salads and smoothies galore. And I wanted to try the Jordanian Manaqeesh – flatbreads (oily but delicious).

We went back to the hotel to recharge, and then back out to meet Emily from her hammam.

We decided to do our own food tour of Amman, rather than paying the extortionate amounts for group trips only for it to be too rushed or TMI for Reggie to keep up.

We started at Gerard ice cream shop on Rainbow Street. Reggie and I shared a blueberry cheesecake one and just sat on the step outside and ate it all.

Walk down Rainbow Street and you’ll arrive at the famous Al Quds Falafel. Just next door is this wonderful juice shop where you can drink freshly squeezed pomegranate juice outside, which is exactly what we did with our shared falafel.

The rest of our tour didn’t go so well. Going up and down steps and the rickety pavements was tiring with a toddler and a pushchair. Places were closed when we got in, as it was early to eat (about 4pm). We just wanted a rooftop bar for a drink, but then most didn’t serve alcohol.

In the end we found the wonderful Prego Bar and Restaurant rooftop, and ended up staying a few hours, putting a big pause on our ‘Great Amman Food Tour.’ All the food and drink was HALF PRICE, we were the only ones there, and it was all tasty and wonderful, so why move?

We ordered a round of dynamite prawns and chicken tenders, and then did it again as it was all so delicious. Reggie had a spag bol and we watched the sun set over the city, with a glass of wine and just… relaxed. It wasn’t quite the few hours of the food tour we had in mind, but it was wonderful after the busy week / day / hour we’d had.

We decided to head back home and go to the Cafe Maestro rooftop bar opposite our hotel. Another swift 2JOD Uber ride later and we were home. We stashed the pushchair in the hotel reception and wandered over the road and up in the lift to the Cafe Maestro rooftop. The staff were lovely and welcoming to Reggie – I worried they wouldn’t want him at 8pm but, they did.

We went for it with the desserts here – Um Ali Bread Pudding, the local Knafeh, and a fried banana for Reggie. Along with a glass of local wine each too. It was a very relaxing evening – my boy was happy, so I was happy too.

Our self guided, made up as we went, food tour of Amman was done. For today.

It was also great to know that home and bed at the Shams Alweibdeh Hotel Apartments was just a few steps away, in fact we could see it from our rooftop.

Day 7: Amman

It was our last day today, so we went to explore the big sights of Amman. Starting with the Roman Theatre and the Citadel. After a quick, very cheap, breakfast at a bakery we ventured in.

Amman Roman Theater

Located at the base of the Citadel, you’ll find the remarkable Roman Theatre, serving as yet another testament to Amman’s Roman heritage. Constructed during the 2nd century, during the city’s Philadelphia era, this amphitheater can accommodate approximately 6,000 spectators. Even today, it continues to host concerts and various musical performances.

It’s one of the most famous Jordan landmarks, and an unmissable stop on your Jordan travel itinerary.

The Amman Citadel

Just a quick ride away, the Amman Citadel dates back to the days of Roman occupation over Amman in 162AD. One of the most popular sites here is Hercules’ hand. It was very hot up here, and with a toddler the best thing to do was sit under the trees and look around from there.

We did go in the Byzantine Church, and the Jordan Archaeological Museum – although Reggie set off an alarm getting too close to the exhibits. Bit cooler than the outside though!

Entrance to both is included in your Jordan Pass, and I’d strongly recommend getting a taxi up there as it’s high up on the hill. It was about 2JODs from the Roman Theatre.

There’s a little cafe up there. We arrived and got a coffee to assess what there was to see first. There are toilets up there, and of course, epic views.

Wild Jordan Center

Lunch time!

Another taxi to the Wild Jordan Center and we were in Jordanian food heaven. This was my favourite meal of the trip. Brunch at the Wild Jordan Center is an absolute must when you’re in Amman.

The Center has a shop, a cafe, a child friendly space and lots of fun to be had in the life, according to my son. It also has stunning views out to Amman – you can see the citadel you were just at from the comfort of an air-conditioned sofa.

Great place for a toddler nap!

King Abdullah Mosque

That afternoon we went to the King Adbullah Mosque – the only mosque in Amman that lets tourists in. We had to don a head to toe robe for entry and pay a few JODs, but it was fascinating to see inside. We arrived just at a call to prayer and it was amazing to be so close and hear it play out.

There were quite a few areas to explore in the mosque, but we only went in the main room, and saw a bit of the outside. Reggie was definitely getting antsy by this point, and I was too in the sweaty robe.

We were here about 30 minutes before heading back to the Yippee soft play at the mall a 10-minute walk up the road. We both loved it there!

Dinner in Amman

Hasham is one of the most notorious restaurants in Amman, thanks to its legendary falafel and the fact it’s also the oldest. It’s a large restaurant in the heart of Downtown Amman with upstairs seating, and down. Downstairs was definitely more atmospheric, but if you have little ones, upstairs was easier to keep them confined!

Reggie just ate chips here unfortunately, but there’s bread, falafel, hummus and falafel for all. It’s a popular spot for breakfast if that works better for you.

The whole meal for the 3 of us came to less than £10 – incredible!

We tried to explore downtown after, but it was just too crazy. I was definitely feeling the week of travelling with a toddler, and Reggie just wanted to look at all the bright lights and cool things. We stood on what was I think, the busiest street corner of Amman, and flagged a taxi home (eventually).

Bed time, ready for our 5:30am airport alarm.

Day 8: Flight home from our week in Jordan

Our taxi through the hotel to the airport was 25JOD. I’d actually recommend using the GetTransfers site though, you can pick your vehicle and could travel to the airport in a Tesla! It was the same sort of price.

The roads and airport were pretty quiet at 7am – we arrived in plenty of time.

And our trip to Jordan was done!

Top tips for a family holiday in Jordan

If you’re planning a family trip to Jordan, here are a few tips to take note of…

Take your own travel seat

I took this portable travel seat from Kanga. Even though I ordered them in every car we took, I didn’t trust them to be good enough. I’m glad I trusted my instincts as only one car of the five turned up with a seat. This one supports your child’s head for road trip naps, and is relatively easy to carry around. Although as the reviews suggest, the bag it comes in needs some reinforcement – it’s rubbish!

Don’t expect there to be cots

Again, another inkling. Reggie is happy in his cot these days, and although we have co slept in the past, those days are very much gone. Being 20 months he’s not ready for a bed so I ordered a cot in all the rooms – this also didn’t appear.

Apart from the one above in Petra which was in no way suitable for my chunk.

We ended up sharing the double beds, which I moved towards the wall whenever I could, although it wasn’t possible in the O Beach Hotel, which meant I had a wakeful sleep worrying about him falling off the huge bed. It wasn’t a massive problem throughout our Jordan trip, but it did mean I couldn’t fully relax at night.

Remember, you can take a cot on BA as part of your two pieces of free luggage (although I already had a buggy and a car seat).

Think carefully about whether you need your buggy

Everywhere we went in Jordan the pavements were terrible.

Overall, I’m glad we had the buggy as it meant I could strap Reggie in in the shade when I went in the Dead Sea, and when I went in the hotel pool, but that’s all it was good for. It was useless for getting him around – and unfortunately Emily ended up pushing it quite a bit as it was too hard to hold Reggie and push that with the uneven pavements.

It was also really annoying trying to fit it in the taxis on our trip to Jordan – for three of the five journeys (thankfully the shorter ones) the three of us, with the car seat, were squashed in the back while the blummin pushchair was folded in the front passenger seat. There was just no way to get all the people, luggage and pushchair in the car otherwise.

It was totally useless in Petra and Wadi Rum because of the sand. I ended up carrying Reggie a lot!

Take enough nappies and wipes

I usually recommend picking up these chunky and heavy items when you’re in your destination when you’re travelling with little ones, but for Jordan I’d say take them. Ever since trawling the streets of Playa D’en Bossa in Ibiza looking for size 6 nappies I’ve just decided it’s easier to take them. I took about 40 nappies and 3 packets of wipes. I had plenty of nappies but did end up buying a packet of wipes while I was there, as we’d used so many for restaurant dinner clean ups and to wipe our own hands out and about too.

We tried about 5 little shops before finding some near the Citadel in Amman.

If you’re starting in Amman, you should be fine with all the malls, but if you’re doing your week in Jordan following this itinerary, I’d recommend you take enough to cover those first few days at least.

Take some tried and tested food from home

I definitely wouldn’t class Reggie as a fussy eater, but he didn’t really want to try anything new in Jordan. He ate pasta, bread, bananas, avocado and ham, on repeat. Thankfully I’d obviously taken lots of snacks to substitute this diet, but I also took some of those Hipp Organic toddler meals too.

Use SMA milks

My 20 month old has been on cow’s milk for ages but I wasn’t sure how it would be different, or how I’d store it safely on our travels. I decided to just use the SMA toddler milks instead, as they’re totally sanitised. These worked well.

Dress appropriately

Check out my article on what to wear in Jordan for more advice on what to pack for Jordan.

The Jordan Pass

The Jordan Pass, an initiative by the Jordanian government, provides access to some of Jordan’s most renowned attractions. It’s a great choice if you want to save time, money and hassle on your 7 day Jordan tour itinerary. Even if you just go to Petra during your week in Jordan, the pass will save you money. Great for saving money and time on family travel. We also used it at the Citadel and the Roman Theatre in Amman.

One of the key advantages of this pass is that it includes the waiver of the typical tourist visa fee of 40 JOD. This exemption applies if you purchase the pass before arriving in Jordan and plan to stay in the country for a minimum of 3 nights.

You can purchase The Jordan Pass here, and you find a comprehensive list of included attractions as well. Even if you opt for a guided tour, obtaining the Jordan Pass remains beneficial, as most tours do not cover attraction tickets or tourist visa expenses.

Just to note, although children can enter attractions for free on an adult Jordan Pass, you will still have to pay the visa fee. I didn’t realise this and so was coughing up the 40JOD at the airport on our midnight arrival. It wasn’t a hassle, but just unexpected.

You absolutely MUST print this before you go. In fact, I’d recommend you print a spare.

Is Jordan safe?

When I visited in September 2023, Jordan was a very safe country to visit.

My family and friends had been apprehensive about my visit, but I was confident in my choice and had done a lot of research. You will need to do your own based on current events, but historically Jordan has stayed out of conflict, despite its geographical location.

Politics aside, I felt very safe in Jordan with my young son. We didn’t get any hassle walking the streets, anyone we interacted with was very friendly to Reggie, and all the hotel staff and taxi drivers were kind too. I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending a family visit Jordan for a 7 day trip.

My only grievance and safety worry in Jordan was with the amount of people driving and using mobile phones. I actually had to request our taxi driver stop whatsapping on his TWO phones while he drove us. It is actually illegal in Jordan, I looked it up while sat in the back, but you can just look around while you’re on the road to see that no one seems to care.

More places to visit in Jordan

I didn’t visit any of these places on my week in Jordan, but maybe you want some inspiration to stay longer, or see more of the country. These are all places I would’ve loved to explore, but just didn’t have the time.

Dana Biosphere Reserve – Jordan’s biggest nature reserve at 308 sq km. It has a huge diversity of plants, birds, and mammals. You can camp here, like in Wadi Rum. Rummana Campsite comes highly recommended.

Wadi Mujab – the ‘Grand Canyon of Jordan’.

As-salt – aka Salt, As-salt is a historic city in the north of Jordan known for its rich history, architecture, and cultural heritage.

Jerash – another Jordan itinerary must see as one of the most well-preserved and impressive Roman archaeological sites in the world.

Aqaba – the beach resort destination in Jordan.

Madaba – a charming city known for its mosaics.

The Baptismal Site of Jesus Christ – you can visit the spot where John the Baptist baptised Jesus, although you need to join a tour. You can even be baptised there yourself!

Mount Nebo – Mount Nebo is believed to be the place where Moses glimpsed the Holy Land before he died. It has amazing views!

7 Day Jordan Tour Itinerary

I had a brilliant time with Reggie and Emily in Jordan. I’m so, so glad we did it. I don’t feel like I missed out on much, having Reggie. Maybe the odd extra drink here and there, a few extra sites at Petra, and I would’ve loved to have gone shopping in Al Balad in Amman, but that was about it.

It was worth those minor sacrifices to have been able to see his joy with the cats of Little Petra, the epic array of breads at meal times, at fist pumping with the bedouins in Wadi Rum, and splashing in the pools in the Dead Sea and Amman.

Jordan is a great destination for an adventurous family. I hope this 7 day Jordan itinerary helps you to plan your trip there, and let me know if you have any questions at all!

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