The Jordan trail extends for 650km starting in Un Quai in the north and ending in Aqaba in the south. We chose to complete a 4 day and 3 night overnight hike section from Dana to Petra. If you have your own transport and are prepared to carry your own gear you can do this independently as you can download ‘Jordan trail app’ and also follow the route on Maps.me. You may also need permission to walk in Dana Biosphere reserve.
We decided to go with a guide due to the amount of gear we would have had to carry. Patrice our Australian friend recommended Eid. As she hiked the same section 5 years earlier and had a wonderful experience. We paid 600JD for two persons, which included food, transport of luggage and accomodation along the way.
Day 1: Dana to Wadi Malaga 24km
A spectacular first 1km down hill with panoramic views of the mountain ranges heading through arid land with some green sections along the way. We spotted goats, donkeys, flora and sheep on our walk. Other hikers joined us for sections and we enjoyed chatting to some of them on our way. Sweat was rolling down every crevice possible. The heat/wind was relentless. We stopped at a local primary school and chatted to the manager. The school was for Bedouin children.
After walking for 17km our guide advised us to rest just after Faynan, due to a storm predicted to arrive. True to his word a thunder storm rolled over our hut bringing strong winds but little rain.
We settled in for the night playing cards, eating local food and enjoying a drink.
Day 2 Near Wadi al Malaqa to near Ras al Fayd.
After the previous night’s spectacular storm, we were pleased to awaken to a relatively calm but overcast day. We were informed that there were further storms forecast for later in the day and that we were best avoiding Wadi al Malaqa and instead hiking over mountains to the East. The scheduled finished in Ras al Fayd would also be impossible due to the risk of flash flooding and we would stay in nearby Al Haddadah.
We set off at 8am. After a short delay to retrieve Vanessa’s forgotten hiking poles, we headed across the flat valley floor towards mist-shrouded mountains beyond.
Within half an hour we started to climb and would basically do so all day long. Starting at 300m, we ended the day at 1560m height.
As we climbed, the mist descended upon us and what would usually be spectacular panoramas were totally obscured from view. Occasionally, the mist cleared to give us a fleeting glimpse of what we were missing. Jon observed that a distant hillside was actually a camel at rest…once you see it, it can’t be unseen!
At sometime around midday we stopped briefly for a spot of lunch, although Atalla (our guide) was fasting for Ramadan, so instead watched us both eat. The drizzle and wind picked up and the temperature remained low (it did not rise above 7c all day). The clay soil started to stick to the soles of our shoes making them extremely heavy; it felt as though we were walking through treacle.
After what seemed a long time walking uphill in the mist, on a 4-wheel drive track, we came to a sealed road and a basic building. Atalla advised that this would be our end point for the day, so we we gladly sheltered there from the increasing rain and used a small gas stove to warm ourselves, as we waited for a vehicle to collect us.
Approximately 30 minutes later a batterred pickup arrived. We chucked our bags in the back and climbed inside the cab. We have no idea how the driver managed to get us to our nearby destination, as the visibility was zero. Vanessa’s face as he attempted a 5-point turn on a tiny mountain track, was priceless.
Our accommodation for the night was the house of our guide’s father (Eid). When we arrived, there were 12 mountain bikes outside and 12 cold & wet bikers inside who were cycling part of the newly formed Jordan bike trail. Unfortunately the conditions had forced them to abandon for the day. We chatted with them for an hour whilst they ate/dried and then they set off to hastily arranged nearby accommodation.
Once we had hosed down our shoes, taken a shower and the sun (which hadn’t been seen all day) had set, we joined our hosts for a meal and ‘attempted’ to teach them a card game or two before settling down for the night.
Day 3 Near Near Wadi Mutlaq al Hamir to Little Petra.
We awoke to the sound of very heavy rain/hail at around 7am. After a traditional breakfast we spoke (as best language allowed us) with our guide regarding the plans for the day. The day’s weather forecast for the area was worse than the previous one… Hail, high winds and a max temperature of 7c, feeling like 2c. Whilst we were both keen to hike as much as possible, Atalla was clearly more concerned about our safety and his reputation (a local official had been reported missing overnight). With the risk of flash floods still high, we were persuaded, without too much difficulty, to drive approximately 10 closer to our destination and commence the day’s hike at a slightly lower altitude, where the weather was likely better.
We set off at 9am by car, through the mist. Descending into the valley below the thick clouds the visibility was far better and we could see the wisdom in his advice.
We started hiking shortly after 9.30am towards Little Petra, dressed more like we were hiking the Antarctic than in Jordan.
Our route took as over impressive rock formations, littered with caves, which is a key feature in this part of the world. After an hour or so of gentle ascents, we stopped and joined a friend of our guide’s in drinking some local sweet tea. A few kilometres further along the track the village of Little Petra came into view in the distance in the valley below us. After bypassing a few goat herds, we commenced descending through a narrow gorge with impressive rock formations to either side. We followed a number of rock cairns along the sandy base of the gorge for half an hour and stopped for lunch as the sun briefly showed itself. Jon tried his own hand at cairn construction.
Five minutes after lunch our guide announced that we were approaching Little Petra. The gorge narrowed to only a metre or two wide and we climbed a few rocks, to find a small Bedouin-style cafe perched in an opening. As we stopped to admire the views, the skies turned black and the wind picked up. We sheltered in the cafe as it started to hail, and lightning/thunder crashed in the valley around us. Within moments a white sheet of hail blanketed the area, as other hikers rushed towards our sheltered spot. Then, as quickly as it had arrived, the storm had passed.
The skies however were still looking ominous, so we decided to get moving. We passed by some craft stalls wedged between the rock walls then clambered to descend through a very narrow gulley. This then opened out to reveal Little Petra in its glory. Whilst the caves and structures were not to the scale of those in Petra itself, they were still impressive to us, as we had yet to encounter Petra. We took a while for photos, then continued on our way.
Our accomodation for the night was in the village of Little Petra, which was approximately 2km up the road from the archeological site. We hastened our stride in our attempt to beat the storm. We bumped into 2 lads from the UK, who we had met on the trail 2 days before. They shared with us how they had spent that night’s huge thunderstorm sheltering in only their 2-man tent. As we parted again, the heavens opened once more. The 3 of us sheltered under a police tarpaulin, whilst watching the two lads get soaked, although they appeared to have given up caring!
When the rain eased, we speed-walked the remaining kilometre to our accommodation, where we said our goodbyes to our guide Atalla. His mission was complete, as he had delivered us to Litter Petra intact…we would complete the walk to Petra ourselves the following day.
Our hosts for the night were a local family consisting father, mother, 5 daughters and 3 sons, most of whom were adults but the youngest was only 6 years old, with a grandson of 10 months to complete. After a testing shower, with ice cold or infrequent scolding hot water, we joined them for dinner in the building’s warmest room where we sat around the central feature arga. We enjoyed a traditional Jordanian meal which saw everyone sitting cross-legged in a circle eating from the same huge dish. Whilst we were hungry, our hosts were hungrier as they had fasted all day. After initially assuming the smoke-filled room was from the arga, we later realised that the parents and adult males all smoked like troupers which wasn’t helped by the lack of windows. We had to retire to bed a little earlier than we wanted as our eyes struggled to cope.
Day 4 Little Petra to Petra
We set off a little later today, without guide, as the walk from Little Petra to Petra was a relatively short 10km. Whilst the temperature was still fresh (max. 12c) the forecast was for clear skies.
We backtracked the 2km from our accommodation to the gate of little Petra, showed our Jordan Pass whilst others paid the entrance fee, then headed off on foot towards Petra. We noted that 99% of people took the 4WD shuttle vehicle for the 5km trail to the base of the steps, as we saw only 2 others on foot. However, with Maps.me navigating, this was never an option for us. This initial walk was straightforward and enjoyable, on a combination of 4WD tracks and meandering single track through wide arid valleys between impressive rock formations, interspersed with hillside caves and Bedouin settlements.
After an hour or so we reached the base of the steps proper that led towards ‘The Monastery’. We didn’t appreciate at the time, but now do, that The Monastery represents the official end (or start, if travelling from Little Petra) of Petra itself. The climb up the steps was breathtaking in multiple respects but primarily for the views. Whilst the wind was still strong and cold, the sun shone and the views, over Palestine to the West, were spectacular. After approx. 2km of ascent we started descending towards The Monastery, which actually surprised us as neither of us saw it until we were literally upon it. The photos can do it justice.
We decided to have lunch there, before we spent the afternoon walking through and exploring Petra. The next stage of the trek involved a descent of 900 steps, together with many other tourists, towards many other archaeological sites on the valley floor.
The ancient city of Petra is spread over a sight a few kilometres in length, tucked between huge rocky hillsides. The walk through the valley is spectacular with ancient structures to both explore and fascinate on all sides.
The Treasury itself is simply amazing, it’s immense in size and carved out of sheer rock circa 2000 year ago. It’s incredible as much as due to its inaccessibility as much as its architecture.
The 2km walk leading to or from (depending on direction) The Treasury to the town of Wadi Musa, is wonderful. Through an extremely narrow crevasse between towering vertical walls of rock.
We both walked close to 30,000 steps in total but we’re so awestruck by the scenery, that we hardly noticed.