What 12 Days in Jordan Really Cost Us—
Line by Line 🇯🇴
If you’re debating a trip to Jordan and wondering whether the iconic views are worth the cash-out, this post is for you. Below is the exact ledger from our twelve-day loop: every airfare, hotel bill, tank of gas, and impromptu splurge, plus the logic (or lack thereof) behind each line. Skim the totals, then steal the savings tactics you need and skip the mistakes we made.
Total out-of-pocket for two travelers: $7,363
Accommodation - $3,085 (11 nights, 5 properties)
St. Regis Amman — 2 nights at 100 USD per night (Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts credit covered the balance and included daily breakfast)
Bubble Luxotel, Wadi Musa — 2 nights at 330 USD per night for clear-roof domes five minutes from Petra
Memories Aisha Luxury Desert Camp, Wadi Rum — 2 nights at 423 USD per night in floor-to-ceiling glass tents with private bathrooms
Dead Sea resort — 3 nights at 403 USD per night, chosen for its infinity pools and private salt-flat access
Ma’in Hot Springs — 1 night at 171 USD per night beside a natural hot-waterfall spa
4×4 desert tour, Wadi Rum: $162
Sunrise hot-air balloon: $430
Guide to Treasury viewpoint: $15
Everything else—two-day Petra entry, Wadi Rum park fees, Jerash, Ajloun and more—was prepaid via the Jordan Pass. Opt out of the balloon ride and you drop this category by 70 percent.
Activities & Entrance Fees — $607
SUV rental (Sixt): $606
Petrol (95 octane): $105
Ride-shares inside Amman are cheap, but Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea sit hours apart with minimal public transport, so the car was non-negotiable. A compact sedan would shave about $20 a day off the rental and burn 20 percent less fuel.
Jordan Passes (2): $210 (visa fee waived)
Camera gear upgrade: $535 (a want, not a need)
Replacement clothes (lost luggage): $240 (always pack a carry-on)
Speeding ticket: $30 (Desert Highway patrol is no joke)
Travel loves a curveball. Luke’s luggage decided to vacation elsewhere, so $240 went to replacement clothes. We upgraded our camera kit for $535 (because new country, new toy). Toss in that speeding fine, and miscellaneous spending hit $1,015.
Buy your Jordan Pass online at least 14 days before arrival. It waives the 40 JD visa fee (≈ $56 USD), covers a two-day Petra ticket, and grants entry to Wadi Rum and dozens of other sites—saving money and time at immigration.
Flights — $1,944 (the unavoidable splurge)
At $972 each, our Qatar Airways tickets were the most expensive part of the trip and the single biggest place we could have saved—if award seats had existed. They didn’t (last-minute life happens), so we paid full fare and moved on. If you can plan 3-6 months out, your realistic cash target is closer to $700 for this route or 70–75 k Avios transferred from a credit-card partner.
Transportation—
$711 (car + fuel)
Miscellaneous — $1,015
Was It Worth the Price Tag?
Absolutely. Jordan crams world wonders, spa-level relaxation, and intergalactic landscapes into a country the size of Indiana. Luxury touches like the bubble hotel and balloon ride elevated the experience, while smart moves—the Jordan Pass, Amex credits—kept the budget grounded.
If $225 per person per day feels steep, it’s easy to shave costs: swap five-star resorts for guesthouses, cook lunch from market finds, and skip the balloon. Even pared down, Jordan will still wow you.
Ready to plan your own adventure? Keep an eye on that speedometer, stash some dinars for roadside Arabic coffee, and let the Kingdom work its magic.
We're the adventure-loving duo behind the lens and the keyboard, swapping nine-to-five predictability for jet lag, desert sunrises, and stories worth replaying. Follow our journey to 50 countries while we share all our tips, mistakes and hidden gems along the way. We love finding the world's most unique bucket list adventures and stays to share with you here!
We're Holly and luke
meet us
los angeles, usa
BAsed in:
Norway
