Jordan Trail Guide: A Three-Day Hike from Wadi Dana to Petra
Jordan's Jordan Trail, a premier long-distance hiking path, lets adventurers trace ancient prophets and shepherds through lost cities, arid wadis, and the Middle East's wildest landscapes. This expert guide details the scenic three-day section from Wadi Dana to Petra.
This article appeared in the October issue of Lonely Planet magazine’s UK edition.
Day 1: Wadi Dana to Wadi Feynan (9 miles)
Hiking the Middle East presents unique challenges, including checkpoints and security zones. Yet Jordan's Jordan Trail defies these odds as a 400-mile path through the region's most peaceful nation, from northern orchards to southern Red Sea sands.
It revives historic trekking traditions of biblical prophets, Mecca pilgrims, and modern guides like Mohammed Al Homran, who completed the full trail. Always carrying a teapot and flute, he shares: ‘Walking is my life.’
Wearing neon-yellow trainers and a black keffiyeh, Mohammed leads this 50-mile journey from Dana village to Petra. Raised in Madaba near Mount Nebo, he transitioned from shepherding Dead Sea flocks to guiding hikers.
Wadi Dana's lush canyons feature mistletoe, pistachio, and fig trees near springs, contrasting with the hot Wadi Araba desert below. This pristine Dana Biosphere Reserve remains largely unchanged since biblical eras.
Park ranger Salem Ali Al-Naanah, a former Jordanian army lieutenant, guards this ‘last Middle Eastern wilderness.’ Protecting Nubian ibex and griffon vultures, he shares local lore, including djinns—good and bad spirits inhabiting caves.
‘Djinns are like people,’ Salem notes. ‘Nobody believes in ghosts, but everyone believes in djinns.’
Day 2: Wadi Feynan to Wadi Feid (9 miles)
Tea is the Jordan Trail's essential companion, brewed from local juniper and sweet woodwort for every occasion. In remote Wadi Feid, campfire soot marks ancient shepherd paths amid steep mountains and ridges.
The day involves scrambling gullies, summiting for raptor views, and descending to bamboo groves. Spotting distant Bedouin shepherds and flocks highlights Jordan's nomadic heritage.
At a Beni Atieh encampment, Abu Mohammed shares tea and stories. Once nomadic between Wadi Araba winters and Shobak summers, he now prioritizes schooling for his grandchildren but misses long treks.
‘As a young man, I walked 10 days with my flock, alone with Allah,’ he reflects. Stunning sunsets overlook Negev and Sinai horizons.
Camping under stars, we share tales of trail mishaps and elusive leopards. The full moon bathes the desert in ethereal light, evoking profound spiritual connections forged in such vast spaces.
Day 3: Wadi Feid to Petra (14 miles)
Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt rediscovered Petra in 1812, disguising himself to access the Nabatean capital near Prophet Aaron's Tomb. Approaching on foot mirrors his awe-inspiring arrival.
Mohammed navigates gorges and staircases to Petra's quieter northern edges, where Bedouins still dwell in tombs. Ascending Mount Hor to Aaron's Tomb, we meet pilgrim Guillaume Duserre amid biblical vistas.
Views span Petra's Monastery, northern trails, and the Great Rift Valley extending to Africa's origins—a fitting end to an epic journey.
