Jordan With Kids: The Complete Family Travel Guide (Itineraries, Costs & What to Expect)

If you're wondering whether you should plan a family trip to Jordan, this guide is for you.

When we first started researching Jordan, we had the same questions most parents do. Is Jordan good for children? Is Petra too much walking? Is Wadi Rum worth it with kids? How much will it cost? And is there enough to keep everyone engaged for a week or more?

Quick answer: should you plan a family trip to Jordan?

Yes. Jordan was one of the most surprising family destinations we've visited. It combines world-famous sights like Petra, unique experiences such as floating in the Dead Sea and sleeping in the Wadi Rum desert, with family-friendly resorts, manageable driving distances and genuinely welcoming people. We travelled with Joshua (aged 7) and found it struck a great balance between adventure, relaxation and practical family travel.

That doesn't mean it's perfect. Petra involves more walking than most families expect, the Dead Sea is far saltier than the photos suggest, and a good itinerary makes a huge difference. But with the right planning, Jordan works remarkably well as a family destination.

This guide brings together everything we've learnt from travelling Jordan with a child, including:

• whether Jordan is a good destination for families

• suggested itineraries

• realistic trip costs

• where to stay

• what to pack

• driving and transport

• Petra, Wadi Rum, the Dead Sea and Aqaba

• the mistakes we'd avoid next time

If you're still deciding how to structure your trip, start with our 9-Day Jordan Family Itinerary: Petra, Dead Sea, Wadi Rum & Aqaba Road Trip, which shows the exact route we followed and why it worked so well for our family.

Just a quick note: some links throughout this guide are affiliate links. This doesn't affect the price you pay, and we only recommend hotels, tours and travel products we've used ourselves or would happily book again.

Is Jordan Good for Children?

Yes — Jordan is a brilliant destination for children, particularly children who can manage active days, early starts and a bit of walking.

For Joshua, Jordan worked because every stop felt different. Petra felt like an expedition. Wadi Rum felt like an adventure. The Dead Sea felt completely unique. Aqaba gave us time to relax by the pool and beach.

What made Jordan work well for us was the variety. It wasn’t ten days of sightseeing or ten days of beach time. It had a bit of everything.

Jordan is especially good for families who enjoy:

• history and ancient sites

• outdoor adventure

• road trips

• desert landscapes

• pool and beach downtime

• experiences that feel different from a typical resort holiday

It is less ideal if you want a completely effortless holiday where everything revolves around children’s entertainment. Jordan suits families who are happy to plan, move around and balance active days with proper downtime.

For a deeper look at whether Jordan is the right fit for your family, read Is Jordan Good for Children?. That article covers the overall comfort level, age suitability and what surprised us most as parents.

How to Plan a Family Trip to Jordan

The easiest way to plan Jordan with kids is to start with your route.

Most first-time family itineraries will include:

• Amman – arrival, city sights and access to northern Jordan

• Dead Sea – relaxation, floating and resort time

• Petra – the main historic highlight

• Wadi Rum – jeep tour, desert camp and stargazing

• Aqaba – Red Sea downtime

• Amman – final night and departure

Once you understand how those places connect, the trip becomes much easier to plan. For the full route, timings and how we fitted everything together, read 9-Day Jordan Family Itinerary.

For us, the main planning decisions were:

• choosing the right time of year

• building the route around Petra by Night

• deciding whether to self-drive

• choosing hotels that made each stop easier

• adding downtime after the most active days

We travelled during the Easter holidays, which worked really well. Temperatures were warm but manageable, and the school holiday length gave us enough time to see the main highlights without rushing too much.

If you want a full breakdown of the planning process, read How to Plan a Family Trip to Jordan: Step-by-Step Guide for First Timers. This is the best place to start if you’re still working out flights, visas, Jordan Pass, accommodation and transport.

How Much Does a Family Trip to Jordan Cost?

Jordan is not as cheap as some people expect, but it can still offer good value depending on how you travel.

For us, the biggest costs were:

• flights

• accommodation

• Petra / Jordan Pass

• car hire

• Wadi Rum camp and jeep tour

• resort stays at the Dead Sea and Aqaba

Day-to-day costs such as food, fuel and snacks felt more manageable. Where the budget really changed was accommodation. You can keep costs lower with guesthouses and local stays, or spend more on resorts with pools, beach access and better family facilities.

In some places, it was worth paying more. At the Dead Sea, direct beach access made a huge difference. In Aqaba, the resort facilities were exactly what we needed. In Petra, location mattered, but looking back, we would also have valued a pool.

For exact numbers, read How Much Does a Family Trip to Jordan Cost?.

Driving in Jordan With Kids

For our family, self-driving was one of the best decisions we made. Jordan’s main tourist route was much easier to drive than we expected. The roads between Amman, the Dead Sea, Petra, Wadi Rum and Aqaba were generally straightforward, and having our own car gave us flexibility.

That flexibility mattered with Joshua. We could start early, stop for snacks, adjust plans and avoid being tied to someone else’s schedule. We hired a small car, using Trip.com for price comparison, which was absolutely fine for the route we followed. You do not need anything fancy unless you are planning specific off-road driving.

We also used an eSIM for Google Maps, which made navigation much easier and avoided roaming stress.

For the full practical guide, read Driving in Jordan: Car Hire Tips, Road Rules & What It’s Really Like.

What to Pack for Jordan With Kids

Packing for Jordan is slightly different because you need to cover desert, beach, city and long sightseeing days in one trip.

The most useful items for us were:

• comfortable walking shoes

• hats and sunglasses

• high SPF sunscreen

• light layers

• swimwear

• refillable water bottles

• snacks

• wipes and hand sanitiser

• a cooling towel

• a scarf or buff for Wadi Rum

Petra is where comfortable shoes and snacks really matter. Wadi Rum is where a scarf and sunglasses make the biggest difference because sand gets everywhere. The Dead Sea and Aqaba are where swimwear and pool essentials become important.

For the full checklist, read Jordan Packing List With Kids.

Visiting Petra With Kids

Petra was one of the biggest highlights of our Jordan trip, but it was also the most physically demanding day.

The key with Petra is to start early and be realistic. This is not somewhere to turn up late morning and wander casually with kids. It is huge, exposed and involves a lot of walking.

For Joshua, Petra worked because it felt like an adventure. Walking through the Siq, seeing the Treasury and climbing to the Monastery gave the day a clear sense of purpose. It wasn’t just sightseeing — it felt like a challenge we completed together.

If you’re planning Petra, start with Visiting Petra With Kids: A Practical Family Guide. That article covers walking distances, what to expect, what to pack and how to make the day manageable.

If you only have one day, read Can You Do Petra in One Day With Kids?. We did manage Petra in one day, but it required an early start, a simple route and realistic expectations.

If you’re deciding whether to add the evening experience, read Petra by Night With Kids: Is It Worth It?. Petra by Night was beautiful, but it depends entirely on your child’s energy levels.

For accommodation, read Best Hotels Near Petra for Families. Staying close to the entrance can make a big difference, but a pool is also worth considering.

Wadi Rum With Kids

Wadi Rum was one of the parts of Jordan Joshua remembered most.

After Petra, it gave him exactly what he needed: space, freedom and adventure. The jeep tour, dunes, rock formations and desert camp made Wadi Rum feel completely different from the rest of the trip.

For families, Wadi Rum works because it is less about formal sightseeing and more about experience. Kids can climb dunes, ride in jeeps, explore rocks and sit under the stars.

Start with Wadi Rum With Kids: A Practical Guide for the full family overview.

If you’re booking a tour, read Wadi Rum Jeep Tour With Kids. We loved our jeep tour, but some climbing stops felt too risky for Joshua, so it helped that the experience was flexible.

Choosing the right camp is also important. Read How to Choose a Wadi Rum Desert Camp before booking. Camps vary hugely, and recent reviews matter more than marketing photos.

The Dead Sea With Kids

The Dead Sea was worth visiting, but it wasn’t quite what we expected.

Before going, I imagined floating around for ages and enjoying a relaxed beach experience. In reality, the water is so salty that most families won’t stay in for very long. Joshua has eczema and found the salt very uncomfortable, and even small scratches on adults can sting.

That doesn’t mean we didn’t enjoy it. We did. But the Dead Sea is more of a short, memorable experience than a full day in the water.

What mattered most was staying somewhere with direct beach access, freshwater showers, mud baths and a good pool.

For the full experience, read Dead Sea With Kids.

We stayed at the Hilton and found it worked really well for families. Read Hilton Dead Sea Resort Review if you’re comparing Dead Sea resorts.

Aqaba With Kids

Aqaba was where we properly slowed down.

By the time we reached Aqaba, we had already done Amman, the Dead Sea, Petra and Wadi Rum. We were ready for pools, beach time and not having much of a plan.

That is exactly why Aqaba worked so well.

This is not the place I’d overplan with kids. There are activities like snorkelling, boat trips and Red Sea excursions, but for us the biggest value was having a resort where Joshua could swim, play and relax.

Read Is Aqaba Worth Visiting With Kids? if you’re deciding whether Aqaba deserves a place in your itinerary.

We stayed at Grand Tala Bay Resort and it delivered exactly what we needed at the end of the trip. Read Grand Tala Bay Resort Aqaba Review for the full hotel review.

Amman With Kids

Amman worked best for us as a practical start and end point.

It is worth seeing some of the city, especially the Citadel and Roman Theatre, but I wouldn’t overload your itinerary here. For most families, Amman is useful because it is where you arrive, where you may depart, and a good base for visiting Jerash and northern Jordan.

The key is choosing where to stay based on your route. Central Amman works for sightseeing. North Amman works if you are heading to Jerash. South or airport-area hotels work best for late arrivals and early departures.

Read Things to Do in Amman With Kids for the practical family view.

Where to Stay in Jordan With Kids

Accommodation in Jordan matters more than you might expect because each location has a different purpose.

In Amman, choose based on your route. In Petra, early access matters. In Wadi Rum, the camp is part of the experience. At the Dead Sea, direct beach access is hugely valuable. In Aqaba, resort facilities become the reason to stay.

One of the biggest lessons from our trip is that there is no single “best family hotel in Jordan”. The right hotel depends on what you need at that point in the itinerary.

For a full location-by-location breakdown, read Where to Stay in Jordan With Kids.

What We Would Do Differently Next Time

There isn’t much we would change, but a few things stand out.

I would seriously consider a hotel with a pool in Petra. We prioritised walking distance, which was useful, but after such a long day, a pool would have been brilliant.

I would also spend longer in Aqaba if the itinerary allowed. Two nights worked, but another day of doing very little would have been welcome.

At the Dead Sea, I would go in with more realistic expectations. The floating is memorable, but brief. The hotel facilities matter just as much as the sea itself.

In Wadi Rum, I would again prioritise reviews and what is included over the most dramatic-looking camp photos.

The biggest overall lesson is simple: Jordan works best with kids when you build in recovery time.

Final Verdict: Is Jordan Worth Visiting With Kids?

Yes — if your family enjoys active travel, new experiences and a trip that feels different from a standard beach holiday.

Jordan gave us history, desert, beaches, road trip freedom and experiences Joshua still talks about. It was adventurous without feeling unmanageable, and varied enough that no two stops felt the same.

I would especially recommend Jordan for families with school-aged children who can manage longer days, early starts and some walking.

It is not the easiest holiday we have taken, but it is one of the most rewarding.

If you plan the route well, choose the right hotels and accept that you won’t see everything, Jordan with kids can be a genuinely unforgettable family trip.

FAQs: Visiting Jordan with Kids

Is Jordan good for children?

Yes. Jordan combines history, adventure, beaches and family-friendly experiences, making it an excellent destination for school-age children.

Read Is Jordan Good for Children?

How many days do you need in Jordan with kids?

We found 9–10 days ideal, allowing enough time for Amman, the Dead Sea, Petra, Wadi Rum and Aqaba.

See 9-Day Jordan Family Itinerary: Petra, Dead Sea, Wadi Rum & Aqaba Road Trip.

Is Petra too much for children?

Not necessarily, but planning matters. Early starts, realistic expectations and snacks make a huge difference.

Read Visiting Petra With Kids: A Practical Family Guide to Planning the Lost City.

Is Wadi Rum worth visiting with kids?

Yes. For many children, it's one of the highlights of Jordan thanks to jeep tours, dunes and the desert environment.

Read Wadi Rum With Kids and Wadi Rum Jeep Tour With Kids.

Where should families stay in Jordan?

The answer depends on the location, but convenience generally matters more than luxury.

Read Where to Stay in Jordan With Kids: The Best Family Hotels by Location.

How much does a Jordan family holiday cost?

Costs vary significantly depending on accommodation and travel style.

Read How Much Does a Family Trip to Jordan Cost? Full Budget Breakdown.

plan your TRIP TO jordan

If you’re planning your family trip to Jordan, these guides will help you pull everything together:

About Plan Family Escapes

We’re a UK-based family sharing real, experience-led travel guides based on trips we’ve taken with our school-age son Joshua across destinations like Lapland, Turkey and India.

Everything we share is based on what we’ve personally experienced — with honest advice on what actually works when travelling with kids, focusing on making family travel easier, more comfortable and genuinely enjoyable.