Realistic Cost of a Jordan Family Road Trip over Easter (With a School-Age Child)

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Parents researching “How much does Jordan cost with kids?” are usually looking for honest numbers. Here is what our 9-day Jordan self-drive trip actually cost for 2 adults + 1 school-age child. All costs are based on our Easter 2024 trip and are intended as a realistic planning guide rather than fixed pricing. Flights, hotel rates and exchange rates will vary depending on season, availability and booking lead time.

Total Trip Cost: £3,187.91

That equates to approximately:

• £1,055 per person

• £352 per person per day

• Or roughly £117 per person per day once flights are removed

Below is how that breaks down.

For the detailed Jordan Itinerary start here 👉 9-Day Jordan Family Road Trip: A Practical Itinerary With Kids

Not sure if Jordan is right for kids, start with 👉 Is Jordan Good for School-Age Children?

Flights: £1,558.70

• British Airways Heathrow – Amman return

• Easter school holiday pricing

• Approx. £520 per person

This was the largest cost category, which is typical for Middle East travel from the UK during peak school periods.

Accommodation: £1,027.21 (10 nights)

Average per night: ~£102

This included:

• Rival Hotel Amman (arrival + final night)

• Hilton Dead Sea Resort

• Petra Aretas Hotel (triple room with breakfast)

• Wadi Rum desert camp

• Grand Hotel Tala Bay Aqaba beach resort

• Madaba airport hotel

We deliberately mixed:

• One higher-end Dead Sea resort (£150/night – higher end as we wanted access to the mud pits and dead sea beaches)

• Mid-range family hotels that offered a triple room set up

• A desert camp experience

• A family beach resort in Aqaba with waterslides (one to keep the kids happy)

For a multi-location road trip with breakfast included every morning, this is very reasonable.

Car Hire: £226

Booked via Holiday Autos. For 9 days of independent travel across the country, this is extremely good value. It gave full flexibility and removed the need for tours or transfers.

Mobile Data (Airalo eSIM): £20

We purchased two 7-day Airalo eSIMs at £10 each.

This gave us reliable mobile data for Google Maps and navigation without paying roaming charges. For a self-drive itinerary — particularly late arrivals and desert routes — this was a small cost that made a significant difference.

Jordan Pass: £160

Worth building into the cost analysis:

Jordan Pass typically costs 70–80 JOD per adult
(approximately £78–£90 per adult depending on exchange rate)

It covered:

• Visa fee (40 JOD)

• Petra entry

• Jerash

• Wadi Rum

• Shobak Castle

• Multiple other sites

Children under 12 enter most sites free but still require a visa (paid separately if applicable).

For families planning Petra + multiple historic sites, this remains one of the best value cultural passes globally.

For a full overview of what to expect when visiting Petra read 👉 Visiting Petra With School-Age Kids: A Practical Family Guide to Planning the Lost City

Airport Parking: £139.70

Heathrow long stay for duration of trip.

Travel Insurance (Not Included in Total)

We have an annual family travel insurance policy, I recommend Just Travel Cover, so this cost is not included above.

If you do not have annual cover, you will need to factor in:

• Medical coverage

• Trip disruption

• Cancellation protection

• Rental car excess cover (if not included)

For a trip involving long walking days (Petra), desert terrain (Wadi Rum), and self-driving, comprehensive insurance should be considered essential rather than optional.

Spending Money (Food, Fuel & Misc): £582

This covered:

• Petrol for full circular road trip

• Restaurant meals

• Resort dining

• Snacks

• Petra by Night tickets

• Pre booked Desert tour costs

• Resort fee in Aqaba

• Joshua’s visa

• Site extras not covered by Jordan Pass

Jordan is not ultra-cheap, but it is very manageable. Food pricing sits below Western Europe but above Southeast Asia.

Is Jordan Expensive for Families?

For 9 days covering:

• A New Wonder of the World

• Roman cities

• Crusader castles

• The Dead Sea

• A desert camp experience

• Red Sea beach time

Under £3,200 for a school-holiday road trip represents strong value.

Jordan works well financially because:

• Distances are short

• Internal flights aren’t required

• The Jordan Pass bundles major costs

• Petrol is inexpensive

• Accommodation pricing is reasonable

The key is planning strategically.

Where Families Spend More

1. Flights during school holidays

2. Dead Sea resort stays

3. Optional extras like Petra by Night

4. Private desert tours

5. Restaurant choices

6. Get a lift to the airport or find a cheaper option to parking your car

Where families can reduce costs:

• Choose mid-range Dead Sea hotel with day-pass beach access

• Limit Petra to one day

• Eat outside resort properties

• Skip Aqaba if time limited

For detailed planning insight, explore the full guide on our dedicated Jordan hub. Jordan is not a passive holiday. It is active, educational and varied. But when structured correctly, it works exceptionally well with school-age children.