DANA TO PETRA TREK

Discover the history of Petra...

DANA TO PETRA TREK

Journey on an immense multi-terrain adventure through one of the most captivating countries in the world, hike across the rocky Jordanian mountains, before winding through the legendary red canyons found on route to Petra itself, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.



ABOUT THE CHALLENGE


We begin in Dana, following ancient Bedouin paths for one hundred  kilometres of the 650-km Jordan Trail. Witness the hills, wadis and arid desert before we cross the mountains and canyons of Jordan’s Rift Valley.

We complete the challenge by heading through 'little Petra', before finally arriving at the Red Rose City of the Nabateans, Petra. We have time to explore before taking a jeep ride across the desert for a relaxing day at the Dead Sea to round off the adventure.

PERFECT FOR : ANCIENT HISTORY ENTHUSIASTS, DRAMATIC CANYONS, TICKING OFF ANOTHER WONDER OF THE WORLD

... & IF YOU JUST WANT TO SEE A CAMEL!

CHALLENGE ITINERARY

Welcome to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan! 

A member of our team will meet you in front of Amman Airport. Get to know your team and guide as we transfer  you to your Amman Hotel, check in and have the remainder of the day free.

AccommodationHotel

Included: Airport transfer

Early morning pickup from your hotel in Amman to drive 2 hours to Dana Village. This is the starting point for your trek to Petra. 

Meet your Bedouin trekking guide and from the village escape into the nature. The Dana Reserve is characterized by a chain of valleys and mountains which extend from the top of the Jordan Rift Valley down to the desert lowlands of Wadi Araba. Hike downhill through sandstone gorges to Feynan. You will see along the trail the beauty and various landscapes of the area. The day ends in Wadi Feynan, where 3,000 years ago copper had been mined and worked up. 

Trek: 14km

Meals: Breakfast, Packed Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Wild Camping in Feynan


Today a more difficult trail lays ahead of you. Cross Feynan and hike to the desert plateau of Wadi Malaga. The area is a hamada landscape, a flat and stony desert, west from you the Wadi Arava and east from you Jabal Sharah are located. We then follow a steep, old Bedouin trail into the mountains offering stunning views towards the Wadi Arava Desert. The pass is known as Ras Naqb Shdeid. You continue downhill to a river valley, passing by a pool. 

Trek18km

Meals: Breakfast, Packed Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Wild Camping in Ras Al Faid.


We continue our trek to Gbour Al Wheidat along shepherd trails into the remotest areas of Jordan. You pass by ruins from Nabatean and Roman times. Climbing higher you see some of the most spectacular sceneries of the country, surrounded by dark, rugged mountains. Continuing downhill the landscape softens, and you inter a pale coloured sandstone area with interesting rock formations. Leaving Shkaret Mseid behind to reach Gbour Al Wheidat where you overnight in a wild camp.

Trek: 16km

Meals: Breakfast, Packed Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Wild camping in Gbour Al Wheidat

Leave your camp and walk towards a broad valley. You recognize signs of increasing human habitation like Bedouin camps and flock of sheep. These families do farming and grow vegetables, fruits and olive trees. We will pass more Nabataean ruins like olive presses and ancient water infrastructures. The path takes us to a saddle with great views of the Wadi Arava, then we continue towards Little Petra. Enter Siq Al Barid a narrow passage, to enter the heart of Little Petra with its tombs, monuments, cisterns and water channels. It is believed to be a caravanserai, and gives a hint what to expect in Petra. 

Ovenight in a fixed camp in Little Petra, where you have the opportunity to take a warm shower.

Trek: Around 15km

Meals: Breakfast, Packed Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Fixed camp in Little Petra

Today we take the back route from Little Petra to the Monastery El Deir. We pass by the remains of the Neolithic village Beidah, walk across open farmland before we enter mountainous area. The path opens up to see the impressive façade of the Monastery El Deir, 45 meters high, cut in the sandstone rock. Explore the monument and its surrounding areas with great panoramic views. Climb around 800 stairs down to the lower parts of Petra. Here you follow the main trail along famous landmarks like Qasr Al Bint, the Royal Tombs, the Treasury, through the Siq to the main gate. Overnight Petra hotel.

Trek: 16km

Meals: Breakfast, Packed Lunch

Accommodation: Hotel in Petra

We drive to Wadi Rum and embark a 4x4 to uncover more of the vast desert. The rugged scenery, the changing colours of sands and mountains, the serene atmosphere will make you understand why Wadi Rum is one of the most impressive desert landscapes in the world.

The setting had been used for Hollywood movies. You see canyons, red sand dunes, Nabatean rock inscriptions and a natural rock bridge formed over centuries.

A long journey of about 4 hours lays ahead of you to the lowest point on earth, the Dead Sea, where you will check in to your hotel and have the remainder of the day free.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel

The unique environment of the Dead Sea is characterized by high annual temperatures, low humidity and high atmospheric pressure, the air is extremely oxygen rich. Have fun with the floating experience in its salty waters or cover yourself with natural mineral mud you find on the shores of the Dead Sea.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hotel

A final morning together at the Dead Sea followed by transfer to Amman Airport to say farewell.

Meals: Breakfast

Included: Airport transfer


2024-25 STUDENT CHARITY CHALLENGES

For your full itinerary, FAQ's, what's included / not included and sign up please select 'INFO' on your preferred option below.

DANA TO PETRA TREK

DANA TO PETRA TREK

Discover immense history, beauty & unique culture as you venture to Petra, UNESCO World Heritage Site & Modern Wonder of the World!

FROM$399/pp

★ 4.8/5 RATED ON TRUSTPILOT ★

SEE OUR TRUSTPILOT REVIEWS

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER SIGNING UP?

📱 Join Your WhatsApp Group - get to know your fellow adventurers.

💻 Set Up GiveStar Page - the first step in your fundraising journey! (Top Tip: Group fundraisers are so much fun and use the WhatsApp group to organize!)

🎯 Start Fundraising - with plenty of fundraising support from your charity.

🗓️ Fundraising Deadline - 8 weeks before start date for international challenges and 6 weeks prior for UK challenges.

🎥 Online Pre-Departure Brief - Get to know all the important details and what you need for your trip before you go. (One day events like the skydive, where an extensive brief is not required, are excluded.)

📧 Get a Pre-Departure Brief Doc via Email - get your last-minute arrangements together!

🏞️ Challenge Date - Time to get out there!

HOW DOES FUNDRAISING WORK?

🌍 Our mission is to harness the power of adventure to create positive change globally. We achieve this by partnering with various charities and offering participants the opportunity to fundraise for these causes through our exciting challenges. 

🦙 When you sign up for one of our adventures, you have the flexibility to choose from different registration options, each with its corresponding fundraising target. You can also opt for a pay-in-full option if you’re too busy to fundraise, we’ve made it easy for you to join our community - the Llama Pack.

🌟 Charity challenges typically involve a registration fee that goes towards the cost of the challenge. With the funds raised split between covering your trip expenses and supporting the charity, often transparency in this process and industry is lacking - Endeavours is different. 

🧡 We prioritize honesty and are proud to offer an industry-leading deal where 51% of your fundraising goes directly to the charity, while the remaining 49% is allocated to the challenge costs. Additionally, 100% of any funds you raise beyond your target goes directly to the charity, ensuring maximum impact for the causes you care about! 

WHAT'S INCLUDED / NOT INCLUDED?

  • Airport transfer to and from your accommodation
  • Accommodation
  • All meals as specified in itinerary 
  • Professional, English Speaking Local Guides and Cooks
  • Luggage transport during the trek (you will only need to carry a day bag during the trek)
  • All entrance fees
  • Transport in country
  • Camping Equipment (Except roll matt and sleeping bag)
  • Safe drinking water during the trek
  • In-person support from an Endeavours Adventures representative in-country during the challenge
  • Fundraising support
  • 24/7 UK emergency line and support whilst on the challenge
  • Travel Insurance
  • All meals not specified 
  • Tips for guides and porters
  • Personal Spending Money
  • Flights to and from Amman
  • Vaccinations
  • Visa's (If required)

What people are saying

Challenge Testimonials

I can’t recommend the company and challenge enough! You will not be disappointed!

Hannah, Loughborough Jordan 2023

Did an incredible hike across the mountains of Jordan with incredible people, and made some lifelong memories along the way. 

Hunter, St Andrews Jordan 2023

Incredible trip, met some amazing new people, and had an amazing experience whilst raising a significant amount for charity. 

Hester, St Andrews Jordan 2023

FAQs

Choose your category below to discover FAQ's related to that topic. Should you not be able to find an answer to your question please get in touch with our team.

You will be looked after by accredited, English speaking local guides along with an Endeavours Adventures rep.

Average group sizes vary, but will be between 8 - 30 participants depending on the number of sign ups.

You will stay in hotel accommodation before and after the challenge, and a mixture of wild and camp site tented camping during the trek.

The tents are equipped with simple mattresses, sheets and blankets. A basic toilet is provided at the camp.

This trek is rated 3.5-4/5 on its challenge level of difficulty. This is an intense challenge as you will be trekking 14-17km per day for 5 days in a row at high temperatures. There are some steep climbs, loose rocks, exposed edges and easy scrambling sections during the trek.

We recommend you have a minimum moderate fitness level and be able to walk several days over uneven terrain and manage partly steep passages and should not be sensitive to warm weather.

Don't let this stop you though! You will supported throughout the challenge by your guide and fellow team-mates.

A typical day on our Dana to Petra trek sees you getting up around 7am to prepare for the day, including packing your bag and having breakfast.

You then start trekking along the route to your next camping place, including a lovely lunch break. You will be walking for most of the day, taking in the breath-taking views of Jordan. When arriving to the campsite you can relax with your teammates! Dinner is served at a campfire at about 7pm. 

Jordan is characterised by a Mediterranean climate and the best travel time is spring and autumn, March until May, September until November. Summer is hot and sunny, especially in Aqaba and at the Dead Sea. Jordan is a very sunny country with average daily sunshine hours ranging from six to seven in winter and twelve to thirteen in summer. Nights are rather cool. 

The culture of Jordan is based on Arabic and Islamic elements. Jordan stands at the intersection of the three continents of the ancient world, lending it geographic and population diversity. Notable aspects of the culture include the traditional music and clothing of Jordan and interest in sports. One of the key aspects of Jordanian culture is the hospitality shown by hosts to their guests. This is felt even while walking around the streets of Jordan, where the phrase "ahlan wa sahlan" ("I welcome you") is heard nearly everywhere you go.  

English is widely spoken in Jordan, most especially in the cities. However, learning some basic Arabic words or phrases can help you with your cultural experience and interactions to the locals. 

Below are the few words and phrases that you can take down notes before travelling to Jordan.

  • Hello = Salam / Marahaba 
  • Please = Min Fadlik 
  • Thank you = Shukran 
  • Do you speak English? = Hal tatahaddath al’ingiliiziyya? 

Jordan is a Muslim country, so dress codes do apply in order to respect the faith of Jordanian people.

Please ensure you always have covered your shoulders, knees, and cleavage. Please also ensure to wear loose clothing that is not figure hugging. 

At the bottom of this page is the kit list that includes respectable clothing suitable for the challenge.

Following this dress code shows respect for Jordanian culture and local people will respect you for doing so. Jordanian people are friendly and as long as you follow the dress codes, you will feel very welcome.

Food is important to us. Good and nourishing food makes a good trip even better. All meals and snacks whilst on trek are included in the tour price, unless stated otherwise. 

Endeavours Adventures can cater for all dietary options. At 8 weeks before your challenge start date, a form will be sent to you to request this information. Through this, we will ensure that you are catered for, and will keep you updated on any issues regarding your dietary requests. 

A common appetiser is hummus, which is a puree of chick peas blended with tahini, lemon, and garlic. Ful medames is another well-known appetiser. 

The most distinctive Jordanian dish is mansaf, the national dish of Jordan. It consists of a plate of rice with meat that was boiled in thick yogurt, sprayed with pine nuts and sometimes herbs. As an old tradition, the dish is eaten using one's hands, but the tradition is not always used.

Simple fresh fruit is often served towards the end of a Jordanian meal, but there is also dessert.

Even though a lot of Jordanian dishes today can be meat-heavy, there are also plenty of options for vegans traveling to Jordan. 

In Jordanian cuisine, drinking coffee and tea flavoured with na'na or meramiyyeh is almost a ritual. 


There is no Wi-Fi during the trek or at the campsites along the trek. Wi-Fi is available at the Little Petra Camp on day 5. During most of the trail there will be no phone signal. 

At Endeavours Adventures we place safety at the heart of what we do. Whilst an element of risk always exists within each challenge, we have worked with our partners in country and implemented our own procedures to minimise risk whilst still ensuring you have an incredible challenge experience! 

All our challenges are risked assessed in line with BS8848 British Standards of Trekking.

Please make sure to ask your guide whether it is safe to drink the water available in both the urban and rural areas.

Bringing re-usable 1L or 2L water bottles on your challenge is compulsory, as you need to have enough water to keep hydrated and well throughout your trek.

The recommended travel vaccinations for Jordan are below.

Courses or booster typically advised:

  • Hepatitis A
  • Tetanus

Other vaccines to consider:

  • Hepatitis B
  • Rabies 
  • Typhoid

Please consult an appointment with a travel nurse and get the required vaccines for Jordan. Some of these vaccines require multiple doses so please book an appointment as soon as possible.

You can find a travel nurse at a pharmacy, or at a travel clinic at Superdrug & Boots. You can also speak to your GP beforehand if you are unsure where to start.

We strongly recommend that you bring certain medication as a precaution for your challenge. This includes: anti-sickness and diarrhoea medication, water purification tablets, plasters, blister treatment, antiseptic wipes, throat lozenges, painkillers, and re-hydration salts or sachets. 

We also recommend bringing insect spray. 

It is unlikely that you will get altitude sickness on the Dana to Petra trek.

However, if you are concerned about this, you can bring altitude sickness medication if you wish. You must speak to your GP about this first. 

The best way to combat the symptoms of altitude sickness is to pause your ascent, or to descent from your current point. It is also recommended to drink plenty of water, eat enough food, and get enough rest. 

Many people of different abilities take on the Dana to Petra trek. 

We strongly recommend that you practice some form of hiking and start training around 16-18 weeks before the challenge date. If this is not possible for you to do, we would recommend going on regular walks with different types of ground, steepness, and even practice walking with the bag you will wear on the challenge, as well as your walking boots. 

All of this will help prepare your body for the day. Also, committing yourself to enough fitness training beforehand will make the trek more comfortable for you.

A typical trek at this level will include trekking for 5 to 8 hours per day over consecutive days, so it is important to get your body adjusted to this level of activity.

There are no specific exercise routines that you must follow, as everyone is different. However, doing squats regularly as well as step-up exercises, such as the stair master at the gym, is recommended.

The team at Endeavours Adventures do not offer training sessions. However, this may be something that your challenge leader or team could organise throughout the year with you. 

Yes! If you scroll down to the bottom of this page, you will be able to see our training plan guide for you. 

Please be aware that this is just a recommendation - this is for inspiration rather than a requirement.

Flights are not included in the registration fee, and must be arranged by participants themselves. This is because it is cheaper and provides you with more flexibility in terms of when you arrive and depart from the country, should you wish to stay for longer before or after. 

For this challenge, you will need a 20-35L day backpack, which you will be using as your backpack throughout the trek.

You will also need a 60-75L large rucksack to bring all your belongings in. Avoid bringing a suitcase! Please do not exceed 18 kg per person if possible.

In the rare possibility that your large rucksack doesn’t arrive at your destination with you on time, please can you ensure that you pack enough clothing and items for a couple of days in your day bag.

You can find the kit list at the bottom of this page! 

Outlets accept mostly the two-pin plug C. 

Type C plug: Two round prongs (used in much of Europe, but not in the UK or Ireland).

Electricity is not always available during the challenge, so please bring portable batteries if you require electricity. 

The unit of currency in Jordan is Jordanian Dinar (JOD). We recommend bringing 

£200-£250 worth of currency.

To consider would be:

  • A tip for the guides and porters during the trek between £30-60 worth of JOD each
  • Cash for souvenirs
  • Emergency cash
  • Money for group dinner and drinks on the last night
  • Money for any meals not included in the itinerary and for coffee / snacks you may want on free days 
  • JOD / GBP to buy food during the airport journeys there and back

If you want to bring a card, you could also bring your Monzo or Revolut card as extra cash. However, please be aware that there are no banks or ATMs available during the trek and in Wadi Rum.


For Jordan, a visa is required for UK citizens. However, the visa can be bought upon arrival. 

This visa on arrival is covered by Endeavours Adventures, as it is included in the challenge price. 

If you are an international citizen, it is your responsibility to check whether you need a visa for Jordan, and to arrange your own visa to cover the duration of your challenge. You can contact the team at Endeavours Adventures should you need support in this process.

For our Jordan trek, it is your responsibility to arrange your own travel insurance for the whole duration of your challenge. 

It is important that you get cover that is specific to your challenge, as they all have different requirements. If you have any questions regarding this, please email isabelle.skelly@endeavoursadventures.com.

You are welcome to source your own insurance, but we recommend booking through our suppliers. 

The 2023/24 standard fundraising target is £1,695. 

With a variety of options available, you can choose to pay our standard registration and fundraising target, or alter the total amount paid at sign up in order to receive a proportionate change of the total amount you will have to fundraise. No matter the registration fee chosen, each can be split across different payment plans. 

2023/24 options available for the Dana to Petra Trek:

  • STANDARD - Standard Registration Fee (£295) and Fundraising Target (£1,695)
  • FLEXI 1 - Lower Registration Fee (£125) and Higher Fundraising Target (£1,995)
  • FLEXI 2 - Max Registration Fee (£600) and Low Fundraising Target (£995)

Yes! In signing up and paying the registration fee for this challenge, you are given the option to either be SELF-FUNDED, or choose from one of 3 FUNDRAISE options for a chosen charity. If a FUNDRAISE option is selected, after completing your registration payment (s) you must also reach your fundraising target to guarantee your place on the challenge. 


But fear not! We have an expert team of fundraising guides and support available to help you alongside the incredible support you shall receive directly from the charity.

In most cases, you are able to change your fundraising option for your challenge, provided that it is before your final fundraising deadline. 

Your charity representative must approve this change, and you must email your charity rep AND a member of the Endeavours Adventures' team about this before this can be confirmed. 

A change in your fundraising option will incur a £25 administration fee.

NOTE: If you are fundraising for Dig Deep, you CANNOT request to lower your fundraising target.

Endeavours Adventures have a lot to offer you in terms of fundraising support! Once you sign up to your challenge, you will receive a welcome email which will include the different ways the team will support you. 

This support will include a monthly fundraising newsletter, monthly fundraising support sessions, an online fundraising resources pack, and regular communication with the Endeavours Adventures’ team.

Charity challenges are usually split 50:50, where 50% of your fundraising goes straight to the charity, and the remaining 50% goes towards the costs of running the challenge. At Endeavours Adventures, we want to go above and beyond and ensure that we are giving as much to the charity as possible. 

For the Dana to Petra Trek, 51% of the fundraising goes to the charity, and 49% goes towards the costs of the challenge. 

On top of this, 100% of the money that you raise above your fundraising target goes directly to the charity to support the incredible work they do.

Your fundraising deadline will usually be between 6-8 weeks before your challenge start date, which is dependent on the charity you are fundraising for. 

RESOURCES