Getting around

Getting Around Jordan: No Trains, Two Highways, One Real Choice

Jordan has no passenger rail network — the historic Hejaz Railway survives only as freight and short heritage-tourism runs, not a way to actually get anywhere — which makes road transport the only real option for covering the country's compact but genuinely varied geography. The choice that shapes most trips isn't which company to book but which of two parallel highways to take.

Updated 2026-08-15

No trains means cars, buses or a driver

With rail off the table entirely, options split into three practical tiers. JETT, the main long-distance bus operator, runs comfortable coaches on fixed schedules between Amman, Petra, Aqaba and a handful of other routes — reliable and cheap, but limited to those specific corridors and not flexible for stops along the way. Self-drive car rental is straightforward for confident drivers (an International Driving Permit is required alongside a home licence), gives full control over stops at sights between destinations, and is genuinely the most common choice for independent travellers doing the classic circuit. Hiring a private driver for a multi-day circuit — common and not especially expensive by regional standards — removes the stress of desert-highway driving and navigating Amman's traffic while keeping the same flexibility as self-driving.

The Desert Highway versus the King's Highway

Both highways run the same general north-south direction between Amman and Aqaba, and the choice between them is really a choice about what kind of trip this is. The Desert Highway is the fast, direct route — a modern multi-lane road with little to see, built for covering distance rather than sightseeing, and the one most long-distance buses and time-pressed travellers use. The King's Highway is the older, slower route that runs closer to Jordan's historic spine — passing near Madaba, Karak Castle and Dana on its way south — adding real time to a journey but turning the drive itself into part of the trip rather than a gap between destinations. Most itineraries that have the time use the King's Highway southbound and the Desert Highway back north, or the reverse.

Getting between the four main bases

Amman to the Dead Sea is about an hour; Amman to Petra runs three to three and a half hours via the Desert Highway, longer via the King's Highway; Petra to Wadi Rum is roughly 1.5 hours; and Wadi Rum to Aqaba adds another hour to hour and a half. Those four legs — Amman, Dead Sea, Petra, Wadi Rum, Aqaba — form the spine of nearly every Jordan itinerary, run as a single southbound corridor rather than a loop, which is also why Aqaba's own international airport matters: flying out from there rather than backtracking north to Amman saves a full day's driving on a trip that already covers a lot of ground.

Frequently asked questions

No usable passenger rail network — the historic Hejaz Railway survives only as freight and short heritage-tourism runs, not a way to actually travel between cities. Road transport (bus, self-drive, or a hired driver) is the only real option.

It's a genuinely good option for confident drivers with an International Driving Permit — the road network is decent, and self-driving gives full flexibility for stops. Many travellers prefer hiring a private driver instead, which removes the stress of desert-highway distances and Amman traffic at a modest additional cost.

The Desert Highway is the fast, direct route with little scenery, used by most buses and time-pressed travellers. The King's Highway is slower and older, passing near Madaba, Karak Castle and Dana — worth taking if you have the extra time, since the drive itself becomes part of the trip.

Part of the Jordan guide.

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