The Jordan Trail is moderately to seriously difficult, rated hard mainly because of heat, scarce water and rough terrain rather than altitude. The full 675 km route from Umm Qais to Aqaba takes about 36 days and includes steep canyon descents and long waterless desert stretches. Individual sections like the four-day Dana to Petra trek are achievable for fit hikers with desert experience.
How hard is the Jordan Trail?
The Jordan Trail is challenging for reasons that have nothing to do with thin air. Its maximum elevation barely exceeds 1,500 m, so altitude is a non-issue. Instead the difficulty comes from heat, water scarcity and relentless rocky terrain. Daytime temperatures hit 28 degrees Celsius even in the comfortable seasons, sun exposure is near-total, and water sources can be 25 km apart in the desert. Add steep canyon descents and loose scree, and the 675 km route becomes a serious endurance undertaking that rewards preparation over raw strength.
How does the terrain affect difficulty?
Terrain varies enormously across the trail's climate zones. The northern highlands offer rolling, forgiving walking through forest and farmland. The middle section drops dramatically into the Dead Sea rift, with steep descents that punish knees and add cumulative strain. The famous Dana to Petra section combines canyon scrambling, exposed ridgelines and soft sand within a single day. The southern desert around Wadi Rum is flatter underfoot but trackless, where navigation becomes the main difficulty. Trekking poles help on the steep canyon sections, and a balanced load in a supportive pack like the Deuter Aircontact Core 50+10 reduces fatigue over long days.
| Section | Difficulty | Main challenge |
|---|---|---|
| Northern highlands | Moderate | Distance, daily climbs |
| Dead Sea rift | Hard | Steep descents, heat |
| Dana to Petra | Hard | Canyons, water, terrain |
| Wadi Rum desert | Hard | Heat, navigation, water |
Why is water the biggest challenge?
Water scarcity, not gradient, is what makes the Jordan Trail genuinely hard. Across the desert sections, hikers must carry 4–5 litres at a time or rely on pre-arranged caches, which adds 4–5 kg to the pack and slows progress. Misjudging water is the most common cause of trouble on the trail, since dehydration sets in fast in dry desert air even at moderate temperatures. The standard mitigations are an early dawn start, full sun protection, and a high-capacity pack such as the Osprey Aether 65 that carries litres comfortably. Bedouin guides on remote sections manage caches and know the seasonal springs, which is one reason they are recommended in the south.
How fit do you need to be?
For a full thru-hike you need solid multi-day endurance: the ability to walk 20–25 km daily for weeks while carrying water and food in heat. For the popular Dana to Petra section, you should be comfortable hiking 20 km a day over rough ground with a loaded pack. Training should emphasise heat tolerance, back-to-back days and pack-carrying rather than speed. Practising with a fully loaded pack — even an ultralight 55-litre bag like the Hyperlite Mountain Gear 3400 Windrider filled with water weight — prepares your shoulders and feet for the real thing. The trail is achievable for a fit, well-prepared recreational hiker, but it is not a casual introduction to long-distance walking.
What are the main hazards?
Heat-related illness tops the hazard list, followed by dehydration, sunburn and getting lost in trackless desert. Flash floods are a seasonal danger in canyons during winter rains, so check forecasts before entering narrow sections. Mobile signal is patchy, so a satellite messenger is wise on remote legs. Navigation errors in the desert south can turn a manageable day into an emergency, which is why the official GPX track and local guides matter. For prevention guidance on heat illness and desert travel, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention heat-safety resource is a useful reference, and section-specific conditions are published by the Jordan Trail Association. Compared with a high-altitude route like the Jordan Trail's desert south, the danger is environmental and manageable with the right preparation.
Who is the Jordan Trail suited to?
The Jordan Trail rewards a specific kind of hiker: someone with multi-day backpacking experience, comfort in hot and arid conditions, and the self-reliance to manage water and navigation without daily infrastructure. It is not a first long-distance walk in the way the Camino Francés can be, where villages, water and waymarks appear every few kilometres. The reward for that higher bar is solitude, raw desert landscape and a cultural depth — Nabataean ruins, Bedouin hospitality, biblical geography — that few trails match.
First-time visitors are best served by the supported Dana to Petra section or a guided group thru-hike, both of which remove the hardest logistics while preserving the experience. Independent thru-hikers should have prior desert or arid-region trekking under their belt and be confident with a GPS track, water caching and heat management. Strength training and heat acclimatisation in the weeks before departure pay off more than any single piece of gear, though a well-fitted load-hauler like the Deuter Aircontact Lite 45+10 certainly helps over the long days. Hikers craving a similarly remote but cooler challenge often look to alpine routes instead, but for those drawn to desert and history, few trails in the world deliver as much as the Jordan Trail. As of 2026 the route remains waymarked but minimally developed, so its difficulty comes from the same enduring factors — heat, scarce water and distance — rather than any single technical obstacle that preparation cannot overcome.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Jordan Trail harder than the Camino?
The Jordan Trail is harder than the Camino Francés in most respects. While both are long-distance routes, the Jordan Trail adds desert heat, scarce water, rough rocky terrain and limited infrastructure, whereas the Camino offers daily villages, abundant water and gentle paths. The Camino is far more beginner-friendly; the Jordan Trail demands desert experience.
Do you need desert hiking experience for the Jordan Trail?
Desert experience is strongly recommended, especially for the southern sections around Wadi Rum where water is scarce and navigation is difficult. Hikers without it should join a guided group or hire a Bedouin guide, and start with the supported Dana to Petra section rather than attempting a self-guided full thru-hike.
How many kilometres a day do you hike on the Jordan Trail?
Most hikers cover 20 to 25 km per day on the Jordan Trail, which at 675 km total works out to about 36 days for the full route. Daily distance is limited by heat, water-carrying weight and rough terrain rather than by the kilometres alone, so an early start is essential.
Is the Dana to Petra trek difficult?
The Dana to Petra trek is rated hard. Its 80 km over four days include steep canyon descents, exposed ridges, soft sand and long stretches without water, all under strong sun. Fit hikers with some multi-day experience manage it well, but it is not suitable as a first-ever backpacking trip.
What is the biggest danger on the Jordan Trail?
Dehydration and heat-related illness are the biggest dangers on the Jordan Trail. The desert sun is intense, shade is rare, and water sources can be 25 km apart, so misjudging water is the leading cause of trouble. An early start, full sun protection and carrying 4 to 5 litres on dry legs are the key defences.
