Exploring Jordan by bicycle offers a unique and immersive way to experience the beauty of the Hashemite Kingdom. Over the past few years, cyclists equipped with road bikes, gravel bikes, or mountain bikes have been venturing along its scenic, history-rich routes. More recently, the Jordan Bike Trail was created to provide a route to guide not only bicycle vacationers, but also trained and competitive cyclists, in a route all along Jordan, from north to south.
What is the Jordan Bike Trail?
The Jordan Bike Trail is a 730-kilometer mixed-terrain route that spans the entire length of Jordan. The trail begins in the north with rolling hills, olive groves, and farms; continues through the dramatic canyons of the Dead Sea region; passes through the awe-inspiring Dana Biosphere Reserve and the legendary Petra; and ends in the breathtaking Wadi Rum desert, before reaching Aqaba on the Red Sea.
There are several ways to approach the Jordan Bike Trail. From a trip fully supported by local operators without the need to carry any equipment and book meals and overnight stays, to a minimalist bikepacking adventure or somewhere in between.
On the dedicated website you can find all the information for both an organized trip and an adventure on your own. The site explains stage by stage the distance of the route, the positive and negative elevation gain to be covered, and the approximate time to travel.
Exploring the regions and stages of the Jordan Trail
There are three regions to tackle along the Jordan Bike Trail, in 12 stages in total.
1 – The Northern Region consists of 4 stages, beginning in Umm Qais and ending in Madaba, the “City of Mosaics.” Cyclists traverse the remains of the Roman Decapolis, lush forests, and rolling hills under a typical Mediterranean climate.
2 – The Central Region spans 4 stages, from Madaba to the Crusader fortress of Shobak, also known as the ancient Monreal Castle. The route traverses Jordan’s central plateau dotted with stunning canyons ending in the Dead Sea, from the vestiges of Herod’s ancient palace at Mukawir to the Crusader castles of Karak and finally Shobak.
3 – The Southern Region, comprising 4 stages, begins in Shobak and concludes in Aqaba on the Red Sea. In some respects it is the most spectacular, and famous region in Jordan because it touches the wonders of Petra, the ancient capital of the Nabataeans, and the suggestions of the photochromatic Wadi Rum desert, made famous by the exploits of Lawrence of Arabia and later becoming a favorite movie set for science fiction films and beyond. The final part, from Wadi Rum to Aqaba, has a route that, at one point, turns into pure descent to sea level on the shores of the Red Sea.
Itineraries for every need
Cyclists who prefer a shorter adventure can use the Jordan Bike Trail website to select stages that best match their preferences or interests. For example, from Karak to Aqaba. The southern half of the route traverses the most spectacular terrain of the entire route and has significantly lower elevation changes than the first half of the route. This is an ideal week-long trip, including a rest day in Petra.
For a long weekend there is a choice of several options
1 – Madaba to Karak. A sort of challenge between regions 2 and 3 of the Jordan Bike Trail, you cross three huge wadis (canyons) in central Jordan: Wadi Zarqa Ma’in, Wadi Hidan and Wadi Mujib. A showly tough route, but with great views.
2 – From Ma’tan to Petra. These are 2 days, which are less physically taxing, but still require necessary preparation to tackle even challenging climbs. From Ma’tan to Petra, there are some of the most spectacular views on the entire Jordan Bike Trail, passing Shobak Castle and ending the ride in Petra.
3 – And finally from Petra to Aqaba. A 2-3 day route with less elevation gain than the rest of the Jordan Bike Trail, but with much more sand. A major route in Jordan’s Golden Triangle, touching Petra, Wadi Rum and Aqaba.
Difficulty and track
The Jordan Bike Trail is physically challenging, with nearly 20,000 meters of elevation gain across its 730 kilometers, particularly in the Northern Region. Jordan’s route-between the plateau in the east and the Jordan Rift Valley in the west-contains numerous canyons (wadis) that cross the country from east to west. Traveling from north to south requires crossing most of these wadis, making it a stunning yet demanding journey.
However, the track is not technical. Sixty percent of the trail follows paved roads, while the vast majority of the remaining 40 percent follows dirt roads. Although there is a significant amount of asphalt, the Jordan Bike Trail is purposefully designed to ensure the climbs remain manageable..
There are occasional short stretches of technical riding, all of which are easy to ride if you are not comfortable in the saddle. You do not need to be an expert mountain biker to ride this route. Around Wadi Rum some of the kilometers are quite sandy and you may have to push your bicycle: so it is not particularly technical, but it can be slow.
The ideal type of bicycle is a gravel or mountain bike.
