“If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.”
​-Albert Einstein​

Staying Connected
Mobile Data: I went with a travel sim card and would greatly recommend it. You can get them right at the airport upon your arrival. Orange, Zain, and Umniah are the main sim card providers. They all give you about 10gig for 15JD.

​Cellphone reception in Jordan is pretty good. Thanks to the country's lack of vegetation cellphone signal can travel further. Expect no reception in canyons and deep valleys.​

Wifi: Wifi is nonexistent for most of the trip except in big touristic towns.

Permits
There is no permit required for the trail itself. You will need to pay an entry fee at Dana Biosphere Reserve (8JD), Wadi Rum (5JD), and Petra (2 days, 55JD). I would highly recommend buying the Jordan Pass, it includes all the above and your visa cost (40JD), for 75JD. So you are saving big time!

Camping
I didn't have issues finding campsites. Make sure to study the map well to camp before civilized areas. Do not camp close to shepherd camps except if invited. Wind can be an issue in Jordan the lack of trees and bushes can make finding a sheltered campsite difficult. Always respect the land and practise Leave No Trace principles.

Food and Water
Food: Resupply on the Jordan Trail is not a problem. The longest stretch without resupply option is about 100km. You will come across many small shops, the hardest part may be the selection.

Water: Water can be more of an issue, there are a few long sections with no water available. For more info visit this page. 

Trail
The trail in Jordan is not well-worn (2018). It is more of a route than a trail. Some sections are marked with a red and white stripe, but these markers are not consistent. Not having vegetation doesn't help in being able to read where people have walked. If you are not confident in your trail reading skill consider hiring a guide. I would say the last half of the trail (Dana to the Red Sea) is most likely the wildest part and requires the most trail reading. Having a GPS was more useful than I thought, I recommend bringing one (or your smartphone with Gaia GPS app). It is also important to bring a map and compass.

Wildlife
Number one wildlife you should watch for is shepherd dogs (for more information visit challenges). You should keep in mind that Jordan has a few species of venomous snakes and scorpions. I have visited Jordan two times and I haven't even encountered one scorpion (maybe they just don't like me). Bugs are not an issue in Jordan, but you might still want a bug net for the night, for those possible poisonous crawlers.

Direction
Should you go northbound or southbound? I would recommend going south. The trail gets harder as you go  south, so you will have a small window to adjust your water intake, food carrying, etc. On the plus side, I think finishing at the Red Sea makes more of a finish line than the town of Um Quais.

FAQs
Q: Is the Jordan Trail a good trail for a first thru-hike?
A: It was my first, but I had previously a good amount of experience in hiking. I wouldn't recommend doing this alone as your first hike. If you plan to do so, consider hiring a guide for the hardest sections. It is much harder and needs more preparation than Te Araroa (which is, in my opinion, a wonderful thru-hike to start with).
Q: Is it easy to find gas for my cooking stove?
A: Sorry, I'm a stoveless hiker, so I wasn't looking for some. For what I have seen, it would be hard, there are no such things as an outdoor store in Jordan.
Q: What were the hardest sections?
A: Dana to Petra is one of the wildest sections, where I was alone for the longest time. Petra to Wadi Rum and Wadi Rum to the Red Sea is rough because of the water issue of that section.

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