Despite its location, Jordan in January is surprisingly chilly. But travelers can still enjoy the sights of the ancient city of Petra and explore the otherworldly desert of Wadi Rum at a comfortable pace.
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During the winter, the Petra site is only open from 6am to 4pm; that's two fewer hours during the winter than during the summer season. This means you'll want to plan to get up earlier and get into the site as soon as the sun is coming up since the site closes earlier in the day.
Planning a trip to Jordan in January? While it's winter in the northern hemisphere, it's a good time to visit Jordan – especially if you don't love hot weather.
The local people all agree--to properly and fully explore you need five days minimum. While there is certainly enough to occupy yourself for five or more days, two to three days is sufficient to visit all of the highlights in and around the park.
In my opinion, spending 2 days in Petra will give you plenty of time to explore this beautiful ancient city and world wonder. By entering Petra through the Siq on day 1, while taking the back entrance on day 2, there is plenty of variation during your visit.
January is the coldest month to visit Jordan. While you might have seen reports of colder temperatures in January in Jordan, the average high temperature in January ranges from 52-53°F (11°C); overnight, the average low is roughly 38-39°F (3°C).
While one day is certainly enough to see the highlights of Petra, spending 2 to 3 days makes it possible to visit at a more leisurely pace. Spending more than one day at Petra also means you're able to explore some of the lesser known sites and trails.
It is fine to travel in Jordan in jeans most of the time, and you can, of course, wear them in Petra as well, in case this is the piece you never leave your home without, but as the visit of Petra requires quite a lot of walking, we think hiking trousers are a much better choice.
Medium walk, steep with lots of stairs, but not too long (in my opinion, the Petra map says hard). Allow 2 hours return from the start of the Petra Monastery Trail, or 2.5 – 3 hours if you walk a bit slower or want to linger at the Monastery.
Part of the reason that camping in Wadi Rum is so affordable during the initial booking process is that the guides running the camps make a good chunk of their money selling Jeep tours and camel rides. This is simply part of the process, and nothing to be worried about at all–but it helps to know what to expect.