Dana Jordan – Dana Biosphere Reserve Hiking

One of the absolute highlights of Jordan is hiking through the country’s dry and not-so-dry river beds, known as ‘wadi’. Dana Biosphere Reserve boasts some of the best hikes in Jordan, including more than one spectacular wadi trail.

So what are you waiting for?! Step One: Add Dana Nature Reserve to your Jordan travel list, stat! Step Two: Read this Dana Biosphere Reserve hiking guide to prepare for your adventure.

This post covers an overview of Dana plus a more detailed account of the two (totally awesome!) hikes we conquered on our 2 night trip to Dana Biosphere Reserve – the popular Wadi Dana Trail and the incredible Wadi Ghuweir hike.

Dana Biosphere Reserve Overview

Why Visit Dana Jordan?

In one word: hiking.

In a few more words: Dana is home to a sleepy village perched on the side of a mountain overlooking the main feature below – the expansive Dana Biosphere Reserve, also known as the Dana Nature Reserve.

The Dana Biosphere Reserve is the largest nature reserve in Jordan at around 320 square kms. It’s filled to the brim with hikes and trails ranging from a few hours to a few days, and everything in between.

While Dana may not be featured in standard Jordan itineraries, it’s an absolute must for avid hikers. We covered over 100km on foot during our 10 day Jordan itinerary, and Dana was by far and away the hiking highlight along with the wonders of Petra’s ancient city.

Even if hiking’s not your jam, I would have been pretty content to spend a couple of days relaxing and reading with Dana’s out-of-this-world views. (Although Dana is missing one crucial ingredient in this regard: vino. Like a lot of Jordan, Dana is dry.)

Even better, it’s still possible to spend an entire day trekking without bumping into another soul. It’s a pretty special feeling to have such incredible expanses all to yourself.

Dana’s certainly starting to get a name for itself as a hiking destination. We left with the distinct feeling that sleepy old Dana might just explode with tourism in the next decade or so … so get in now! (Or actually don’t go, and leave the quiet hikes to me.) Dana is the one place in Jordan that I left already chomping at the bit to get back to.

Dana Nature Reserve Landscape and Wildlife

With a few exceptions, Dana’s landscape is fairly desolate. The reserve’s beauty lies in in the dramatic rocky mountains, sweeping valleys, soaring canyons, and changing desert colours.

Dana Bisophere Reserve reminded us oh so much of the desert in Namibia. In fact, our hiking guide even tricked our driver by making him ‘guess which part of Dana’ our photos of the NamibRand Nature Reserve were taken in! 

Venture further into the reserve and you’ll be treated to more varied landscape. On the Wadi Ghuweir trail (Hike 1 below), the river gave way to life, with tropical greenery sprouting out of the canyon. If your visit coincides with spring, then you might be lucky enough to hike through wildflowers. 

The only thing that disappointed us about the Dana Biosphere Reserve was the apparent lack of wildlife … or at least our wildlife spotting skills. (I’d like to say it’s the former, as on safari we are quite possibly the luckiest wildlife spotters ever.)

I’d read about all the animals that call Dana Nature Reserve home, from oryx to caracal (which I haven’t yet ticked off my cat spotting list!), and was almost giddy at the thought of spotting one lurking through the bush. But alas, all we spotted were tribes of mountain goats being herded and tended to by the local Bedouin. Admittedly they were the worlds cutest ever goats, with floofy floofy bellies and floofy floofy beards: evidence below! 

Best Time to Visit Dana + Dana Weather 

As with the rest of Jordan, the best time to visit Dana Bisophere Reserve is March to May (spring) or October to November (autumn). During these months, days are warm and nights are cool.

The heat soars in summer (June to August), and temperatures drop to freezing in winter (December to February). We were surprised to hear that Dana even has snow in winter.

We visited in October when the days were hot (25-30 degrees Celsius) but with an occasional nice cool breeze, and nights were cool but comfortable (around 15 degrees Celsius). I’m a hot weather person, so in my book this makes for pretty ideal hiking conditions without freezing to death at night.

Spring is particularly pretty for hiking, as the desert valley comes alive with colourful wildflowers. 

Jordan’s valleys are prone to flash flooding during the wet season around December. Exercise caution and make sure you check the forecast before setting out for a hike.

Dana Village

For some reason, I had pretty low expectations of Dana Village. However, I really loved it!

Dana is a quaint village perched on the edge of the expansive Dana Biosphere Reserve. The village is pretty teeny tiny. It has a couple of small streets with picturesque and sometimes crumbling sandstone houses and buildings and a couple of hotels / eateries and small shops.

Dana Accommodation

We stayed at Wadi Dana Eco-Camp, which is only 1km from Dana Village. You can choose to stay in a tent or chalet, and the camp also has a large main tent for relaxing and a dining room for meals.

The best thing about Wadi Dana Eco-Camp has to be the absolutely spectacular views over the Dana valley below. While the camp was nice and off-the-grid, we didn’t actually spend much time there as we spent most of our time hiking.

If (or more accurately when!) I visit Dana again, I would spend two nights in Dana Village to be close to the start of the Wadi Dana Trail and have more food options, and one or two nights at Feynan Ecolodge. In Dana Village, some good options are Dana Tower Hotel, Dana Guesthouse or Dana Hotel.

Dana Jordan Planning + Need to Know

I’m usually pretty organised, but I only booked my Jordan trip a few weeks in advance and was under the pump at my day job, so didn’t do as much planning as I usually do.

We also couldn’t find a massive amount of detailed information before we visited Dana. While it’s pretty easy to organise your Dana treks on the ground, there’s a few things I wish I’d known in advance.

How Long to Spend in Dana Jordan

I knew Dana Biosphere Reserve was a hiking location, but little did I know that it was actually a hiking paradise with many different treks and trails.

The most popular hike is the Wadi Dana Trail (Hike 2 below), but there’s many other hikes to choose from to suit different abilities and time constraints.

We spent two nights in Dana, but if I’d known about the multitude of hikes, I definitely would have dedicated another day or two to Dana … or an entire week if time was no barrier.

I recommend reading through Dana hiking options, deciding how many hikes you want to do, leaving a full day for each hike (i.e. do not arrive or leave on the same day as a long hike), and possibly even leaving an extra day for relaxing in Dana.

If you don’t have the luxury of time, then it is most  definitely worth stopping at Dana for just one night, especially as it is en-route to Petra and Wadi Rum.

Getting to and from the Dana Reserve hikes

The transfers to and/or from hikes can be surprisingly looooooong. Most hikes are either one way from Dana Village (unless you want a gruelling return trip uphill for hours) or start and end from a location outside Dana Village.

Some transfer times even take 2 to 3 hours one way. Factor transfers into your planning, as the days can be pretty long when combined with a 4-7 hour hike.

Information and Wifi

There’s limited wifi in Dana (and was none at our accommodation), so come prepared with downloaded Google Maps for driving directions and either save or print any helpful Dana information you’ve found.

Our camp emailed us information on hikes in advance which I hadn’t printed or saved, and I was a little surprised on arrival to find that they had ZERO printed info available on the hikes they offered. 

Money

As with many smaller towns in Jordan, bring enough cash to cover your expected expenses as there’s no ATMs and you may need to pay cash for your accommodation and food.

We booked hikes through our Dana accommodation (see above). The hikes (guide and transport) were pretty exxy, but were excellent. We only did one guided hike, which ended up costing more than the price of our accommodation and food combined.

But then again, I can be lazy with bargain hunting and often opt for the path of least resistance. I heard that you can find a guide in Dana Village for a much lower price. 

Dana Biosphere Reserve Hiking – Wadi Ghuweir

First things first – Wadi Ghuweir is one of the most spectacular day treks I’ve ever done. (I know I say that every time but I really mean it this time. Promise!) It has a long siq to rival Petra, rock formations in ombré brown and red, water running the length of the hike, and tropical lush greenery.

Wadi Ghuweir Distance, Time, Start and End Points

Distance: To be honest, I’m not 100% sure of the exact distance of the Wadi Ghuweir hike. The guide mentioned 18km, other sources said 12km and my iPhone distance calculator was somewhere in between, so let’s settle with around 14km. As with other Dana hikes, the exact distance will depend on your drop off and pick up points. 

Time: The hike took us 9 hours door to door including transfer time. We spent 5 hours hiking, 45 minutes on lunch, 15 minutes or so on other rests, and 3 hours transferring to and from the hike.  

Start Point: We started the Wadi Ghuweir hike in the valley below Shoubak. This was around one hour drive from Dana Village.

End Point: The hike ends near Feynan, which is in right the south of Dana Biosphere Reserve roughly in the middle (east to west). Even though we had only walked 14km(ish), the transfer took over 2 hours back to Dana, due to the lack of main roads. I was a little sceptical of our driver’s navigational abilities when we ended up all the way south near Al Mdayrej (close to Petra), but we then turned once we hit a main(ish) road and headed north back to our Dana camp.

Given the long transfer times for this hike, you could also do the Wadi Ghuweir hike from Shoubak or Petra. If you aren’t self-driving, you could do the hike from Dana and then transfer to Petra at the end of the day.

Wadi Ghuweir Trek Landscape

Wadi Ghuweir is a hike of two halves, with very different landscapes in the morning and afternoon sections. The first part of the hike traverses a long wadi surrounded by a soaring siq (canyon), and was definitely the highlight. This part of the day was shaded and nice and cool, and took us around 3 hours. 

The second part of the hike opens into a wider wadi valley lined with tropical foliage. This part of the day is hotter due to the limited shade, and took us around 2 hours. 

Wadi Ghuweir certainly beats the more accessible Wadi Dana Trail for sheer raw beauty, and is absolutely worth the additional effort (and money!) required to get to the hike. I recommend taking a guide for this hike.

We were lucky enough to encounter only one other small group of hikers the entire day. Those hikers were just finishing up lunch as we were arriving for lunch, so 5 minutes of chatting and they were back on the move.

The only other souls we saw all day were the local Bedouin farmers and a couple of super cute herds of mountain goats. The lack of hiking tourists is something I’ve never experienced anywhere else in the world in a similar stunning location.

Wadi Ghuweir Hiking Conditions + Difficulty

Wadi Ghuweir is not a challenging hike fitness-wise. There’s no steep inclines, and in fact it’s a pretty flat walk with a few mildly undulating sections.

However, the hike is a little more challenging from a technical perspective. We encountered around 5 spots (all in the first half of the day) where I required a helping hand or two from my husband or the guide.

You don’t need ropes and all that jazz, but be prepared for a little scrambling up, down or sideways across rocks like a crab (or into the water, see photo below!).

I recommend wearing hiking shoes with good grip. I was a much more confident rock-hopper as the day went on and I realised I wasn’t going to slip on every rock.

There’s water flowing through the entire length of the Wadi Ghuweir hike. The depth depends on the season, but come prepared to get wet feet and legs. For the most part of our hike, we were able to walk alongside the water and hope across stones when we needed to cross the water.

The photo below shoes the exact moment that I realised my shoes were not staying dry. While this was the only part of the walk where we couldn’t avoid the water, in hindsight, I shoulda embraced this fact earlier in the hike as it was actually pretty fun splashing through the shallow waters for the rest of the day.

Dana Reserve Hiking – Wadi Dana Trail

Wadi Dana is the most popular hike in Dana Biosphere Reserve and is the main reason that people visit Dana. (Although, in my opinion, Wadi Ghuweir is a much more beautiful and interesting hike.)

The Wadi Dana Trail is a 16km one way walk from Dana Village through the valley to Feynan Ecolodge. The hike is a relatively easy downhill walk through the spectacular Dana valley, and doesn’t require a guide.

Wadi Dana Trail Distance, Time, Start and End Points

Distance: The Wadi Dana Trail is a 16km one way from Dana Village to Feynan Ecolodge.

Time: Allow 4-5 hours for the one way hike. Add another 2+ hours if you are transferring back to Dana Village after the hike.

Return Option: If you don’t have a full day to spare or are a sucker for punishment want a challenge, you can also descend the Dana valley for 1-6 hours and then simply turn around and return back up the hill.

Side note on the return option: Sounds simples, but think again my friends. We opted for the return hike, not because we love ridiculously steep uphill hikes, but because we needed to leave Dana for Wadi Rum the day of our hike. If we returned, I’d spend at least 3 nights at Dana so that we could do the full Wadi Ghuweir and Wadi Dana Trails. (And not walk uphill at quite possibly the steepest incline my little calves have ever experienced. It’s genetics I tell ya.)

Start: The Wadi Dana Trail starts at the end of Dana Village. The trail is just behind the Dana Tower Hotel and is very easy to find. This is a major pro, as you can pretty much roll out of bed and you’re off. (Okay, maybe have coffee first). The trail is along one main path that is very easy to follow, so you don’t need a guide.

End: The Wadi Dana Trail ends at Feynan Ecolodge. Unless you’re staying at Feynan Ecologe (or want a veeeery long uphill return hike!), you’ll need to pre-arrange transfers for the 2+ hour trip back to Dana Village. The lodge looks just divine. If I had my time in Dana again, I would have stayed at Feynan Ecolodge for a night and organised for an overnight bag to meet me there.

Wadi Dana Trail Landscape

The landscape on the Wadi Dana Trail was pretty consistent, and is just what you expect when you’re peering down from Dana Village. You’ll be surrounded by rocky mountain terrain and valleys, and wide open expanses that will make you feel small and marvel at Mother Nature. The hike has desolate beauty, but is not as spectacular as the Wadi Ghuweir hike.

Even though Wadi Dana is the most popular hike in Dana, we only saw a few other hikers along the way. It’s definitely quiet compared to other popular hiking destinations we’ve visited. Sadly, we didn’t spot any animals on the trek other than birds.

Wadi Dana Trail Conditions + Difficulty 

The Wadi Dana Trail is downhill so is fairly easy fitness-wise. There’s two challenging aspects of this hike. Firstly, the initial descent is very steep, which can be tough on the knees and require careful foot placement. I recommend wearing hiking boots with good tread. Secondly, the valley is very open with limited shade, and the days can get pretty hot. Bring plenty of water and a few snacks to keep you going.

If you do the return uphill hike, then you need reasonable fitness levels with plenty of water and a few breaks, as the hike uphill is also very steep (funny that). Read on for the AF’s experience with our 3 hour return hike along the Wadi Dana Trail!

Our Wadi Dana Trail Hiking Experience

I’m caffeinated up and bouncing with energy as we start the Wadi Dana downhill trail (super easy to find). I’m feeling confident. I’m feeling hiking fit. I’m thinking maybe I’ll even turn into one of those hardcore hiking folk who do multi-day hikes through rough terrain, rather than just your average fitness person who does day hikes for the pretty scenery and fresh air, and then collapses into a comfy hotel bed.

This feeling lasts maybe all of 5 minutes max. The first 45 minutes or so is VERY steep downhill. Sure, it looked steep from the top and all, but I thought maybe that’s just trick photography. Perspectives and all that jazz.

At this point, I’m getting a leeeetle apprehensive about the return hike. (Translation: Imagining myself collapsing and being dragged back up by my husband. Which just might be better than walking).

Anyhoo, despite my dark thoughts which stayed quietly inside my head rambling around in my overactive brain, we kept walking downhill for 1 hour 20 minutes before calling it a day. We stopped for an orange like any good sports team, and to admire the endless views.

I was a bit reluctant to start the uphill journey. However, to my surprise, it only took us the exact same 1 hour 20 minutes to walk back to Dana Village. (We’d been told to account for 2x the time on the return leg). I’m definitely not attributing this to my fitness or mountaineering skills. (Ha! I possess neither!)

In fact, I think the downhill and uphill legs took us the same amount of time precisely because it was so steep. We walked downhill pretty slowly to protect my rickety knees, and took a couple of breaks on the way down. On the way up, we zig zagged along the path (my husband is a smart man) which increases the kms but significantly decreases the incline.

Sensible as always, we hiked right into the midday heat, and I was feeling rather exhausted by the time we reached Dana Village.

We stopped at the Dana Tower Hotel for lunch before hitting the road for Wadi Rum. The menu was pretty much whatever the kitchen was cooking that day. Lucky for us, it turned out to be typical Jordanian fare of hummus, meatballs, veges and bread. (Again, dry hotel, so with coke instead of beer. Boo!)

I’m not totally sure if this is one of the best local lunches we had during our Jordan trip, or if it just tasted pretty fricken awesome after 3 hours hiking in the hot sun.

Other Dana Biosphere Reserve Hikes

There’s many other hikes to choose from in Dana, ranging from one hour to several days. A couple of the most popular ones are summarised here.

Jordan Trail – Dana to Petra Trail (Multi Day Hike)

The Jordan Trail is an epic cross-country hike from Um Qais in Jordan’s north to Aqaba in Jordan’s south. The full trail is over 600km and takes around 40 days.

You can also do parts of the Jordan Trail. One of the most beautiful sections is said to be the Dana to Petra hike, which is around 70km and 4 days.

This would be perfect if you want a longer and more challenging hike, and have a bit of time up your sleeve. I’ll definitely consider the Dana to Petra trek on our next trip (and once I’m fitter!).

Dana Rummana Campsite Hikes (Short Trails)

There’s several short hikes of 1-2 hours that you can do from Rummana Campsite unguided. Rumman Camp is around 30 minutes drive from Dana Village. This is a great option if you want to stay in rustic tents and have some short walks at your doorstep.

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