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Planning guide
At a glance
- Best time: March to May and September to November. Summer days are very hot; winter can be cold and occasionally wet
- How long: 2 days at Petra, and 6 to 8 days in Jordan to add Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea
- Fitness: moderate. A full Petra day can be 15 to 20 km, with 800 steps up to the Monastery
Tickets (2026)
For visitors staying overnight in Jordan, Petra costs 50 JD for one day, 55 JD for two and 60 JD for three (multi-day tickets must be used on consecutive days). Day-trippers who don't stay overnight in Jordan pay more. Petra by Night (candle-lit Treasury, Sunday to Thursday evenings) is an extra 30 JD.
The Jordan Pass, bought online before you arrive, includes Petra entry (1 to 3 days depending on the tier), over 40 other sites like Jerash and Wadi Rum, and waives your tourist visa fee if you stay at least three nights. For most visitors it pays for itself.
Getting there
Fly into Amman (AMM), about 3 hours' drive from Petra, or Aqaba (AQJ), about 2 hours. The town next to the site is Wadi Musa. JETT buses run from Amman, but a hire car or driver makes it easy to combine Petra with Wadi Rum.
Rough costs per person (excluding flights and the Jordan Pass)
- $ to $$: hostels and falafel: about US$50 to $90 a day
- $$$: good hotels in Wadi Musa and a desert camp in Wadi Rum: about US$150 to $250 a day
- $$$$ to $$$$$: luxury hotels and private guides: US$350+ a day
Good to know
- Start at opening time to see the Treasury before the crowds and heat.
- You can hike the back trail to the Monastery from Little Petra with a guide.
- Please don't ride donkeys up the Monastery steps; choose to walk.
Researched 16 October 2026. Prices are rough estimates and fees change, so check official sources before you book. This guide is not medical, legal or visa advice.
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