Petra Wadi Rum
5
Day Itinerary •
Jordan
Five days across Petra and Wadi Rum gives you the complete extraordinary depth of Jordan's two greatest sites plus the remarkable landscapes surrounding them, from two full days inside the extraordinary Rose-Red City to a full day in the Wadi Rum desert wilderness, the extraordinary Nabataean trade route of the King's Highway and the extraordinary Dana Biosphere Reserve with the finest canyon trekking in Jordan. This route covers the full Petra and southern Jordan experience. Two days in Petra including Petra by Night, the full Monastery circuit and the extraordinary back trails beyond the main site, a full day in Wadi Rum with a Bedouin camp, the King's Highway through Shobak Castle, and the Dana Biosphere Reserve with its extraordinary canyon views down to Wadi Araba.
Best Time To Visit
March to May or September to November
Getting There
Drive 3 hours south from Amman or fly to Aqaba
Getting Around
Rental car essential for the full route
Budget Per Day
Approx 90 to 160 USD per person per day
Difficulity
Moderate to challenging; significant hiking
DAY 1
PETRA DAY ONE
MORNING
THE SIQ AT DAWN AND THE TREASURY
Arrive at the Petra gate at 6am for the finest experience of the ancient city. The Siq in the first light is extraordinary, the 1.2km gorge narrowing to 3 metres before opening to the full Treasury facade carved by the Nabataeans in the 1st century BC. The Treasury in the morning hour before tour groups arrive is the most extraordinary experience in Jordan. The Street of Facades, the Theatre and the Royal Tombs complete the morning circuit. Entry approx 50 JOD for a full day ticket. Drive: On site
MIDDAY
THE COLONNADED STREET AND THE GREAT TEMPLE
The Petra valley floor reveals the extraordinary civic heart of the Nabataean city, its Colonnaded Street, the Great Temple, the Temple of the Winged Lions and the Qasr al-Bint ceremonial temple all accessible from the main valley path. The extraordinary scale of the Nabataean city, supporting a population of 20,000 at its peak, becomes clear only when the full valley floor is walked. The Petra Church Byzantine mosaics at the far end of the valley are extraordinary. Drive: On site
AFTERNOON
PETRA BY NIGHT, 1,500 CANDLES IN THE SIQ
The Petra by Night experience operates Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. 1,500 candles light the Siq from the entrance to the Treasury, which is illuminated in the darkness while Bedouin flute and storytelling fill the extraordinary space. The experience is entirely different from the daytime site. Entry approx 17 JOD. If the day falls on a non-operating evening, the Royal Tombs at sunset are the finest alternative.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Petra viewpoint above the Treasury is reached by a path climbing the cliff opposite the famous facade. The extraordinary view from above looking directly down onto the Treasury roof gives a completely different perspective on the Nabataean monument. The path is marked and takes 20 minutes from the base. Free, included in Petra ticket.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Cafe in Wadi Musa Early coffee before the 6am gate. The Petra Moon Hotel serves good breakfast from 5.30am. | Lunch: Basin Restaurant, Petra Inside the site at the Colonnaded Street. Convenient stop for a full day visit. | Dinner: My Mom's Recipe, Wadi Musa The finest traditional Jordanian cooking near Petra. Book ahead.
DAY 2
PETRA DAY TWO
MORNING
THE MONASTERY, THE FULL NORTHERN CIRCUIT
The Monastery is the largest carved monument in Petra, 47 metres wide and 48 metres high, reached by 800 rock-cut steps from the Colonnaded Street. The 45-minute climb through extraordinary sandstone landscape gives views at every turn. Beyond the Monastery the trail continues to extraordinary viewpoints over Wadi Araba and the Israeli Negev desert beyond. The full northern circuit takes 3 hours and gives the finest panoramic experience of Petra's landscape. Drive: On site
MIDDAY
HIGH PLACE OF SACRIFICE AND THE WESTERN RIDGE TRAIL
The High Place of Sacrifice on the southern ridge is the finest elevated viewpoint in Petra, a Nabataean altar complex at 1,035 metres with extraordinary views over the entire ancient city. The western descent trail passes the Lion Fountain, Garden Tomb, Roman Soldier Tomb and Renaissance Tomb in sequence, the finest series of rock-cut monuments in the western part of the site. The descent takes 45 minutes through extraordinary sandstone gorges. Drive: On site
AFTERNOON
THE PETRA BACK COUNTRY TRAILS
The trails beyond the main Petra valley into the surrounding mountains give the finest experience of the ancient city's scale and the extraordinary sandstone landscape. The Wadi Muthlim trail follows a narrow slot canyon from the north entrance through extraordinary rock formations to the theatre. The Jebel Haroun trail to the tomb of Aaron above Petra takes 4 hours return and gives extraordinary views from the highest accessible point in the ancient city. Check conditions with guides.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Little Petra painted house contains the only surviving painted interior decoration from the Nabataean period, extraordinary vine and floral frescoes on the rock-cut ceiling that were only discovered in recent decades. Free to enter, 8km from Wadi Musa, almost always quieter than the main Petra site.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Guesthouse in Wadi Musa Substantial breakfast before the second full Petra day. Pack | Lunch: and water. LUNCH Picnic at the Monastery Bring food. The terrace in front of the Monastery is the finest lunch spot in Petra. | Dinner: Al Qantarah, Wadi Musa Rooftop restaurant. Local mezze, grilled meats and Jordanian wine.
DAY 3
WADI RUM
MORNING
WADI RUM FULL DAY BEDOUIN TOUR
A full-day Bedouin 4WD tour of Wadi Rum covers the complete extraordinary landscape of the UNESCO protected desert. The natural arches of Burdah and Um Fruth, Lawrence's Spring, the extraordinary Khazali Canyon with its ancient inscriptions, the red sand dunes, the extraordinary sandstone mushroom formations and the vast open plains of rose sand give the most complete desert experience in the Middle East. Full day tours from approx 45 JOD per person. Drive: To camp
MIDDAY
SUNSET OVER THE DESERT MASSIFS
The sunset over Wadi Rum's extraordinary sandstone massifs is the finest natural spectacle in southern Jordan, the rose-red desert turning extraordinary shades of crimson and purple as the light fails over the mountains. The Bedouin camp positions in the desert give the finest unobstructed sunset views. The extraordinary silence of the desert at dusk, with no artificial light visible in any direction, is one of the most remarkable natural experiences in the Middle East. Drive: Desert camp
AFTERNOON
STARGAZING AND BEDOUIN CAMP NIGHT
The Wadi Rum night sky is the finest stargazing opportunity in Jordan, the extraordinary dark sky of the protected wilderness giving visibility of the Milky Way, the Andromeda galaxy and thousands of stars invisible from any urban environment. The lamb zarb dinner cooked underground in the sand oven is the finest traditional Bedouin meal in Jordan. The extraordinary combination of desert silence, extraordinary food and the finest night sky in the Middle East makes the Wadi Rum camp unmissable.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Wadi Rum rock climbing routes are among the finest in the Middle East, extraordinary multi-pitch routes on the sandstone massifs accessible with local guides. The remarkable Jebel Rum summit at 1,754 metres gives extraordinary views over the entire desert. Ask at the visitor centre for guide recommendations.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Guesthouse in Wadi Musa Final Petra area breakfast before the Wadi Rum drive south. 1 hour drive. | Lunch: Bedouin tea and dried fruit Traditional sweet tea with Bedouin guides during the 4WD tour. | Dinner: Desert zarb dinner Lamb zarb cooked underground in sand. The finest traditional meal in Jordan.
DAY 4
DANA AND SHOBAK
MORNING
DANA BIOSPHERE RESERVE, THE FINEST CANYON IN JORDAN
The Dana Biosphere Reserve north of Wadi Rum is the largest nature reserve in Jordan, an extraordinary canyon landscape dropping from 1,500 metres above sea level to below sea level at Wadi Araba. The Dana village trail from the extraordinary stone village at the canyon rim gives the finest views in the reserve, looking over the extraordinary Wadi Dana canyon to the desert floor below. The village of Dana itself is the finest traditional stone village in Jordan. Entry approx 3 JOD. Drive: 1 hour drive north
MIDDAY
SHOBAK CASTLE, THE CRUSADER FORTRESS ON THE MOUNTAIN
Shobak Castle on a conical hill north of Petra is the finest Crusader castle in Jordan, an extraordinary 12th-century fortress built by Baldwin I in 1115 on the King's Highway. The castle was built to control the road between Jerusalem and Egypt and contains extraordinary underground passages, carved Arabic inscriptions from Saladin's conquest in 1189 and panoramic views over the King's Highway plateau. Entry approx 3 JOD. Drive: 30 min drive
AFTERNOON
KING'S HIGHWAY DRIVE BACK TO WADI MUSA
The King's Highway from Shobak to Wadi Musa follows one of the oldest roads in the world, the ancient trade route connecting Egypt to Damascus that the Nabataeans used to build their extraordinary commercial empire. The drive through the extraordinary canyon landscapes of the Jordanian highlands gives the finest views of the geological formations that shaped Petra's rose-red sandstone. The road is the finest scenic drive in southern Jordan.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Wadi Feynan Ecolodge in the Wadi Araba below Dana is the finest eco-lodge in Jordan, a solar-powered lodge at the base of the extraordinary canyon with no road access. Staying for one night gives access to the finest bird watching and the extraordinary copper mines of Feynan, one of the oldest industrial sites in the world.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Camp breakfast, Wadi Rum Bedouin breakfast in the desert before the Dana drive north. | Lunch: Dana Tower Hotel Restaurant at the canyon rim with extraordinary views over Wadi Dana. | Dinner: Guesthouse in Wadi Musa Return to Petra area for the final night. Local Jordanian cooking.
DAY 5
LITTLE PETRA AND RETURN
MORNING
LITTLE PETRA AND THE PAINTED HOUSE
Little Petra, known as Siq al-Barid, is the finest free archaeological site in Jordan, a narrow siq leading to Nabataean carved facades in an intimate canyon setting 8km from the main Petra site. The Painted House contains the only Nabataean painted interior decoration in existence, an extraordinary series of vine and floral frescoes. The site is almost always quieter than the main Petra and the extraordinary rock-cut facades are accessible with almost no other visitors in the morning. Drive: 30 min drive north
MIDDAY
AL-WU'EIRA CRUSADER CASTLE
The Al-Wu'eira Crusader castle near Little Petra is one of the finest and least visited Crusader fortifications in Jordan, a 12th-century fortress built to control access to Petra from the north. The extraordinary ruins are accessible by a 20-minute walk from the road and give the finest view over the Petra region from the north. Almost entirely unvisited despite its remarkable condition. Entry free. Drive: Drive north
AFTERNOON
KING'S HIGHWAY RETURN TO AMMAN
The King's Highway north from Wadi Musa gives the finest drive in Jordan, passing through the extraordinary landscapes of the Jordanian highlands, the Dana canyon, the Crusader castle of Kerak and the extraordinary Wadi Mujib gorge before reaching the King's Highway viewpoints above the Dead Sea and the final descent to Amman. The drive takes 4 to 5 hours with stops and is one of the most extraordinary road journeys in the Middle East.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Wadi Mujib gorge on the King's Highway descends 900 metres to the Dead Sea, one of the most dramatic road descents in the Middle East. The gorge road is the finest scenic section of the King's Highway and the view from the canyon rim over the Dead Sea to the Israeli hills beyond is one of the finest panoramas in Jordan.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Guesthouse in Wadi Musa Final Petra area breakfast before Little Petra and the drive north. | Lunch: Roadside cafe on King's Highway Falafel and hummus on the extraordinary plateau. Cheap and excellent. | Dinner: Restaurant in Amman Arrival dinner in the capital. The Rainbow Street area has the finest restaurants.
Where To Stay
Wadi Musa, Nights 1-2 Petra Moon Hotel or Mövenpick Petra. Approx 50 to 180 USD per night. Wadi Rum camp, Night 3 Bedouin camp in the desert. Approx 50 to 150 USD including dinner. Dana village, Night 4 Dana Tower Hotel or RSCN Dana Guesthouse. Approx 50 to 120 USD.
Top Tips
1. The Jordan Pass covers visa on arrival and 3 days at Petra for approx 70 USD. It is the finest single purchase for any Jordan trip and saves significant money.
2. Start Petra at 6am every morning. The Treasury, the Monastery approach and the High Place all transform completely in the first light before the crowds.
3. Wadi Rum camping is extraordinary at any budget level. The bubble tent camps cost more but the Bedouin goat-hair camp experience is the most authentic.
4. Dana Biosphere Reserve is the finest hidden gem in Jordan, visited by a fraction of the tourists who go to Petra despite being one of the most extraordinary canyon landscapes in the Middle East.
5. The King's Highway is the finest road journey in Jordan. Allow extra time for every viewpoint and do not rush the extraordinary Wadi Mujib gorge descent.
6. Jordanian food is extraordinary. Mansaf lamb in fermented yoghurt, falafel, hummus, musakhan chicken and the finest mezze in the Middle East are available everywhere at very good value.
Total Budget
90 to 160 USD/day