Petra sits in the southern highlands of Jordan, roughly equidistant between Amman and Aqaba. That central position makes it a reasonable base for a range of day trips. Most visitors spend two nights here, which is enough to do the main site on day one and one meaningful excursion on day two.
Book a Tour from Petra
| Trip | Duration | From | Book |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wadi Rum 4-Hour Jeep Safari (morning or sunset) | 4.5 hrs | $47/person | Book → |
| Wadi Rum Jeep + Overnight Desert Camping | 2 days | $126/person | Book → |
| Aqaba Glass Boat & Snorkeling + Beach Club | 4 hrs | $33/person | Book → |
| All Petra-region tours | — | — | Browse on GYG |
Prices verified from TripAdvisor / GetYourGuide as of 2026. Petra entry (JOD 50 for 1 day) is separate — Jordan Pass holders enter free.
Little Petra (Siq al-Barid)
Distance from Wadi Musa: 8 km, about 15 minutes by car
Entry fee: Free
Transport: Shared taxi JOD 5 to 8 per person; private taxi JOD 15 to 20 return
Little Petra is a smaller Nabataean settlement carved into a natural canyon about 8 km north of the main Petra entrance. It served as a caravanserai on the incense trade routes. Entry is free and crowds are a fraction of those at the main site.
The short canyon contains carved facades, a room with the only surviving Nabataean frescoes visible without specialist access, and enough quiet atmosphere to give a sense of what Petra might have felt like to early explorers. Budget 45 minutes to 90 minutes.
The most common format is a standalone morning visit before or after your main Petra day. Shared taxis from Wadi Musa town run on demand; ask at your hotel or the junction near the Visitor Centre. Return transport can be scarce in the afternoon, so agree with the driver on a pickup time or take a phone number.
Some visitors walk from Little Petra to the main Petra site via the Sabra route (a 10 to 14 km hike through the hills). This requires a guide, takes 4 to 5 hours, and gives a back-entrance approach that almost no other visitors experience. Guides can be arranged through the Petra Visitor Centre for approximately JOD 50 to 70.
Wadi Musa Town
Distance from Petra entrance: 1 to 2 km walk
Entry fee: None
Transport: On foot from the Visitor Centre
Wadi Musa is the small town that serves Petra. It is barely a day trip destination but worth knowing for its own sake. The town has a main street with supermarkets, pharmacies, money exchange shops, and the cheapest restaurants near the site. Breakfast here costs JOD 2 to 4, compared to JOD 8 to 15 inside the archaeological zone.
For an evening after Petra, the local restaurants along the main drag serve mansaf (Jordan’s national dish of lamb with rice in fermented yogurt sauce) for approximately JOD 5 to 8 per person. Bdul Restaurant and Cleopetra Restaurant both have good reputations for straightforward Jordanian cooking.
The town also has a hammam (Al-Anbat Hotel runs one) if you want to soak tired legs after a long day of walking. A full session typically costs JOD 20 to 25.
Aqaba and the Red Sea
Distance from Petra: 120 km south, approximately 2 hours
Transport options:
- JETT Bus: approximately JOD 5 to 7 one way, one daily departure from Wadi Musa, book ahead
- Shared taxi from Wadi Musa bus station: JOD 10 to 15 per person
- Private taxi: JOD 60 to 80 one way, negotiate in advance
- Minibus (tourist shuttle services): JOD 15 to 20 per person, bookable through hotels
Aqaba is Jordan’s only coastal city, sitting at the northern tip of the Red Sea. A day trip is feasible but tight - allow at least 4 to 5 hours there to make the 4-hour round journey worthwhile.
The main draw is the Red Sea itself. The Marine Peace Park along the southern coast has snorkelling over coral from the shore; entry is free and equipment rentals run JOD 5 to 8 for mask and fins. Glass-bottom boat tours depart from Aqaba’s South Beach and cost approximately JOD 20 to 30 per person for a 90-minute reef trip.
For a day trip, the easiest plan is: catch the morning JETT Bus from Wadi Musa (around 07:00), arrive Aqaba around 09:00, swim or snorkel until early afternoon, eat at one of the fish restaurants on the waterfront (grilled fish platters from JOD 8 to 15), and return on the afternoon bus around 16:00. Check current JETT schedules at the Wadi Musa hotel reception or at jett.com.jo.
Dana Biosphere Reserve
Distance from Petra: 65 km north, approximately 1 hour 15 minutes
Entry fee: Dana Visitor Centre charges approximately JOD 3 per person, plus trail fees of JOD 3 to 7 depending on route
Transport: Private taxi from Wadi Musa JOD 40 to 55 return; no regular public service
Dana is Jordan’s largest nature reserve, stretching from sandstone cliffs above the village of Dana down through dramatic canyons to the desert. The village itself is an Ottoman-era settlement of stone houses clinging to a cliff edge.
A day trip from Petra works best with a private taxi driver who will wait. The Dana Visitor Centre (run by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, RSCN) can arrange guides for approximately JOD 20 to 40 for a 2 to 3 hour walk. The Wadi Dana trail descends into the canyon for 14 km to Feynan; most day visitors do the first 2 to 3 km return rather than the full route.
The Rummana Campsite above the canyon is the easiest starting point for short walks and has the widest views. Bring lunch as there are no restaurants at the trailhead, though the RSCN runs a small cafe at the main visitor centre in the village. Browse Dana Biosphere guided tours on GetYourGuide if you’d prefer a guided hike with transport arranged.
Dana is best visited in spring (March to May) or autumn (September to November) when the temperatures in the canyon are manageable.
Combining Petra, Wadi Rum, and Aqaba
Many visitors route themselves through Petra to Wadi Rum to Aqaba in a southward sequence, then fly or take a bus back north. This is the most efficient travel pattern if you are heading onward to Aqaba’s airport or continuing to Israel via the Wadi Araba crossing.
Shared shuttle services run this full southern circuit. Petra to Wadi Rum costs approximately JOD 15 to 20 per person by shared minibus (book through hotels). Wadi Rum to Aqaba is a further 60 km, typically JOD 10 to 15 by shared taxi from the Wadi Rum village junction.
Private transfers covering the full Petra to Wadi Rum to Aqaba route with a driver and jeep tour included can be negotiated through Wadi Rum operators for approximately JOD 80 to 120 per car depending on group size. For advance bookings, browse Wadi Rum day tours on GetYourGuide — many operators offer combined Petra–Wadi Rum–Aqaba transfer packages.