3 Days in Petra and Wadi Rum: The Essential Southern Jordan Trip

Petra and Wadi Rum are the two sites that define most visitors’ experience of Jordan, and the three-day itinerary that pairs them is the most efficient way to see both properly. It fits comfortably into a standalone trip from Amman if you have a long weekend or are extending a stopover, and it slots into a longer Jordan trip as the southern component of a week-long route.

The logistics are straightforward: Wadi Musa (the town serving Petra’s visitors) is 3–3.5 hours from Amman, and Wadi Rum is another 1.5 hours south. Aqaba is 1 hour beyond Wadi Rum. The route runs in a clean line from north to south, and returning to Amman by air from Aqaba is a practical option if you want to avoid backtracking.

Getting to Petra from Amman

JETT Bus (recommended for budget travellers): JETT operates a direct bus from Amman’s South Bus Station (Abdali) to Petra (Wadi Musa) daily at 6:30am and occasionally with an additional departure. Cost: approximately JOD 5 per person one-way. Journey time: approximately 3 hours. Book through the JETT website or at the Abdali terminal the day before. This is the most reliable and comfortable public transport option.

Private taxi from Amman: approximately JOD 60–80 for the full car, regardless of how many passengers (up to 4). The drive takes 2.5–3 hours with no stops. Book through your hotel or a reputable Amman taxi service.

From Aqaba to Petra: If arriving in Jordan via Aqaba (cruise port or from Israel/Eilat), the drive to Petra is approximately 1.5 hours north. A taxi from Aqaba to Wadi Musa costs approximately JOD 30–40 per car.

From Wadi Musa to Wadi Rum: Arrange the previous evening through your Wadi Musa accommodation. A shared service taxi (for JOD 15–20 per person, minimum 3–4 passengers) departs in the morning — your hotel will coordinate the group. A private car runs JOD 40–55.

Where to Stay in Wadi Musa (Petra)

The town of Wadi Musa clusters around the road leading to the Petra Visitor Centre, with accommodation running from basic guesthouses to resort hotels.

Budget (JOD 20–45/night):

• Cleopetra Hotel — simple rooms, helpful staff, 5 minutes’ walk from the Petra entrance. Breakfast included at most rates. A reliable budget choice with no pretension.
• Rocky Mountain Hotel — similar standard, slightly further from the entrance gate, with a rooftop that catches the sunset over the surrounding hills.

Mid-range (JOD 80–180/night):

• Amra Palace Hotel — pool, good views, 10-minute walk to the entrance. The breakfast buffet is a strength. Booking direct is usually cheaper than through platforms.
• Petra Moon Hotel — closer to the entrance, consistently good service, mid-range facilities.

Splurge (JOD 180–350/night):

• Mövenpick Resort Petra — directly at the Petra entrance gate, which means the shortest possible morning walk to the Siq. Excellent breakfast, proper pool, and the most convenient position of any Petra hotel. The rate is high but the convenience has real value for early morning Petra access.

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Day 1: Arrival in Petra

Arrive in Wadi Musa by mid-afternoon if travelling from Amman by the morning JETT bus. Check in, have a late lunch, and use the afternoon to orient yourself.

Petra Visitor Centre is 5 minutes’ walk from most Wadi Musa hotels. It is worth stopping in on arrival to buy tickets (if not using the Jordan Pass), pick up a site map, and confirm the current schedule for Petra by Night.

Petra by Night runs on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings, starting at 8:30pm. Entry is approximately JOD 17 and must be purchased in advance at the visitor centre or through your hotel. The walk covers the Siq to the Treasury along a candle-lit path (1.2 km each way) with Bedouin music at the Treasury and tea served at the end. The round trip takes approximately 1.5–2 hours.

If Petra by Night aligns with your first evening, this is the best time to do it — you arrive fresh, the site is new to you, and the candle-lit Siq is a genuinely different atmosphere from the daytime experience. If it doesn’t align with your arrival night (the schedule is fixed to Monday/Wednesday/Thursday), skip it rather than rearranging your days around it.

Dinner in Wadi Musa: Al-Wadi Restaurant (mains JOD 6–12) and Cave Bar (the only bar in Jordan located inside a 2,000-year-old Nabataean tomb — drinks JOD 5–8) are the most used options for evening meals in the area.

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Day 2: Full Day in Petra

Enter at 6am when the gates open. The Treasury in morning light, before the tour groups arrive, is the image that most visitors came to see — and it is worth the early alarm.

Morning (6am–12pm): The Siq walk takes approximately 25 minutes at a moderate pace. The Treasury appears at the end of the canyon as a 43-metre carved facade in the rose-red sandstone — photographically overwhelming, historically significant as a Nabataean royal tomb, and consistently described by visitors as exceeding expectations despite the photographs they have already seen.

Continue past the Treasury through the Outer Siq: the Street of Facades (rock-cut tombs at different heights, dozens of them), the Roman Theatre (carved into the rock face, 3,000-seat capacity), and down to the Colonnaded Street — the remains of Petra’s main Roman-era commercial street, with paving and column bases still visible.

The Royal Tombs line the eastern cliff face and are reached by a short climb from the Colonnaded Street. The Urn Tomb (largest and most accessible), Silk Tomb (extraordinary natural colour banding in the rock), and Palace Tomb reward an hour of unhurried exploration. The interior of the Urn Tomb was converted to a Byzantine church in 446 CE and retains a carved apse.

Lunch: The Basin Restaurant inside Petra, at the far end of the Colonnaded Street, serves a buffet (approximately JOD 15/person) with covered outdoor seating. It is the main lunch option in the site itself. Alternatively, bring packed food and water from your hotel.

Afternoon (1pm–5pm): The Monastery (Ad Deir) is Petra’s other great carved facade — comparable in size to the Treasury (47 metres wide, 48 metres high) with far fewer visitors and a physical exertion that keeps it quieter throughout the day. The path from the Colonnaded Street climbs approximately 850 steps (actually a mix of rock-cut steps and ramps) over 45–60 minutes. Start no later than 2pm to reach the top with time to sit, eat a packed lunch, and descend before the site closes.

The views from the plateau above the Monastery extend across the surrounding mountains and, on clear days, to the desert beyond. A small tea stall at the top serves sweet tea and the occasional snack.

Site closing: Petra closes at 6pm. Begin heading back toward the entrance by 5:30pm.

Water: Bring at least 2 litres per person for a full day. Vendors inside the site sell water but at inflated prices (JOD 1–2 for a small bottle) and are not always where you need them.

Horse carriages run from the Treasury back to the visitor centre for approximately JOD 20 per carriage — useful if you are exhausted from the Monastery descent.

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Day 3: Wadi Rum Jeep Tour + Overnight or Onward to Aqaba

Arrange your transfer to Wadi Rum the evening before. Departure from Wadi Musa should be by 9am to arrive at Rum Village by 10:30am with enough time for a solid jeep tour.

Pay the protected area entry fee at the Rum Village Visitor Centre (JOD 5) and meet your guide or camp pickup.

Half-day jeep tour (4 hours, 10:30am–2:30pm): The standard circuit covers Lawrence’s Spring, Khazali Canyon (Nabataean rock art), the red sand dunes, and Um Fruth Rock Bridge. Cost: approximately JOD 25–40 per person depending on group size.

Option A: Overnight in Wadi Rum Extend into an overnight camp — the jeep tour runs in the afternoon, you watch the sunset, stay for dinner (zarb) and the night sky, and return to Rum Village the next morning.

Camp costs:

• Budget traditional camp: JOD 30–50 per person (dinner, breakfast, half-day jeep)
• Mid-range private tent: JOD 60–100 per person
• Luxury bubble tent: JOD 200–400 per tent for two

Option B: Continue to Aqaba same day If your schedule requires onward travel, Aqaba is 1 hour from Rum Village by taxi (approximately JOD 30–40). An afternoon arrival in Aqaba gives you time for a late swim or snorkel before dinner. From Aqaba, flights to Amman (Royal Jordanian Air Express, approximately 45 minutes, from JOD 30–60 one-way) avoid the 4-hour road return.

From Aqaba back to Amman by road: JETT bus from Aqaba Bus Station runs approximately every 2 hours, costs JOD 7, and takes 4 hours to central Amman. A private taxi runs JOD 80–100.

Full Budget Breakdown (3 Days, Per Person)

Item	Budget	Mid-Range
Amman–Petra transport (JETT bus)	JOD 5	JOD 25 (taxi share)
Petra accommodation (2 nights)	JOD 50	JOD 200
Petra entry (Jordan Pass, 2-day)	JOD 75	JOD 75
Petra by Night	JOD 17	JOD 17
Meals in Wadi Musa (3 days)	JOD 30	JOD 60
Wadi Musa–Wadi Rum transport	JOD 20	JOD 45
Wadi Rum entry fee	JOD 5	JOD 5
Wadi Rum jeep + overnight camp	JOD 50	JOD 100
Wadi Rum–Aqaba transport	JOD 30	JOD 35
Total approximate	JOD 282	JOD 562

Budget figures assume the Jordan Pass (which includes the JOD 40 visa fee — subtract this from the total cost of Jordan Pass if you are not paying a visa separately). The Jordan Pass makes sense for most visitors: at JOD 75 it covers both Petra entry and the arrival visa, saving JOD 15 versus paying separately.