We spent two days in Jordan, primarily to visit Petra. Known as the Rose City, the ancient Nabataean city of Petra is one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. It boasts an extraordinary collection of ancient architecture chiselled out of the cliffs, archaeological sites, and breath-taking landscapes.
Tickets to Petra are not cheap. In an attempt to boost Jordanian tourism, the government has made a one day Petra ticket more expensive than a two day ticket. So, our two day experience was immeasurably better but, including accommodation, cost about the same as a day trip. A one day ticket for non accommodated tourists is 90 dinar (£93). While for an accommodated visitor, a one day ticket is 50 dinar (£52) and a two day ticket is 55 dinar (£57). One night B&B at the costs £58 for 2 people. In summary – don’t go on a day trip!
We decided against independent travel and booked a tour. I’m not really a tour person – I don’t have the patience for other people. But we decided that organising our own trip to Petra would be too fiddly. If you do wish to travel independently, the border is pedestrian, so you will need to arrange separate transport on either side.
We booked our trip with Fun Times, who offer a range of tour options, mostly originating in Israel. Our two day package from Eilat costs £249 including entry fees and accommodation. (A one day trip costs £161).
In addition to the above costs, there are border fees to fork out. Many nationalities can purchase their visa at the border, in which case, the Jordanian visa is $60. There is also a $65 Israeli departure tax to pay.
Note: Before planning a trip to Jordan, check with your government regarding the current security situation. The British government’s current advice can be found here.
Jordan 2 Day Itinerary
| Day 1 | Travel to Petra Siq Treasury Street of Facades Theatre Dinner at the Oriental Restaurant Desert Sunset Accommodation – Seven Wonders Bedouin Camp |
| Day 2 | Travel to Petra Rear Entrance Colonnaded Street Royal Tombs Monastery High Place of Sacrifice Petra Museum Travel to Israel Wadi Rum |
Jordan Day 1
Travel to Petra
We head out of our hotel for the 7 am pick up. The car is late and only takes us to a meeting point to wait for a bus to take us to the border. By the time the bus arrives, it is in an hour since we left our hotel and we can still see it! We take the bus to the border. One group member has issues with the Israeli border control and we must wait. It is now 2 hours since we left our hotel and we can still see it! At Jordanian border control, two group members have problems and we have to wait again. By the time we have crossed the boarder and boarded our Jordanian bus, it is 3 hours since we left our hotel and we can still see it!
With the delays, plus a stop en route for refreshments and souvenirs, we reach Petra quite late. First, we much be issued with our tickets at the Visitor Centre at the top of the complex. The ticket cost is included in our package.
Siq
Our guide takes us down through the Siq into the ancient city. It’s spectacular. A narrow 1.2 km long gorge deep in the red rocks. It’s also fairly daunting with a constant stream of horse drawn carriages hurtling down laden with tourists who can’t/won’t walk. It is an acquired skill enjoying the scenery whilst avoiding being run down.
Treasury
Then the gorge opens up and in front of us, our first glimpse of The Treasury, a huge tomb carved into the sandstone rock. It is indeed one of the Wonders of the World.
The Treasury is, in fact, the tomb of a king carved out of the rock. Legend has it that an Egyptian pharaoh hid his treasure here while chasing the Israelites.
Our guide tells us we are free to explore. We have 20 minutes before we must make our way back up through the siq to our restaurant for dinnerl. We have been travelling for 8 hours for a 20 minute visit to Petra! Most of our group are day trippers and therefore not happy.
Street of Facades
We have just enough time to walk along the Street of Facades as far as the Theatre. The Street of Facades has around 40 tombs and houses carved into the cliffs.
Theatre
The 2000 year old Theatre was built by the Nabataeans and subsequently enlarged by the Romans to seat over 8000 spectators.
Dinner at the Oriental Restaurant
We make our way back up through the Siq for a buffet dinner at a nearby restaurant, The Oriental Restaurant, which is included in our package. Then the bus picks up the rest of our rather disgruntled group for their return drive to Eilat.
Desert Sunset
Luckily, we are not returning, we are spending the night at a Bedouin Camp and have tomorrow free to explore Petra at our leisure. We are collected by a man in a pick up truck (we’re going off road). He drives for while, then just as it is getting dark, stops in a layby. He says we should witness a desert sunset. He’s right. It’s beautiful.
Accommodation – Seven Wonders Bedouin Camp
We continue to our camp; Seven Wonders Bedouin Camp. We are literally the first people there. We arrive just in front of another pick up truck containing the staff.
Our tent is basic but cosy. There are no other guests, no power or water – only available from 6 pm until 10 pm. We wonder why we didn’t opt for a hotel.
But as 6 pm arrives, so do several coach loads of tourists. The atmosphere is jovial as the staff cook dinner over a camp fire. We can shower, there is electricity, even Wifi. Best of all, the camp is at the foot of some rocks which are now illuminated with hundreds of fairy lights. It is magical.
Petra Day 2
Travel to Petra Rear Entrance
We have the whole day to explore Petra at our leisure. After breakfast in the Bedouin camp, our driver collects us and suggests he takes us to the rear entrance (the tradesman’s entrance) rather than the tourist front entrance. We wonder if he’s saying this because it’s more convenient for him. But he’s right again. He drops us at the top of the hill and we walk down into Petra. We are alone apart from the occasional Bedouin riding his camels/donkeys/horses to work.
The road is lined with caves and ancient carvings.
We reach the rear entrance, which is ‘guarded’ by a man dressed in a Roman costume.
Colonnaded Street
The Roman Colonnaded Street is lined by columns which would once have been clad with marble. This imposing street once ran through the heart of the city.
Royal Tombs
The Royal Tombs are carved high up in the hillside of Jebel al-Khubtha, a truly spectacular sight.
Monastery
The Monastery is a tomb similar in design to the Treasury, only bigger and somewhat harder to reach. Its name is derived from crosses carved on the inner walls, suggesting it was once used as a church. The climb takes about 45 minutes to an hour and includes around 800 steps (no I didn’t count) but the monument and the view are worth it.
High place of Sacrifice
The High Place of Sacrifice is reached by a flight of steps close to the Theatre. It’s quite a steep climb (taking around 30-40 minutes) but the effort is rewarded with a spectacular view. If the climb is too much, there are donkey rides available.
Petra Museum
We round our trip off with a visit to the Petra Museum. Located near the entrance, the museum offers visitors a selection of artifacts found in and around Petra, as well as interactive animation and original size reconstruction models.
Travel to Israel
It is time to return to the restaurant where we left yesterday’s day trip to join today’s day trip for our return to Eilat. Today’s group have also had problems at the border and only 20 minutes in Petra. It’s a weird atmosphere. We’ve had the best day and are tired and happy, sitting in a bus full of angry people.
We reach Israel and cross the border without issue but although our Israeli bus is there, the driver is not. One group member has had enough. He gets in a taxi and leaves. He doesn’t tell anyone and no one else notices him leave. (I worked in a school for many years. It is a reflex reaction to constantly check and recheck group numbers.) The driver arrives and does a head count. We can’t depart as we are missing a passenger. I explain that I saw him leave in a taxi. No one seems to believe me. Our fellow travellers are becoming more irate. After a long wait (all in view of our hotel) and a phone call to HQ, the driver is finally allowed to depart. He enquires where we need to be dropped. Th others are all staying at beachside hotels in the opposite direction to our own. He drops us first; this is not a popular decision, and we are relieved to escape the bus before things boil over.
Wadi Rum
Our tour was advertised as offering a stop at Wadi Rum on the return journey. Also known also as the Valley of the Moon, this valley cut into the sandstone and granite rock is about 40 miles to the east of the border city of Aqaba. Due to a lack of time, we didn’t get to visit Wadi Rum on our trip.
- Trip taken: November 2017
- Updated: July 2025
I hope you found the above information useful. For guides to more destinations in the 50+ countries we have visited, check out my full list of Independent Travel Itineraries here.
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