Petra, Jordan 5 Day Itinerary

Petra was inhabited for over 2,000 years before it was “rediscovered” by a Swiss explorer in 1812, which means the local Bedouin community had a very clear sense of what was there and where it was the whole time. The site covers 264 square kilometres of carved rock, canyon trails, and mountain tombs, and most visitors see perhaps 10 percent of it. Five days across Amman, Petra, and Wadi Rum is the standard framework for a serious trip, and the quality of the experience depends almost entirely on how early you walk through the Siq gate.

Day 1: Amman Arrival

Queen Alia International Airport sits about 35 kilometres south of Amman. Taxis and Careem (Jordan’s dominant ride-hailing app) cover the journey in 30 to 45 minutes depending on traffic. A metered taxi should cost around 20 to 25 JOD; agree the fare before you get in or insist on the meter. Careem shows you the price upfront.

If you have the Jordan Pass (a single purchase covering the visa on arrival fee of 40 JOD plus entry to over 40 attractions including Petra), present it at the immigration desk on arrival. Buy it online before you leave home at jordanpass.jo. For anyone planning to visit Petra for two days (55 JOD) plus the visa (40 JOD), the Jordan Pass starts at 70 JOD and effectively pays for itself on Day 2 and Day 3 alone.

Check in to a hotel near the Rainbow Street and Jabal Amman neighbourhood in Amman’s first circle area, which is more interesting to walk around than the modern districts further west. The afternoon is well spent at the Roman Theatre (entry 3 JOD, or free with Jordan Pass) in downtown, followed by the Amman Citadel on the hill above the city, where you can see the ruins of a Umayyad palace and a Roman Temple of Hercules against a view of the whole city spreading east. The Citadel is free in the late afternoon light and rarely crowded after 16:00.

Dinner at Hashem Restaurant downtown is the meal most recommended by locals to visitors: falafel, hummus, ful (fava beans), and flatbread in a no-frills room at extraordinary value (meal for two for around 5 to 8 JOD). The place runs 24 hours and has been serving the same food since 1952. Habiba Sweets nearby is the right stop for knafeh (cheese pastry soaked in sugar syrup) afterward.

Day 2: Petra - Day One

The drive from Amman to Petra is approximately 3 hours south by car or shared taxi. JETT public buses run once daily from Abdali bus station; private taxis cost around 60 to 80 JOD one-way. Many visitors choose an organised transfer that drops them at the Visitor Centre.

Check into your hotel in Wadi Musa (the town adjacent to Petra) and go directly to the gate. Petra opens at 06:00, and arriving at or before opening time is not just a tip but a requirement if you want meaningful time at the Treasury without a crowd of tour groups. The Siq, the 1.2-kilometre narrow canyon walk to the Treasury, is already striking; the moment the Treasury facade appears at the far end of the canyon is one of the most famous views in the world, and it earns the reputation.

After the Treasury, continue through the city to the Street of Facades and the Theatre. The Royal Tombs on the cliff face above are accessed via a short climb and give a view back over the main valley that most visitors miss by staying on the lower path. Allow the full morning for this section.

Lunch at the Basin Restaurant inside the site: expensive by Jordan standards but you are 3 kilometres from the exit and the alternative is the Bedouin stalls selling tea and snacks along the trail. The stalls are actually the better option for a lighter break and a conversation.

The Monastery (Ad Deir) is the afternoon objective and non-negotiable. The hike from the main valley involves approximately 800 carved rock steps and takes 45 minutes to an hour at a steady pace. The Monastery facade is larger than the Treasury and, because it requires the hike, it is often emptier. Arrive in the late afternoon for cooler temperatures and the best light. The small tea stall directly in front of the Monastery serves the best cold Coke in Jordan.

Return to the hotel for dinner. Sunset viewpoints are available from the plateau above the Monastery but require an additional 20-minute walk beyond the main Monastery viewpoint; ask your hotel which trail is currently accessible.

Day 3: Petra - Day Two

The upper areas of Petra are less visited and require more walking and some route-finding. The High Place of Sacrifice (Al-Madhbah) is the most significant: a ridge-top altar with panoramic views reached by a 45-minute steep climb from the Siq entrance. The sacrificial blocks and channels cut into the rock plateau are extraordinary in context. Descend via the Wadi Farasa route on the opposite side of the ridge, which passes the Roman Soldier Tomb and a carved garden before returning to the lower city. This loop takes 3 to 4 hours and covers some of Petra’s quietest terrain.

Qasr al-Bint, the only free-standing temple structure remaining in Petra (as opposed to the rock-cut facades), is in the lower valley and worth 30 minutes. The Colonnaded Street nearby was Petra’s main commercial boulevard.

The Obelisk Tomb above the Siq entrance is accessible before entering the main site and has its own reward: a carved triclinium (dining room for funerary rites) directly below the obelisks.

A camel ride or horseback tour through the broader landscape around Wadi Musa is a reasonable afternoon option if you have used the morning for hiking. The horses near the Siq entrance are offered for a short canter to the Treasury and back; a longer ride through the back valleys requires arranging through your hotel the night before. The horse handlers near the entrance have variable reputations and the pressure to tip is persistent; ask your hotel to recommend a specific operator.

Day 4: Wadi Rum

The drive from Petra to Wadi Rum takes about 90 minutes south. Arrive at the Wadi Rum Visitor Centre (outside the protected area) before noon and meet your Bedouin guide for the afternoon.

Wadi Rum is a sandstone and granite desert valley of extraordinary scale: the rock formations rise to 1,750 metres and the floor is red-orange sand. A jeep tour is the primary way to access the main formations: Lawrence’s Spring, Khazali Canyon (with ancient Nabataean and Thamudic inscriptions inside a narrow crack), the sand dunes at Um Sabatah, and Burdah Rock Bridge (a natural arch requiring a 45-minute hike to reach). A full-day jeep tour costs approximately 60 to 80 JOD per person depending on group size; contact camps directly via WhatsApp in advance to confirm what is included.

Overnight at a desert camp. The range runs from basic Bedouin tents to transparent-dome luxury camps. The basic camps (around 30 to 40 JOD per person including dinner and breakfast) are the better choice for atmosphere; the premium transparent dome camps are genuine but cost 150 to 300 JOD per person and are targeted at a different kind of traveller. The stars in Wadi Rum are genuinely exceptional: no light pollution, desert altitude, and clear skies on most nights. This is what the overnight is for.

The Bedouin dinner served at camps typically includes zarb, a slow-cooked lamb and vegetable dish buried in a sand oven for several hours and unearthed at the table. It is excellent and enough food to last until the following afternoon.

Day 5: Return to Amman and Departure

After breakfast at the camp, drive north to Amman for your flight. The journey is 3 to 3.5 hours by car. If your flight is in the evening, time in Amman allows for a final walk through the Gold Souq in the downtown area near Husseini Mosque, or a visit to the Jordan Museum on 3rd Circle (entry 5 JOD, closed on Tuesdays), which tells Jordan’s history from the Dead Sea Scrolls to the modern era. It is the best single-building introduction to Jordan’s history and rarely overcrowded.

Queen Alia Airport’s international terminal is efficient; allow 2.5 to 3 hours before international departure.

Tips and Practical Information

The best months to visit are March to May and September to November, when temperatures in Petra are 20 to 28 degrees Celsius. Summer temperatures (June to August) can exceed 40 degrees in the canyon; if you visit in summer, start at 06:00, finish hiking by 11:00, rest during midday, and return in the late afternoon.

Carry a minimum of two litres of water per person into Petra each day. The site sells water but at inflated prices and the distance from the entrance to the Monastery and back is significant. Wear closed-toe shoes with grip.

The Jordanian Dinar (JOD) is tied to the US dollar at approximately 1.41 JOD. ATMs in Amman and Wadi Musa are reliable. Credit cards are accepted in hotels and larger restaurants; cash is needed for Bedouin stalls, shared taxis, and many smaller establishments.

Photography of local people, particularly Bedouin women, requires explicit permission. Most Bedouin stallholders at Petra are happy to talk and be photographed if you buy a tea first.