Family Days at Petra and Little Petra

October 31, 2026

Travel advisory, 31 October 2026. The wider 2026 regional conflict involving Iran affects Jordan. At the time of writing the US State Department rates the whole country Level 3, Reconsider Travel, and Level 4, Do Not Travel, for the Syria and Iraq borders and a few named areas. It has also named Ma’an city and parts of Ma’an Governorate separately. The UK FCDO advises against travel only within 3 km of the Syrian border and lists no warning for Petra or Wadi Rum. Petra and Wadi Musa are open and operating, though flights can be disrupted and conditions can change at short notice. Read the US State Department advisory and the UK FCDO advice before you book and again before you fly. The rest of this page is written for a normal visit.

Petra with children

Children under 12 enter Petra free in daylight, so the family cost is the adult ticket: 50 JD for 1 day, 55 JD for 2 days or 60 JD for 3 days for visitors who sleep at least one night in Jordan. Plan around heat and distance. The walk from the Visitor Center through the Siq to the Treasury is long for small legs, and the Treasury is about 40 m tall and 25 m wide, which children tend to remember.

Club cars for tired legs

Electric club cars run from the Visitor Center to the Treasury daily from 07:00 to 15:30. The fare is 15 JD one way or 25 JD both ways, there is no advance booking, and very young children ride free. They save energy on the approach but do not help with the Monastery, which is 800 to 850 steps up. Leave that climb for strong walkers and skip it if anyone is flagging.

Little Petra and Beidha

Little Petra and Beidha, about 8 to 9 km north of Wadi Musa, suit families best. The walks are short and flat, entry is free, and the Painted Biclinium at Little Petra has vine, bird and erote frescoes. At Beidha you can see the house remains of a Neolithic village about 9,000 years old.

Breaks and indoor options

The air-conditioned Petra Museum beside the Visitor Center is a cool break, and its entry is included in the site fee, so check the hours on arrival. Petra Kitchen on Tourism Street runs a cooking class at JD 35 per person and starts at 6:30 PM from March to October or 6:00 PM from November to February, so ask about a child rate when you book. The Petra Balloon is a tethered helium balloon, and bad weather stops it.

Shobak Castle

Shobak Castle is 1 JD for foreign visitors, about 35 to 45 minutes north of Wadi Musa by the King’s Highway. It has steps and uneven ground, and a flashlight helps in the tunnels. Go mid-morning or late afternoon rather than at midday.

Safety with young travelers

June to August brings 35 to 40 C or more with almost no shade, so carry water, hats and sunscreen. Never enter the Siq in or after heavy rain, because it drains the valley and flash floods are real. Animals work in the park and welfare groups document overloading, so do not push a child toward an animal ride. If you take one, agree the total price first. Tourists have been locked in Petra overnight, so head back well before closing, which falls between 4 and 6 PM.