DISCLOSURE: This page may contain affiliate links, meaning if you click on a link to a product or service, and decide to purchase it, I get a commission at no extra cost to you. All recommended products and services are based on my positive experience with them. This helps me support my blog. For further information, please see my Disclaimer.
My family recently did a three-day trip to Petra and Wadi Rum. For those of you who don’t know, Petra is a UNESCO World Heritage site and was voted to be one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007. It was a dream. Our trip was very spontaneous and we didn’t know a lot going in. I wanted to share some advice for all of you who want to visit this bucket-list destination so you can learn from my experience.
A Weekend is Not Enough Time
Depending on the type of trip you want (and the time you have, of course), I would allocate more time to see both these sites together. A three-day trip is just enough for one site alone, although we were told by some local Bedouins in Petra that you need a good four to five days to fully experience everything it has to offer. We initially thought that three days was enough for Petra and Wadi Rum together, but there is so much beauty to see, things to learn, and experiences to have that we could’ve easily spent a week there. Seeing everything we could in three days felt very rushed. If you have even more time on your hands, you’ll also be able to go visit some places we missed out on:
1. Wadi Musa
The town surrounding the ancient city of Petra, Wadi Musa, translates to “Valley of Moses” in Arabic and is home to one of the two possible locations for Moses’ Spring in Jordan. In addition to visiting many traditional restaurants and shops, and walking through the streets, you can go visit the biblical Ain Musa (Moses’ Spring) here as well. It’s the most convenient place to make your home-base while visiting Petra since it’s the closest town to the historic destination. See more about what it has to offer here.
Booking.com2. Aqaba
Approximately one hour from Wadi Rum by car, Aqaba is Jordan’s port city on the Red Sea. If you are entering (or exiting) Jordan from Israel via the Wadi Araba crossing, this is going to be your first (or last) stop. If you’re coming from Egypt, there are ferries you can take from Taba or Nuweiba to Aqaba. There are also daily flights to and from Aqaba from Amman. Dating back to 1500 BC, Aqaba is not only a great spot to enjoy the Red Sea, but is also home to many ruins, history, and culture. Check out their website or this city guide for things to do in Aqaba!
3. Tomb of the High Priest Aaron
If you’re going to Petra, the Tomb of the High Priest Aaron (Jebel Haroun) is not far away. Located on a mountain southwest of Petra, if you’re interested in visiting this historic location, you must go with a tour guide, as it’s a 7-mile hike (3.5 hours) from Petra and has no trail marked.
4. The Dead Sea
The Dead Sea is another one of Jordan’s highlights. If you head to Wadi Rum or Petra, you cannot miss this third bucket list destination. Not only is it an equally beautiful natural phenomenon, but it’s the lowest point on Earth and it’s salt water makes it one of the few bodies of water in the world where you can float!
Take a Tour Guide from Jordan to Organize Your Whole Trip
We loved our tour guide, Aktham! He was so kind, welcoming, generous, and made us feel at home. He really wanted us to have a good time and share his culture with us. With him, we didn’t have to worry about searching for accommodation, planning our schedule, or figuring out how to navigate a new country. He arranged everything for us including private drivers and our stay at Wadi Rum Village. I highly recommend him as a tour organizer on your trip to Wadi Rum. He is fantastic!
If you want to reach out to him to organize your trip, you can contact him on Whatsapp at +962 7 7242 2058.
Don’t freak out if your tour guide switches
It’s common for your tour guide to switch on different parts of your trip. Don’t be worried if the person who picks you up from the border drops you off with one of his friends to take you to a different location. I was a bit taken aback by this at first.
Get a Local Guide in Wadi Rum
Our tour organizer, Aktham, arranged a local guide for us in Wadi Rum. Salem showed us everything, even places that we didn’t know about. I mean he does live there. Taking a local guide is also a great opportunity to learn more about Bedouin culture. Salem took fantastic photos of us in the desert and was able to answer many of our questions about the region.
If You’re Arriving via the Wadi Araba Crossing, There is a Fine for a Short Stay
We didn’t know this before, but if you are planning on crossing the Israeli border to Jordan via the Wadi Araba crossing, they will ask you the length of your stay. When we went (October 2022), because we stayed for less than 4 days, we were fined 10 dinars each.
Don’t Worry Too Much About Modesty
I saw girls wearing leggings and crop tops. So don’t worry, you’re good.
When girls hear ‘Middle East’, they immediately think of covering their hair and modesty. Petra and Wadi Rum are highly toured areas and constantly have tourists from all around the globe. When we were there, we spoke to people from Spain, South Korea, France, Italy, the UAE, the US, and much more. The locals are very welcoming and used to seeing foreigners that might be dressed differently than they are. You definitely don’t need to cover your hair.
That being said, I wouldn’t go overboard with anything too revealing, both for cultural reasons and because of the sun. If you want to wear something short, I’d recommend keeping it knee-length with capped sleeves or an unrevealing sleeveless top with a high neckline.
Be Prepared for a Drive from Petra to Wadi Rum (and back)
A lot of people do Petra and Wadi Rum together, but just know that they are almost a 2-hour drive from each other. And if you get motion sick make sure to bring Dramamine, or your motion sickness medicine of choice, because it’s really hilly. My mom vomited on the way because we weren’t prepared 🙁
Speaking Arabic is More Helpful than You’d Imagine
A lot of the people we met in Jordan didn’t speak English all too well. We’re really lucky that our tour guide spoke great English, because we were able to easily communicate and have interesting conversations. And lucky that my boyfriend speaks Arabic since he was able to translate for us in cases where there was a language barrier.
Be Prepared for a LOT of Walking At Petra
The hike to the Ad Deir monastary is a 6-7 hour trek.
Before going, I really thought that seeing Petra would include a short hike, maybe 1-2 hours tops, but boy was I wrong. Petra itself is the name of the entire site. It’s huge like Disneyland and fully equipped with souvenir shops, restaurants, and convenience stores where you can buy memorabilia, and more importantly food and water for your journey.
There are multiple trails that you can follow, with the main trail plus an extra trail leading to the Ad-Deir monastery. The main trail is 8 km (5 miles) round trip and to get to Ad-Dir there is an extra 2.5km (1.6 miles) uphill hike. This makes the total roundtrip a difficult hike of 10.5km (6.6 miles), but it’s definitely worth the long trek. So be prepared.
Wear Comfortable Clothes to Petra
Going off what I mentioned above, Petra has a ton of walking. If you want an Instagram picture in a nice dress, bring it with you in a bag and change into it. And don’t forget to bring good sneakers or hiking shoes!
In Petra There Will Be Many People Offering Shortcuts or Hidden Paths… Don’t Go With Them
Unless you want to pay them for it.
Buy Souvenirs in Wadi Rum
Petra is A LOT more expensive. My boyfriend bought a Kaffiyeh with four other items in Wadi Rum for a total of 20 dinars and in Petra they sold the Kaffiyeh alone for 35. Both our guides also advised us that Petra is be very expensive. So, if you want to get souvenirs, try to find them in Wadi Rum rather than Petra.
Bring Something Warm to Wadi Rum
It’s a bit chilly at night time and early morning, since after all it is a desert. Depending on the time of year and your standards of cold, a light jacket or sweater will do.
Bring Something to Cover Your Ears on the Jeep Tour
One of the main attractions in Wadi Rum is doing a Jeep tour. They’re a lot of fun, but you’re going to have a lot of wind in your face, so make sure to cover your ears, especially if you’re sensitive like I am, and bring a hair tie to hold your hair in place.
Touring Petra and Wadi Rum is a once in a lifetime truly unforgettable experience.
If you don’t already have Petra and Wadi Rum on your travel bucket list, you better add them. There are good reasons why Petra is one of the most visited places in the Middle East, and Wadi Rum is a popular spot for movie sets. With most of Jordan’s economy based on tourism, you’ll be doing both the people and yourself a favor. Go!
And until next time,
Take a shans!
Like I went to the trip along with you guys.
Thank you!
Thank you so much, Rima!!! <3
If you are here because you are planning a trip to Jordan, you are in the right place. Take notes! You’ll find this information very useful.
Thanks Sagit!! I really appreciate it <3 I tried my best to include everything that I would do when I go again in the future (hopefully) 🙂