Petra

Petra needs at least one full day, so a day trip from Israel is far from ideal, so yes, I like any option that gives you a full day. With an additional evening on the right day of the week, you could also experience Petra by Night. Are you able to fly into Aqaba?

I will pm you the name and contact info for my driver in April 2022 - he’s not a guide but you can find those at the Visitor’s Center if you want one.

TexasTravelmom,
Thank you so much for the driver info, I will reach out to him. After some more research we are probably going to fly Tel Aviv - Eilat, cross the border to Jordan at Wadi Araba/Yitzhak Rabin, stay in Aqaba and visit Petra from there

I would concur with Texas Travelmom. Petra needs a full day and I would strongly suggest you sleep in Wadi Musa (Petra town). Definitely go with option 2!

Christine,
Thank you for your reply. Do you have any hotels and drivers you would recommend to visit Petra?

I am going to chime in and say that if this is the itinerary you prefer, that you consider spending one of those nights in Wadi Rum instead of in Aqaba - depending upon your flight time and arrival, perhaps the first night. You should arrive in time for an afternoon Jeep ride through the desert and dinner under the stars. Then an early morning departure for Petra for a long day, sleep in Wadi Musa, then return for your afternoon or evening flight back to Tel Aviv.

Otherwise, drive on to Wadi Musa for both nights instead of Aqaba upon arrival.

If you opt for Wadi Rum and still need a driver, your camp will undoubtedly be able to arrange for someone to pick you up from the airport.

Nothing wrong with Aqaba, but you will be in Jordan (hopefully not in summer) to see the amazing desert.

Edit: There is a really nice Movenpic right at the entrance to Petra, as well as the nice Petra Guest House (hotel) just inside. I stayed a 5 minute walk away at the cute, small Venus Hotel as a solo traveler. Lots of hotel options in Wadi Musa.

Is Aug 30 Day 1? Option 2 is "fly into Jordan" - from where? Tel Aviv or wherever you are flying from on Aug 30?

Be aware that the flights from "Tel Aviv" are actually from Ben-Gurion Airport which is 30-60 minutes (depending on traffic) by car from most hotels in Tel Aviv. From the Eilat airport it's a 15-20 minute drive to the border crossing. You have to do that on foot. You will have to pay an exit fee in Israel when you leave and then pay for the Jordanian visa to enter. Your guide should meet you in Jordan after you enter. Make sure you know in advance the costs and which currencies are acceptable. I think you have to pay cash for both the exit and visa fees.

Are you planning to return to the same Israeli hotel, so you can leave most of your luggage behind and take only an overnight bag to Jordan? If you need to check bags for the flight to Eilat, you may need extra check-in time at the airport.

TexasTravelmom,
Thanks again, we are trying to figure out itinerary and this is very helpful!

Chani,
Thank you for your reply. We will be flying from Tel Aviv and it looks like there is more flight options to Eilat. We are still trying to figure out the rest of it. We were actually thinking just that... return to the same hotel in Israel so that we can leave our bags there and just take a carry on to Jordan. Alternatively do you know if there is reliable luggage storage at the Tel Aviv airport?

No luggage storage at the airports.

Hi Karla,

Yes- we stayed at Petra Boutique Hotel and it was very nice. (A little more upmarket than we usually do, but we wanted to try it out before we have family visit us here). It's about a 2 minute walk to the entrance. We enjoyed drinks at the Cave Bar after our visit. We were there in November of this year and some restaurants listed on Google Maps seemed to have closed, and we ended up eating at Our Mom's Recipe (I think that was the name?) twice and it was good. I don't have a driver- we have a car- but do have a guide's contact info that I can share, if you'd like. We haven't used him but a friend I work with found him, and a friend who recently visited from Egypt also said he was great.

Hi Karla -

Petra is ma-hoo-sive and if you are in the least bit mobile, inquisitive and just a bit intrepid there’s enough to keep you going for several days. Of course if you just want to ‘Indiana Jones’ your way down to the Treasury building then a day will do, but there is so much more.

Take plenty of water though - you are in the desert and it’s hot, generally speaking!

Ian

Thank you Chani, Christine and ianandjulie!

I would add to wear your sunscreen when visiting Petra. My husband and I got absolutely fried the day we were there.

Thank you Mary and ninayablasheuskaya!

Whatever your final itinerary is, plan to start your Petra walk early, 7am or 7:30 . It will be cooler & less crowded. I second the reminder about sunscreen - also a broad-brimmed hat. And water!

We spent two nights at the very nice Movenpick next to the entrance to Petra. We walked into Petra several times, over one and a half days, and it was incredible.