- 1 dayPossible from Amman, but rushed
- 2 daysThe practical minimum, with a camp night
- 3 daysIdeal for many first-time visitors
- 2 hrsThe jeep time most packages include
- 4 hrsThe jeep time we recommend
Petra and Wadi Rum Tours: Quick Comparison
For most short trips, a 2-day tour with one night in a Wadi Rum camp is the format to compare first.
| Itinerary | Best for | Petra time | Wadi Rum experience | Example on GetYourGuide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 day | Extremely tight schedules | Limited | Short jeep tour | Petra & Wadi Rum Private or Group Day Tour, 4.9 (864) |
| 2 days / 1 night | Most short trips | Good | Jeep tour and a desert overnight | Petra, Wadi Rum & Dead Sea 2-Day Tour, 4.9 (1,553) |
| 3 days / 2 nights | First-time visitors | Excellent | Jeep tour, sunset and camp | Petra, Wadi Rum & Dead Sea 3-Day Trip, 4.8 (223) |
| Independent trip | Flexible travellers | Completely flexible | Completely flexible | Book a jeep tour and a camp separately |
| Private tour | Couples, families, small groups | Flexible | Flexible | 3-Day Private Petra, Wadi Rum & Dead Sea, 5.0 (66) |
| Group tour | Budget-conscious visitors | Fixed | Fixed | Petra, Wadi Rum & Dead Sea 2-Day, 4.8 (270) |
The Jordan Tourism Board’s guide to Petra and Wadi Rum tours from Amman calls the 2-day format, with one night in a Wadi Rum camp, the balanced option, while three days allows a more relaxed full Petra visit with nights in both Wadi Musa and Wadi Rum. The tour we would compare first is the Amman: Petra, Wadi Rum, and Dead Sea 2-Day Tour, rated 4.9 from 1,553 reviews on GetYourGuide, from $249 per person: hotel pickup, a 2-hour jeep tour, a night in a Bedouin camp with dinner and breakfast, and the Dead Sea on the way back. Entry fees are paid on site. If you are still deciding which tour, our comparison of every Petra and Wadi Rum tour sets them side by side.
Why Combine Petra and Wadi Rum?
Both are in southern Jordan, and visiting them together usually makes far more sense than two separate trips from Amman.
The first reason is geography. The natural route is Amman → Petra → Wadi Rum → Aqaba, or Amman → Petra → Wadi Rum → Amman, instead of returning to Amman after each destination.
The second reason is contrast. Both are desert destinations, yet they feel completely different.
| Petra gives you | Wadi Rum gives you |
|---|---|
| The Siq | 4x4 jeep tours |
| The Treasury | Sandstone mountains |
| The Royal Tombs | Sand dunes |
| The Theatre | Canyons |
| The Colonnaded Street | Rock bridges |
| The Monastery | Sunset |
| Nabataean history | Bedouin-style camps |
| Archaeological trails | Stargazing |
There is a historical connection too. The Jordan Tourism Board notes that the Nabataeans associated with Petra left remains in Wadi Rum, including temples, water systems, carvings and route markers.
Combined tours run between Amman, Petra and the hotels of Wadi Musa, the desert camps of Wadi Rum, the Red Sea at Aqaba and the Dead Sea. Guided Petra visits, jeep tours, camel rides and Dead Sea day trips sit along the same route.
How Many Days Do You Need for Petra and Wadi Rum?
If you have the time, three days is considerably easier than squeezing everything into 36 hours.
| Days | What it gives you |
|---|---|
| Absolute minimum: 1 day | Possible, but rushed |
| Better minimum: 2 days | A meaningful Petra visit and a Wadi Rum jeep tour with a night at a camp |
| Ideal for many first-time visitors: 3 days | A proper full day in Petra, a night in Wadi Musa, a Wadi Rum jeep tour, sunset, a desert camp and sunrise |
Our two-day versus three-day itinerary walks through both trips hour by hour. The sections below cover each format as you would book it.
1-Day Petra and Wadi Rum Tour
Possible, especially from Amman. Not the itinerary we would choose unless your schedule leaves no alternative.
The Jordan Tourism Board’s guide notes that some one-day tours leave Amman very early, around 6:00, spend several hours at Petra, continue to Wadi Rum for a jeep experience and return late. A day might look like this:
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Early morning | Leave Amman |
| Late morning | Arrive at Petra |
| Midday | The Siq, the Treasury and part of the Main Trail |
| Afternoon | Leave Petra |
| Late afternoon | Travel to Wadi Rum |
| Evening | Short jeep tour or sunset |
| Night | Return north |
The problem is obvious: Petra and Wadi Rum both reward time.
Is Petra and Wadi Rum in one day worth it?
It can be, if the alternative is seeing neither. But at Petra you may not have time for the Monastery, the longer viewpoints, the Royal Tombs, relaxed photography or the extended trails. At Wadi Rum you may get only a short 4x4 circuit, a few viewpoints and sunset, and you miss the overnight desert experience. If you can add even one night, the trip improves a great deal.
If one day is all you have, the From Amman: Petra & Wadi Rum Private or Group Day Tour (4.9 from 864 reviews, from $117) is the most-reviewed one-day option, running about 14 hours with Amman hotel or airport pickup. The 2-hour jeep tour and the entry tickets are only included if you select that option, so check before you pay. The Petra & Wadi Rum: Full-Day Private Tour (4.9 from 329 reviews, from $133) is the private version, with a Petra guide, lunch and the 2-hour jeep as add-ons.
2-Day Petra and Wadi Rum Tour
For many travellers this is the sweet spot: real time in Petra plus a jeep tour, sunset and a desert camp.
A common structure looks like this:
| Day 1: Amman → Petra → Wadi Rum | Day 2: Wadi Rum |
|---|---|
| Early departure | Breakfast |
| Petra visit | Jeep tour |
| Transfer to Wadi Rum | Desert sightseeing |
| Camp, dinner and overnight | Onward transfer |
Another version gives you Wadi Rum on the afternoon of Day 1 and departs on the morning of Day 2.
A better 2-day plan: Petra first, sunset in Wadi Rum
If the timings work, this sequence works well:
- Day 1, early morning: Amman to Petra
- Day 1, late morning to afternoon: explore Petra
- Day 1, late afternoon: Petra to Wadi Rum
- Day 1, evening: sunset, then the night at a desert camp
- Day 2, morning: a 3- or 4-hour Wadi Rum jeep tour
- Day 2, afternoon: continue to Aqaba or Amman
You get both sunset and daytime desert scenery. The drawback is that Day 1 is still long.
The 2-day tours to compare
The Petra, Wadi Rum & Dead Sea 2-Day Tour by Jordan Private Tours and Travel has by far the longest review record, and its base price already covers the camp night, dinner, breakfast and a 2-hour jeep tour. The Amman: Petra, Wadi Rum, and Dead Sea 2-Day Tour by Petra Magics Tours (4.8 from 270 reviews, from $205) includes the same camp night and 2-hour jeep for less, with the Dead Sea resort and lunch paid to the driver. For a dome tent with a view, the 2-day Petra, Wadi Rum and Dead Sea bubble tour (4.8 from 61 reviews, from $425) adds a bubble room and three hours at a Dead Sea resort. On all three, ask whether the 2-hour jeep can be extended to four.
3-Day Petra and Wadi Rum Tour
Three days gives both destinations room to breathe.
Day 1: Amman to Petra
Travel south and stay in Wadi Musa. Depending on your arrival time, you can explore Little Petra, visit the Petra Museum, relax before an early start, or go to Petra by Night on the evenings it runs.
Day 2: Petra to Wadi Rum
Enter Petra early and explore the Siq, the Treasury, the Royal Tombs, the Theatre, the Colonnaded Street, Qasr Al-Bint and the Monastery if time and energy allow. Later, transfer to Wadi Rum and stay in a desert camp.
Day 3: Wadi Rum
Take a jeep tour that includes dunes, canyons, rock formations, inscriptions, natural arches and scenic viewpoints, then continue to Aqaba, the Dead Sea or Amman.
The 3-day tours to compare
The From Amman: Petra, Wadi Rum and Dead Sea 3-Day Trip (4.8 from 223 reviews, from $499) puts a 3-star hotel night in Petra, a Bedouin camp night and a 2-hour jeep safari all in the base price, which is exactly the two-night split this page recommends. The 3-days private tour of Petra, Wadi Rum & Dead Sea (5.0 from 66 reviews, from $257) starts much cheaper because the hotel, the camp, the jeep and the entrance fees are each options you add. The From Amman: Petra, Wadi Rum & Dead Sea 3-Day Tour (4.8 from 52 reviews, from $268) works the same way.
Which Gets More Time, and Which Comes First?
Give Petra more daylight. Go to Wadi Rum second if you can.
Which should get more time: Petra or Wadi Rum?
For a first trip, generally give Petra more daylight sightseeing time. It is a large archaeological city spread across several trails, while Wadi Rum can give you a satisfying first experience in four hours plus an overnight stay. A useful split is one full Petra day, plus a Wadi Rum afternoon and evening, the night, and the next morning. Both get enough time without an excessively long itinerary.
Petra first or Wadi Rum first?
Both work, but Petra then Wadi Rum is particularly convenient for many itineraries. After a long day walking around Petra, Wadi Rum is a very different kind of experience, and the trip becomes steadily less urban as you go: Amman → Petra → desert → Aqaba.
Petra to Wadi Rum, and Wadi Rum to Petra
The two are about 110 km apart by road, an hour and a half to two hours. On a tour the transfer is included; on your own it is the one thing to arrange in advance.
Most visitors travel between Petra and Wadi Rum by private transfer, tour vehicle, rental car, or scheduled transport when it is available. Your hotel in Wadi Musa or your Wadi Rum camp can often help arrange a transfer. We found no private Petra to Wadi Rum transfer with a solid review record on GetYourGuide, so book it through your camp or hotel. When you book, confirm where you are collected and dropped off, because these are not always interchangeable:
- Petra Visitor Center pickup
- Wadi Musa hotel pickup
- Wadi Rum Visitor Center drop-off
- Wadi Rum Village drop-off
- a direct transfer to your camp
Petra to Wadi Rum by rental car
A rental car gives you more independence: you can leave Petra when you are ready, stop along the way, travel straight on after Wadi Rum and build Aqaba into the same journey. Once you reach Wadi Rum, you generally switch to a local 4x4 for exploring the desert instead of driving your ordinary rental car around the protected area. Our Amman to Petra transport guide covers the drive south and the alternatives.
Wadi Rum to Petra
The same route works perfectly well in reverse. Consider Wadi Rum first if you enter Jordan through Aqaba, fly into Aqaba, are travelling north, or have Petra as your next stop before Amman or the Dead Sea. A practical route is Aqaba → Wadi Rum → Petra → Dead Sea → Amman.
Petra and Wadi Rum Tours From Amman or Aqaba
Amman has the widest choice. Aqaba is the logical start if you arrive in the south.
From Amman
Amman is the starting point for most organised tours. The 1-day tour is fast and tiring. The 2-day tour is much more practical. The 3-day tour is best if Petra is a major priority. When comparing tours from Amman, look at the actual hours at Petra, not just the overall tour length.
From Aqaba
Wadi Rum is especially convenient from Aqaba, while Petra lies farther north. A short itinerary might be:
| Day 1 | Day 2 |
|---|---|
| Aqaba to Wadi Rum | Wadi Rum to Petra |
| Jeep tour | Petra visit |
| Sunset | Overnight in Wadi Musa, or continue onward |
| Camp |
This suits travellers who enter Jordan through the south. Aqaba has far fewer packaged options: the One-Day Tour from Aqaba: Petra and Wadi Rum (from $210) has only 4 reviews averaging 3.8, too few to recommend with confidence, and the 2-day Aqaba listings we found had no reviews at all. Many travellers book a camp and jeep tour directly in Wadi Rum and a transfer on to Petra instead.
Petra, Wadi Rum and Aqaba, or Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea
Add a fourth day and the trip takes in either the Red Sea or the Dead Sea.
Petra, Wadi Rum and Aqaba form a natural southern Jordan triangle: Petra for history and archaeology, Wadi Rum for desert and adventure, Aqaba for the Red Sea and relaxation. The Dead Sea version creates a particularly varied route: ancient city, then desert, then salt lake.
| Petra, Wadi Rum and Aqaba | Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea | |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Petra | Amman to Petra |
| Day 2 | Petra to Wadi Rum, jeep tour and camp | Petra to Wadi Rum |
| Day 3 | Wadi Rum to Aqaba | Wadi Rum to the Dead Sea |
| Day 4 | Aqaba | Dead Sea to Amman |
Most Amman tours already fit the Dead Sea in on the way back, including the 2-day tour and the 3-day trip above. For a slower four days, Whispers of Stone, Sand & Sea: Jordan in Four Days (5.0 from 53 reviews, from $379) is a private tour with a Bedouin-camp night in Wadi Rum and a stop at the Dead Sea. Its jeep tour is not included, so add one locally. We found no well-reviewed four-day package that ends in Aqaba; for that version, finish a 2-day tour in Wadi Rum and take a transfer south.
What to See in Petra and What to Do in Wadi Rum
Do not let a combined tour reduce Petra to the Treasury, or Wadi Rum to the first viewpoint.
What should you see in Petra?
A worthwhile visit gives you enough time for at least several of these: the Siq, the Treasury, the Theatre, the Royal Tombs, the Colonnaded Street, Qasr Al-Bint and the Monastery. Our guide to Petra tours covers guided and private options inside the site.
What should you do in Wadi Rum?
For a first visit, prioritise a jeep tour. Stops vary by route but may include sand dunes, Khazali Canyon, rock bridges, inscriptions, desert viewpoints, Nabataean sites and sunset spots.
How long should your Wadi Rum jeep tour be?
On a combined Petra and Wadi Rum trip: 2 hours only if you are very short on time, 3 hours as a reasonable compact introduction, 4 hours as an excellent balance for most visitors, and a full day if Wadi Rum itself is one of your main priorities. For a 2- or 3-day trip, four hours often fits best. Our comparison of 2, 3, 4-hour and full-day jeep tours shows what each length covers, and the private Morning or Sunset Jeep Tour (5.0 from 306 reviews) is the 4-hour tour we would add to a package.
Should you stay overnight in Wadi Rum?
If possible, yes. A night adds what a daytime tour cannot: sunset, a desert dinner, an evening at camp, the stars, sunrise and quiet early-morning scenery. It also spares you another long road journey straight after your jeep tour. Our Wadi Rum camps comparison helps you pick where to sleep.
What to Check Before Booking, and What Tours Usually Include
Two tours at the same price can include very different things. Ask these ten questions.
| Check | The question | What the main tours do |
|---|---|---|
| Petra admission | Is it included? | Usually paid on site; packages quote about $70 (the 50 JOD ticket for visitors staying in Jordan). See Jordan Pass and Petra tickets |
| Wadi Rum admission | Is it included? | Usually paid at the Visitor Center; a Jordan Pass covers it |
| Jeep tour duration | Two hours and four hours are very different experiences | 2 hours on the 2-day and 3-day tours above; optional on most 1-day tours |
| Petra guide | Included or extra? | Usually extra, or included only with a particular option |
| Accommodation | Which camp and room type? | A Bedouin camp tent as standard; bubble rooms on dedicated tours |
| Meals | Breakfast only? Dinner included? | Dinner and breakfast at the camp on most overnight tours |
| Transfers | Exactly where are you collected and dropped off? | Amman hotel pickup is standard; some include the airport |
| Group size | Private or shared? | Both exist, often as options on the same listing |
| Luggage | Does it stay in the vehicle or go directly to camp? | Ask the operator |
| Sunset | Is it in the jeep-tour schedule? | Ask the operator |
Petra and Wadi Rum Tours: Frequently Asked Questions
Can you visit Petra and Wadi Rum together?
Yes. They are one of the most natural destination combinations in Jordan: both are in the south, so the usual route runs Amman, Petra, Wadi Rum and then Aqaba or back to Amman.
Can you see Petra and Wadi Rum in one day?
It is possible on very long organised excursions, which leave Amman early and return late, but both experiences become compressed. Two days is considerably more practical.
Is two days enough for Petra and Wadi Rum?
Yes. Two days can give you a meaningful Petra visit plus a jeep tour and an overnight stay in a Wadi Rum camp.
Is three days better?
Yes, particularly if this is your first visit. The extra day gives you a full day in Petra and a relaxed afternoon, sunset and night in Wadi Rum.
Should I stay overnight in Petra or Wadi Rum?
If you have two nights, ideally stay one night in Wadi Musa, the town beside Petra, and one in Wadi Rum.
How long should my Wadi Rum jeep tour be?
Around four hours is a strong choice for most first-time visitors. Most combined tours include two hours, so ask whether a longer jeep tour can be added.
Do Petra and Wadi Rum tours include entry fees?
Usually not. Most combined tours list the Petra ticket and the Wadi Rum protected-area fee as paid on site, and a Jordan Pass covers both. Some private tours add the tickets as a paid option.