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Travel To and From Petra, Jordan

Travel To and From Petra, Jordan

autor iconBy Spencer Ho

If all the attractions in Israel aren’t enough to satiate your travel bug, then visiting Petra might be just what the doctor ordered. Of all the places to see in Jordan (https://www.visitjordan.com/), the ancient Nabatean city of Petra may be the top destination.

Carved into the red-rock slope of Jebel al-Madbah, this impressive 4th century BCE feat of architecture has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site and voted one of the seven wonders of the new world. Petra’s beautiful mosaics and breathtaking structures chiseled into the mountain are not to be missed.

From Israel, you have many options for traveling to Jordan. There is no shortage of tour companies offering round-trip tours to Petra from Israel. The flight from Ben Gurion Airport to the Jordanian capital of Amman is only 1 hour. And there are three overland border crossings between Israel and Jordan.

Getting to and from Jordan

By air

Royal Jordanian (http://www.rj.com/) airline has daily flights between Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv and Amman Queen Alia Airport.

Tours to Petra

Join an organized tour that departs from Eilat or elsewhere in Israel. Some great tour options include a two-day Petra and the Wadi Rum tour , Petra in one day starting from Eilat, or extended tour packages that include attractions both in 'Israel and in Jordan.

Undecided? See our complete list of tours to Jordan.

Over land

There are three land crossings between Israel and Jordan, each serving a different region of the country - the Jordan River (Sheikh Hussein) crossing in the north, the King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge in the center and the Yitzhak Rabin (Wadi Araba) Terminal in the south.

If you are planning to travel by land between Jordan in Israel, it is extremely important to research and choose carefully which border you use because each is unique in terms of its purpose, location, services and convenience.

Read more about border crossings from Israel to Jordan >>

Traveling in Jordan

Public Transportation

Like many countries in the Middle East, Jordan offers cheap public transportation.

If you are traveling from Amman to Petra, a JETT bus leaves from Abdali Station and returns from Petra.

Public minibuses to Wadi Musa, the closest town to Petra, leave from Mujamaa Janobi station. The minibuses carry ten passengers and leave only when they are full.

From the Read Sea port of Aqaba, there are only minibuses from the bus station downtown to Wadi Musa.

Taxi

Traveling by taxi may be more convenient and comfortable, but while they are still fairly affordable by Western standards, they cost significantly more than public transportation and the price is almost always subject to negotiation.

A taxi from Amman should cost about 50 JD and you can split the fare between all the passengers if you are in a group, but it is always important to agree upon the price before you get in the car. You can also arrange a day trip with a taxi driver that includes a return trip.

If you are traveling from Aqaba, a one-way trip to Petra should cost around 30 JD and a round-trip tour about 80 JD.

If you are staying at a hotel or hostel, you can ask them to find a taxi for you, but in that case don’t assume that they are getting you the best price.

Even though you don’t have much choice in the matter, be wary when hiring a taxi from the border. It will always be more expensive than finding a driver in the city and they will not always let you split the fare with strangers.

Renting a Car

Jordan is one of the safest countries in the Middle East, and many of the big international rental companies operate there. If you are planning to travel in Jordan extensively, then this could be a convenient option, saving you both time and money.

Here are some car rental companies you can consider:

http://www.sixt.com/car-rental/jordan http://www.europcar.com/car-JORDAN.html http://www.thrifty.com.jo/

More about Jordan

All information on border crossings between Israel and Jordan >>

List of tours to Jordan and Petra >>