Welcome to the second part of my backpacker’s guide to Jordan! In this post, I’ll share everything you need to know about visiting Petra and Wadi Rum on a budget. If you missed the first part, go check it out—there I cover how to get into Jordan and what to see and do in the north, including Amman, the Dead Sea and its surroundings.

Getting to Petra (Wadi Musa)

There’s a tourist bus called the JETT Bus that runs daily from Amman to Petra (Wadi Musa is the town), but I opted for the local buses instead—they’re more frequent and significantly cheaper. To catch one, head to the South Bus Station (Wehdat). A taxi from Amman’s old town to the bus station should cost around 2 dinars.

I recommend leaving early in the morning. After 11 a.m., there are usually no more buses departing—or if there are, you might have to wait a long time. These local buses typically leave only when full, so be prepared for some waiting either way.

When I went to Petra, I paid 3 dinars for the ride, but there was an extra charge of 3 dinars if you didn’t want to sit with your luggage. I chose to keep mine with me, and it turned out to be one of the most uncomfortable rides I’ve ever taken—I was crushed under my backpack the whole way. On the way back, I paid 7 dinars, which was the fixed price for everyone regardless of luggage. I later spoke to another traveler in Amman who said she paid 6 dinars going to Petra and 7 dinars returning—so it seems the return trip is typically more expensive.

Still, even with the fluctuating prices, taking the local bus is much more budget-friendly than using the tourist bus!

 

Where to Stay in Petra (Wadi Musa)

I shared a room with Carola from Notesontraveling.com, who I had first met in Jerusalem and then again in Amman, where we decided to treat ourselves to a nice hotel stay for Christmas. After going our separate ways for a bit, we reunited in Petra. Since it was low season, things were relatively quiet, and we managed to get a great deal on a private room at Seven Wonders Hotel, where we ended up staying for five nights.

There are two main areas to stay: the center of Wadi Musa and the area just outside Petra’s main gates. The latter is more expensive in terms of accommodation and restaurants, so I recommend staying in Wadi Musa’s center. It’s a 15–30 minute walk or a 1 dinar taxi ride to the gates of Petra.

Like I said in my previous Jordan guide, I recommend using Booking.com for hotel bookings.

Seven Wonders Hotel – This is where we stayed. It’s not the cheapest option in town, but if you’re sharing with someone and can snag a good deal, it’s well worth it. The rooms were cozy and the stay comfortable.

Cleopetra Hotel – This was our second choice. It also has solid reviews and seemed like a nice place overall.

Valentine Inn – One of the most budget-friendly options in Wadi Musa. You can find single private rooms starting at just €11, making it a great choice for solo backpackers on a tight budget.

Where to Eat in Petra

Finding good, affordable food in Wadi Musa can be a challenge. Most restaurants charge inflated tourist prices and serve underwhelming food (at least when compared to Amman!). But after trying nearly every spot in town, we found two budget-friendly restaurants that served delicious, local food without ripping us off. I’ve marked them on the map below for easy reference.

If you spot a restaurant called Al Arabi on the map—that’s the most popular spot in Wadi Musa. But honestly I wouldn’t recommend it. The food was disappointing, and prices were three to four times higher than what locals pay.

Instead, keep walking down the same street and you’ll find a much cheaper local eatery just a few doors down from Al Arabi. It’s a humble place and closes around 6 a.m., so it’s not a dinner option—but it’s perfect for breakfast or lunch. We went there almost every morning. They serve fresh falafel wraps and other traditional dishes. A falafel wrap should cost around 0.50 dinar, and they’ll usually offer you complimentary tea or coffee as well.

Let’s get back to the map. On the left side, you’ll see Sanabel Bakery—and I highly recommend stopping there. They have some of the best bread I’ve ever tasted. Don’t miss their giant, freshly baked pita bread—it’s incredible!

Just a bit further down the same street, there’s another great budget-friendly spot called Alwardeh Alshameh. You can see it in the pictures below. It’s a small local restaurant serving classic Middle Eastern dishes like falafel wraps, hummus, spicy stuffed falafel balls, mutabal (eggplant dip), and fresh salads.

The prices are the same as the other local place I mentioned: 0.50 dinar for a falafel wrap and 1 dinar for a box of hummus, mutabal, or salad. Tasty food at truly local prices!

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Hikes in Petra + How to Get a Free Day in Petra

The Hike from Little Petra to Petra

On our first day in Petra, we decided to do the hike from Little Petra to Petra—a scenic 14 km route that takes around 3 to 4 hours to complete. You can take a taxi to Little Petra for about 5–6 dinars.

Once we arrived, we spent some time exploring the site before beginning the hike. While wandering around Little Petra, we reached a spot marked with a sign that read “The best view in the world.” Naturally, we had to check it out. We climbed through a narrow canyon and, to our surprise, ended up in a Bedouin camp.

We met a Bedouin there who looked strikingly like Jack Sparrow (check out the photo below—he’s the one sitting in the middle). He told us we didn’t need to walk all the way back to the parking lot to start our hike; instead, we could take a shortcut directly from the camp.

“Just go down from here, walk to the end of the canyon, turn left, and you’ll find the trail,” he said.

It sounded easy enough, so we followed his directions. But when we reached the end of the canyon, we realized there was absolutely no way we could get down to the trail. We could see it below us, but there was a 50-meter drop—a sheer cliff—standing between us and the path. There was no way we were getting down that way.

I spotted a nearby cliff that looked like someone had climbed it before, so I scrambled up to check it out. From the top, I got a view like this:

I could see the trail in the distance and considered continuing the climb, but I wasn’t sure how to get across safely, so I made my way back down. For the next two hours, we explored every possible exit, trying to find a way through—but had no luck. Eventually, “Jack Sparrow” spotted us wandering around and waved for us to come back. We returned to the Bedouin camp, where he offered us tea and promised to show us the correct route.

So off we went again. He led us to the exact same spot I had climbed earlier. Turns out, I had been right about the path—but there’s no way we could have managed it without his help.

It wasn’t the easiest climb, and the last part looked like this:

Just a steep drop. But we eventually made it to the bottom, ready to begin our actual hike. Jack Sparrow—whose real name, by the way, is Awad—started making his way back up to the Bedouin camp.

It took us a few more hours to hike to the Monastery. After that wild start, the rest of the trail was pretty straightforward—no more climbing or steep cliffs. The path was clearly marked and easy to follow. There were a few scenic viewpoints along the way where you could stop and take some photos. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t on our side that day, and the lighting wasn’t the best, so most of our photos didn’t turn out as well as we’d hoped. And just as we reached the Monastery, it started to rain, so we ended up literally running through the rest of the area to reach the exit, which was still 5 km away.

Now, as for that “free day” in Petra I mentioned—here’s how that happened. When hiking from Little Petra into the Petra site, no one checks your ticket at the start. On the trail, someone did stop us before the Monastery to ask for our tickets, but they didn’t scan them. So technically, that visit didn’t count as a “used” day on our passes. I had a two-day ticket, but thanks to this hike, I ended up with three full days in Petra.

Note: I don’t encourage breaking rules, but this is how it worked during my visit. You still need a valid ticket in hand, but the way the scanning system works, you might get one extra day unintentionally.

Treasury Viewpoint Hike

This hike is much easier than the one from Little Petra to Petra and takes only about an hour. You walk past the Treasury and continue all the way to the Royal Tombs. From there, you’ll find a path leading uphill. It’s fairly straightforward—just follow the trail and you’ll eventually reach the viewpoint.

We woke up early to be at the gate by 5:45 a.m. The gates open at 6, and there was no one else around. So if you want to take photos without any crowds, make sure to arrive early. Even after hiking for an hour, we were still completely alone when we reached the viewpoint overlooking the Treasury. Well—almost alone. Three dogs had decided to follow us all the way from the Royal Tombs. Crazy ones! There’s a Bedouin tent at the viewpoint where you can snap photos, but if you want even better shots, take the path to the right and climb down a bit. That’s where I took my sitting photo.

The Cats of Petra

I can’t leave out the cats—because Petra is full of them, and they’re absolutely adorable. On our third day, we woke up early specifically to visit the Treasury before the crowds—and to see the cats. And as soon as we approached the site, they all came running toward us! They were so friendly, cuddly, and sweet that I genuinely wanted to adopt every single one of them.

Wadi Rum

When planning your trip to Wadi Rum, make sure the tour actually takes you into the protected area. I’d heard stories about scams where travelers are taken just outside Wadi Rum instead, so if a tour sounds too cheap to be true, it probably is.

Our hotel arranged a budget-friendly tour for us that included a round-trip taxi to Wadi Rum, costing 50 dinars per person. Tours are usually more affordable if you’re traveling as a couple or with a group, so even if you’re solo, try to find someone to team up with.

The tours we found online were more expensive and didn’t include transportation, but we soon discovered why ours was cheaper. While our guide did take us into Wadi Rum and showed us the main sites, what we paid for was essentially just a driver. Our guide turned out to be a very young Bedouin boy with the oldest, most falling-apart car I saw in the entire desert—and he barely spoke a word of English. Oh well, you get what you pay for…

For more Jordan backpacking tips, check out part 1 of the series: Backpacking in Jordan Part 1: Budget Travel Guide to Amman & Surroundings.

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