02 Days with 01 overnight Petra and Wadi Rum Tour from Eilat Border

Petra and Wadi Rum make a powerful one-night pairing: one is a carved Nabataean city, the other a vast desert of sandstone and granite. This private tour handles the awkward parts, including the Eilat border crossing, Jordanian transfers, entrance fees, meals, and a night in a Bedouin camp. The assisted crossing is a major help when you are changing countries in a single trip.

I like the combination of a full Petra visit and a long Jeep outing in Wadi Rum. I also like the flexible add-ons, especially if you want a camel ride or early-morning hot-air balloon flight. The main drawback is the cost, $587 per person, plus tips and possible departure tax. The schedule is also demanding, so this suits you best if you would rather cover both highlights efficiently than linger in one place.

Key points to know before booking

• Petra gets about four hours: Enough for the main approach and major monuments, though not enough for every trail.
• Wadi Rum gets four to five hours by Jeep: You have time for the desert scenery, Bedouin tea, and a sunset-style camp experience.
• The private format matters: Only your group participates, with transfers by car and an English-speaking driver.
• Your overnight is in a Bedouin camp: A barbecue dinner and breakfast are included, along with mineral water and Bedouin tea.
• The horse ride is included but optional: A 700-meter ride from Petra’s main gate is offered, and the handler expects a tip.
• Extra activities cost more: Camel rides, a Petra carriage, and a hot-air balloon flight are not part of the base price.

Why this Eilat to Jordan trip is useful

Going from Eilat to Petra and Wadi Rum on your own means arranging transport, border details, entrance tickets, guides, food, and a place to sleep. This tour gathers those pieces into one private arrangement. I see the value less in luxury and more in reduced friction.

You meet in Eilat, in Israel’s Southern District, then receive meet-and-assist service at the border. That is especially useful if you are uneasy about crossing into Jordan, since the tour includes help on arrival and organized transfers afterward. Andrea and Mohammed are named contacts associated with the company, and their quick, responsive communication is an important plus when you are trying to coordinate an international day trip.

The tour is described as lasting approximately two to three days, while the schedule itself is built around one night in Jordan. Ask for the exact departure and return times before paying, since border waits and the order of the stops can affect the final length. The route is ambitious, but it lets you see two of southern Jordan’s major attractions without arranging separate transport.

Petra in four hours: the rose-red city

Petra is the centerpiece. Its familiar nickname comes from the color of the rock, but the site is more than one famous facade. The Nabataeans carved tombs into the mountainsides and built a functioning city with temples, a theater, roads, and water systems. Later Roman and Byzantine changes added new layers, including a colonnaded street and churches.

Your visit includes entrance to the Petra archaeological site and about three hours with an English-speaking guide. The listed program also includes a 700-meter horse ride from the main gate, but it is not mandatory. If you accept it, budget a tip for the horse handler. You can also arrange a horse-drawn carriage at the gate for $40 per carriage, with room for up to two people.

I would treat the horse ride as a convenience rather than a sightseeing highlight. It may shorten part of the approach, but Petra is best understood on foot, where you can look closely at the carved rock and changing colors. If you have mobility concerns, ask the guide at the start how the available transport options fit your needs.

The four-hour visit gives you a solid introduction, but it is not an all-day exploration. Petra contains more than the best-known monuments, and longer routes require extra time and energy. The guide helps you use your limited hours well, explaining the Nabataean, Roman, and Byzantine remains instead of leaving you to guess what you are seeing.

Lunch is included at Al Qantara Restaurant or a similar restaurant. Mineral water is also supplied, both with the meal and on board the vehicle. Those small provisions matter here because a busy site visit can make it easy to lose track of food and water.

Petra also has importance beyond its carved facades. Human settlement and land use in the area reach back more than 10,000 years. The archaeological site became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, and that formal recognition reflects the mix of natural rock formations, engineering, burial places, temples, and later urban remains.

Wadi Rum by private Jeep

After Petra, the tour takes you to Wadi Rum Village, the gateway to the desert known as the Valley of the Moon. Wadi Rum lies about 60 kilometers east of Aqaba and is Jordan’s largest wadi. Its sandstone and granite formations give the area a very different character from Petra.

The included Jeep tour lasts four to five hours. Your English-speaking guide also drives, so the experience is not simply a transfer across the desert. The private format means you explore with your own group rather than joining a larger vehicle, which gives you more room to ask questions and discuss the pace with the guide.

The exact sights are not listed, so I would not book this expecting a fixed menu of named stops. What is clear is that you get several hours among Wadi Rum’s open desert and rock formations, with Bedouin tea and local hospitality along the way. A boxed lunch is included during the Wadi Rum portion, along with mineral water.

This is the part of the trip where the overnight stay earns its keep. A short daytime stop can show you the desert, but sleeping at a Bedouin camp gives the schedule more breathing room. You have time for the changing light, a desert evening, and a meal prepared at camp rather than rushing back to the border.

The camp includes a barbecue dinner and breakfast. The description calls it a Bedouin camp, not a luxury hotel, so set your expectations accordingly. The appeal is the setting and the traditional hospitality, not polished resort service. Bedouin tea, shared food, and time outside are central to the experience.

Sunset, camp life, and optional morning activities

The overnight schedule is designed to give you a desert sunset, though the precise timing depends on the day’s border crossing and driving schedule. I would confirm the expected arrival time if sunset is a top priority for you. A late border crossing or delay could reduce the time available in Wadi Rum.

A hot-air balloon ride is available as an optional early-morning activity from 6:00 to 7:00 a.m. It costs 130 Jordanian dinars, listed as $185 per person, and must be booked in advance. That price is significant beside the main tour, so it makes sense mainly for someone who considers an aerial desert view a central goal.

Camel rides are also optional in both Wadi Rum and Petra. They cost 10 Jordanian dinars, listed as $15 per camel per hour, and do not need to be booked ahead. You can ask your guide upon arrival. Since the ride is charged separately, decide on the spot based on the weather, timing, and your interest in the activity.

The Petra carriage is another paid option. At $40 for a carriage carrying up to two people, it may appeal if you want to reduce walking, but it is not included in the quoted tour price. You can arrange it at Petra’s gate through your guide.

What the $587 price covers

At $587 per person, this is not a budget border crossing. Still, the price covers several costly and logistically important elements: private car transfers, a driver, assisted border service, Petra entrance, the Jeep tour, Petra guiding, a night at camp, three meals, a boxed lunch, and bottled water.

That package can offer fair value if you are traveling as a small private group and want a single company responsible for the moving parts. You are paying for convenience, not only for admission tickets. The ability to travel by private car and participate only with your own group can be worthwhile for families, couples, and friends who do not want a fixed large-group coach schedule.

The value is weaker if your only goal is Petra and you are comfortable arranging Jordanian transport and accommodation yourself. In that case, the overnight Wadi Rum portion may feel like an expensive addition. But if you want both Petra and the desert, the included lodging, food, transport, guide services, and Jeep excursion make the comparison more favorable.

Remember that tips are not included. You should also allow for the Jordan departure tax, listed as 10 Jordanian dinars, or about $15, when it applies. Personal expenses, travel insurance, camel rides, the Petra carriage, and the balloon flight are also outside the base price.

Private touring and the pace of the day

A private tour gives you more control than a standard group departure, but it does not remove the basic demands of the route. You still cross an international border, drive between sites, walk through Petra, and spend part of the night in a desert camp.

Most people can participate, and service animals are allowed. The tour is near public transportation in the general area, but the start point is Eilat, and the organized transfers are a central part of the service. I would not choose this plan if you want a slow, unstructured holiday with late mornings.

I would choose it if you have limited time in Israel, want a straightforward route into Jordan, and prefer a private vehicle. The English-speaking driver and Petra guide also give you a practical way to ask questions as you go. Since Wadi Rum’s Jeep driver is also the English-speaking guide, the quality of the desert explanation may depend on that individual guide, so it is reasonable to ask who will lead your group.

Andrea and Mohammed are useful names to know when arranging the trip. The company has been praised for being responsive, which matters here because border crossings and optional activities require clear communication. Get the final pickup time, border instructions, camp details, and return plan in writing before departure.

Food, water, and what you should budget

The included food is a strong practical feature. You receive lunch in Petra, a boxed lunch in Wadi Rum, barbecue dinner at camp, and breakfast. Mineral water is supplied on board, and Bedouin tea is part of the Wadi Rum hospitality.

The supplied meals mean you do not have to spend much time searching for food between scheduled stops. They also make the long transfer days easier. Still, bring personal snacks if you need to eat at set times, since the exact timing depends on the road and border schedule.

The largest extra costs are easy to identify:

• Tips for the driver, guides, and horse handler
• Jordan departure tax, 10 JD or about $15, when applied
• Camel ride, 10 JD or about $15 per camel per hour
• Petra carriage, $40 for up to two people
• Hot-air balloon ride, 130 JD or about $185 per person
• Personal expenses and travel insurance

The tour price is listed in US dollars, while some extras are priced in Jordanian dinars. Carry a practical way to pay for optional activities and tips.

Who should book this experience?

I think this tour suits you if you want Petra and Wadi Rum in one organized trip and do not want to handle the border process alone. It is especially useful for a family or small private group that values its own car, a personal schedule, and direct help from the tour team.

It also works well for first-time visitors to Jordan who want context at Petra without researching every monument in advance. The guide’s three-hour visit gives structure, while the private vehicle makes the long route more manageable.

You may want a different plan if you need extensive time at Petra. Four hours is enough for a strong first visit, but not for every path and viewpoint. You may also prefer a longer stay if the desert camp is the main reason you are going to Wadi Rum, since this schedule still packs two major sites into a short trip.

The overnight format is better than attempting both sites in one exhausting day. You get the chance to see Wadi Rum in the evening, eat at camp, and start the return journey after breakfast. Just remember that the tour is efficient rather than leisurely.

Should you book the Petra and Wadi Rum overnight tour?

Book it if your priorities are easy border logistics, private transport, and two major Jordan highlights in one trip. The included meals, guides, entrance fees, Jeep tour, and camp night make the $587 price easier to justify when you value convenience.

Think twice if you want a low-cost independent trip or several full days at Petra. The extra charges add up, the schedule may run two to three days depending on timing, and the border crossing can shape the day.

For most people making a first Jordan visit from Eilat, this is a practical way to see both the rose-red city and the Valley of the Moon without building the trip from scratch. Confirm the exact timetable, ask about the current departure tax, and decide in advance which optional rides, if any, are worth your money.

FAQ

Where does the tour start?

The tour starts in Eilat, in Israel’s Southern District, with meet-and-assist service at the Eilat border.

How long is the tour?

The experience is described as approximately two to three days, with one overnight stay in Jordan. The schedule includes about four hours at Petra and four to five hours on a Wadi Rum Jeep tour.

Is transportation included?

Yes. Transfers are provided by a private car with an English-speaking driver and assistant driver.

Is the Petra entrance fee included?

Yes. Admission to Petra is included, along with an English-speaking Petra guide for about three hours.

Where do you sleep?

You spend one night at a Bedouin camp in Wadi Rum. Barbecue dinner and breakfast are included.

Are camel rides included?

No. Camel rides in Wadi Rum and Petra are optional and cost 10 Jordanian dinars, listed as $15, per camel per hour. They can be arranged after arrival without advance booking.

Can you cancel for a refund?

You can cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start are not refunded or accepted. The tour also requires a minimum number of participants, and a cancellation for that reason results in an alternative date or experience, or a full refund.