Petra from Israel: Day Trips from Eilat & Tel Aviv

Petra, the Nabataean city carved into the sandstone canyons of southern Jordan, is the most popular cross-border excursion from Israel and, by some distance, the most expensive day trip in the region. From Eilat it is genuinely close: the border is a ten-minute drive from the hotel strip and the site is two hours beyond it. From Tel Aviv or Jerusalem it takes either a domestic flight or an overnight. This guide compares the three ways of doing it, explains the border and visa logistics honestly, and helps you decide how much time Petra deserves in your itinerary.

The three formats at a glance

Format 1: the one-day tour from Eilat

If you are already in Eilat, this is the obvious choice. The day starts around 6:30 am with hotel pickup, a short drive to the Wadi Araba crossing (also called the Yitzhak Rabin terminal on the Israeli side), the border formalities, and then a two-hour drive with the Jordanian guide to Wadi Musa. You arrive mid-morning and walk the Siq, the 1.2 km gorge whose walls narrow to a few metres before opening abruptly onto the Treasury, the facade everyone has seen in photographs. From there the main trail continues past the Street of Facades and the theatre to the Royal Tombs and the Colonnaded Street. Lunch is usually a buffet in Wadi Musa, and you are back in Eilat by 8 pm.

What you miss: the Monastery (Ad Deir), an 800-step climb to a facade larger than the Treasury and far quieter, and the Treasury by night candlelit event held on selected evenings. Both need a second day or an overnight. A single day is enough to grasp the scale of Petra and to decide whether you want to come back; it is not enough to see it properly.

Format 2: Petra and Wadi Rum over two days

For most people who have travelled to Israel with Petra in mind, this is the format to book. The first day crosses the border and spends the full day at Petra, with time for the Monastery and the High Place of Sacrifice ridge. In the late afternoon you drive an hour south to Wadi Rum, the desert of red dunes and sandstone mountains, for a jeep drive at sunset and a night in a Bedouin camp, where dinner is cooked in an earth oven and the sky is genuinely dark. The second morning has a slower Wadi Rum drive or a camel ride before the return to the border and Eilat by mid-afternoon.

Some operators run this in reverse, with Wadi Rum first, which puts you at the Petra gate early on day two before the coaches arrive. Either order works; the reverse gives the best light in the Siq.

Because you sleep in Jordan, the Jordan Pass becomes worthwhile: it bundles the visa fee with Petra entry and several other sites, and the visa component is only waived for stays of at least one night. Buy it online before you leave Israel; it cannot be bought at the crossing.

Format 3: Petra in a day from Tel Aviv with flights

If you are based in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem and will not be going south at all, several operators sell a package built around a dawn flight from Ben Gurion to Eilat’s Ramon Airport, a transfer to the border, the same guided Petra visit as the Eilat day trip, and an evening flight back. It works, but it is the longest and most expensive day option, and everything depends on the early flight running to time. It suits travellers on a tight schedule who would rather pay for convenience than give Petra two days. If you have the days, an overnight in Eilat before and after the two-day trip is a more relaxed way to get the same result, and Eilat itself is a resort worth a night or two; see our Eilat hotels guide.

Border, visa and money

The crossing itself is routine, but the paperwork catches people out. As of 2026:

• Passport. Physical, valid at least six months beyond your dates. Jordan stamps it; Israel issues a separate entry slip, which you must keep to re-enter.
• Jordanian visa. Available at the crossing for most nationalities, and organised tours handle a group visa as part of the package. If you are travelling independently, check the current rules for your passport before setting out.
• Fees. There is an Israeli exit fee and a Jordanian border fee on top of the Petra ticket, and Petra charges same-day visitors who do not overnight in Jordan a higher rate. Tour prices sometimes include all of this and sometimes collect the border fees in cash on the day; read the inclusions.
• Cash. Take some Jordanian dinars or withdraw them in Aqaba; the exchange kiosks at the crossing offer poor rates. Israeli shekels are not accepted inside Petra.
• Closures. The crossing closes on Yom Kippur and on a handful of religious holidays on each side. Check before booking dates in late September and October.
• Timing. Allow 30 to 60 minutes for the crossing in each direction, more at Easter and during the Israeli October holidays.

Israeli rental cars cannot be taken into Jordan. If you want to drive in Jordan you cross on foot, take a taxi to Aqaba and rent there, which is only worth the complexity if you are spending several days on the Jordanian side. For entry rules on the Israeli side, see visa information.

What a Petra tour costs

Petra is priced well above any other day trip from Israel because it combines border fees, a Jordanian guide and vehicle, and one of the most expensive entry tickets in the Middle East. As of 2026, guided one-day tours from Eilat generally cost between US$200 and US$300 per person; two-day Petra and Wadi Rum trips between US$300 and US$450; and the flight-based day from Tel Aviv from around US$400 upward. Private guide-and-driver arrangements are priced per vehicle and become competitive for families of four or more. Always check the live price and the inclusions list.

Practical details

What to bring. Closed walking shoes, a hat, sunscreen, water and a small daypack. The Petra day covers eight to ten kilometres on uneven ground, and the Monastery adds a steep climb. For Wadi Rum, a warm layer for the night.

When to go. March to May and October to November are ideal. Summer days in Petra reach 35 to 40°C by early afternoon, which is one more reason to prefer the two-day format with an early start. Winter is cool and clear, with occasional rain that can close the Siq for a few hours. See best time to visit Israel for the regional picture.

Combining with the desert. If you are driving down to Eilat, the Negev and the Ramon Crater are on the way, and Masada and the Dead Sea are a natural stop on the return; see the Masada visitor guide.

Which should you choose?

• Already in Eilat with one day to spare: the one-day tour.
• Petra is a reason you came: the two-day Petra and Wadi Rum trip.
• Based in the centre and short on days: the flight-based day from Tel Aviv.
• Combining Israel and Jordan properly: a multi-day package that includes both, or our 10-day itinerary with Petra as the extension.