People often ask how to get from Tel Aviv to Petra. Thanks to its proximity to Israel, it is possible to travel from Tel Aviv to Petra every day of the week. Here, we highlight some of the best options available to you to experience this wondrous place. Our guide on how to plan the perfect trip to Jordan and Petra from Israel will be a helpful tool in figuring it all out. Keep scrolling to find out how to get from Tel Aviv to Petra.
Last updated December 2022. Israel and Jordan have reopened the land borders for tourists, and our Petra tours are running regularly.
Take A Tour
One-Day Tours
One-day tours to Petra from Tel Aviv leave early in the morning. This is to make the most of the day and to avoid delays at the border. From Tel Aviv. we travel to Eilat to cross the border into Jordan. We then travel north to Petra to enjoy a fully guided tour of the site. Petra is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s a Nabatean city that was lost for hundreds of years. This wonder was only rediscovered around 200 years ago. It’s now hailed by UNESCO as “one of the most precious properties of man’s cultural heritage.”
Our one-day tour thoroughly explores the famous landmarks and hidden corners of this remarkable. You’ll be with one of our knowledgeable guides who is happy to answer all your questions. After visiting the site, the group heads back to Tel Aviv, passing through Wadi Rum and the Negev Desert, and stopping for a spectacular view of the desert landscape. This tour may only be one day, but the experience is a lifetime memory.
The 1-day tour, one of our best-sellers, includes guiding, transportation, a lunch box, a water bottle, and entrance fees.
Two-Day Tours
Our 2-Day Tour to Petra from Tel Aviv allows plenty of time to experience this remarkable site. Departures are available every day of the week. Additionally, the tour includes all transfers and a fully guided tour with a locally licensed guide on the first day. The second day of the tour is especially for independent exploration. All relevant entry fees are included, and you can snap all the photographs you want. Adventure to lesser-known locations further away from the main entrance. Explore the famous and often-missed Monastery, or delve deeper into Petra itself. On the evening of the second day, the tour returns to Tel Aviv with all your unforgettable memories of spectacular Petra in tow.
If one day in Petra seems like enough, one of our most popular options is our Petra & Wadi Rum 2 Day Tour from Tel Aviv, which gives you the unique experience of staying overnight at a Bedouin Camp in Wadi Rum under the stars after taking a Jeep safari through the desert. On the second day, you’ll experience Petra with a handpicked guide.
3-4 Day Tours
For those who want to spend a little bit more time exploring Jordan, three and four-day tours are ideal. You can fit in all the highlights Jordan has to offer or spend a bit more time exploring wonderous Petra. Our Petra and Wadi Rum 3 day tour gives you the perfect amount of time to enjoy the desert in Wadi rum and fully absorb Petra. However, the Petra, Wadi Rum, Amman & Highlights of Jordan 4 day tour is truly the best way to go on a thorough Jordan journey. You’ll see all the highlights Jordan has to offer, from north to south. You’ll get to see Jerash, Madaba, Mt. Nebo, and Amman, then head down to Petra with a unique chance to see the ancient city at night by candlelight. You’ll have the Wadi rum desert tour and Bedouin hospitality as well as time in Aqaba’s lively market, too.
Get From Tel Aviv To Petra Independently
Due to its popularity and historic significance, it is well worth visiting Petra as part of a guided tour. If, however, you are a serious lone wolf, it is possible to do it on your own.
Where to Cross
While there are three borders between Israel and Jordan where crossing is possible, the recommended border to use is Wadi Arava. Located outside of Eilat, Arava is the closest border crossing to Petra, and also the easiest of all the borders to manage on your own. Here it is possible to purchase a visa at the border for most passport holders and, being a very popular tourist destination year-round, is perfectly safe. Check out our guide all about visas for Jordan here.
Getting From Border to Sites
Unfortunately, there are no public buses directly to the Wadi Arava border/Yitzhak Rabin Border Terminal, so it will be necessary to order a taxi from the Eilat Central Bus Station. It is important to note the border’s operation hours and be sure to enter and exit within those times. To date, Arava operates Sunday to Thursday from 06:30 to 20:00, and Friday and Saturday from 08:00 – 20:00. These hours may be affected by religious or other holidays observed by either country, so it is always advisable to check in advance.
A big benefit of traveling with a tour group is the direct transportation provided along with professional border assistance. Our organized Petra Tours ensure risk-free travel to Petra with pre-arranged visas and all transportation. When booking a tour with us, everything is handled for you, worry and fuss-free.
Consider another of our top tour options – Petra and Wadi Rum 2 Day Tour from Tel Aviv – which crosses through the Yitzhak Rabin Terminal/Wadi Arava Border Crossing.
However you may decide to get there, Petra is a wonder not to be missed, and we would be delighted to be part of your journey there!
What’s the Cheapest and Best Way?
The numbers speak for themselves, and generally, the cheaper way from Jerusalem to Petra is to travel with a tour group. We’ve based the numbers on a two-day tour because one day from Jerusalem to Petra is totally impossible with public transport.
Taking a two-day tour to Petra:
- Tour Cost – $379
- Border Crossing Fee – $65
- Visa Fee – $60
- Entrance Fee – included
- Lunch – included
- Dinner – included
- Overnight in 4-star hotel/Bedouin Camp – included
Total = $504
(Or if you opted for 2 days in Petra & Wadi Rum, $524, 2-Day Highlights of Jordan Tour, $544, or a 3-day Highlights of Jordan Tour, $564)
Taking an independent 2-day visit from Jerusalem to Petra:
- Bus from Jerusalem to Eilat – $25
- Taxi from Eilat to Border – $15
- Border Crossing Fee – $65
- Visa fee (must be pre-arranged) – $60
- Taxi from Aqaba Border to Petra – $75
- Entrance Fee to Petra – $130
- Taxi from Petra back to Aqaba Border – $75
- Guide at Petra – $100
- Taxi back from Border to Eilat – $10
- Bus from Eilat back to Jerusalem – $25
- Overnight in 4-star hotel/Bedouin Camp – $60
Total = $655, but visa must be pre-arranged in your home country, and this does not include Wadi Rum (included in our 2-day tour) or Jerash, Mount Nebo, and Madaba (included in highlights of Jordan tours)
So for most visitors taking a tour from Tel Aviv to Petra is the cheaper way to visit Petra, as well as being more efficient, informative, and fun.
