Wadi Rum vs Petra: Which Should You Visit?

If you’re planning a trip to Jordan, at some point you’ll find yourself staring at a map thinking: Wadi Rum or Petra? Both are world-famous. Both are genuinely spectacular. And both always end up in the same sentence when people talk about what makes Jordan one of the most extraordinary travel destinations on the planet.

Here’s the thing — it’s the wrong question. Wadi Rum and Petra aren’t really competing with each other. They’re wildly different experiences that happen to sit a couple of hours apart. Comparing them is a bit like asking whether you’d rather see the Northern Lights or the Grand Canyon. The best answer is: if you can, do both.

That said, we know not everyone has unlimited time or budget, so in this guide we’ll break down exactly what each destination offers, what it costs, and help you make the call that’s right for your trip.

Pricing disclaimer: All entry fees mentioned in this article are accurate as of 18th February 2026 but are subject to change. Always check the official sources before you travel: visitpetra.jo for Petra and jordanpass.jo for the Jordan Pass.

Petra: The Rose-Red City

Petra is one of those places that genuinely lives up to the hype — which is saying something, because the hype is enormous. This ancient Nabataean city, carved directly into rose-red sandstone cliffs over 2,000 years ago, was famously hidden from the Western world for centuries before Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt stumbled across it in 1812. Today it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, and one of the most visited archaeological sites on Earth.

What to Expect at Petra

You approach Petra through the Siq — a narrow, winding canyon that stretches for over a kilometre. The walls close in around you, the light shifts, and then, suddenly, through a crack in the rock, you get your first glimpse of Al-Khazneh: The Treasury. It’s one of travel’s great reveal moments, and honestly no photograph quite does it justice.

But Petra is far more than that one iconic facade. The site covers over 260 square kilometres and contains hundreds of tombs, temples, a Roman street, a theatre carved from rock, a colonnaded street, and the vast Monastery (Ad Deir) — which many argue is even more impressive than the Treasury, though it requires a steep 45-minute hike to reach. The site also has a High Place of Sacrifice with sweeping views across the valley, the Royal Tombs, and countless smaller monuments to explore along the way.

If you’re a history enthusiast, you could genuinely spend three full days at Petra and still feel like you’ve barely scratched the surface. First-time visitors who only have one day should plan carefully — comfortable shoes are essential, and bring more water than you think you’ll need.

Best For

History lovers, archaeology enthusiasts, photographers chasing that iconic Treasury shot, and anyone who has ever watched Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Petra is also a wonderful destination for families — children tend to be absolutely captivated by the scale of what the Nabataeans built here.

Petra Entry Fees

Optional extras include tourist guide services (from 50 JD for the main trail), club cars that carry you from the visitor centre to the Treasury (15–25 JD), and 4×4 transfers to the Monastery trail for 5 JD per person one way. The separate Petra by Night show requires an additional ticket and is not included with the Jordan Pass.

Two days at Petra is the sweet spot for most visitors. You’ll see the main highlights on day one and still have the energy to reach the Monastery and explore the lesser-visited corners on day two — all for just 5 JD more than a one-day ticket.

Wadi Rum: The Valley of the Moon

If Petra is Jordan’s ancient world, Wadi Rum is its wild heart. The largest and most spectacular desert in Jordan, Wadi Rum stretches across 720 square kilometres of red and orange sandstone mountains, towering cliffs, sweeping dunes, and vast open plains. It’s been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011 in recognition of both its extraordinary natural landscape and its 12,000-year history of human habitation.

You’ve almost certainly seen Wadi Rum on screen without realising it. Its otherworldly terrain has stood in for Mars in films like The Martian, Dune, and Red Planet, and it’s appeared in Lawrence of Arabia, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Transformers, and many more. Standing in the middle of it, you’ll understand immediately why filmmakers keep coming back.

What to Expect in Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum is not a place you observe — it’s a place you experience. You explore it from the back of a 4×4 jeep, weaving between rock formations and canyons that seem to change colour as the light shifts through the day. You ride camels across the sands at sunset. You scramble up rock bridges and peer into narrow crevices painted with ancient Nabataean inscriptions. And after dark, you sleep under a sky so full of stars it barely feels real.

This is still very much the homeland of the Bedouin, and the best experiences here are shaped by genuine Bedouin hospitality — sharing tea in a goat-hair tent, hearing stories around a campfire, eating slow-cooked zarb (a traditional underground Bedouin BBQ). It’s the kind of travel that stays with you.

Best For

Adventure seekers, stargazers, photographers, solo travellers, and anyone craving a genuine connection with nature and Bedouin culture. Wadi Rum is also exceptional for those who want to slow down — there’s something deeply calming about spending a night in the desert with no light pollution, no Wi-Fi, and nothing but the sound of wind and silence.

Wadi Rum Entry Fees

Note that the 5 JD entry covers access to the Wadi Rum Protected Area — it doesn’t include any of the activities that make it magical. Tours, overnight stays, camel rides and treks are all booked separately.

Visiting Wadi Rum? Stay with us! See Wadi Rum are proud to be one of the most popular tour operators in the Wadi Rum desert. We offer 4×4 tours, camel rides, overnight stays and more. Book your stay with us today!

Wadi Rum vs Petra: Side by Side

So, Which Should You Choose?

Here’s our honest take: Petra and Wadi Rum are not rivals. They don’t offer the same thing. Petra will blow your mind with the scale of human ambition — what the Nabataeans built here, without modern tools, in this remote and unforgiving landscape, is genuinely staggering. Wadi Rum, on the other hand, reminds you how small and temporary we all are — and how beautiful that is.

If you absolutely had to choose just one, here’s a rough guide: if you love history and archaeology above all else, and you’re visiting Jordan for the first time, Petra probably edges it. But if you’re after something more immersive — an experience rather than a sight — Wadi Rum could well be the more memorable of the two.

Most visitors to Jordan find a way to do both, and we’d strongly recommend it. They’re less than two hours apart by road, and with a bit of planning (especially if you pick up a Jordan Pass), you can see both without it feeling rushed.

Save Money with the Jordan Pass

If you’re visiting from overseas and planning to spend a few days in Jordan, the Jordan Pass is almost certainly worth it. It covers entry to over 40 attractions across Jordan — including both Petra and Wadi Rum — and also includes your tourist visa fee on arrival (which alone typically costs around 56 JD for most nationalities).

When you consider that a single-day Petra ticket costs 50 JD and Wadi Rum entry is 5 JD, and the visa is included on top, the maths works out favourably for most international visitors.

What’s included with the Jordan Pass? Entry to Petra (1, 2 or 3 days depending on which pass you choose), entry to Wadi Rum Protected Area, Jerash, Amman Citadel, Ajloun Castle, Karak Castle, Quseir Amra, Umm Qays, and dozens more sites across Jordan — all in one purchase. Check the full list at jordanpass.jo.

Once you’re inside Wadi Rum with your Jordan Pass, the activities are where the real experience begins. A 4×4 jeep tour takes you deep into the desert to places no person on foot could reach in a day. A night under the stars in the Wadi Rum desert is, for many people, the single most memorable experience of their entire trip to Jordan. It’s something you genuinely can’t replicate anywhere else.

How to Visit Both Petra and Wadi Rum

The two sites sit along the same road in southern Jordan, which makes planning a combined visit straightforward. A common and very effective route for visitors flying into Aqaba is to head to Wadi Rum first (about an hour’s drive), spend a night in the desert, and then make the roughly 1.5-hour drive to Petra the following day. Alternatively, if you’re coming from Amman or the Dead Sea, you might hit Petra first on your way south.

Either way, two nights across both sites (one in Wadi Rum, one or two in Petra) gives you a genuinely satisfying glimpse of Jordan’s south without feeling like you’re ticking boxes. If you have more time, we’d always recommend slowing down — an extra night in Wadi Rum especially changes the experience entirely.

Ready to book your Wadi Rum adventure? We’d love to be part of your Jordan trip. Take a look at what we offer here and get in touch.