From Eilat: 2-Day Petra & Wadi Rum Tour with Camp Stay

Petra is the star here, but sleeping in Wadi Rum gives this two-day trip its real character. You walk through Petra’s rose-colored canyons and ancient monuments, then trade stone corridors for open desert, Bedouin food, and a sky full of stars. I like the English-speaking Petra guide and the included lunch, which keep the first day simple and focused.

I also like that the tour combines Jordan’s two best-known sights without asking you to arrange several separate transfers. The 2-hour Jeep ride adds a proper taste of Wadi Rum rather than leaving you at camp all afternoon. The main caution is timing: border delays, long drives, and changes in the schedule can reduce your time at Petra, so this suits flexible visitors more than anyone seeking a tightly controlled trip.

Key points to know before crossing from Eilat

• Petra gets a three-hour guided visit: You’ll see the Treasury, temples, caves, mourning houses, and other Nabataean remains across a large archaeological site.
• Wadi Rum means a genuine desert night: The camp stay includes breakfast, and the standard tent has its shower and toilet outside.
• The private-bathroom upgrade matters: A 4-star tent adds an indoor shower and toilet, useful if you value comfort after a dusty day.
• The Jeep ride is a real highlight: Expect about two hours among Wadi Rum’s sandstone formations and canyons.
• The border fee is extra: Budget $140 per person for Jordan border fees, and understand that this money is non-refundable once paid.
• This is an active trip: Comfortable shoes, sun protection, warm winter clothing, and the ability to walk around Petra are essential.

Why Petra and Wadi Rum work well together

This tour pairs two very different sides of Jordan. Petra is a monumental archaeological site shaped by the Nabataeans, a trading people who carved buildings into sandstone and built a major city in a harsh region. Wadi Rum is more open and elemental, with broad sand flats, weathered rock walls, and Bedouin communities adapted to desert conditions.

I like the contrast. Petra gives you carved facades, temples, caves, and ancient engineering. Wadi Rum gives you silence, distance, and a closer look at desert life. In only two days, you get both the famous sight and the setting that helps explain why the region has always demanded skill and patience from the people who live there.

The tour costs $372 per person before the $140 border fee. That makes the total basic cost $512 per person, before extra meals and drinks. It is not a cheap overnight outing, but the price includes round-trip transportation from Eilat, Petra admission, a three-hour guided visit, lunch, the Wadi Rum transfer, camp accommodation, breakfast, and the Jeep ride.

The value depends on how much planning you want to avoid. You are paying for a cross-border route that would otherwise require you to organize transport, entry tickets, a Petra guide, desert transfers, camp accommodation, and a Jeep tour. If you prefer independent travel and have plenty of time in Jordan, you may find the package restrictive. If you have only two days and want the major sights arranged together, the cost is easier to justify.

Leaving Eilat and crossing into Jordan

Pickup is from your Eilat hotel, with the stated departure at 8:30 AM. The tour information lists Retamim Street 133 as the pickup location, but you should confirm the exact meeting details with the local partner before departure. You also need to provide passport details for everyone in your party.

The border crossing is the part of the trip with the least control. You must carry your passport or ID card, and restricted nationalities may need to arrange a visa through the relevant embassy. The $140 border fee per person is not included in the tour price. It is also non-refundable after payment, even if poor weather or another cancellation stops the tour later.

Allow a patient frame of mind here. One reported departure ran late, and the group was combined with another party at the border. The same account described a long stop in Aqaba and a shop visit that felt more like waiting than sightseeing. That may not happen on every departure, but it shows why you should not plan an important flight or fixed appointment immediately after returning.

Bring your own drinking water for the journey. The supplied information also asks you to confirm the pickup point and passport details in advance, two small steps that can prevent a bad start.

Petra, from the canyon entrance to the Treasury

Once you reach Wadi Musa, the town beside Petra, the main sightseeing begins. You receive a one-day Petra entrance ticket and spend about three hours with an English-speaking guide. The route takes you into one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world, where the Nabataeans carved and built more than 800 recorded objects and structures.

The approach itself is part of the drama. Petra is not simply a monument placed beside a road. You move through a narrow sandstone passage before the famous Treasury comes into view. That first sight is memorable because the building appears suddenly between the rock walls, with its detailed facade cut directly into the stone.

The Treasury is only one part of the site. Your guide is scheduled to explain the temples, caves, mourning houses, and other remains, along with Nabataean art, gods, trade, and daily life. This context matters. Without it, Petra can look like a collection of impressive facades. With a guide, the carved spaces begin to make more sense as parts of a functioning city and burial center.

Three hours gives you a useful introduction, not a complete exploration. Petra is large, uneven, and demanding under the sun. You should expect walking over rough ground, so comfortable closed shoes are required. Open-toed shoes are not allowed, and this is sensible advice for both footing and heat.

The schedule deserves attention. One account described a later arrival at Petra, an unexplained two-hour stop on the road, and only about two and a half hours at the site. It also reported that tickets and a guide were arranged very close to arrival. That account is a warning rather than a guarantee, but it tells you to treat the Petra time as valuable. Stay close to the group, listen for meeting instructions, and do not assume you can wander far from the main route.

Lunch in Petra and the road to Wadi Rum

Lunch is included after the Petra visit. Additional meals and drinks are not included, so keep some money available and do not assume every meal on the journey is covered.

The drive to Wadi Rum is part of the day’s long transfer. The desert is not a quick hop from Petra, and the exact travel time can change with border procedures, road stops, and group arrangements. This is why the two-day format feels full. You get a strong sample of southern Jordan, but you do not get much spare time.

Be alert to unplanned stops. The supplied experience details do not promise a sightseeing stop in Aqaba, and one account described waiting at a shop during a lengthy interruption. I would treat any such stop as dead time rather than part of the tour’s core value. The strongest experiences are Petra itself and the Wadi Rum camp and Jeep ride.

Wadi Rum by Jeep, with sandstone and open sky

Wadi Rum has a very different mood from Petra. Instead of carved facades and crowded pathways, you see huge sandstone formations, open sand, and canyons shaped by wind and weather. The desert can be brutally hot in summer and freezing in winter. It is beautiful, but it is not gentle.

The included Jeep tour lasts about two hours. This is the right way to see more of the area than you could on foot during a short visit. Your guide will take you through the desert and explain the Bedouin way of life, adding meaning to the scenery rather than treating it as a quick photo stop.

The Jeep ride is also where the tour feels most adventurous. You are not just looking at Wadi Rum from a camp doorway. You are moving through its rock formations and seeing how the desert changes as light crosses the stone. Bring sunglasses, a hat, sunscreen, and comfortable clothing. Sand and sun are part of the setting, not minor annoyances.

Pack a change of clothes too. After Petra’s walking and the dusty Jeep ride, clean clothing will make the camp stay more comfortable. In winter, bring warm layers. The desert can become very cold after sunset, even if the afternoon feels mild.

Spending the night in a Bedouin camp

The overnight camp is the most distinctive part of the trip. You sleep in a Bedouin-style tent rather than returning to a conventional hotel, and the setting gives you a better sense of desert life than a quick daytime drive can provide.

The standard tent has the shower and toilet outside. That may be perfectly workable if you care most about the atmosphere and are comfortable with basic camp arrangements. If you want more privacy and an easier morning, choose the 4-star tent upgrade, which includes a private shower and toilet inside the tent.

The difference is practical, not just cosmetic. Petra is a dusty, active day, and you may appreciate having your own bathroom at night. The upgrade makes the camp more like a small desert hotel, while the standard option keeps the experience simpler.

Breakfast at the camp is included. The supplied information does not promise a full list of camp activities beyond the stay and the Jeep tour, so do not book this expecting a long schedule of organized evening entertainment. The setting itself is the main attraction: desert darkness, quiet rock walls, and stars when the sky is clear.

One positive account described a camp with a swimming pool, good food, and an exceptionally starry night. Since camp facilities can vary by departure and accommodation choice, you should confirm exactly what is included in your selected tent category. Still, that report points to the best version of this overnight: comfortable enough to relax, but far enough from city lights to feel like a true desert night.

The second morning and the return journey

The itinerary lists a guided Wadi Rum sightseeing period before the return to Eilat. Exact departure times are not fixed in the supplied information, so ask your guide about the morning schedule when you arrive at camp.

The return can be tiring. You have a border crossing, road travel, and two substantial sightseeing areas packed into a short trip. If you are prone to motion sickness or simply dislike long transfers, carry water and keep your plans for the evening light.

The tour returns to the Eilat pickup point at Retamim Street 133. Do not schedule a late flight, formal dinner, or other fixed commitment too close to the expected return. Border traffic and road delays can change the timing.

What to pack for Petra and Wadi Rum

The packing list is short, but every item has a job:

• Passport or ID card, plus the requested passport details for each person
• Comfortable closed shoes for Petra
• Sunglasses and a sun hat
• Sunscreen
• Comfortable clothing
• A change of clothes
• Warm clothing for winter departures
• Your own drinking water

I would not cut corners on shoes. Petra involves walking on uneven ground, and open-toed shoes are specifically not permitted. You should also dress for changing temperatures. Wadi Rum can feel punishing under the summer sun and cold after dark in winter.

This tour is not suitable for people with mobility impairments. Petra’s walking conditions, the desert transfer, and the camp setting all make that limitation important.

How the tour handles cancellations and flexibility

You can cancel up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund, and you can reserve now and pay later. Those terms are useful if your Jordan plans are still moving.

Weather is a real factor. The tour may be cancelled in adverse conditions, but border fees already paid remain non-refundable. That creates a financial risk you should understand before committing, especially because the border fee is $140 per person.

The activity is offered with an English-speaking live guide. No other language is listed, so English is the safe choice for anyone who needs to follow detailed instructions during border crossings, walking tours, and meeting points.

Who should book this two-day Jordan trip?

I would recommend it to you if you are staying in Eilat, want to see Petra and Wadi Rum in one package, and prefer not to arrange Jordanian transport yourself. It is especially suitable if the idea of a Bedouin camp and a desert Jeep ride appeals as much as Petra’s monuments.

Solo visitors can also fit comfortably into the arrangement. Single bookings receive single accommodation, while three-person bookings receive three-person accommodation. Confirm the exact sleeping setup when booking if room arrangements matter to you.

I would hesitate if you need precise timing, dislike border uncertainty, or want several hours to explore Petra independently. The trip can involve delays, group changes, and long road sections. Petra receives a three-hour guided visit, not a leisurely full-day exploration.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want a compact introduction to southern Jordan and value having transport, admission, guiding, lunch, camp accommodation, breakfast, and a Jeep ride bundled together. The best parts are clearly the contrast between Petra and Wadi Rum, plus the chance to sleep in the desert instead of rushing back to Eilat.

Before paying, add the $140 border fee to the advertised price, confirm your pickup point, decide if the private-bathroom tent is worth the upgrade, and leave room in your schedule for delays. If you can accept that uncertainty, this is a practical way to reach two major Jordan sights in two days. If you want maximum time at Petra or complete control over every stop, arrange a longer and more independent visit instead.

FAQ

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts two days and includes Petra, Wadi Rum, an overnight camp stay, and the return to Eilat.

Where does pickup take place?

Pickup is included from all hotels in Eilat. Retamim Street 133 is listed as the pickup location, but you should confirm the exact meeting point with the local partner.

What time does pickup begin?

The stated pickup time is 8:30 AM.

Is a Jordan visa included?

No. Jordan visa and border fees are not included. The border fee is listed as $140 per person.

Is the border fee refundable?

No. Border fees are non-refundable after payment, including if the tour is cancelled because of weather or another circumstance.

Is Petra admission included?

Yes. The tour includes a one-day entrance ticket to Petra.

How long is the guided Petra visit?

The included Petra tour lasts three hours and is led in English.

Is lunch included?

Lunch in Petra is included. Additional meals and drinks are not included, apart from the listed breakfast at the Bedouin camp.

Does the Bedouin tent have a private bathroom?

The standard tent has the shower and toilet outside. You can upgrade to a 4-star tent with a private shower and toilet.

What should I bring?

Bring your passport or ID card, comfortable closed shoes, sunglasses, a sun hat, sunscreen, comfortable clothes, a change of clothes, warm clothing in winter, and your own drinking water.