Where to stay · Petra · Jordan
Where to stay in Petra
6 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Visitor Centre area. Hotels right at the entrance gate at the bottom of Wadi Musa. Best alternatives — budget: Wadi Musa town centre.
Key facts
- First visit
- Visitor Centre area
- Families
- Visitor Centre area
- Budget
- Wadi Musa town centre
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Visitor Centre area | Hotels right at the entrance gate at the bottom of Wadi Musa |
| Families | Visitor Centre area | Hotels right at the entrance gate at the bottom of Wadi Musa |
| Couples | Upper Wadi Musa | Hillside hotels with views over the Petra mountains |
| Budget | Wadi Musa town centre | Budget hotels, shawarma shops and the central roundabout |
| Luxury | Visitor Centre area | Hotels right at the entrance gate at the bottom of Wadi Musa |
| Food lovers | Wadi Musa town centre | Budget hotels, shawarma shops and the central roundabout |
| Solo travellers | Wadi Musa town centre | Budget hotels, shawarma shops and the central roundabout |
| Quiet stays | Upper Wadi Musa | Hillside hotels with views over the Petra mountains |
Petra neighbourhoods in detail
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, families and luxury
Visitor Centre area
A handful of hotels stand within a few minutes' walk of the Petra Visitor Centre and the Petra Museum, so you can enter at opening time and return for a rest in the midday heat. Restaurants and shops line the short street leading up from the gate.
- Good
- Walk to the entrance in minutes; Easy midday breaks; Convenient for Petra by Night
- Watch out
- Highest room prices; Busy with day-trip coaches in the morning
- Nearby
- Petra Visitor Centre, Petra Museum, The Siq
$ · Best for budget, solo travellers and food lovers
Wadi Musa town centre
The centre of Wadi Musa, about 2 km uphill from the gate around the main roundabout, holds most of the area's budget hotels, local restaurants, bakeries and grocery shops. Hotels usually offer a shuttle to the entrance, or a taxi takes a few minutes.
- Good
- Lowest prices; Everyday local restaurants; Shuttles to the gate
- Watch out
- Steep walk back from the site; Plain, functional streets
- Nearby
- Ain Musa, Petra Visitor Centre
$$$ · Best for couples, quiet stays and luxury
Upper Wadi Musa
Along the road climbing out of Wadi Musa towards Taybeh and Ain Musa, several larger hotels sit high on the ridge with terraces looking west over the sandstone massif. They are a short drive from the gate and good for sunset views.
- Good
- Panoramic sunset views; Quieter than the centre; Larger hotel grounds
- Watch out
- Taxi or shuttle needed to the gate; Colder at night in winter
- Nearby
- Ain Musa, Wadi Musa town centre
$$$ · Best for couples, quiet stays and culture
Taybeh
About 10 km south of Wadi Musa, the village of Taybeh has a hotel built inside restored 19th-century stone village houses, along with sweeping views over the mountains and Wadi Araba. It suits travellers with a car who want a quieter, atmospheric stay.
- Good
- Calm village setting; Views over the mountains; Distinctive heritage stay
- Watch out
- About 20 minutes by car to the gate; Few restaurants outside the hotel
- Nearby
- Wadi Musa, Petra viewpoints
$$ · Best for couples, quiet stays and solo travellers
Little Petra camps
Around Siq al-Barid and the Beidha valley, about 10 km north of Wadi Musa, tented camps offer simple or more comfortable tents, Bedouin dinners such as zarb cooked under the sand and very dark night skies. They are close to the back trail that leads towards the Monastery.
- Good
- Desert setting and stargazing; Near Little Petra and the back trail; Bedouin food and hospitality
- Watch out
- Transport needed to the main gate; Cold nights in winter; Basic facilities in some camps
- Nearby
- Little Petra, Beidha
$ · Best for culture, budget and solo travellers
Umm Sayhoun
Umm Sayhoun was built in the 1980s to rehouse the Bdul Bedouin families who had lived in Petra's caves. A few homestays and guides operate here, close to the trail that drops into the site near the Monastery side, offering an insight into the community most closely tied to Petra.
- Good
- Direct contact with the local Bedouin community; Near the back trail; Very low prices
- Watch out
- Very few facilities; Best arranged through a guide
- Nearby
- Little Petra, Petra back trail
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor Centre area | $$$$ | Petra Visitor Centre, Petra Museum, The Siq |
| Wadi Musa town centre | $ | Ain Musa, Petra Visitor Centre |
| Upper Wadi Musa | $$$ | Ain Musa, Wadi Musa town centre |
| Taybeh | $$$ | Wadi Musa, Petra viewpoints |
| Little Petra camps | $$ | Little Petra, Beidha |
| Umm Sayhoun | $ | Little Petra, Petra back trail |
Getting to your hotel
Queen Alia International Airport near Amman is about 3 hours by car from Petra along the Desert Highway, and King Hussein International Airport in Aqaba is about 2 hours away. There is no airport at Petra; private transfers, hire cars, taxis and coaches cover the journey.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Petra for first-time visitors?
Visitor Centre area. A handful of hotels stand within a few minutes' walk of the Petra Visitor Centre and the Petra Museum, so you can enter at opening time and return for a rest in the midday heat.
+Where should families stay in Petra?
Visitor Centre area: Walk to the entrance in minutes.
+Which area of Petra is best for a budget stay?
Wadi Musa town centre ($): Budget hotels, shawarma shops and the central roundabout.