Season guide · Petra · Jordan
Petra in winter
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Azurfrog, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Cold mornings, occasional rain and rare snow, but quiet trails and lower hotel prices. Expect highs up to 14°C (57°F) and lows around 3°C (37°F), with about 14 rainy days across December–February.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- 3°C (37°F) to 14°C (57°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 14
- Crowds
- Quiet
- Hotel prices
- Low
Weather in winter
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 12°C (54°F) | 3°C (37°F) | 5 | 10.4 h | 2/5 |
| February | 14°C (57°F) | 4°C (39°F) | 5 | 11.1 h | 2/5 |
| December | 13°C (55°F) | 4°C (39°F) | 4 | 10.2 h | 2/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 13°C (55°F) against a yearly 23°C (73°F), and 14 of the year's roughly 25 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 2/5 and hotel prices 2/5 on average.
Good choices for winter
Museum · Visitor Centre area
Petra Museum
Visit on your first afternoon to understand what you will see in the Siq and the city centre the next morning.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Day trips in winter
- Aqaba (About 2 hours by car) — Jordan's Red Sea port has beaches, coral reefs for snorkelling and diving along the South Beach coast, and a small Mamluk-era fort.
- Kerak Castle (About 2 hours by car) — One of the largest Crusader castles in the Levant, Kerak's warren of vaulted halls and passages sits above the town on the King's Highway.
What to pack
- Layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is winter a good time to visit Petra?
It is a trade-off: Cold mornings, occasional rain and rare snow, but quiet trails and lower hotel prices. The best months overall are March–May and October–November.
+What is the weather like in Petra in winter?
Highs of up to 14°C (57°F) and lows around 3°C (37°F), with about 14 rainy days over the season.