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Voykit pocket guide · Jordan
Wadi Musa (Petra)
وادي موسى
Stay in Wadi Musa for Petra: two nights gives two full days at the site plus one evening for Petra by Night, without rushing the 800-step climb to the Monastery.
Wadi Musa is the town beside Petra, Jordan's main archaeological site and a UNESCO World Heritage listing. Most visitors walk the 1.2 km Siq canyon to the Treasury facade, then continue past the Royal Tombs to the Monastery, an 800-step climb. One day covers the Treasury and Royal Tombs; a second day is needed for the Monastery and the High Place of Sacrifice without rushing.
- Country
- Jordan
- Local name
- وادي موسى
- Best months
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov (mild days for the long walks)
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (over 35°C with little shade in the Siq), Dec–Feb (cold nights, occasional flash-flood closures)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JOD
- Money
- Jordanian dinar (JOD) is divided into 1,000 fils (or 100 piastres); one dinar is a high-value note.
- SIM and data
- Zain, Orange and Umniah sell tourist SIMs at Queen Alia arrivals; passport registration is required.
- Emergency
- Police, ambulance and fire 911 · Country code +962
- Plugs
- Types C, D, F, G, J · 230 V · 50 Hz · European two-pin plugs fit most sockets; UK three-pin (G) is common in newer hotels. Bring a universal adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Round up or 5–10% if no service charge; many mid-range places add 10%.; Taxi / Careem: Round up to the next half or whole dinar.; Guide, half day: JOD 5–10 per person.; Driver, full day: JOD 10–20.; Wadi Rum camp staff and jeep driver: JOD 5–10 per group, per day.; Hotel porter: JOD 1 per bag.
- Water
- Treated at source but stored in rooftop tanks; drink bottled or filtered. Water is scarce — short showers help.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, malls and restaurants; squat toilets at some bus stations. A hose replaces paper in many places. Petra has toilet blocks along the main trail.
Get in
By air
- AQJ · King Hussein International (Aqaba)
- About 2 h by car or shared shuttle; the nearer practical airport for most itineraries.
- AMM · Queen Alia International (Amman)
- About 3–3.5 h by car or JETT bus; the main international gateway to Jordan.
Get around
Petra itself is on foot only, and the walk to the Monastery and back is several hours over uneven stone steps. Buses and shared taxis link Wadi Musa with Amman, Aqaba and Wadi Rum; agree the fare or check the JETT/minibus schedule before you set off.
See and do
Known for
- Petra
- The Siq and the Treasury
- The Monastery
- Royal Tombs
- Petra by Night candlelit walk
- Little Petra
Sleep
- Near the Petra visitor centre
- Shortest walk to the gate, useful for an early start before the heat or crowds.
- Town centre (Shaheed Street)
- Restaurants and cheaper rooms, a short taxi or 10–15 min walk from the gate.
- Hillside hotels above town
- Valley views and quieter at night; need a taxi to the gate in the dark for Petra by Night.
Language
Arabic is the language; the spoken Jordanian dialect is Levantine, close to Palestinian and Syrian speech, with Bedouin dialects in the south. English is common in hotels, tourism and among educated Amman residents, much less in villages and with taxi drivers.
- Useful words: marhaba (hello), shukran (thank you), la shukran (no thanks), yalla (let's go), addesh? (how much?), inshallah (God willing — often means 'maybe').
- WhatsApp is the default channel for hotels, drivers and camps.
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Salam alaykum or marhaba; handshake between men; wait for a woman to offer her hand; avoid: Kissing or hugging someone of the other sex in greeting
- Hospitality: Accept tea or coffee; eat a little when invited; avoid: Refusing all food and drink outright
- Right hand: Eat, pass things and pay with the right hand; avoid: Using the left hand to offer food
- Feet: Keep soles on the ground when sitting; avoid: Pointing the soles of your feet at people
- Mosques: Covered arms and legs, headscarf for women, shoes off; avoid: Entering during prayer times unless invited
- Dress in town: Long trousers or skirts, shirts with sleeves; avoid: Shorts and swimwear away from resorts
- Photography: Ask first, especially with women and Bedouin families; avoid: Photographing police, soldiers or checkpoints
- Politics: Listen; opinions on Palestine run deep; avoid: Joking about the King or the royal family
Scams and watch-outs
- Wear sturdy shoes and carry more water than you think you need; Petra involves several hours of walking in direct sun with little shade.
- Touts at the Siq entrance and along the trail push camel, donkey and horse-cart rides at inflated prices beyond the short included horse stretch near the entrance; agree any price before you get on.
- Flash floods have closed and, in past events, endangered visitors in the Siq during heavy rain; do not enter if authorities restrict access.
- Ticket and Jordan Pass prices change; confirm current rates with the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority before you buy.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Wadi Musa (Petra) yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Petra
- The Siq and the Treasury
- The Monastery
- Royal Tombs
- Petra by Night candlelit walk
- Little Petra
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Jordan: www.visitjordan.com/
- Petra National Trust: www.petranationaltrust.org/
- Wikivoyage — Petra: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Petra
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/wadi-musa). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.