02 Days with 01 overnight Petra and Wadi Rum Tour from Eilat Border

Petra and Wadi Rum make a powerful one-two punch: one is a rose-colored Nabataean city carved into cliffs, the other is a wide desert of sandstone and granite. This organized trip handles the awkward parts, including the Eilat border crossing, private transfers, entrance fees, meals, and a Bedouin overnight stay.

I like the generous mix of experiences. You get a full guided visit to Petra, a four to five-hour Jeep ride in Wadi Rum, sunset and dinner at camp, plus breakfast and lunch. I also like that Andrea and Mohammed are available as responsive contacts before the trip. The main consideration is the price, $587 per person, which is reasonable for what is bundled in, but optional rides, tips, and possible Jordan departure tax can push the final cost higher.

Key points before you book

• Petra gets proper attention: You have about four hours at the archaeological site, including a three-hour English-speaking guided visit and lunch.
• Wadi Rum is more than a quick photo stop: A four to five-hour Jeep tour gives you time among the sandstone and granite formations.
• The overnight camp changes the pace: You get Bedouin tea, a BBQ dinner, breakfast, and the chance to experience the desert after the day trippers leave.
• The border assistance matters: Meet-and-assist service at the Eilat border takes some of the uncertainty out of entering Jordan.
• The horse ride is included but not entirely free: A 700-meter ride from Petra’s main gate is included, though the horse handler expects a tip.
• Extras need a budget: Camel rides, a Petra carriage, and a Wadi Rum hot-air balloon ride cost extra, as do tips and a possible $15 Jordan departure tax.

Why this Eilat to Jordan trip works

A visit to Petra and Wadi Rum from Eilat is possible on your own, but the border, transfers, admissions, meals, and remote desert transport create a lot of moving parts. This tour puts those pieces under one booking, which is its main strength.

You meet in Eilat, in Israel’s Southern District, then cross into Jordan with assistance. After that, transportation is by a new car with an English-speaking driver and assistant driver. The service is private, so only your group takes part. That matters if you prefer direct transport and a schedule shaped around your party rather than a large coach.

The trip is sold as two days with one overnight, though the stated duration is approximately two to three days. Read that as a short overnight Jordan excursion rather than a tightly timed day trip. Exact border time and the day’s running order can affect how long the full journey takes.

At $587 per person, the price is not bargain-basement. It covers the major costs that can otherwise pile up quickly: private transfers, Petra admission, guided touring, Wadi Rum transport, one night at camp, meals, mineral water, and assistance at the border. If you were paying for each service separately, the convenience would be harder to match.

Still, you should leave room for gratuities, personal expenses, optional activities, and a Jordan departure tax of 10 Jordanian dinars, listed as about $15, when applied. Ask about the exact final inclusions before you pay, especially if your budget is tight.

Crossing from Eilat into Jordan

The border is the part of this journey that most benefits from organized help. The tour includes meet-and-assist service when you arrive at the Eilat border, so you are not left to figure out the crossing without support.

That does not mean the border becomes instant or effortless. Border procedures can still take time, and the exact departure tax may apply. Keep your passport and required documents easy to reach, follow the instructions of the assistant, and avoid planning another fixed activity immediately after the tour.

The private car transfer is another practical plus. A new vehicle, an English-speaking driver, and an assistant driver give you a direct connection between the border, Petra, Wadi Rum, and camp. You are not simply buying a sightseeing ticket. You are paying for the transport system that makes this cross-border trip workable.

Andrea and Mohammed are useful names to keep handy during the booking process. They are associated with clear, responsive communication, which can be especially helpful when confirming availability, optional activities, and border details.

Petra’s Siq and rose-red ruins

Petra is the main event, and the approach itself is part of the drama. The city is known as the rose-red city because of the color of the rock carved into its tombs, temples, and public buildings.

The Nabataeans used this place for burial, trade, worship, and settlement. Later Roman and Byzantine influences added features such as the colonnaded street and churches. The site also records human settlement and land use over more than 10,000 years, so Petra is more than a famous facade. It is a large archaeological area where geology and human history meet.

You have around four hours at Petra, with an English-speaking guide for about three of those hours. That is enough time for a solid introduction and a guided route through the most important areas, though it is not an open-ended full-day exploration.

The included 700-meter horse ride from the main gate is optional. You do not have to take it, and the handler expects a tip. If you prefer to walk, simply decline it. If you want the ride, clarify exactly where it takes you and how gratuity works before setting off.

A horse-drawn carriage is also available for $40 per carriage, with a maximum of two people. It can be arranged at Petra’s gate and does not need to be booked in advance. A camel ride is another option at about $15 per camel per hour, payable locally.

Lunch at Al Qantara Restaurant or a similar restaurant is included. That is useful because Petra takes energy, and having a meal arranged keeps you from losing time searching for somewhere to eat. Mineral water is also supplied, with additional water on board the vehicle.

The main drawback is that Petra can feel compressed if you want to wander beyond the standard guided route. Four hours is a respectable visit, but the site is large. If your priority is climbing to the Monastery or exploring every side path, ask how much independent time is available before you book.

Wadi Rum by Jeep, from stone arches to open desert

Wadi Rum is called the Valley of the Moon. It is a vast valley cut into sandstone and granite in southern Jordan, about 60 kilometers east of Aqaba. The scenery is very different from Petra. Petra is enclosed, carved, and architectural. Wadi Rum opens outward, with broad desert views and towering rock formations.

The included Jeep tour lasts four to five hours. Your English-speaking guide also serves as the driver, taking you into the desert by private Jeep. This is the right way to see Wadi Rum because the experience depends on moving between separated rock formations, open stretches, and viewing areas rather than staying near the village.

Bedouin tea and Bedouin hospitality are included, along with mineral water and a boxed lunch during the desert portion. These details are small but important. A long Jeep outing is more pleasant when you are not worrying about finding food or carrying enough water.

The optional camel ride costs about 10 Jordanian dinars, or $15, per camel per hour. You can arrange it when you arrive in Wadi Rum, so you do not need to commit in advance. The same price is listed for a camel ride at Petra, though the setting and pace will be different.

A hot-air balloon ride is offered in Wadi Rum for one hour, usually early in the morning between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m. It costs 130 Jordanian dinars, listed as about $185 per person, and advance booking is required. That is a major supplement, so treat it as a separate splurge rather than part of the basic tour.

The Jeep portion is likely to be the most relaxed part of the trip. Petra asks you to absorb layers of archaeology and movement through a large site. Wadi Rum lets you sit back, watch the desert change around you, and enjoy the scale of the place. You should still expect a bumpy ride, since the tour uses a Jeep over desert terrain, though the supplied details do not specify the exact vehicle model or seating setup.

One night at a Bedouin camp

The overnight stay is what separates this tour from a quick Petra and Wadi Rum outing. You sleep at a Bedouin camp, with a BBQ dinner and breakfast included.

The value is not just the bed. Staying overnight means you can experience Wadi Rum after the main sightseeing period and avoid packing both major sites into one exhausting day. You also get a desert sunset as part of the overnight rhythm, rather than seeing the area only through a transfer window.

The camp is described as offering real Bedouin hospitality, tea, dinner, and breakfast. The exact room style and facilities are not specified, so ask if you need details about bedding, bathrooms, electricity, or heating. It is best to approach this as a desert camp, not a conventional hotel.

Dinner and breakfast are included, and lunch is provided during the tour. The food arrangement makes the $587 price easier to justify, especially since remote desert areas are not places where you want to improvise every meal.

What is included, and what will cost extra

The core package is broad:

• Border meet-and-assist service at Eilat
• Private transfers in a new car
• English-speaking driver and assistant driver
• Four to five-hour Wadi Rum Jeep tour
• English-speaking guide in Petra for about three hours
• Petra admission
• One night at a Bedouin camp
• BBQ dinner and breakfast
• Lunch in Petra
• Boxed lunch in Wadi Rum
• Mineral water and Bedouin tea
• The 700-meter horse ride at Petra, if you choose it

Several costs are outside the package. Tips for guides, drivers, and the horse handler are not included. A carriage in Petra costs $40 for up to two people. Camel rides cost about $15 per camel per hour, and the hot-air balloon costs about $185 per person with advance booking.

Personal expenses and travel insurance are also excluded. The Jordan departure tax may be charged at 10 Jordanian dinars, or about $15. Bring a little flexibility into your budget rather than treating $587 as the absolute final figure.

Who will like this private tour

I would recommend this experience to you if you want Petra and Wadi Rum in a short window and do not want to coordinate a foreign border, remote transport, admissions, meals, and camp booking yourself.

It is particularly suited to couples, families, and small groups that value a private vehicle. Most people can participate, and service animals are allowed. The tour also suits anyone who wants both a major archaeological site and a desert overnight rather than choosing between them.

You may want a different arrangement if you want a slow, independent Petra visit, a luxury hotel, or a fixed schedule with no border uncertainty. Four hours at Petra gives you a useful introduction, but it may not satisfy a serious archaeology enthusiast who wants every trail and monument.

The extra activities also need thought. A camel ride adds local flavor at a modest cost. The Petra carriage may help if walking is difficult, but it has a two-person limit and costs extra. The balloon ride is a much larger expense, and it requires advance planning.

Booking, cancellation, and practical checks

Confirmation is sent within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability. Since the tour requires a minimum number of participants, it can be canceled if that minimum is not met. In that case, you are offered a different date or experience, or a full refund.

You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations made less than 24 hours before the local start time are not accepted for a refund.

Before booking, confirm the exact start time, border meeting instructions, camp facilities, and whether the departure tax applies to your crossing. Also ask how much free time you will have at Petra after the guided portion. These questions do not change the basic value of the tour, but they help match it to your expectations.

Should you book this Petra and Wadi Rum tour?

Book it if you want the practical benefits of an organized private trip and see the overnight camp as part of the point, not just a place to sleep. The combination of border support, Petra admission and guiding, Wadi Rum transport, meals, and one night in the desert gives you a lot for the price.

I would especially choose it for a first visit from Eilat, a family trip, or a short holiday where time matters. I would hesitate only if your main goal is an inexpensive Petra day trip or a long, independent stay inside the archaeological site.

For most people comparing cross-border options, this is a strong convenience package. Just budget for tips and optional rides, confirm the details before departure, and accept that Petra will be an organized introduction rather than a complete exploration.

FAQ

Where does the tour start?

The tour starts in Eilat, in Israel’s Southern District, with meet-and-assist service at the Eilat border.

How long is the experience?

It is described as a two-day tour with one overnight stay, with an approximate total duration of two to three days.

Is transportation included?

Yes. Transfers are provided in a new car with an English-speaking driver and assistant driver. The Wadi Rum portion uses a Jeep with an English-speaking guide who is also the driver.

How long is the Petra visit?

The Petra stop lasts about four hours. An English-speaking guide leads approximately three hours of the visit.

Is the Petra horse ride included?

A 700-meter horse ride from Petra’s main gate is included and is not mandatory. The horse handler expects a tip. A horse-drawn carriage and camel ride cost extra.

What is included at Wadi Rum?

The package includes a four to five-hour Jeep tour, an English-speaking guide, mineral water, Bedouin tea, a boxed lunch, and one night at a Bedouin camp with BBQ dinner and breakfast.

How much does the hot-air balloon ride cost?

The optional one-hour Wadi Rum balloon ride costs 130 Jordanian dinars, listed as about $185 per person. It takes place in the early morning, usually between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m., and must be booked in advance.