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

Petra and Wadi Rum make a powerful two-country trip. This private tour from Eilat takes care of the difficult pieces, including the assisted border crossing, Jordanian transport, entrance fees, a Petra guide, and a night in a Bedouin camp. I especially like the full day devoted to Petra and the four to five-hour Jeep trip through Wadi Rum, since both places deserve more than a rushed photo stop. The main thing to consider is the price, $587 per person, which is a serious outlay once you add optional rides and any border departure tax.

The company also gets warm praise for the quick, helpful communication of Andrea and Mohammed. That matters here: crossing into Jordan involves timing, documents, and several handoffs, so having responsive people behind the booking can ease the nerves. You should still expect an early, fairly busy day and a long stretch of driving, but you get a private trip for your own group rather than a large coach outing.

Four details that shape the whole trip

• The border assistance is built in: Meet-and-assist service begins at the Eilat border, a useful feature for a first visit to Jordan.
• Petra gets about four hours: A three-hour English-speaking guide leads the main visit, leaving time to see more of the site at your own pace.
• Wadi Rum is explored by private Jeep: The four to five-hour trip is led by an English-speaking guide who also drives.
• You sleep in a Bedouin camp: Dinner, breakfast, Bedouin tea, and hospitality are part of the overnight stay.
• A 700-meter horse ride is included: It is optional, and the horse handler expects a tip.
• Optional add-ons cost extra: Camel rides, a Petra carriage, and an early-morning hot-air-balloon ride are not included in the main price.

Why an overnight trip works better than a quick Petra visit

Petra can be visited as a long day trip, but that format leaves little room for anything beyond the main route. This tour gives you an overnight in Jordan, which makes it possible to pair Petra with Wadi Rum instead of choosing one famous site and skipping the other.

The timing also changes the mood. You get a sunset in the desert and a full Petra visit, rather than racing through both places with your watch in hand. The advertised duration is two to three days, approximately, depending on the schedule and border arrangements. The core plan is a two-day, one-night trip.

I like that the tour does not treat Wadi Rum as a short roadside stop. The Jeep outing lasts four to five hours, long enough to make the red desert a main event. You should still keep your expectations practical: this is organized sightseeing, not a remote expedition. Your driver and guide shape the day, and the exact order of stops can depend on local conditions.

Crossing from Eilat into Jordan

The tour starts in Eilat, in Israel’s Southern District, with a meeting at the Eilat border. Meet-and-assist service is included upon arrival at the border. For many people, this will be the most valuable practical feature of the package.

A border crossing can feel confusing when you are carrying luggage, moving between transport providers, and dealing with departure or entry procedures. Here, the tour company helps guide you through that transition. You still need to bring the required travel documents and allow patience for official procedures, since no tour operator controls the border itself.

The crossing may also involve a Jordan departure tax of 10 Jordanian dinars, about $15, when applied. That charge is not included in the tour price. Tips for the driver and guides are also separate, so I would keep cash available for those costs.

Once in Jordan, transfers are made by a brand-new car with an English-speaking driver and assistant driver. The private format means only your group participates. That gives you more control than a large group tour, although it does not mean every minute is flexible.

Petra’s first reveal and the four-hour visit

Petra is famous for the way its carved stone buildings appear in the rose-colored cliffs. The city was created by the Nabataeans, who cut tombs and other structures into the mountainsides. Later Roman and Byzantine influences added features such as the colonnaded street, theater, temples, and churches.

The site is much more than one celebrated façade. Petra records human settlement and land use going back more than 10,000 years, and its natural rock formations are part of the experience. The archaeological remains, stone colors, and narrow mountain passages work together to make the visit memorable.

Your Petra program includes about four hours at the visitors center and archaeological site, with an English-speaking guide for three hours. That arrangement is sensible. A guide can explain what you are looking at, then you have roughly an hour to pause, take photographs, or continue at your own speed.

A 700-meter horse ride from the main gate is included, but it is not mandatory. You can decline it if you prefer to walk. The horse handler expects a tip, so do not mistake the included ride for a completely no-cost activity.

The Petra carriage is another option. It costs $40 for a carriage with a maximum capacity of two people, and you can arrange it at the Petra gate rather than booking it ahead. A camel ride is also available for 10 Jordanian dinars, about $15, per camel per hour. The same option is available in Wadi Rum.

Lunch at Al Qantara Restaurant or a similar restaurant is included. That is useful during a site visit, since leaving Petra for food would cost you sightseeing time. The tour also supplies mineral water, including water on board the vehicle.

Petra can be physically demanding, and the information provided says most people can participate. Even so, you should think about your own walking comfort before booking. The horse ride or carriage can offer an alternative for part of the approach, but the tour does not promise that every area of Petra will be reachable without walking.

Wadi Rum by Jeep, with five hours to look around

Wadi Rum is known as the Valley of the Moon. It is a wide desert valley cut into sandstone and granite in southern Jordan, about 60 kilometers east of Aqaba. It is also the largest wadi in Jordan.

The Jeep tour lasts four to five hours. Your English-speaking Wadi Rum guide is also your driver, so you get one person handling both the route and the explanations. A private Jeep is a better fit for this setting than a standard city vehicle. It lets the desert be the focus, with open views of cliffs, rock formations, and sandy valleys.

The tour includes Bedouin tea, mineral water, and what is described as real Bedouin hospitality. Those small touches matter because Wadi Rum is not simply a collection of photo stops. Tea and time at camp give the day a human connection, even within an organized program.

A box lunch is included during the Wadi Rum portion. Dinner and breakfast are served at the Bedouin camp, and the package also lists breakfast, lunch, and dinner as included meals. I would still check the exact meal timing with the operator before departure, especially if you have dietary needs, since the supplied information does not give a menu or special-diet details.

The desert can look simple from a distance, but the long Jeep outing gives you time to notice the differences between sandstone walls, open sandy areas, and narrow rock corridors. You may find the ride bumpy, as desert Jeep travel is rarely smooth. That is part of the appeal for some people and a drawback for anyone who dislikes jolting drives.

Spending the night in a Bedouin camp

The overnight stay is one of the strongest reasons to choose this tour instead of a single-day crossing. Your accommodation is a Bedouin camp in Wadi Rum, with a BBQ dinner and breakfast included.

You should view this as desert camping, not as a conventional hotel stay. The supplied details do not specify the tent type, private bathroom arrangements, bedding, or heating. If those points matter to you, ask Andrea or Mohammed before paying, since the accommodation details can affect your comfort more than any sightseeing feature.

The evening is designed around the desert setting. You have a chance to see the sunset, drink Bedouin tea, eat dinner, and wake up for breakfast before continuing the program. The optional hot-air-balloon ride takes place early, between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m., and costs 130 Jordanian dinars, about $185, per person. Advance booking is required.

That balloon ride is a major extra charge. I would consider it only if the aerial view is central to your plans and your budget has room. It is not needed to enjoy Wadi Rum, and the Jeep tour already provides the main desert activity included in the package.

Add-ons, tips, and the real cost

The listed price is $587 per person. It covers the parts that often make an independent Petra and Wadi Rum trip complicated: private transfers, entrance to Petra, the Petra guide, the Wadi Rum Jeep tour, camp accommodation, and meals named in the program.

That makes the price easier to understand. You are not paying only for entry to two sites. You are paying for coordination between Eilat and Jordan, a private vehicle, an assisted border crossing, guides, accommodation, and meals. For a short trip across an international border, that convenience has real value.

Still, $587 is not the final possible spend. Set aside money for:

• Tips for the driver and guides
• The Jordan departure tax of 10 JD, about $15, when it applies
• A camel ride, at 10 JD, about $15, per camel per hour
• The Petra carriage, at $40 for up to two people
• The hot-air-balloon ride, at 130 JD, about $185, per person
• Personal expenses and travel insurance

The 700-meter horse ride at Petra is included, but the handler expects a tip. The camel ride does not need advance booking and can be arranged after arrival in Petra or Wadi Rum by asking your guide.

The private nature of the tour helps justify the price for couples, families, or small groups that value direct transport and a dedicated schedule. If you are a solo visitor watching every dollar, the package may feel expensive. If you are anxious about managing the border and Jordanian transport alone, the added cost may buy welcome peace of mind.

Who will get the most from this tour

I would recommend this trip to someone staying in Eilat who wants Petra and Wadi Rum in one organized package. It suits first-time visitors to Jordan, families that prefer a private vehicle, and people who do not want to arrange several drivers, guides, tickets, and meals separately.

It is also a good match for anyone who wants more than a quick Petra photograph. The four-hour Petra visit gives you time to understand the site, while the overnight camp lets you see Wadi Rum at sunset and in the morning.

You may want a different arrangement if you need a luxury camp, a very slow Petra visit, or complete control over every stop. The tour includes a three-hour guided portion in Petra and a fixed four to five-hour Jeep program in Wadi Rum. Those are generous blocks of time, but they remain part of a planned route.

The service is listed as suitable for most people, and service animals are allowed. Public transportation is nearby at the meeting area. The supplied information does not provide detailed mobility guidance, so ask the operator about walking surfaces, vehicle access, and camp facilities if those are important to you.

Communication and cancellation

Andrea and Mohammed receive particularly strong praise for being responsive and helpful. That is worth noting because good communication is not a minor luxury on a cross-border tour. Ask your questions before departure, especially about the border meeting procedure, camp facilities, meal needs, and the exact pickup timetable.

Confirmation is sent within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability. The tour requires a minimum number of participants, even though your booked activity is private to your group. If that minimum is not met and the operator cancels, you are offered another date or experience, or a full refund.

You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the experience starts. A cancellation or change made less than 24 hours before the local start time is not refunded or accepted.

Should you book the Petra and Wadi Rum tour?

Book it if you want the simplest practical route from Eilat to two of Jordan’s major sights, and if $587 plus tips and optional extras fits your budget. The strongest reasons are the private transport, border assistance, full Petra visit, long Wadi Rum Jeep ride, and included overnight camp.

Before booking, confirm the camp setup and the border schedule. Skip the costly balloon ride unless it is a personal priority, and budget separately for tips, the possible departure tax, and any horse, camel, or carriage ride.

For a first Jordan visit from Eilat, this is a well-rounded choice. It gives you the carved stone city, the open desert, a Bedouin-style overnight, and enough organized support to keep the trip from becoming a paperwork exercise.

FAQ

Where does the tour start?

The tour starts in Eilat, in Israel’s Southern District, with a meeting point at the Eilat border.

How long does the Petra and Wadi Rum tour last?

The trip lasts approximately two to three days. The main program is described as a two-day tour with one overnight stay.

Is the tour private?

Yes. Only your group participates in the private tour or activity.

Is transportation included?

Yes. Transfers are provided by brand-new car with an English-speaking driver and assistant driver. Transportation in Wadi Rum is by Jeep.

Is a guide included at Petra?

Yes. An English-speaking Petra guide is included for three hours.

Is the Wadi Rum Jeep tour included?

Yes. A four to five-hour Jeep tour with an English-speaking guide who is also the driver is included.

What meals are included?

The package includes a BBQ dinner and breakfast at the Bedouin camp, a box lunch in Wadi Rum, and lunch in Petra at Al Qantara Restaurant or a similar restaurant. Mineral water is also provided.

Is the hot-air-balloon ride included?

No. The optional balloon ride takes place between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m., costs 130 Jordanian dinars, about $185, per person, and requires advance booking.