When planning a visit to Petra, plan on a LOT of walking. When you are planning where to stay, the town of Wadi Musa is all uphill from the Petra Visitors Center. While that might not sound like a big deal, after walking uphill almost 2 kilometers from the Treasury, through the Siq and out of the site itself, the idea of 15 minutes or more of more uphill walking is not appealing to most.
This post lists the closest hotels to the entrance of Petra, as well as some of the best places to stay near Petra. It mentions the walking distance, or if you need a vehicle to get there. Note that high season is mid-March to May and mid-September to November and that is the best time to visit Petra. Hotel inventory will be lower at this time and I suggest booking in advance.
Petra Hotels: The Best Hotels Near Petra
Petra Guest House Hotel
DISTANCE TO PETRA SITE ENTRANCE: NEXT DOOR (this is the closest option)
HOTEL PRICE: LUXURY
The Petra Guest House Hotel is the closest of all the hotels near Petra and is really a few steps away from its entrance. The staff is friendly, competent, and accommodating. Its rooms are expansive and properly equipped with air conditioning, facilities for making coffee and tea, a spacious bathroom full of the necessary amenities, and a well-stocked minibar. Breakfast is an enjoyable and massive buffet spread in the hotel restaurant. After breakfast, you can take a look around Petra and then come back to get an early evening view of the gorgeous gardens while you recline on the terrace. Later in the evening, you can go enjoy some of the best cocktails available at the popular Cave Bar. Many people, as a matter of fact, come by the hotel just for the Cave Bar, as it is the most popular place to go for drinks for visitors. If you are a resident of the hotel, you might qualify for a discount on your tab. Ask your server.
Check prices and book Petra Guest House by clicking here.
Mövenpick Resort Petra
DISTANCE TO PETRA SITE ENTRANCE: ACROSS THE STREET (~100 meters)
HOTEL PRICE: LUXURY
Mövenpick Resort Petra is the most opulent of all the 5-star hotels near Petra. It is also located on the other side of the street from Petra’s entrance, making it a perfectly convenient place to stay. Arguably the best hotel in Petra, the rooms at Mövenpick are exquisite; large and airy, and elegantly decorated. Thanks to the large windows, the rooms stay bright and filled with natural lights. The beds in each room are soft and comfortable, making residents want to spend their days sleeping in them. Even the pull out couches have comfortable mattresses and are perfect for families! Rooms are also equipped with all the essential amenities like satellite TV, a fridge, a workstation, coffee making equipment, and bathroom accessories. If you let the hotel staff know that you want to be in Petra early in the morning, they will have a nourishing breakfast packed for you as early as 6 in the morning. When you get back from your full day of exploring Petra, you can clamber up to the roof of the hotel where the restaurant and garden terrace awaits. Feel free to chill out here and enjoy a cocktail or a cold brew as you cherish the view from the top. The hotel also has a pool, it can be quite cold in fall, winter and spring.
Check Prices and book Movenpick Petra by clicking here
Mid Range: Petra Palace Hotel
DISTANCE TO PETRA SITE ENTRANCE: ~ 5 minutes walk
HOTEL PRICE: MIDRANGE
The Petra Palace Hotel is located just a few minutes walk from the Petra Visitors Center. A typical mid-range hotel in Jordan, Petra Palace is relaxed but well styled with an exterior hewn from stone. The hotel has a sunny terrace, and outdoor swimming pools (not too many places have pools in the mid-range hotel category). Its rooms are warmly but simply decorated and some have walkouts to the pool. Every room has a seating area. The rooms also have a well-stocked minibar, a mini-fridge, a television set with cable, and a spacious bathroom that comes with all the necessary toiletries. Breakfast is complimentary and served in the restaurant of the hotel, which is on the first floor. Giving diners an overhead view of the pool, the restaurant also served lunch and dinner buffets every day. Check with the hotel for lunch and dinner options.
Mid Range: Petra Moon Hotel
DISTANCE TO PETRA SITE ENTRANCE: ~ 2 MINUTES WALK
HOTEL PRICE: MID RANGE
Located just above the parking lot for the Petra Visitors Center, Petra Moon Hotel is one of the best hotels in Petra for travelers with a midrange budget who want to be close to the site. Petra Moon hotel is reasonably priced and is definitely worth the money spent to be very close to the site entrance. The rooms of this 3-star hotel are roomy, excellently cleaned, and simply decorated. The beds are simple and comfortable. A complimentary bowl of fruit is usually waiting for every guest on arrival and has a mini-bar. Along with these gifts, all the necessary amenities are provided; like a television set with cable, tea and coffee making equipment, a workstation, a well-equipped bathroom, and air conditioning. Breakfast is served buffet-style in the restaurant and afterward, you can ask any of the hotel staff to help you book a tour or get a car to rent for a day of exploration. When you return in the evening, feel free to head up to the rooftop pool, where you can rest and think fondly about your full day of Petra exploration.
Check Prices and Book Petra Moon by Clicking Here
Mid Range: Candles Hotel
DISTANCE TO PETRA SITE ENTRANCE: ~ 5 MINUTES WALK
HOTEL PRICE: MID RANGE
Candles Hotel is a charming three-star establishment that is located very close to the Petra Visitors Center. It is only a few minutes walk and just behind Movenpick. It is typical with what you will get for three star properties in Jordan. The guest rooms of the hotel are air-conditioned and well furnished. Beds are comfortable and the private bathrooms are spacious and fitted with bathtubs. Check to see if breakfast is included in your room rate, and consider adding it if it is not. Dinner is not served every night, but if it is offered while you are at Candles, the chef is excellent. The staff of the hotel are very helpful and are always willing to pack lunches for guests that plan to explore the city during the day. Free parking and free wifi are available on the hotel premises.
Boutique: The Old Village Hotel Resort & Spa
DISTANCE TO PETRA SITE ENTRANCE: ~ 5 MINUTES DRIVE
HOTEL PRICE: LUXURY
If you do not mind staying in a hotel that is set atop Wadi Musa, then the Old Village Hotel Resort & Spa is an excellent choice. Located about five minutes away by car from Petra’s entrance, it is one of the best hotels in its immediate area. Anything but an “old village”, this hotel is breathtakingly beautiful. Its architecture blends rocky sides with a modern face and its interior is decorated with a lean towards a traditional style. Also, just like the outside, stonework features in different touches all around the hotel. Each of the hotel’s rooms is extra-spacious, kept very clean, and is comfortable enough to set up base for a few nights. The aim of the hotel is indeed to have you stay. So its rooms are decked out with everything you need. From cable TV for entertainment to a coffee maker and a minifridge for refreshment. A continental breakfast is served to guests every morning. There are shuttle rides that take guests to Petra’s entrance at no cost and guests are welcomed back after a hot day and encouraged to go for a swim in the pool to cool off. Smoking is not allowed on the property.
Check Availability and Prices for the Old Village Here
Boutique: Petra Bubble Luxotel
DISTANCE TO PETRA SITE ENTRANCE: ~ 10 MINUTES DRIVE
HOTEL PRICE: LUXURY
Petra Bubble Luxotel is another boutique hotel that is located a bit of a distance from the entrance to the city of Petra. However, this hotel’s awesomeness more than makes up for its proximity shortcomings. Situated in the center of Wadi Musa’s Little Petra Triclinium, Petra Bubble Luxotel is about 7 miles away from the Petra Visitor’s Center. The hotel is excellently designed and offers bubble tents with transparent roofs and open views of the starry night sky above. Each room offers the rich luxury, with soft and warm beds, a large screen TV, a mini-fridge and a minibar, a bathroom with all the right fittings – as well as a jacuzzi. Breakfast is offered every morning and the friendly staff will go out of their way to make you a pack so that you have the energy to explore Petra fully. They will even arrange transportation to take you to the entrance. When you return, you can go back to your room and soak in the jacuzzi, ridding your body of the tensions acquired during a day of super-fun exploration.
Check Availability and Prices for Petra Bubble Luxotel
Bedouin Camping Experience Near Petra
Seven Wonders Bedouin Camp
DISTANCE TO PETRA SITE ENTRANCE: ~10 MINUTES DRIVE
HOTEL PRICE: BUDGET
For travelers on a budget or for those who want to experience what life would be like to camp out in the open air like a Bedouin, the Seven Wonders Bedouin Camp offers this experience close to Petra. Located amidst desert rock formations, this camp is made of tens of Bedouin-style, semi-permanent tents. It is located about 7km from the Petra Visitors Center. Transportation options to both the city and the town are easily found. Guests can arrange a transfer with the hotel, or take a taxi.
Each of the tents is spacious and comfortable and can house up to four guests at any point in time. Guests must share bathrooms and electricity. Seven Wonders only has hot water during certain hours as they do not run their generator 24 hours a day.
Seven Wonders Bedouin Camp also has a number of common lounge tents and brings its campers together to eat in a large buffet dining tent. The camp also has a terrace where guests can recline in the cool of the evening.
Check prices and availability online by clicking here
Seven Wonders Luxury Camp
DISTANCE TO PETRA SITE ENTRANCE: ~10 MINUTES DRIVE
HOTEL PRICE: LUXURY
Because of the rising demand for “glamping” and luxury camping and tents among visitors to Jordan, Seven Wonders Bedouin Camp created a luxury camp for guests who want a more private and upscale camping experience. Their tents have private bathrooms and luxury amenities.
Their rates include breakfast and for those who do not have a vehicle, the camp can arrange transfers to the Petra visitors center, about 15 minutes away.
Check Prices and availability of Seven Wonders Luxury Camp by clicking here
5 Things to Bring with You to Petra (and Jordan)
I have always been a guide book person and physically having that book in your hand as you plan your day, in addition to blogs like this one, can help immensely. Pick up a Lonely Planet Guide to Jordan (or the kindle version) before your trip to Jordan.
Whether you want to keep the sun off your head or want to show a little modesty, a scarf goes a long way in Jordan any time of the year. You can bring one with you or pick up one when you arrive, but don’t leave your hotel in the morning without it! It can serve as a hat to keep the sun off your head and neck in the summer and can add some warmth in winder and can offer modesty to cover shoulders for women.
A Grayl Water Bottle is something I recommend for every traveller, not just those going to the Middle East. Some people say the water is safe to drink from the tap, others say it is not; it is not something I am going to chance. And Jordan has a HUGE garbage problem. The streets, the forests and even the desert are littered with plastic bottles.
If you consider drinking at least 1-2 big water bottles a day while you are there, think of how much plastic that creates when every visitor and the population’s 9 million people do the same. With a Grayl, you can filter any tap water (or actually any water source) and have clean drinking water in seconds. Since most people travel with water bottles already, consider one like this with a filter so that you are not just pouring from big water bottles to small. It might sound expensive, but when you compare it to spending a few dollars per day on water while you travel (and do not forget how expensive the water is inside airports), you will pay for this very quickly.
An inexpensive Universal Travel Adapter is another must for Jordan. You will find an assortment of 220V plugs, from European 2 pin, another style of 2 pin and UK Plugs. While European 2 pin is most common, it is best to carry one of these adapters with you. With a handy USB input, you do not need to bring your plugs from home.
Kleenex or Wipes are another thing to put on your list. Jordan’s public washrooms (and even restraint or hotel lobby washrooms can often be unstocked. Unless you are good with a bidet sprayer, bring yourself some kleenex or wipes just in case! You will find that most washrooms in tourist sites and rest stops have an attendant that will give you toilet paper and paper towel for a small tip. Usually half a dinar is fine.
In Jordan, the plumbing is not set up to handle toilet paper. Every bathroom (even hotels) you should use the garbage can beside the toilet for your toilet paper and any sanitary products.
Motion Sickness Pills might be needed if you are prone to motion sickness and plan on traveling by bus or in the back of the car. There are many windy, hilly and bumpy roads in Jordan. Sea Bands might work for you if you are prone to motion sickness.
Travel Insurance for Jordan
There are a few other things to think about when it comes to travel. The first thing is travel insurance. Whether it is an emergency room visit for something as simple as strep throat, or an emergency appendix surgery, or an unfortunate moped incident things do go wrong when people travel everyday.
I highly suggest travel insurance and a good policy. I personally never travel without it, and I even checked into my policy about care for my children if I am ever in an accident or hospitalized. There are just too many things to think about.
You can find out more information and buy your travel insurance here.
More Petra and Jordan Travel Resources
In order to help make your visit to Jordan as memorable as possible, I have created a number of resources from planning guides to local eats.
For your time in Petra, check out our guide to Petra and what to eat in Wadi Musa. There is also a new evening show offered in Wadi Musa, after you have spent the day exploring Petra, if you want an alternative to Petra by Night, check out Henna Fantasia. If you are planning on Petra by Night, read this post.
If you have just begun the planning, check out 101 Things to do in Jordan to give you some inspiration on the places you want to make sure you have time to see.
Rental Cars are very popular in Jordan, get a quote on renting a car before you arrive.
If you are working on a self-drive itinerary or plan to see the country independently, there is a guide on getting around in Jordan.
For your time in Amman, check out top things to do in Amman and where to eat.
For your time in Petra, check out our guide to Petra and what to eat in Wadi Musa. There is also a new evening show offered in Wadi Musa, after you have spent the day exploring Petra, if you want an alternative to Petra by Night, check out Henna Fantasia
Save on Air BNB
If you are planning on booking an Air BNB during your trip (or anywhere for that matter), use this link to save on your booking.
