Petra Travel Forum

I would like to ask what would be the best way to go to Petra from Amman. Is there a bus at all and how much would it cost.

Thanks
Jimmy

Hey,

I took a taxi shared with two friends whih gave us the flexibility to stop wherever we wanted. I would suggest doing that and making sure to take the King Hussein highway which takes u through some amazing scenery. The normal highway does not offer that option.

Have a great time, it is an amazing place!

Cheapest: There are buses that goes there everyday ... Ask for the JET bus service. it costs 6JDs = less that 10$
Best: If you can rent a car 35-45JDs= 50$ Take the highway that takes you to the deadsea, and just keep going ..... there are signs all the way.
Good luck

I utterly fail to understand reply #2. JETT buses haven't gone to Petra for nearly ten years, and the Dead Sea is in completely the wrong direction, presumably he meant to say the Red Sea and turn off just before Ma'an.

Buses for south Jordan, including Petra and Aqaba go from the Wahedat bus station in Amman(to get there tell your taxi you want the "mujamma al janoob" - or just say "bus for Petra" which will probably do the trick just as well!). They go to Petra every two hours from 7am to 7pm during the day, except on Fridays when they stop around midday. Remember that Ma'an isn't far from Petra and there are mostly good bus connections between the two ; if you just miss a bus, you might consider the alternative of going there.

Hey Mr.Camel ... If you don't know about it ... that doesn't mean it doesn't exist! Jet buses do travel to Petra. One trip everyday, but you're right the buses that leaves from Wehdat are cheaper and more frequent!
As for the Dead Sea high way ... Do you know where would it take you if you just stay on the highway??? Yup ... the south Petra, Wadi Rum, then Aqaba... It's also known as "King's road" ;) and it'll take less time with a better scenery

That is the highway I was refering to, King Hussein Highway. Having done the trip on both highways I would definitely recommend taking the Hussein one as the scenery is amazing and so varied in one single trip :o)

Sorry onfoot, I see you live in Amman. I repeat that the JETT service hasn't included Petra for over 10 years. The service was reduced to three and later to two services a week, but got very few passengers at the end, since it insisted on a return ticket whether people wanted one or not, and was finally abandoned round about the time of the first Gulf war.

The Dead Sea Highway for me is the highway running south from the Dead Sea to Aqaba through Wadi Araba. It goes nowhere near either Petra or Wadi Rum!

The Kings' Highway (al tariq al malouki - nothing to do with King Hussein) is a spectacular highway running through Madaba, Dhiban, Wadi Mujib, Ar'ir, Kerak, Wadi Hasa, (close to) Dana, and to Shobuk, eventually to Petra. It is a wonderful and historic highway, largely built by the Romans, but the route was there before then, going through a dozen Biblical sites, and is a hard drive, taking a full day. It is well worth renting a car to do the trip, or a minibus goes down it from the Mariam Hotel in Madaba every day that there are a minimum of 3 passengers.

The DIRECT highway from Amman to Petra is the Desert Highway, further east than the other two, on which one can make good time. Most buses take about 3 hours for the trip. In point of fact this highway doesn't actually go to Petra either, you have to turn off some 25 kms short of Ma'an.

In other words you have seriously mixed up the three highways!

I have rented a house in Petra for the last 15 years, and I do know what I am talking about!

Lulu

Lulu,

Not the end of the world if I mixed up the highways...why do you have to respond in such a manner?

To myself and other in this post...

Anyway, smile a bit :o)

No worries mate ....
But bare this with me for a second ... if you manage get a car, and drive south from the Dead Sea ask locals "who have also been living in Al-Aghwar all their lives to give you direction to enter Petra from Wadi Araba ....at a certain point the road will get attached to the King's highway ....
Guess that's why we travel ...we still learn new things about places we lived at for 15 or 100 years ....
If I had time I would have taken you on that trip ... may be sometime in March.

Sorry, Loubna, my remark was mostly, even entirely, for onfoot, not for you.

Onfoot, I think I know the road you mean, it comes out in Baidha and is really more of a track than a road. Not for tourists, a lot of the time one needs a 4x4.

But I entirely agree I might be wrong about this - let's make a date for next March!

Well im in the same situation, ging to Amman in May, i dont know how to get Petra , and in one day i can see everything, or i need a stopover, any suggest, a cheap hotel.
Thanks!!

Check out www.jordanjubilee.com

You will find everything you need to know on it

Lulu

I'm basing this on maps, for a drive from Aqaba to Madaba ... it looks like it's possible to do the King's Highway most of they way, then to west at Karak and catch the Dead Sea Highway.

How long would this take, if we tried this? I'd like to stop at a few places ...