Petra · From Aqaba

Petra from Aqaba

Aqaba is the closest gateway to Petra, and for cruise passengers and Red Sea travellers it is the obvious starting point. At roughly two hours by road, it makes a Petra day trip genuinely comfortable — and it pairs perfectly with a few days on the Red Sea. Here is how to do it well.

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The route

Short, fast and scenic

Aqaba to Petra is about 130 km and roughly two hours by road, heading north from the coast up through the mountains to Wadi Musa. The road is good and the drive is one of the more pleasant approaches to Petra, climbing from sea level into the highlands. Because it is so much shorter than the drive from Amman, Aqaba is the best base for a single-day Petra visit — you can leave after breakfast and still be at the site by mid-morning.

Aqaba to Petra at a glance

Distance	About 130 km
Drive time	Roughly 2 hours
Route	North via the Wadi Araba/Highway 15
Best for	Cruise passengers & Red Sea travellers
Day trip?	Yes — very comfortable from Aqaba
Combine with	Wadi Rum, Red Sea snorkelling

Cruise shore excursions

Making a port day work

Aqaba is a regular cruise port, and Petra is the shore excursion everyone wants. Two hours each way plus time at the site makes for a full day, but it is comfortably achievable within a typical port call. The key is an early departure — the moment you clear the port, head north so you arrive at Petra with as much daylight as possible.

For cruise passengers we recommend a private excursion over a large group bus: you control the pace, you can enter at the quieter times, and you are not tied to the slowest member of a forty-person group. A focused one-day plan that prioritises the Siq, the Treasury, the Royal Tombs and one climb is the right shape for a shore day. If your ship offers an overnight in Aqaba, even better — you can do Petra one day and Wadi Rum the next.

How to travel

Your options

Private transfer or tour

The most reliable option for cruise passengers and Red Sea visitors. A private driver meets you at the port or your hotel, takes you to Petra, and returns on your schedule. We arrange these regularly and time them to the ship’s departure. This is the option that removes all the stress from a port day.

Rental car

The Aqaba–Petra drive is straightforward and well-signposted if you prefer to drive yourself. Allow time for parking in Wadi Musa and the walk from the car to the entrance.

Public bus

A JETT bus runs between Aqaba and Petra, but its fixed schedule rarely suits a cruise timetable. For independent travellers staying in Aqaba it is a budget option; for a port day it is too inflexible.

Combining Petra with the Red Sea

A two-centre trip

Aqaba makes it easy to pair Petra with a Red Sea stay — a few days of snorkelling, diving or beach time, with a Petra day or two inserted. If you have three or four days, a popular loop is Aqaba → Wadi Rum overnight → Petra → back to Aqaba, which packs the three great southern Jordan experiences into a short, well-paced trip. See our Wadi Rum page for how the desert leg fits in.

Aqaba & cruise Petra tours

Several of our tours start from Aqaba or include it in a southern Jordan loop — ideal for cruise passengers and Red Sea travellers. For a private hotel or port pickup, see our Petra tours from Aqaba page.

Browse Petra tours from Aqaba

See Petra through local eyes

Tell us your dates and travel style and we will craft a private Petra journey — with a local team who knows the city’s quiet corners and a licensed guide on request.

Plan your journey

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