Aqaba to Petra at a glance
Aqaba is Jordan's port city on the Red Sea, and the usual southern gateway to Petra. The Petra authority lists a trip of about 2 hours by public bus. A taxi or private driver takes a similar time on the road, and a guided shore excursion covers the same drive with a guide and a return to the port.
Most visitors from Aqaba are either hotel guests on a day trip or cruise passengers with a limited time in port. The second group has less room for error, so the sections below spell out the time.
Ways to get from Aqaba to Petra
What is published as of October 2026. Where no fare or timetable is listed, confirm it before you travel.
| Option | Leaves from | Time | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public bus | Aqaba public bus station | About 2 h | No fare, departure times or frequency published. |
| JETT bus | Aqaba | About 2 h | A daily service with a typical morning departure and a late return. Check the live schedule. |
| Taxi or private driver | Hotel or port | About 2 h | No standard fare published. Ask your hotel and agree the price first. |
| Shore excursion | Cruise terminal | Full day | Organized by the cruise line or a local operator, with a return to the ship. |
| Guided day trip | Aqaba hotels | Full day | Transport and guide bundled. Check what is included. |
By bus or taxi from Aqaba
The public bus leaves from the main bus station in Aqaba and takes about 2 hours to Petra. The Petra authority does not publish a fare, a set departure time or how often it runs, so ask at the station or your hotel the day before. The Jordan Tourism Board describes a daily JETT service between Aqaba and Petra with a typical morning departure and a late return, also about 2 hours. It does not give exact times, so check the operator's live schedule.
For a taxi, the Petra authority points visitors to their hotels for information, and no standard fare is published. Agree the price, the waiting time and the return before you leave. A driver who stays for the day saves you the wait for the last bus.
Whichever way you travel, work back from the closing time. The site is listed as open 06:30 to 17:00 from 2 October 2026 to 1 March 2027, and 06:00 to 18:00 in summer (2 March to 1 October in the 2026 calendar).
Our picks: from Aqaba
Two day trips by car where the Petra ticket is extra, and one by bus with the ticket, a guide and lunch included.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Petra day tour from Aqaba with guide and lunch
A three-hour guided walk in Petra with an English-speaking guide, hotel pickup and return in Aqaba, the Petra day ticket, lunch and an air-conditioned bus.
Check availability →Private day trip from Aqaba to Petra
An air-conditioned private car with an English-speaking driver, water and lunch in Petra, picked up at your hotel, the cruise port or the airport. Entry tickets are not included.
Check availability →
Day trip from Aqaba or the cruise port with transfers
Pickup and return from an Aqaba hotel, King Hussein airport or the cruise port, an air-conditioned car or van, an English-speaking driver, about five hours of free time in Petra and water. Petra entry and a local guide are not included.
Check availability →Petra tours from Aqaba
Day trips and guided visits to Petra from Aqaba, with transport and a local guide, with live prices and availability.
For cruise passengers: the port and your time
The Aqaba Cruise Terminal is in operation, with a passenger and baggage hall and a quay of 700 m (0.4 mi). On 25 September 2026, for example, a ship with about 3,400 passengers arrived, and the news agency reported 8 excursion buses to Petra and 2 to Wadi Rum, with a return planned for the same evening.
That shows how organized excursions work. It does not mean there is a public shuttle bus from the port on every ship day, or that independent travelers can walk out of the terminal to a bus. Ask your cruise line or excursion provider about the meeting point before the day.
Time is the main limit. Petra is about 2 hours from Aqaba each way, which is roughly 4 hours on the road. The Main Trail from the Visitor Center through the Siq to Qasr al-Bint takes about 1.5 to 1.75 hours one way without stops, so a return walk is about 3 to 3.5 hours. With photo stops and a meal, a day in port is a long one.
Planning a safe time buffer
- Find the all aboard time first. Work backward from it, and add the drive from Petra to the port.
- Ship excursions versus independent trips. A trip organized by the cruise line is tied to the ship's schedule. If you travel on your own, ask your cruise line what applies if you return late.
- Choose a shorter route. With a limited day, stay on the Main Trail to the Treasury and the Colonnaded Street. The Monastery is a separate hike of about 800 steps each way from Qasr al-Bint, and it rarely fits into a port day.
- Walk out early. Allow time to leave the site before the bus pickup. The walk back takes about as long as the way in.
- Carts. A cart from the Visitor Center to the Treasury costs JOD 15 one way or JOD 25 return, with no advance booking, listed 07:00 to 18:00.
Tickets for visitors arriving from Aqaba
The published one day rate for a foreign visitor who stays at least one night in Jordan is JOD 50 (2026, adults). A visitor without an overnight stay in Jordan pays JOD 90 for one day. Children under 12 enter free during the day. Whether a different rate applies to cruise passengers on a ship excursion is not clear from the published tariff, so ask your cruise line or the excursion provider what is included before you book.
Our Petra tickets guide lists every category, and the Jordan Pass guide explains when a pass is worth buying. Combine Petra and the desert with the Wadi Rum guide.
Travel advisories for the Aqaba area
Check the latest advice from your government before you travel. As of 10 September 2026, the UK Foreign Office update mentions renewed attacks and interceptions in and around Aqaba in early September, and short notice airport and airspace closures are possible. The US State Department advisory for Jordan, dated 29 August 2026, is Level 3. These are snapshots, not predictions, and they do not by themselves mean a closure at Petra. Follow local instructions and look at the current notices on the day you travel.
Aqaba to Petra: frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get from Aqaba to Petra?
About 2 hours each way by public bus or by road, according to the Petra authority and the Jordan Tourism Board.
Is there a bus from Aqaba to Petra?
Yes. A public bus leaves from the main bus station, and the Jordan Tourism Board describes a daily JETT service. Fares and exact times are not published, so confirm them locally.
Can I visit Petra from a cruise ship in Aqaba?
Yes. Cruise lines and local operators run excursions, and on 25 September 2026 a ship was served by 8 buses to Petra. Because the drive is about 4 hours round trip, keep an eye on the all aboard time.
How much is a taxi from Aqaba to Petra?
No standard fare is published. Ask your hotel and agree the price, the waiting time and the return before you leave.
Can I see the Monastery on a day trip from Aqaba?
It is possible for a fit walker with a full day, but it is a separate hike of about 800 steps each way. On a port day or a short trip, most visitors keep to the Treasury and the main trail.
Is it better to stay overnight in Wadi Musa?
If you are not on a ship schedule, yes. A night in Wadi Musa avoids two long drives in one day. See where to stay for the areas.