Private Bedouin Dinner in Petra: Cooked on Fire in the Desert

Watch sunset from Petra’s ancient summit before a night beneath stars and candles

A private bedouin dinner in Petra combines a guided visit to Little Petra Siq Albared, a sunset view over the Petra mountains from 1400m, and an evening meal prepared on-site by your chef in a barrel buried below ground, served in an ancient Nabatean cave lit by candles. The experience includes private transportation, the one-hour Siq Albared exploration, and a three-course meal of mandi chicken with vegetables, salad, yogurt and baklava, plus Arabic coffee and tea by the fire. Your guide speaks English or Arabic and the whole experience runs about five hours from pickup.

The experience

You get picked up and driven 10 to 15 minutes to Little Petra, where you spend an hour walking through Siq Albared: a narrow canyon carved into the rock with reservoirs, banquet halls and a painted fresco piece inside one of the chambers. The site shows how important this area was for ancient gatherings and festivals. After that, the driver takes you another 10 minutes to a panoramic viewpoint 1400 meters up, where you watch the sunset over the Petra mountains while your guide serves hot bedouin tea. The light and the scale of the view are what make this moment different from watching it from the main Petra site.

Then you drive 10 more minutes to the dinner location: an ancient cave carved out of the mountainside by the Nabateans, with stairs leading down to an arena at the front. Your chef has already prepared mandi chicken cooked in a closed barrel buried underground, served with rice, whole tomatoes, potatoes, onions, salad and yogurt. The meal comes with baklava for dessert. Candles in paper bags light the whole area, and you sit close to the fire with your chef and guide, drinking Arabic coffee and tea while the night settles around you. The cave walls, the candlelight and the quiet of the desert are what make this a dinner you don't get in town.

Everything is arranged and transported for you: no navigating to restaurants, no separate bills, no figuring out how to reach a remote spot. Your guide handles the timing and the logistics, which means you can focus on the meal and the setting instead of the planning.

What’s included

• Private transportation from your hotel.
• one-hour guided visit to Little Petra Siq Albared.
• sunset viewing from the panoramic mountain location.
• three-course dinner of mandi chicken with rice, vegetables, salad and yogurt, plus baklava.
• Arabic coffee and tea by the fire.
• candlelit seating area in the ancient cave.
• expert chef and local guide who speaks English or Arabic.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (18 to 90 years) · Youth (13 to 17 years): free · Child (2 to 12 years) · Infant (under 2): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Arabic

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsNo refund if you cancel.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleStroller-friendlyInfant seats available

Operated by Victoria Travel & Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you have an evening free and want to eat something you can't get in a restaurant: the buried-barrel cooking and the cave setting are what make it different from a standard dinner tour. The private arrangement means your group sets the pace and the guide tailors the experience to you, which matters if you want to linger at the sunset or ask questions about the Siq Albared carvings without a schedule pushing you along.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Arabic.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years): free; Child (2 to 12 years); Infant (under 2): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. No refund if you cancel.

What exactly is Little Petra Siq Albared and what will I see there?

Siq Albared is a narrow canyon on the back side of Little Petra with rock-cut reservoirs, ancient banquet halls and a painted fresco piece preserved inside one of the chambers. You spend about an hour exploring the carvings and learning how the site was used for gatherings and festivals in ancient times.

How is the dinner cooked if we're in the desert?

Your chef prepares the mandi chicken in a barrel that is buried below ground, which cooks the meat and rice together with tomatoes, potatoes and onions. The barrel method is a traditional bedouin cooking technique, and your chef does the preparation on-site while you're at the sunset viewpoint.

Where exactly do we eat dinner?

Dinner is served in an ancient cave carved out of the mountainside by the Nabateans, with stairs leading down to an open arena at the front. The cave is lit by candles in paper bags arranged around the area, and you sit close to the fire with your chef and guide.

What's included in the meal?

Dinner includes mandi chicken with rice, whole tomatoes, potatoes and onions, served with salad and yogurt; baklava for dessert; and Arabic coffee and tea by the fire. Beverages are included throughout the evening.

How long is the whole experience and what's the schedule?

The experience runs about five hours from pickup. You spend an hour at Little Petra Siq Albared, then drive to the sunset viewpoint, then to the dinner cave where you spend the evening. The timing is arranged so you catch the sunset and have a full night by the fire.

Do I need to be fit or have special mobility to do this?

The experience is suitable for all physical fitness levels. The Siq Albared walk is through a narrow canyon but not strenuous. Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller, and specialized infant seats are available in the vehicle. The cave has stairs, but your guide will help with the descent.