Private Half-Day Petra Tour: Bedouin Guide, Back Route, Lunch

Petra tour with Bedouin guide, local route, lunch in cave near the Treasury

A private half-day tour of Petra with a Bedouin guide born in one of the site's caves, covering Little Petra and the main monuments over six hours with lunch included. The route enters from the back, saving time and reaching the Monastery before descending through the major sites (Qasr al-Bint, the Church, the Great Temple, the Royal Tombs, the Street of Facades), and finishing near the Treasury. Hotel pickup is included. Petra tickets are purchased separately at the gate or online. The tour accommodates travelers with cardiac concerns and suits all fitness levels.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Petra and enjoy local lunch

• Pick up from your location in Petra
• Drive 15 minutes to Beida near Little Petra
• Hike 2 hours through Little Petra and mountains
• Reach the Monastery
• Have lunch in a Petra cave with local family
• Visit Qasr al-Bint, Church, and The Great Temple
• Explore The Colonnaded Street and The Theater
• See The Royal Tombs and The Street of Facades
• Visit the Treasury
• Exit from the main gate of Petra

The experience

The guide is Bedouin, born in one of Petra's caves, and leads you through the site on a route most visitors don't take. You start with a 15-minute drive to Beida, the trading area that served the main city, then hike two hours through Little Petra and the surrounding mountains to reach the Monastery. The landscape opens onto Wadi Araba desert, and the quiet here is the kind that changes how the stone feels. After the hike, you stop for lunch inside one of Petra's caves with a local family, eating with people who live the way Petra's inhabitants once did.

From there, the route descends through the main site (Qasr al-Bint, the Church, the Great Temple, the Colonnaded Street, the Theater, the Royal Tombs, the Street of Facades), and ends near the Treasury after six hours total. The back-route entry means you skip the standard approach and see the monuments in a different order, which changes how they land. The tour finishes at the main gate, and because you've come in from the Monastery side, the final stretch toward the Treasury feels like a natural close rather than a rushed sprint to the most famous facade.

Hotel pickup is included. Bring your own water and drinks. Petra tickets are not included and can be bought at the main gate or online before you arrive. The guide speaks English and can adjust the pace for travelers with cardiac concerns, though the hike and the heat demand steady movement. Service animals are welcome.

What’s included

• Lunch served in a cave with a local family.
• local Bedouin guide fluent in English.
• hotel or meeting point pickup in Petra.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Under 12: can't be included in the booking

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 40 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomeNot for heart conditions

Operated by Private tour in Petra

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English and can adjust the pace for travelers with cardiac concerns, which means the hike and the six-hour day are manageable for people who need to move steadily rather than quickly.

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is Little Petra and why do we start there?

Little Petra, also called Beida, was the trading settlement that supplied the main city of Petra. The tour begins with a two-hour hike through Little Petra and the mountains surrounding it, which means you see how the landscape and the carved structures connect before reaching the Monastery and the major monuments.

Does the tour include Petra entry tickets?

Petra tickets are not included and must be purchased separately. You can buy them at the main gate on the day of the tour or online in advance for all Jordan sites.

What happens during the lunch stop?

Lunch is served inside one of Petra's caves with a local Bedouin family, so you eat with people who live in the site and can learn about their daily life and traditions there.

How long is the hike, and what is the fitness requirement?

The hike through Little Petra and the mountains takes two hours, and the full tour runs six hours. The tour suits all fitness levels and can be adjusted for travelers with cardiac concerns, though the terrain and heat require steady movement.

Which monuments do we visit on the main site?

The route covers Qasr al-Bint, the Church, the Great Temple, the Colonnaded Street, the Theater, the Royal Tombs, the Street of Facades, and finishes near the Treasury, exiting from the main gate.

What is the view of Wadi Araba desert like on this tour?

Wadi Araba desert is visible from the route, particularly during the hike through Little Petra and the surrounding mountains. The operator notes the view and the quietness of the landscape are very unique to this approach.