Private Half-Day Tour of Petra with Lunch
Badge of Excellence
Petra, Jordan
- 6 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Explore Petra with someone who knows it well on this private tour, led by a Bedouin guide who hails from the ancient city. You'll learn about Petra’s long history as you explore ancient archaeological sites on foot, with a stop along the way to dine on an included lunch served in the home of a local family.
- Tour Petra with a local Bedouin guide
- Customizable tour depending on your fitness level and interests
- Dine on an included lunch with a Petra family
- Private tour ensures personal attention from your guide
What's Included
- Lunch
- Local Bedouin Guide and pick up from the hotel or meeting point
- All Fees and Taxes
- Petra tickets - available at the main gate of Petra or online for all Jordan sites
- Drop off
- Off road shuttle car or 4×4
- Drinks
- Tips
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Arranged start time
Confirm time with the local provider in advance of your experience.
- 02/06/2022 - 04/09/2027
Monday - Sunday : 7:30 AM - 2:00 PM
Itinerary
1
Petra - Wadi Musa
6 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.6
based on 48 reviews
Emma_T, Jul 2025
Abdullah was generous to help arrange for assistance (trucks, mules, golf carts) to help a member of our party who was struggling a bit with the terrain. Abdullah provided some information about his life as a Bedouin, but the history and context of Petra overall was minimal with his tour. For the amount we paid ($600 for a group of 5) I had hoped for some explanation of the history, but got very little.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Hello,
I wanted to share some feedback about the recent tour. It seemed that the full tour wasn’t completed with the group, as the decision was made to take the golf cart for part of the way. Also, the group was split in two, and one of the guests—the mother—was walking very slowly due to health reasons, so I had to carry her bags all the way down myself.
When I began speaking about the history and culture of Petra, I noticed that some guests didn’t seem very interested or engaged. As a local Bedouin guide from Petra, I’d like to emphasize that many of the names and places in Petra come from Bedouin heritage. My role is not just to guide, but to share the deep cultural and historical knowledge that comes from being part of this land.
I appreciate the opportunity to guide and hope that future tours will allow for a more respectful and inclusive experience, especially in honoring the local Bedouin culture.
Thank you,
Abdullah
James_K, May 2025
We had an incredible full-day tour of Petra, and our experience was made unforgettable thanks to our amazing guide, Abdullah. From start to finish, he brought the rich history of Petra to life with his deep knowledge, engaging stories, and warm personality. He knew all the best routes, hidden photo spots, and gave us a real sense of how people lived in this remarkable ancient city.
Abdullah was patient, funny, and incredibly passionate about sharing his culture and history. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide. If you’re visiting Petra, do yourself a favor and request Abdullah—you’ll leave with memories (and photos!) that will last a lifetime. Five stars all the way!
Joseph_B, Apr 2025
The guide never showed up. I booked this quite a bit in advance. I tried calling the company many times (I had a Jordanian number),but they never answered. This may no longer be an active tour. Viator quickly refunded me, as they should. I was a solo traveler, so maybe it wasn’t worth it to the guide. If that is so, they should update the minimum amount of people for the tour. It turns out if you are healthy enough to make the walk, a guide isn’t really necessary. The bedouins will take photos of you for a 1 or 2 JOD tip, and they do a spectacular job. Each important site has an explanation right there for you to read. As you buy your tickets or show your Jordan Pass for free entry at the ticket area, they also have free English guidebooks that explain each site. I spent a total of 30 JOD ($40) for photos, lunch, and even two decent souvenirs. If you want to start at Little Petra like this tour does in order to shorten the walk, the can drivers will take you there for 10-15 JOD. I chose to start at the visitor center, walk to the Treasury, and then came back. It took me 4 hours, and that was with a detour to the high-photo site at the monastery that many people see on Instagram (lots of steps for that and is a good 40 minute detour). The bedouins harass you a bit for horse rides and also at their shops, especially as you get closer to the Treasury, but they aren’t so bad and most of them are decent people trying to make a living. There was o e bedroom lady that makes fresh orange juice for 2 JOD, and it was delicious. The overall harassment is much worse in Cairo and other major tourist areas. In short, you really don’t need a guide, it’s all pretty easy and self-explanatory to get around.
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Sorry for what happened for you? But you didn't contact me. You didn't send me SMS even in WhatsApp. I don't know how to contact you. I don't know which hotel you are staying you call me in the morning late. Then I don't found you and you get your money back the people you talk in and Petra. They are from My Tribe. I am from Petra I born over there. I refunded you the tour still active and welcome to Petra
Lisa_H, Sep 2024
This was such a good way to see Petra. Starting at Little Petra and approaching the Monastery from the back allowed me to see everything without backtracking and allowed me to get to the Monastery before the crowds. And Abdullah was such a good guide; he explained the history of the park, the region, each of the major sites, and the Beduin culture.
Payton_P, Jul 2024
This was the perfect way to experience Petra! Abdullah knows a lot of the local history and the modern scholarship. My trip felt like I was taking it with a friend.
R_B, Mar 2024
I did this tour with my mom, and Abdullah was an excellent guide! Very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable about the area. It’s a long day with hiking involved so come prepared with sturdy shoes, water, a hat and some energy bars etc. Highly recommended! Thank you Abdullah!
KuanYun_W, Feb 2024
If you want to really “visit” and “see” Petra, you cannot miss the tour with Abdullah. Abdullah is a local Bedouin guide who grew up inside Petra and he knows everything about this land. I listened to so many stories and learned so much from him about the culture, history of Bedouin and Petra. He knows all the best routes to avoid crowds but also will take you to see those hidden spots that no one else knows. Abdullah even took great pictures for me. As a solo traveller this is such a highlight. He can help you literally with everything you can possibly think of. Most importantly, he truly cares and loves this land and wants to share his culture with everyone. The only regret I have after meeting Abdullah is that I only stay one day in Petra. If I had known him I would definitely buy 2 day pass in Petra and book with him more tours apart from the Petra walking tours. Highly recommend
Aya_F, Jan 2024
We went to the Petra visitor’s center at 7:30am as stated in the description of this Viator ticket. My friend and I waited until 7:40am and tried to contact the guide. As you can see in the pictures with the time stamp, the message saying that the driver will be there in 10 min, came at 8:18am. We decided to leave at 8:20am since the extreme tardiness and the fact that a guide in a popular destination did not have WhatsApp seemed off. Contrary to what they had said earlier, they reached out to me hours later at 2pm on WhatsApp asking if I was still in Petra and that they live in the Bedouin village. I am currently waiting for a refund since this all feels like a scam and I never received this tour.
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Please be aware that this tour never happened, this review does not reflect any truth about me nor my tour. The visitors booked this trip the sane day in the morning. We tried to contact them to arrnage pickup and We sent the driver twice. Hwowever we were not able to find the visitors. I tried to call and contact for a while. Also, We refund fully for this booking as this tour did not happen. The visitors did not even meet me in person.
Graham_S, Oct 2023
A great experience, well organised from the beginning and exceeded our highest expectations. Hamoud our guide and excellent photographer - words cannot describe our appreciation and recognition of his knowledge of the area - and he was a really nice person too!! He supported and encouraged us to achieve things we doubt we would have done on our own. Thank you!!
Pieris_M, Sep 2023
The guide, Hamoud was excellent. Very knowledgeable and entertaining. He was also an expert with taking photos. Starting from the back was an excellent idea as after an initial uphill walk, most of the walking was either flat or downhill.
Rezha_I, Sep 2023
Abdullah is amazing. He can make it happen with any personal needs. Communicative, helpful and knows a lot about the history. Great guide
Lukas_M, Sep 2023
Abdullah was born in one of the caves in Petra. Needless to say that he truly knows the region and really has the deep knowledge you would expect from a top-notch guide. He can provide you with all the explanations around the history of the place but also Jordan more generally, highly recommend him!
Kristina_G, Sep 2023
What a fantastic day ! Abdullah is a top notch guide and knows everything (and everyone!) in Petra. He takes you a way which isn’t full of crowds and we even got some of the most famous areas to ourselves. There is a lot of walking (just over 10km) but at the end of the day I did not feel that tired because of how well everything was scheduled. He is flexible , knowledgeable and with a great sense of humour. I highly recommend Abdullah and his Petra tour.
zaffer_s, Jun 2023
Tour guide was an authentic Bedouin with amazing history and command of English. We were blown away. Highly recommend him.
Ngozi_O, Jun 2023
Abdullah was a fantastic guide, really going above and beyond to make our experience unforgettable. Loved the fact that as he was a local (born and raised in Petra) could navigate us along scenic paths rarely tread by tourists. He was also really informative, making sure that with each location (Byzantine church, amphitheater, the Treasury, tombs etc) we understood the historical and cultural context. There was a slight misunderstanding in terms of duration of tour but after clearing everything up, Abdullah not only took us through his village (where we got to meet his kids who were the absolute cutest) but also to Little Petra, where my brother and I got to interact with locals who welcomed us into their homes (cave dwellings). Chatting and drinking mint tea, with views of the monastery and surrounding cliffs in the foreground, I felt the calmest, most spiritually attuned, I had all year. There’s so much more to explore so would love to have Abdullah as our guide again in the future!
Karolynn_W, May 2023
Abdullah is the best. The route he takes is great. You see way more of Petra than you would the other tours. He’s so knowledgeable. Definitely recomment.
William_K, May 2023
Abdullah was an amazing guide. He was constantly engaging and gave great information throughout the tour.
Petra is gigantic and so much more than just the treasury. This is a great tour to really get to size and scope of Petra.
Highly recommend.
Margaret_D, May 2023
I can not recommend this enough. It was well organized Hamoud our guide was knowledgeable, patient, kind and caring. He took the most amazing pictures and by the end of the tour we felt like we were friends! Do not book with anyone else!
Mark_S, May 2023
An excellent and well thought out tour in this truly breathtaking place!. Thank you again Abdullah and team for making this a wonderful experience!
Adri_S, May 2023
I would reccomend any trip starting from the back door or secret entrance of Petra. You get a full view of Petra and climbing down after a comfortable climb, is much easier.
However, I reccomend that you find a guide that volunteer info and is not speeding ahead. Prompting for info is not on.
Adri
Tony_C, May 2023
Not a private tour. While the guided walk in the spectacular location was fine, I booked a private tour and was messaged at 9pm the night before informing me that another person would be joining. The back way to Petra via the monastery hike is a must, and Abdullah is friendly. A good option with the risk that it is not private as labelled.
Will_S, Apr 2023
Excellent day with Abdullah. He is so knowledgeable about the area and experienced guiding tourists like us. Coming in the back way to the monetary first is a fantastic way to experience Petra. It was a perfect day.
MarcelaM_A, Apr 2023
What a great tour. Abdullah was a great guide. By starting the visit by the back side of the site we saved a lot of time since we did not have to go through the site twice to get out. We even had the time to visit Little Petra for a while at the beginning of the day.
Abdullah was very helpful changing our transfer back to Aqaba and waiting for us at the Petra Museum.
The kebab included in the tour was delicious, both the bread and the meat. Thanks!
Susann_D, Apr 2023
Getting in via the back entrance was is the best way you can enjoy Petra! Our guide Abdullah was amazing, thanks a lot for the tour!
Jeffrey_L, Jan 2023
Abdullah was great on the Petra tour. He was very engaging and he was born and lived in Petra since then. He brought us to his sister’s residence and that was awesome!
Radu_S, Jan 2023
- really good alternative of visiting Petra away from the crowds; the guide will take you on an alternate route that goes the opposite direction from the majority, making the experience a lot less crowded; the route is also less tiring for those that have difficulties in hiking - you climb less and descend more; there are downsides: 5JD extra cost for a shuttle; the shuttle is open and doing 50km/h in 15 degrees Centigrade is not very comfortable to say the least; the shuttle is also quite old and unkempt so you will feel all the bumps and holes; however, if I were to do it again, I would still use this alternative, unless I would do a solo visit.
- the guide had really good conduct of the English language, was nice, friendly and open to all questions;
- the guide was also very patient and waited for us as some members of our group had difficulties in walking in hiking conditions;
- the food prepared for lunch was excellent!;
- the guide was also very knowledgeable, although I would have preferred the information to come from his initiative not so much as reactions to our questions.
Kateryna_K, Nov 2022
Abdullah is a superb guide and extremely knowledgeable about Petra and surrounding areas. Firstly, the back trail entrance to Petra was an amazing idea - we would’ve not known to do that on our own. We were able to see in one day what others do in 2!
Secondly, the lunch spot was incredible and authentic, up in the caves and away from tourist crowds. There were only 4 of us in the group and the lunch was super tasty!
Finally, Abdullah’s reputation in Petra and local know-how meant that he was able to stop people from constantly trying to sell us stuff and he showed us the best spots (for souvenirs, photos etc.).
Overall amazing - thank you Abdullah for an unforgettable Petra experience! Recommend to anyone considering whether it’s worth it - it is!
Adam_S, Oct 2022
We had an amazing time with Abdullah who guided us through Petra. This is a unique and highly recommended experience as we started at the “end” of Petra - taking the back route to the stunning monastery before many of the tourists arrive, and also avoiding the 850 step hike up if you do it the regular way. So we had a more manageable hike - through the mountains in a peaceful setting. Once we reached the basin we went to a local cave and terrace for a home cooked meal which is infinitely more tasty than anything served in the restaurants below! Then we decided to take a horse & cart to the treasury where we finished the tour. Abdullah was friendly, patient, knowledgeable and guided us to a whole way, and recommended the best places to shop/take breaks. This was an awesome tour and we can’t recommend it enough! We can’t wait to come back!
Frances_B, Jun 2022
The tour guide took us through some beautiful mountains to have lunch at his mother’s restaurant perched looking over the mountains.
Methven_F, Mar 2022
I booked this trip for my 18 year old son and I. Our host, Abdullah who is a local Bedouin born in one of the local caves, was excellent.
We got picked up at our hotel and drove out to the far end of Petra. This starts in the Wilderness, passing local Bedouin herding communities, then to the monastery, then the Roman and Nabatean ruins and then of course the famous treasury.
This meant we were not walking in both directions (ie return) and so could see much more. The trip was half day but in fact Abdullah obliged and we spent 6 hours walking from one end of Petra to the other - this gives a sense of the scale of Petra and why this private tour was structured in the way it was.
Abdullah was very knowledgable and knew many of the locals working and herding around Petra. He was friendly, helped us navigate some of the tourist stalls, and ensured we had perfect vistas for many of the sites.
A big highlight was lunch in a cave near the Temple of Dushares. This cave and garden was owned by his sister and they prepared a beautiful lunch of rice, vegetables and chicken. This was a private and personal tour giving an insight not only into the history of the area but also the Bedouin community that still exists.
Petra is much bigger than you would imagine, spreading out over several kilometres. Having a local guide was perfect for us.
A spin off from this trip was the offer from Abdullah for an evening trip. This included a short journey into the wilderness where we watched the sunset, ate food round the fire, and listened to traditional songs under the stars - a truly memorable experience.
This was an excellent tour that far exceeded our expectations. My son was moved by this trip, the connection to Abdullah and his family who opened there lives to us during our time.
Would highly recommend it.
From $130.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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