How to Get from Amman to Petra: The Cheapest, Fastest and Best Option 

Sooner rather than later, any good Jordan trip is headed for Petra. From Amman, you have several options to get to Petra: local mini buses, comfortable JETT buses, private transfers and even rental cars, if you fancy driving yourself.

In this transportation guide, we will reveal to you how to get from Amman to Petra. We will take a look at the cheapest options, the fastest option and the best way overall. Also, we will show you what to do, if you are headed to Petra directly from Queen Alia International Airport (Amman Airport). 

Key Takeaways 

• Take the JETT bus from Amman at 6:30 AM for a comfortable, affordable 4-hour ride to Petra. Book tickets online in advance.
• If you want flexibility, rent a car from Amman for about $22 per day and choose your route, including scenic stops.
• For the fastest and most convenient transfer, hire a private taxi or transfer for around 70-100 JODs door-to-door.
• Arriving late to Amman? Stay overnight before heading to Petra, as mini buses and JETT buses leave early in the morning only.

How to Get from Amman to Petra 

Amman, Jordan’s capital city, and Petra, Jordan’s most famous ancient ruins, are approximately 235 kilometres apart, with several highways connecting the two cities. Depending on your mode of transport, this journey may take you between 3 and 5 hours and cost between 8 JODs and 100 JODs. 

These are the 4 best transport options for getting from Amman to Petra: 

By Mini Bus: The Cheapest Option 

In Jordan, locals travel between cities on white mini buses, similar to the chicken buses you may know from other Middle-Eastern countries. To catch a mini bus from Amman to Petra, simply head out to the South Bus Station in Amman on the morning of your trip. 

Located south of Downtown Amman, the South Bus Station serves all mini bus service to Southern Jordan, including Petra. Take an Uber to the South Bus Station as early in the morning as possible, and ask for Petra or Wadi Musa at the station. Most buses to Petra as signed as ‘Wadi Musa’ since this is the name of the modern town adjacent to the ancient ruins of Petra. 

Simply get on one of the buses saying ‘Wadi Musa’, find a free seat, wait for the bus to fill up and pay your fare to the driver. The ride usually costs around 8 JODs and takes around 5 hours with plenty of stops along the way. In Wadi Musa, the ride ends at Wadi Musa Bus Station, from where it’s just a short walk to many of the budget hotels in town. We opted for the mini buses and we assure you take it’s much less of a hassle than it sounds like.

On online bookings: JETT Bus recently revamped their website and with it came an annoying bug. When booking, the departure and arrival stations are switched by the system when searching connections. To get the right routes, you may have to name your departure station as your arrival station and vice versa. 

By Private Transfer: The Fastest Option

For the fastest transfer, you may also book a private transfer or simply hail down a taxi from Amman to Petra. The obvious advantage of this option is the convenience of a door-to-door transfer within 3 hours, the added privacy and, often times, more flexibility along the way. For this, you can either book with a transfer company in advance or negotiate with a taxi on the day of your trip. 

Between professional transport companies and local taxi drivers, you can expect to pay between 70 JODs and 100 JODs per vehicle for your transfer. If you share the cost of the transfer with other travellers, this option s not much more expensive than the other ones, considering that you are also saving yourself the transport cost of travelling to and from the bus stops. 

By Rental Car: The Most Flexible Way 

Similarly private, but even more flexible is the last option of driving from Amman to Petra by yourself. Renting a car in Jordan is very affordable with daily rates starting from as little as $ 22 (or 20 €) per day including a comprehensive insurance with zero deductible. Gas prices are similarly affordable, with current gasoline prices floating around $ 1.41 (or 1.24 €) per litre, or around $ 5.34 per gallon. 

From Amman, take one of the following three routes down to Petra, depending on which stops you want to make along the way: the Desert Highway, Route 35 (inofficially called the King’s Highway) and the Dead Sea Highway. Take the Desert Highway for the fastest transfer (around 3 hours), the King’s Highway for stops at historic sites such as Madaba and Kerak Castle and the Dead Sea Highway for a quick swim in the Dead Sea. 

Travelling Directly from Amman Airport? This is What to Do

Are you planning to visit Petra directly from Queen Alia International Airport, instead of spending a night or two in Amman first? Then, your options look a little different. As for private transfers, you can still book the upfront or find providers with fixed fares on the spot at the airport. Rental cars are cheapest at the airport anyways, and a great way to start you trip without any delays.

If you want to take a mini bus or JETT bus , transfer to the corresponding bus station first. For the mini buses, head to South Bus Station; for the JETT buses head to 7th Circle Station. The easiest option to get to either of the stations is a quick Uber ride, costing you around 20 JODs. 

Alternatively, the Sariyah Express takes you to 7th Circle for just 3.40 JODs. Just keep in mind that there is only one daily JETT bus to Petra at 6:30 AM. After that, ride the airport transfer until the center first and head to the South Bus Station for a mini bus from there. 

Arriving to Amman late? In the afternoon, you will be hard-pressed to find any more mini buses departing from South Bus Station to Petra. Therefore, we recommend spending a day in Amman first, if you arrive to Amman after 12 PM.

Where to Stay in Petra, Jordan 

Still figuring out your itinerary for Petra? Don’t stop with comparing your transport, but reserve your hotel stay, too, before the best options are gone. 

From budget stays to luxurious getaways, these hotels in Wadi Musa are best for visiting the Lost City of Petra:

• The Budget Pick: For our first visit to the ruins of Petra, we went for the budget option: Petra Planet. For just $ 15 per night, this hostel offers you just about anything you need for your Petra adventure: a private room, a complimentary breakfast and affordable lunch boxes for your Petra tour. The only disadvantage? It is quite far from the local bus station and the Petra Visitor Center. 
• The Value Option: If you want to spare yourself the hike to and from the hotel, you may invest a little more and get a beautiful stay at the Petra Moon hotel just a stone’s throw away from the Petra Visitor Center in the heart of Wadi Musa. Petra Moon is a solid 3-star hotel with comfortable rooms, private bathrooms, a great breakfast and even a pool starting from $ 82 per night. 
• The Luxurious Getaway: Visiting one of the New Seven Wonders of the World warrants a special hotel stay and what better way to do it than lodging at the Mövenpick Resort Petra? Starting from $ 124 per night, this hotel easily offers the most exclusive stays in Petra, including beautifully designed rooms, outstanding meals, and not only a pool, but also an on-premise spa center. 

The Bottom Line

Getting to Petra from Amman is fairly easy and you really don’t need to book a pricy private transfer on this route, if you are on a budget. For any traveller, the daily JETT bus at 06:30 AM is a great option that is both affordable and comfortable. 

Using this option, you could even ride to Petra and explore the ruins of Petra both on the same day, if you are on a strict schedule. If not, you can use your first day in Petra to check into your hotel, experience local life on the streets of Wadi Musa, munch on some Jordanian food, get snacks and drinks for your Petra tour the next day and beat the crowds by heading out early the next morning.