From Amman: Full Day Petra Or Petra & Wadi Rum
Seven hours inside — the day trip that reaches the Monastery.
From $87 per person
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The park grades seven trails officially, each with a published difficulty and a published time, and four of the seven need a licensed guide by rule rather than by recommendation. Every one is below, in the same four-row shape so you can compare them directly — the fastest way into petra jordan tours from amman.
One rule sits outside the gradings and catches people out. A Jordan Pass is accepted on the back route to the Monastery. You have to present it at the ticket office first, though, rather than at the trailhead.
How the park grades a trail
Three bands: Easy, Moderate and Hard. The rating tells you about the walking itself — gradient, footing, exposure — not how busy a trail is or how far you will be from the Visitor Centre. A Moderate rating with no published time, like the Ad-Deir Main Trail below, is still officially graded for you; the authority simply has not published a duration figure for that one.
Al-Siq to the Treasury — the Main Trail
Difficulty: Easy. Time: Up to an hour from the Visitor Centre. Guide required: No.
What it opens up: The approach every visitor walks: it takes you through the Siq itself, ending at Al-Khazneh.
Al-Khubtha Trail
Difficulty: Hard. Time: 4–5 hours. Guide required: No.
What it opens up: It gives you a high viewpoint looking straight down onto the Treasury's roofline, plus a route on to Ad-Deir.
Ad-Deir Main Trail
Difficulty: Moderate. Time: Not published. Guide required: No.
What it opens up: It takes you up to Ad-Deir, the Monastery, on rock-cut steps most visitors climb.
Ad-Deir Back Route
Difficulty: Hard. Time: 4–5 hours. Guide required: Yes.
What it opens up: It gives you an alternative approach to the Monastery from behind the mountain, for a different view of the climb.
Ad-Deir to Kharubat Al-Fajjah
Difficulty: Hard. Time: 7–8 hours. Guide required: Yes.
What it opens up: The longest official trail here, taking you past the Monastery into terrain a day-tripper never reaches.
Beidha — the First Trail
Difficulty: Moderate. Time: 2.5–3 hours. Guide required: Yes.
What it opens up: It takes you through the Beidha area near Little Petra, shorter and gentler than its sibling.
Beidha — the Second Trail
Difficulty: Moderate. Time: 4–4.5 hours. Guide required: Yes.
What it opens up: It covers more of the same Beidha ground, for the same grade, if you have the extra hour.
Trails compared side by side
| Trail | Difficulty | Time | Guide required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Siq to the Treasury the Main Trail | Easy | Up to an hour from the Visitor Centre | No |
| Al-Khubtha Trail | Hard | 4–5 hours | No |
| Ad-Deir Main Trail | Moderate | Not published | No |
| Ad-Deir Back Route | Hard | 4–5 hours | Yes |
| Ad-Deir to Kharubat Al-Fajjah | Hard | 7–8 hours | Yes |
| Beidha the First Trail | Moderate | 2.5–3 hours | Yes |
| Beidha the Second Trail | Moderate | 4–4.5 hours | Yes |
See which tours reach these trails
Which one fits your hours
With four hours inside the park, the Main Trail is what you have time for, and little else on foot. Give yourself five to seven hours, the range the longer day tours here sell, and you can actually reach the Ad-Deir Main Trail and Al-Khubtha. The two trails rated 7–8 hours and the two Beidha trails belong to a multi-day stay in Wadi Musa rather than a day trip from Amman: the 235 km drive each way does not leave you that much daylight to spend on foot.
Want the climb without the planning?
The day tours that build in five or more hours at the site are the ones with real time for the Ad-Deir Main Trail; the three-hour guided walk is built for visitors already staying in Wadi Musa.
Where to check these facts
Every difficulty rating, time and guide requirement below is the Jordan Tourism Board's own published trail register, not a tour operator's estimate.
Which trails need a licensed guide?
Four of the seven official trails: the Ad-Deir Back Route, Ad-Deir to Kharubat Al-Fajjah, and both Beidha trails. The Main Trail to the Treasury, the Al-Khubtha Trail and the Ad-Deir Main Trail do not.
What do I do with a Jordan Pass on the Ad-Deir Back Route?
Present it at the ticket office before you start. The authority requires this on that one trail specifically, and it is the kind of step a guided tour simply handles for you.
Which trail if I only have four hours inside the park?
The Main Trail to the Treasury, easily, with time left for the Royal Tombs and the Colonnaded Street. The Ad-Deir Main Trail is possible in four hours if you go straight there and skip everything else; the two hardest trails are not.
Tours built for time on these trails
Private 3-Hour Guided Tour of Petra with Hotel Pickup .
Three hours with a licensed guide, for anyone already at the gate.
From $75 per person
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Full Day Private Trip To Petra, Wadi Rum
Step-free, four languages, and three hours in the desert.
From $84 per person
Check AvailabilityWhat each monument at the end of these trails actually is sits on things to do, and how many hours a tour leaves you inside is on visiting Petra. Every guided day is on Petra Amman Tours.