Amman to Petra by private car: the drive south
Petra is Jordan's most-visited sight, and it is a long way from the capital. A private Amman to Petra transfer covers about 221 km from Queen Alia Airport to Wadi Musa, the town at the entrance to the site, in about three and a quarter hours on the Desert Highway. From a hotel in central Amman it is a little further, about 238 km.
The public alternative is the JETT coach, which leaves Amman's Abdali station at 6:30 in the morning and heads back at 5 in the afternoon, or a minibus from the city's South station. Both suit a day trip from the city, but neither leaves from the airport and neither takes you to your hotel. A car leaves when you land, stops where you like and drops you at the door in Wadi Musa.
The price is fixed for the whole vehicle, so a family or a group of friends shares one fare for a long drive. Starting with a few days by the water instead? See Amman Airport to the Dead Sea, and our Jordan travel guide.
| Pickup | Queen Alia International Airport (AMM) |
|---|---|
| Drop-off | Any hotel, villa or address in Petra |
| Distance | About 221 km by road |
| Journey time | 3h 15min – 4h, depending on traffic |
| Best for | Sightseeing |
| Busiest season | October–May |
| Availability | 24/7, including late-night and early-morning flights |
The drive from AMM to Petra
From the airport your driver joins Highway 15, the Desert Highway, the main road south from Amman to Aqaba. It runs across a flat, stony plateau and carries long-distance lorries heading for the port, so the drive is steady rather than scenic, and a careful driver matters more than a fast one. Less than an hour south of the airport it passes Qatraneh, where an Ottoman fort built as a waystation for hajj pilgrims still stands by the road.
North of Ma'an, the route leaves the Desert Highway and climbs west into the mountains to meet the King's Highway near Shobak, whose Crusader castle was built in 1115. The last 35 km run south along the high ground to Wadi Musa. That is the line on the diagram below, about 221 km in all.
The full King's Highway (Route 35) is the slow, scenic alternative: an ancient road through Madaba, across the Wadi Mujib canyon, past Kerak Castle and through Tafilah. The Petra tourism authority puts it at about four hours, against three on the Desert Highway, and most people who choose it make a day of it with stops, which we add to the quote.
On the Desert Highway, allow three and a quarter hours at normal pace and up to four with a coffee stop or heavy traffic. Fuel and waiting time for planned stops are part of the fixed price. If you land late in the evening, you will reach Wadi Musa in the small hours; your driver takes it steadily, and you can sleep on the way.
Schematic, not to scale. Route line © OpenStreetMap contributors
Pickup · 0 min
Queen Alia International Airport (AMM)
Your driver meets you in arrivals and loads the luggage.
About 70 min · 74 km
Qatraneh
An Ottoman fort, built as a waystation for pilgrims on the hajj route, stands beside the Desert Highway here. A natural place to stretch your legs.
About 165 min · 191 km
Shobak
The route climbs off the plateau to the King’s Highway here. Shobak’s Crusader castle, built in 1115, is perched on a hill just outside the town.
Arrival · 3h 15min – 4h · 221 km
Petra
Drop-off at your hotel in Wadi Musa or at the Petra Visitor Centre, where tickets are sold and the walk down to the Siq begins.
AMM to Petra: one fixed price for the whole car
Free quote, nothing to pay now. Cancel free up to 48 hours before pickup.
Meeting your driver at Amman Airport
Queen Alia has one passenger terminal. Visitors who need a visa go to the visa counter first (Jordan Pass holders included), then passport control, baggage claim and customs. Your driver waits in the arrivals hall just past the customs exit, holding a sign with your name. The official taxi counter is also at the customs exit, with taxis and the Sariyah airport bus at the kerb outside.
Queen Alia has one passenger terminal. After you leave the aircraft, visitors who need one go to the visa counter (Jordan Pass holders included), then passport control, baggage claim and customs. Your driver waits in the arrivals hall just past the customs exit, holding a sign with your name, and walks you to the car outside.
The visa queue can take a while, so your 60 minutes of free waiting start from the actual landing time. We track your flight, the pickup moves with any delay at no extra cost, and your driver's name and mobile number reach you before the trip.
If you are starting from a hotel in Amman, the driver collects you at the door and waits up to 15 minutes from the agreed time. The same applies to the return from Wadi Musa.
Arriving here for somewhere else? See every Amman Airport transfer we run.
Where we drop off in Wadi Musa and around Petra
Wadi Musa is a hilly town that spreads up the valley above the entrance to Petra, and it is the nearest town to the site. Every hotel is door to door. Inside the archaeological park only licensed transport is allowed, so cars stop at the Visitor Centre. Tell us your hotel and whether you want to go straight to the gate on arrival.
Petra Visitor Centre and the gate hotels
Hotels beside the Visitor Centre, where you buy tickets or scan a Jordan Pass, a few steps from the start of the walk to the Siq and the Treasury.
Wadi Musa town
Guest houses and mid-range hotels along the main road and around the town centre, up the hill from the site and a few minutes’ drive from the gate.
Al-Taybeh and the hill hotels
Hotels in and around Al-Taybeh, about 1,500 metres above sea level and overlooking Wadi Musa, with wide views across the Petra mountains and cooler nights.
Little Petra and Al Bayda
Siq al-Barid, known as Little Petra, and the Bedouin community of Al Bayda, north-east of the main site. Little Petra’s ticket office keeps shorter hours than the main gate.
When to book your Petra transfer
The most comfortable months for Petra are October to May. Midday in summer is hot in the open valleys, while winter nights in Wadi Musa and up in Al-Taybeh can be cold, so pack a warm layer from December to February.
Opening hours change with the season. Winter hours run from 2 October 2026 to 1 March 2027, when the site and the Visitor Centre open from 06:30 to 17:00. In the summer timetable they opened from 06:00 to 18:00 in 2026, and visitors must leave the park before sunset. Little Petra's ticket office keeps shorter hours, closing at 14:00 in winter.
The JETT day-trip coach leaves Amman at 6:30, so the first hours after opening are the calmest at the Siq and the Treasury. Staying overnight in Wadi Musa lets you be at the gate when it opens.
Flight schedules into Amman have changed at short notice during 2026, with some airlines pausing routes for weeks. Add your flight number when you book and we follow any change; cancellation is free up to 48 hours before pickup.
Private transfer vs other ways to reach Petra
| Option | Door to door | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Private transfer | 3h 15min – 4h | Straight to your door, fixed price per vehicle, driver waiting in arrivals. |
| JETT coach | About 4 hours from Amman | One morning departure from Abdali station at 6:30, returning at 17:00, bookable online. You first need to get from the airport to Abdali, so it usually means a night in Amman. |
| Public minibus | 4–5 hours from Amman | Minibuses leave Amman’s South station between about 9:00 and 16:00 when full, and return from Petra between 6:00 and 13:00. Little space for luggage and no fixed timetable. |
| Airport taxi | 3¼–4 hours | The Airport Taxi counter at the customs exit serves any destination in Jordan at fares fixed by the transport regulator. You take the next car available, with no choice of vehicle. |
| Rental car | 3¼–4 hours plus pick-up | Jordan drives on the right and the Desert Highway is easy to follow, but it is a long drive straight after a flight, shared with lorries heading for Aqaba. |
Skip the changes: door to door to Petra
Free quote, nothing to pay now. Cancel free up to 48 hours before pickup.
Vehicles, prices and what's included
You pay one fixed price for the vehicle, not per seat, quoted for your date and group before you book. Tolls, fuel and parking are in the price, and so is waiting time: 60 minutes from your actual landing, or 15 minutes at a hotel or address pickup.
| Vehicle | Passengers | Luggage | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard sedan | Up to 3 passengers | 2–3 suitcases | Couples and solo travellers |
| Executive sedan | Up to 3 passengers | 2–3 suitcases | Mercedes E-Class or similar |
| Minivan | Up to 7 passengers | 6–7 suitcases | Families and golf or ski bags |
| Minibus | 8–16 passengers | One suitcase each | Groups, weddings, events |
Exact models vary by local partner. Tell us about oversized luggage, golf bags, skis or strollers and we will size the vehicle to fit.
Not included: waiting beyond the free time, and stops or detours added on the day. Planned stops are fine: ask for them with your quote and they are priced in. Tipping is up to you.
Who the Petra transfer suits
First-time visitors to Jordan
Land in Amman and wake up in Wadi Musa, ready to walk into Petra when the gates open, with no coach timetable to meet and no bus station to find with your luggage.
Families
Child seats fitted on request, a minivan for up to seven with suitcases, and rest stops whenever you need them on a three-hour drive. One fixed price for the vehicle.
Groups and tour parties
Minibuses for 8 to 16 people. Take the King’s Highway with planned stops at Madaba, the Wadi Mujib viewpoint or Kerak Castle, all built into one quote.
Travellers touring Jordan
Combining Petra with the Dead Sea or Wadi Rum? We quote each leg hotel to hotel on the same terms, with flight tracking on your arrival and departure days.
Plan your visit to Petra
- Stay in Wadi Musa and enter Petra when it opens, at 06:30 on the winter timetable. Day-trip coaches from Amman only set off at 6:30, so the first hours are the calmest.
- Buy tickets or scan your Jordan Pass at the Visitor Centre, the only gate where the pass can be scanned. The pass waives the visa fee if you buy it before arrival and stay at least two consecutive nights.
- Wear sturdy shoes and carry water and sun protection. The climb to the High Place of Sacrifice is around 800 steps, and the Monastery is a long uphill walk beyond the main valley.
- Petra by Night runs on set evenings each week and is not included in the Jordan Pass. Check the current days at the Visitor Centre when you arrive.
- Visitors must leave the park before sunset, and overnight stays inside are not allowed, so plan long walks to the Monastery or the High Place to finish in daylight.
- For your flight home, leave Wadi Musa about six and a half hours before departure: three and a quarter to four hours on the road, plus the three hours the airport asks for.
