Where to stay in Wadi Musa
Wadi Musa is the town that has grown up around Petra's main gate. Where you sleep there matters more than at most destinations: it decides whether you can walk into the Siq at 06:00, come back to rest through the midday heat, and go out again for the evening light. Here is how the areas compare, and what to expect to pay.
What a night costs
| Budget | Per night |
|---|---|
| Shoestring | 15–30 JOD |
| Mid-range | 50–90 JOD |
| Luxury | 100–160 JOD |
These are typical ranges used by our cost estimator. Prices and availability shift hard between March–May and midsummer, so check your dates on Booking.com before committing.
How to choose
- One night, big plans: stay at the gate. Every minute counts.
- Two or three nights, a slower trip: a hilltop hotel with a pool and a view makes the rest hours worthwhile.
- Tight budget: a town hotel. Some, like Rocky Mountain Hotel, offer free lifts to the gate.
- Something different: one night in a desert camp near Little Petra, ideally at the end of your stay.
At the gate
A few minutes' walk from the visitor centre. The best choice if you want to be through the Siq at 06:00, rest at your hotel through the heat, and go back for late light. You pay for the location.
- Mövenpick Resort Petra — Upper mid-range, ≈ 2 min to the visitor centre. The only full resort directly opposite the gate. Best choice if you want to be through the Siq at 06:00.
- Petra Guest House Hotel — Mid-range, ≈ 1 min to the visitor centre. Closest beds to the entrance, with the Cave Bar next door in a Nabataean rock tomb.
- Petra Moon Hotel — Mid-range, ≈ 5 min to the visitor centre. On Visitor Center Street; reliable early breakfasts and shuttles to Wadi Rum.
Hilltop & views
Quieter properties on the ridges above town, with pools, terraces and long views. You will need a shuttle or taxi for the gate, so dawn entry takes a little organising.
- Mövenpick Nabatean Castle Hotel — Upper mid-range, 10 min by shuttle. Quiet hillside sister property with a pool and long views over the wadi.
- Petra Marriott Hotel — Upper mid-range, 10–15 min by car. Cliff-edge position on the Taybeh road — the best sunset terrace in town.
- The Old Village Resort — Upper mid-range, 10 min by car. Restored stone village houses with a spa; very quiet, needs a taxi for dawn entry.
- Hayat Zaman Hotel & Resort — Mid-range, 15 min by car. Vaulted stone rooms on the Taybeh ridge, strong for couples and slow evenings.
Town & budget
Simple hotels in central and upper Wadi Musa, near restaurants and the bus stop. The walk to the gate is downhill on the way there and uphill on the way back.
- Edom Hotel — Budget, 15 min downhill walk. Long-running town hotel on the main street, near the bus stop and restaurants.
- Rocky Mountain Hotel — Budget, 20 min downhill walk. Backpacker favourite in upper Wadi Musa — terrace views, free lifts to the gate.
- La Maison Hotel — Budget–mid, 10 min walk. Simple, clean and central; good value if you plan long days on the trails.
Desert & Little Petra
Camps near Little Petra, about 20–25 minutes by car from the main gate. Stay here for stargazing and Bedouin dinners, or to start the Back Door trail — not as a base for daily dawn entry.
- Seven Wonders Bedouin Camp — Budget–mid, 20 min by car to the main gate. Beside Little Petra, at the top of the Back Door trail. Stargazing and Bedouin dinners.
- Petra Bubble Luxotel — Mid-range, 25 min by car. Transparent domes near Little Petra — a night sky room rather than a Petra base.
Practical notes
- Early breakfast: if you plan to enter at opening, ask your hotel whether it can serve breakfast early or pack one to take with you.
- Taxis: hilltop and Little Petra stays need a taxi or shuttle for the gate. Arrange the morning pick-up the evening before.
- Petra by Night: if it matters to you, check that one of your nights is a schedule night before booking. See the Petra by Night guide.
- Arriving late from Amman: a gate or town hotel saves another drive after a long day. Journey options are in the Amman to Petra guide.
A short summary of these hotels also appears on the Plan a visit page. Hotel links go to Booking.com; we do not earn commission from them.
Common questions
- Where is the best area to stay for Petra?
- As close to the main gate as your budget allows. Hotels at the gate are one to five minutes' walk from the visitor centre, which makes the 06:00 opening easy.
- How much does a hotel in Wadi Musa cost?
- Roughly 15–30 JOD a night on a shoestring, 50–90 JOD mid-range and 100–160 JOD for luxury. Prices rise sharply from March to May.
- Is it worth staying near Little Petra?
- For one night of stargazing or to start the Back Door trail, yes. As a base for several days of dawn entry at the main gate, it is too far.
Add it up for your group
The Cost estimator totals tickets, hotel nights, rides, meals and transport in JOD.
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