I recently took a one day trip down to Petra. It was a spur of the moment type decision but a correct one. It's amazing how easy you can get to Petra from Tel Aviv.
I hope this review will help people plan their trip from Israel to Petra.
The trip took 31 hours in total and cost about $250. It was definitely a worthwhile trip.
Methods of transportation from Tel Aviv:
1) Egged Bus (also from Jerusalem):
- NIS 67.50
- ~5 hours
- About 10 buses a day including an overnight
- Between $70-$84 depending on time
- About 1 hour I was told
- Less frequent than buses - only a handful
I took the 5 PM bus down and 7 PM bus back the next day. The bus down was absolutely packed as the driver kept cramming people in. The bus driver remarked that there were only two people sitting on the stairs so there was room for more. If you buy a seat in advance, you are guaranteed a seat.
Lodging:
I went the budget route and stayed at the Pierre Hotel (972-76326601) which I believe is the cheapest hotel in Eilat. About $40 a night. You are obviously getting what you pay for, so expect it to feel more like a motel than a hotel.
If you want to splurge you can obviously stay at one of the many five star hotels in Eilat but I can't recommend any as I haven't stayed at any of them.
Tour Guide:
You can either take a tour guide, which is what I did or take a taxi to the Rabin Border and then take a taxi to Petra. I don't know the exact cost, but it may be cost effecient if you are splitting the taxi with four people.
I took the cheapest tour guide I could find ($139 + $45 for Visa to enter Jordan (non negotiable)). I highly recommend using a tour guide and I can't imagine what the trip would have been without one. The tour only had 8 people which was nice (they regularly have more but I lucked out), the tour guide was a Jordan native and was extremely friendly, knowledgable, and humurous. His name was Schrime but most people called him Jethro.
Another advantage of the tour guide was that they drove us through Aqaba as well so we could see the major development that is underway there.
I think having a tour guide also took away some of the fear and hassle of being in a foreign Arab country.
I returned by 6 PM, enough time to grab something to eat and hop on the return bus at 7 PM and arrive in Tel Aviv by 12 AM.
Why Visit Petra?
- It is listed as one of the new 7 wonders of the world.
- It is one of few arab countries that will allow us to visit.
- We have been at peace with Jordan for about the last 15 years and it seems that there is a chance for a permanent peace. The more Jordan advances in terms of living conditions and its economy, the better chance we have of a prolonged peace. This is inline with Thomas Friedman's McDonald's thoery. (And yes, Jordan does have a McDonalds.) Note: Petra tourism accounts for ~10% of Jordan's GDP!
- Indiana Jones.
Negatives of Petra:
- There is very little known about the Nabatean people so I felt like most of the visit is just to see the amazing caves they were able to sculp. It's a bit disappointing, but also part of the mystery.
- You've seen one cave you've seen them all. (True to an extent - clearly some are more memorable i.e. the Treasury.)
- I would recommend not taking animal rides as anyone with eyes can clearly see that the animals are undernourished, overworked, and clearly mistreated.
Tips:
- Dress in layers. When you are walking through the siq it is cold as there is very little sunlight, but as you are walking in the sun and climbing up hills, it will be hot.
- Bring water - duh.
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