Private Petra Back Entrance Tour with Guide .

Petra rewards those willing to take the long way. This private back entrance tour begins near Little Petra, reaches the Monastery by 4×4 and mountain trail, then follows Petra’s main sights downhill to the Treasury. I like the quieter approach to the Monastery and the freedom of a private guide, especially with Bassil, who has more than 18 years of experience at Petra. I also like that the route finishes at the Treasury rather than sending you back the way you came.

The tradeoff is real: this is a demanding day of walking, with about 10 kilometers on foot, an 850-step descent from the Monastery, and strong sun exposure. The $140 per-person price is also before Petra admission and hotel drop-off. Still, for hikers who want a fuller, less ordinary day at Petra, this is a very appealing way to see the site.

What Makes This Petra Route Different

• The tour begins at the back entrance: You start near Little Petra instead of entering through Petra’s usual Visitor Centre route.
• The Monastery comes first: A 4×4 ride takes you to the bottom of the Monastery stairs, saving you part of the uphill approach.
• You walk downhill through Petra: After the Monastery, the route descends roughly 850 steps toward the Colonnaded Street.
• The tour covers Petra’s major sights: You see the Monastery, Qasr Al-Bint, Colonnaded Street, Royal Tombs, Theater views, Street of Facades, and Treasury area.
• It is private: Only your own group joins the activity, so the pace and questions are easier to manage.
• The route ends at the Treasury: You can explore on your own afterward or make the roughly 40-minute walk back through the canyon to the Visitor Centre.

Starting at 7:00 am Near Little Petra

The early start is one of the smartest parts of this experience. Pickup is offered from your hotel, and the meeting point is listed in Wadi Musa at 8FF9+X72. You first stop at the Petra Visitor Centre to collect entry tickets, then travel toward Little Petra.

Your Petra admission ticket is not included in the tour price, so plan for that extra cost before setting out. The tour includes the transfer and guide service, but you will need to handle the site entry fee yourself.

Little Petra is a short opening chapter rather than the main event. The planned visit lasts about 15 minutes, enough to see its key features before taking a 4×4 shuttle toward the Monastery trail. That quick stop is useful because it gives you a sense of the Nabataean site system before you reach Petra proper, but do not expect a long visit here.

The back route also changes your first impression of Petra. Instead of building toward the Treasury through the famous canyon, you reach the Monastery area first, with open mountain views and a more remote feeling. You are trading the classic reveal for a route that feels more like a hike through Petra’s upper reaches.

Reaching the Monastery by 4×4 and Stairs

The included 4×4 ride takes you to the bottom of the Monastery stairs. This is a valuable practical feature because the standard approach to Ad Deir involves a long climb from the main Petra route. The vehicle does not take you to the building itself, though. You still need to walk uphill on the stone stairway.

The Monastery section is listed at about three hours, including the transfer, walking, and time at the site. Give this part the respect it deserves. The route may be easier than starting from the Visitor Centre and climbing all the way from below, but it is not easy in hot weather.

The Monastery, also called Al Dayr, is one of Petra’s grandest carved facades. It sits high above the central route, and its size becomes more impressive as you approach it on foot. With fewer people often using this back entrance, you have a better chance of looking around without feeling pushed along by a crowd.

Bassil is the guide most often associated with this experience. His strengths are clear in the way the tour is described: he explains what you are seeing, answers questions patiently, and helps with photographs. Several people particularly appreciated his photo-taking, which matters at Petra because some of the best viewpoints are not the obvious ones.

The Monastery is also where a private guide earns his fee. Bassil can help you understand the carved architecture, point out angles you might otherwise miss, and adjust the pace when someone in your group needs more time. The route is private, so you are not trying to keep up with an unrelated group.

The 850-Step Walk Down to the Colonnaded Street

From the Monastery, the route goes downhill toward the Colonnaded Street and ancient market area. The descent takes about an hour and includes roughly 850 steps. Downhill sounds easy until your knees begin keeping score, so supportive footwear is important.

This part of the route is scenic and physical. The path leads through Petra’s high valleys and carved stone surroundings, with changing views as you lose elevation. It also gives you a sense of Petra’s scale. The site is not a single monument beside a parking area. It is a broad ancient city spread through rugged terrain.

At the Colonnaded Street, you reach one of Petra’s central public areas. This was a major urban thoroughfare, and the remains help you picture Petra as a working city rather than only a collection of dramatic facades. The tour allows about an hour here, which gives your guide time to explain the setting and gives you a chance to catch your breath.

The itinerary also includes Qasr Al-Bint, a major temple area near the central route. The attraction list includes the Theater view and Street of Facades as well, although the timing at individual points may vary depending on your walking pace and how long you spend asking questions.

One benefit of a private tour is that your guide can connect these places as you move between them. Without context, Petra can become a procession of beautiful stone walls. With a guide, the street, temple, theater, tombs, and facades make more sense as parts of a large settlement.

Seeing the Royal Tombs from Above

After the Colonnaded Street, you continue along Petra’s main trail toward the Royal Tombs. The scheduled time here is about 30 minutes, including views of the tombs and the amphitheater from the front mountain.

This is a shorter stop, but it brings a different kind of reward. The Royal Tombs are broad, high facades carved into the rock, and viewing them from above helps you see how they fit into the canyon walls. The elevated position also gives you a strong view toward the Theater.

The route now feels more familiar than the opening hike. You are joining Petra’s main trail, and the atmosphere may be less quiet than it was around the back entrance. That is part of the bargain. You get solitude at the start, then the main monuments and walking route later in the day.

The guide’s role remains useful here. Petra’s carved facades can look similar when you are tired, and a good explanation helps separate tombs, temples, streets, and performance spaces. Bassil’s long experience at the site is a practical advantage, particularly for groups who want more than a quick photo stop.

The Street of Facades and the Long Approach to the Treasury

The Street of Facades leads you toward Petra’s most famous reveal. This stretch has rows of carved tomb fronts lining the route, and it acts as a visual transition between the central city and the Treasury approach.

The Theater view adds another reminder of Petra’s public life. The remains are easy to appreciate from a distance, especially when your legs are already working hard. The tour is not built around lingering at every stop for hours. It is a full crossing of Petra, so you should expect a steady pace.

The final walk toward the Treasury is a major part of the experience. After approaching Petra from above and behind, you eventually reach the famous canyon route. The Treasury appears at the end, framed by the narrow passage. This is the classic Petra moment, but it arrives after you have already seen the Monastery and crossed much of the ancient city.

That order gives the day a nice rhythm. You begin with the less common route, see the Monastery before the crowds and heat build, then work downhill through the central remains before ending at the Treasury. You are not simply walking to one facade, taking a picture, and leaving.

Ending at the Treasury Instead of Returning to the Entrance

The tour ends in front of the Treasury after about 10 kilometers of hiking. This is one of its biggest practical advantages. You do not have to retrace the entire route back to the Visitor Centre immediately after reaching Petra’s most famous sight.

You have free time at the end for photographs and personal exploration. If you are still in good shape, the walk back through the canyon to the Visitor Centre takes about 40 minutes. That return is not part of the guided route, so keep track of your energy and your group’s needs.

Hotel drop-off is not included. The supplied information gives a typical cost of 5 to 10 Jordanian dinars per car, which is a small but important detail when calculating the full day’s expense. Pickup is included, but confirm the exact pickup arrangement with the provider before the morning begins.

Is $140 Per Person Good Value?

At $140 per person, this is not the cheapest way to see Petra. The price does not include your Petra entry ticket, and hotel drop-off costs extra. If you only want a short guided walk to the Treasury, this is more than you need.

The value improves if you want the back entrance, a private group, the 4×4 transfer, and a guide for the full route. A private guide can make a long day much easier to manage. You can ask questions, request a slower pace, and get help with photos without sharing the experience with strangers.

For a group of four, the private format can also feel more reasonable because the price is attached to each person while the experience remains exclusive to your group. Group discounts are offered, though the exact reduction is not specified, so ask before booking.

The strongest value comes from the route itself. You are not paying only for access to Petra. You are paying for a different way through the site, one that starts at the Monastery and ends at the Treasury while covering the major central sights in between.

Fitness, Heat, and What to Bring

You should have a moderate level of physical fitness for this tour. The main challenges are the mountain climb to the Monastery, the 850-step descent, the total walking distance, and the heat. One person specifically noted that the sun can make even the easier back route tough.

Start early, drink water, and wear shoes with a solid grip. The experience is not suited to anyone looking for a relaxed vehicle tour with only a few short walks. You will be outside for five to seven hours, and the time may stretch depending on sightseeing and exploration.

A private group helps if fitness levels differ. Bassil is described as patient and kind, and the guide can answer questions and help set a manageable pace. Still, you should be honest with yourself before booking. Downhill steps can be tiring even when there is no major uphill climb afterward.

Service animals are allowed, and the tour is near public transportation. The stated requirement is moderate physical fitness, but the distance and stair count are the more useful facts when deciding if it suits you.

Who Should Book This Petra Experience?

I would recommend this tour to someone visiting Petra for the first time who wants to see the major sights in one substantial day. It is also a good fit if you care about photography, prefer a private guide, or want to reach the Monastery without taking the standard full climb from the main entrance.

It suits active couples, families with older children, and small groups who enjoy asking questions and moving at their own pace. The private format is especially helpful for people who want cultural background rather than a fast walk between photo stops.

I would be more cautious if you have limited mobility, dislike steep steps, or struggle with heat. The back entrance saves effort in one important section, but it does not turn Petra into an easy walk. You still cover a long distance and descend hundreds of steps.

The experience has a current rating of 5 out of 5 from 16 ratings, with 100 percent recommending it. The repeated praise centers on Bassil’s explanations, patience, safety-conscious manner, helpful tips, and photography. Those are meaningful strengths because the route is long and the site can be confusing without guidance.

Final Verdict: Book It for the Route, Not Just the Treasury

I would book this tour if I wanted a more unusual Petra day and had the fitness for a 10-kilometer route. The back entrance, early Monastery visit, private guiding, and downhill finish create a smart route through the site.

I would skip it if my priority were the lowest possible cost or a short, gentle visit. Remember to add Petra admission, allow for the optional 5 to 10 JOD hotel transfer afterward, and prepare for heat and stairs.

For the right person, this is one of the better ways to connect Petra’s famous sights into a single story. You see the Monastery, central city, Royal Tombs, Theater area, Street of Facades, and Treasury without simply following the usual path in and out.

FAQ

Where does the Private Petra Back Entrance Tour begin?

The tour begins with hotel pickup, followed by a stop at the Petra Visitor Centre to collect entry tickets. The listed meeting point is 8FF9+X72 in Wadi Musa, Jordan.

What time does the tour start?

The scheduled start time is 7:00 am.

Is the Petra entry ticket included?

No. Petra admission is not included in the $140 per-person tour price.

Is transportation included?

Hotel pickup and a 4×4 ride to the bottom of the Monastery stairs are included. Hotel drop-off is not included and typically costs 5 to 10 JOD per car.

How long does the tour last?

The experience lasts approximately five to seven hours.

How far do you walk?

The route covers about 10 kilometers of walking and includes an approximately 850-step descent from the Monastery to the Colonnaded Street.

What places are included?

The route includes Little Petra, the Monastery, Qasr Al-Bint, Colonnaded Street, the Royal Tombs, a Theater view, the Street of Facades, and the Treasury.

Is this a private tour?

Yes. Only your own group participates in the activity.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

You can cancel at least 24 hours before the local start time for a full refund. Changes or cancellations made less than 24 hours before the start are not accepted for a refund. If poor weather causes the tour to be canceled, you will be offered another date or a full refund.