Half-Day Private Indiana Jones Petra Back Road Trial Tour

Petra rewards those willing to leave the main path. This private horseback adventure begins at the Petra Visitor Center, reaches Little Petra by way of mountain trails, and continues toward the great Monastery before returning through Petra’s major monuments. I especially like the quiet back route and the chance to see Petra from high ground, far beyond the usual canyon approach. The small private format also means your pace and comfort get more attention.

The biggest appeal is the variety: old caves and villages at Little Petra, wide mountain views at Qararah Park, a dramatic ride through Dabdabah Road, and close views of the Theater, Royal Tombs, Colonnaded Street, and Treasury. The main caution is physical effort. The Monastery requires roughly 800 stone steps and about 45 minutes of uphill walking, while the horseback sections pass over rocky ground. Add the 50 JD Petra admission fee to the $165 tour price, and this is a special splurge rather than a cheap way to see the site.

Key points to know before booking

• The route starts at the Petra Visitor Center and heads toward Little Petra, giving you a different opening than the standard Siq walk.
• Qararah Park provides a high view over Petra’s sandstone mountains, one of the tour’s most memorable photo stops.
• The Monastery requires about 800 steps, so expect a serious uphill section even though part of the experience is on horseback.
• Little Petra adds caves, old village remains, and a quieter setting before you reach Petra’s central monuments.
• The tour is private for your group only, with bottled water included and an 8:00 am start.
• The $165 price does not include the 50 JD Petra ticket, an important extra cost to plan for.

A different way into Petra

Most first visits to Petra follow the famous Siq toward the Treasury. This tour takes a less usual approach. You meet at the Petra Visitor Center at 8:00 am, then travel through the mountains toward Qararah Park and Little Petra before reaching the central archaeological area.

That change matters. Instead of seeing Petra as a single dramatic procession, you get a sense of how the surrounding valleys, ridges, and smaller settlements connect. The route also gives you a chance to see the area from above, something that can be difficult to arrange on foot.

The experience is described as a horse-riding tour, but you should expect walking as well. The Monastery section alone involves a long uphill climb of about 800 steps. Anyone booking should be comfortable with a moderate level of physical activity and uneven mountain terrain.

Because this is a private activity, only your group participates. That is useful if you want time for photographs, need a slower pace, or prefer direct communication with the guide. The published experiences also praise Mohammad, a horseman who focuses on safety and comfort and takes good care of the horses.

From Qararah Park to Little Petra

The opening ride leads through the mountains to Qararah Park, described as a high point with broad views of Petra’s mountain country. This is an important early stop because it puts the scale of the area in front of you before the monuments begin to crowd your attention.

At Petra, the carved façades often steal the show. From Qararah Park, you get a wider view of the surrounding rock formations and valleys. The setting helps explain why Petra was more than a collection of tombs and temples. Its position among mountain routes made it a powerful center for movement and trade.

The trail then continues along Dabdabah Road toward the Petra Bubble Luxel Resort and Little Petra. The resort is used as a route landmark, while the real interest lies in what comes next: caves, old village remains, and the narrow area known as Siq al-Barid, often called Little Petra.

Little Petra feels quieter and smaller than the main site. You can look into carved spaces and see traces of older settlement. The tour description presents it as a place where natural rock and human habitation sit closely together, and that is exactly why it works well as a first stop. You are not simply checking off another monument. You are getting a calmer introduction to the Petra area.

Allow about an hour and a half for this opening section. The route may sound simple on paper, but the mountain setting and uneven ground mean you should avoid treating it like a quick transfer between sights.

Why Little Petra earns its own time

Little Petra is often treated as a short side trip, but this tour gives it a central role. That is one of its best features. The caves and old village areas offer a more modest view of Nabataean life than the grand façades farther inside Petra.

I like this part for the sense of contrast. The main Petra monuments are polished by fame, crowds, and repeated photographs. Little Petra is more restrained. Its spaces encourage you to look closely at the rock, the openings, and the remains of daily life.

The ride through Siq al-Barid also helps break up the day. You are not walking the same kind of route for several hours. Instead, the experience shifts between horseback travel, mountain views, archaeological stops, and uphill walking.

Still, you should keep your expectations realistic. Little Petra is not a second Treasury or a replacement for the major monuments. Its value is in the quieter setting and the chance to see a different side of the Petra region.

The hard climb to Al Dayr

After Little Petra, the tour heads toward Al Dayr, better known as the Monastery. This is the main physical challenge and one of the great rewards of the day.

The Monastery is a huge façade cut into the sandstone, about 58 meters wide and created more than 2,000 years ago. It was later converted into a church during the Byzantine period, as were two major structures at Petra. The name Monastery reflects that later use, though the monument began as a Nabataean rock-cut structure.

The climb takes around 45 minutes and includes roughly 800 steps. That figure is the key practical detail for booking. Even if the horse carries you for part of the route, you should be prepared to walk uphill over stone stairs and rough surfaces.

Once you reach the top, the scale of the façade makes the effort worthwhile. The Monastery is larger and more remote than the Treasury, and the setting gives it a grander sense of space. You also get striking views toward the mountains of Jordan and the West Bank.

Take your time here. The tour allows about two hours for this section, which gives you room to see the façade, pause for photographs, and recover from the climb. The experience is not just about arriving at the Monastery. It is about having enough time to appreciate the location.

The drawback is clear: anyone with limited mobility or little tolerance for steep stairs may find this part tiring. The tour requires a moderate fitness level, and the 800-step climb should be treated as a firm requirement, not a minor detail.

Returning through Petra’s major monuments

From the Monastery, the route continues back toward Petra’s better-known central sights. This return section takes about two hours and brings the day from quiet back trails to the grand monuments most people associate with Petra.

The Colonnaded Street runs through the heart of the ancient city along a traditional east-west Roman street pattern. Its columns and ruined structures show how Petra changed over time, especially as Roman influence shaped the city’s public spaces.

You also pass the so-called Girl Palace, a religious temple at the end of Colonnaded Street. Despite its name, the structure is not a palace in the usual sense. The supplied information identifies it as a Nabataean temple that survived earthquakes, making it a worthwhile stop for anyone interested in how Petra’s monuments endured natural damage.

The Royal Tombs are another major highlight. These large façades were carved into rose-red sandstone by the Nabataeans about 2,300 years ago. Their size and position make them easy to appreciate from nearby, and the tour allows you to study them closely rather than only seeing them from a distant path.

You also visit the Byzantine Church, a fifth-century structure within Petra. Its presence adds another layer to the site. Petra was not frozen in one period, and the remains show how the city continued to be used and reshaped after the Nabataean era.

The Treasury is the famous finale for many people visiting Petra, and this tour brings you near it as well. Seeing it after the back route may change how you understand it. Rather than making the Treasury your only image of Petra, you have already seen the valleys, smaller settlements, high ridges, Monastery, tombs, and street ruins that give the city its full setting.

What the private format changes

A private tour can make a real difference in a place as physically demanding as Petra. You do not have to match the speed of an unrelated group, and the guide can focus on your party’s safety and comfort.

That matters on horseback. One of the strongest points from the available feedback is the care shown by Mohammad, who is described as a skilled horseman with well-cared-for, well-behaved horses. Good handling is especially important on a rocky route where confidence and control matter more than speed.

The private arrangement also suits photographers. You can ask to pause at Qararah Park, Little Petra, the Monastery, or the Royal Tombs without negotiating with a large group. The exact amount of stopping time will depend on the day and the guide, so it is sensible to communicate your priorities before setting out.

The route has also appealed to an older rider, age 72, who enjoyed seeing Petra from above and reaching views that would have been difficult by hiking alone. That does not mean the tour is easy. It does suggest that the horseback sections can make the mountain setting more accessible, provided you can manage the walking and steps.

Price, ticket cost, and what you receive

The tour costs $165 per person. That is before the Petra admission fee, listed as 50 JD. Bottled water is included, but the entrance ticket is not, so calculate the combined cost before you book.

The price is easier to justify if you value a private guide, horseback travel, the Little Petra approach, and high mountain views. It is less attractive if your main goal is simply to reach the Treasury and take a few photographs. You could see Petra’s central sights through a more standard visit without paying for this specialized route.

The tour lasts approximately five to six hours. That is a substantial half-day, especially when you add the physical effort of the Monastery climb and the time spent returning through the central ruins.

I see this as a value purchase for someone who wants a varied route and personal attention. It is not the best choice for a budget visitor focused only on admission and basic sightseeing. The extra cost pays for the unusual access and structure of the day, not for the Petra ticket itself.

Who should book this Petra ride?

This tour suits you if you want:

• A private experience rather than a shared group
• A mountain route with views from above
• Horseback riding combined with archaeological sightseeing
• A quieter introduction through Little Petra
• Close access to the Monastery, Royal Tombs, Theater, and Treasury
• A guide who can focus on safety and comfort

It may not suit you if you dislike horses, struggle with uneven ground, or cannot manage a long uphill staircase. The Monastery is not optional decoration on the route. It is one of the main reasons to choose this experience, and reaching it requires real effort.

You should also think about timing. The 8:00 am start gives you an early beginning, which is useful for a long day in the open mountains. Since the activity depends on good weather, conditions can affect the schedule. If poor weather causes cancellation, you are offered another date or a full refund.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations inside that window are not accepted for a refund, so keep the deadline in mind when planning a Jordan itinerary.

Should you book the Indiana Jones back trail?

Book it if you want Petra to feel like an adventure rather than a single famous façade. The combination of Little Petra, horseback mountain travel, Qararah Park, the Monastery, and the central ruins gives you a broad and memorable day.

I would be especially inclined to recommend it to independent-minded visitors, riders who want a less ordinary route, and anyone who values wide views and a private guide. The positive feedback gives particular weight to Mohammad’s communication, horse handling, and attention to comfort.

Skip it if you want an easy sightseeing morning or if the added 50 JD entry fee makes the total cost too high. The climb to the Monastery is demanding, and the tour’s back-road character means rough ground is part of the deal.

For the right person, this is one of the more distinctive ways to see Petra. You get the major monuments, but you also get the mountains, small caves, old village remains, and quiet approach that make the ancient city feel like a place rather than a checklist.

FAQ

Where does the tour begin?

The tour begins at the Petra Visitor Center at 8:00 am.

Where does the tour end?

The activity ends back at the Petra Visitor Center meeting point.

How long does the tour last?

The total duration is approximately five to six hours.

Is the Petra admission ticket included?

No. The Petra ticket is not included and costs 50 JD.

What is included in the tour price?

Bottled water is included. The Petra entrance ticket is not included.

How difficult is the Monastery section?

The walk to the Monastery involves about 800 steps and takes around 45 minutes uphill. A moderate level of physical fitness is recommended.

Is this a private tour?

Yes. Only your group participates in the activity.

What happens if bad weather cancels the tour?

Because the experience requires good weather, a weather cancellation results in an offer of a different date or a full refund.