Private Petra Back Entrance Tour with Guide .

Petra rewards those who take the long way. This private back entrance tour begins at Little Petra, reaches the Monastery by 4×4 and mountain trail, then crosses Petra on foot to the Treasury. I like the quieter approach and the chance to see the Monastery before following the main route through the ancient city. I also like having a private English-speaking guide who can adjust the pace, explain the ruins, and help with photos.

The main drawback is the physical effort. You will walk about 10 kilometers, climb to the Monastery, and later descend roughly 850 steps. The tour lasts about five to seven hours, starts at 7:00 am, and ends at the Treasury rather than returning you to your hotel.

Key points at a glance

• Start at Little Petra: You use Petra’s less common rear approach, beginning with a short look at Little Petra before continuing toward the Monastery.
• Reach the Monastery by 4×4 and on foot: A 4×4 ride takes you to the bottom of the Monastery steps, but the final climb is still a serious mountain walk.
• See Petra in a useful order: The route moves from the Monastery downhill to the Colonnaded Street, Royal Tombs, Theater view, Street of Facades, and Treasury.
• Private guiding: Only your group takes part, giving you more room for questions, photo stops, and a flexible walking pace.
• Strong guide feedback: Bassil is praised for his long experience at Petra, clear explanations, patience, local insight, and photography help.
• Plan for extra costs: The $140 per person price does not include Petra admission, gratuity, or hotel drop-off.

Why the back entrance changes your Petra day

Most people enter Petra through the Visitor Centre and walk down the Siq toward the Treasury. This tour reverses the usual order. You begin outside the main flow of the site, visit Little Petra, approach the Monastery from behind, and finish at Petra’s most famous facade.

That order has real value. The Monastery is one of Petra’s grandest monuments, yet reaching it from the main entrance requires a long walk and a steep stair climb. With this route, a 4×4 ride takes you to the bottom of the Monastery stairs. You still need to walk uphill, but you avoid part of the approach from the Visitor Centre.

The quieter start is the other attraction. The back route offers broader views and fewer people than the central path. I would choose it if you want Petra to feel less like a procession and more like a day in the hills around an ancient city.

You should not confuse quieter with easy. This is not a short shortcut. The full route covers about 10 kilometers, includes a mountain climb, and later descends 850 steps. Good shoes, water, sun protection, and a moderate level of fitness matter here.

A 7:00 am pickup and the ride to Little Petra

The tour begins at 7:00 am, with hotel pickup offered in the Wadi Musa area. You first make a quick stop at the Visitor Centre to collect Petra entry tickets, then use the free shuttle provided by the Petra Authority to reach Little Petra.

The early start is sensible. Petra can be hot, and the first major climb comes before you have spent hours walking through the main city. Starting early also gives you a better chance of enjoying the Monastery with some breathing room.

Little Petra receives only about 15 minutes on this tour. That is enough to see its main features and understand the connection between the smaller site and Petra proper, but not enough for a slow, detailed visit. Think of it as an opening chapter rather than a full stop.

From Little Petra, a 4×4 shuttle takes you to the bottom of the Monastery stairs. The ride is included, which is useful because it saves some walking and makes the back entrance practical rather than merely adventurous.

The Monastery climb takes about three hours

The first major section, including Little Petra, the 4×4 transfer, and the walk to Al Dayr, takes about three hours. The Monastery is the reward at the top: a huge carved facade set high above the surrounding rock formations.

The guide can help you read the structure rather than simply photograph it. Bassil, the guide most often named in the tour feedback, has more than 18 years of experience guiding at Petra. His strongest qualities appear to be patience, clear explanations, and a willingness to answer questions instead of rushing from one viewpoint to the next.

The walk requires steady effort. The route is easier than reaching the Monastery entirely from the main entrance, but it is still no casual stroll. One person specifically noted that the sun made the climb demanding even on the easier approach. That is a useful warning: the back route reduces the distance to the Monastery, not the need to climb.

Take your time here. The private format should allow you to pause, ask about the carved facade, and enjoy the views without being tied to a large group. Bassil has also been praised for taking good photos, a small but worthwhile benefit at a place where it is difficult to frame yourself against the monument.

Walking downhill from the Monastery to the Colonnaded Street

From the Monastery, the route heads downhill for about 850 steps toward the Colonnaded Street. The one-hour walk brings you into the central part of Petra, where the scale of the old city becomes easier to understand.

The downhill direction is a major reason to consider this tour. Climbing 850 steps toward the Monastery late in the day would be harder for many people, especially after walking from the Visitor Centre. Here, you tackle the main climb early and use the long descent to reach the city.

That does not make the steps effortless. Descending can be tough on knees, and uneven stone requires attention. If you have joint problems, ask the guide about the pace before booking. The stated fitness requirement is moderate, but Petra’s stone paths can turn moderate exercise into a full day of work.

The Colonnaded Street was part of Petra’s central urban area and marketplace. You will spend about an hour here, giving you time to look at the remains of the street, surrounding structures, and the way the city occupies the valley.

Royal Tombs and the Theater viewpoint

After the Colonnaded Street, you follow the main trail toward the Royal Tombs. This section takes about 30 minutes and includes a view of the amphitheater from the front mountain.

The Royal Tombs are especially effective when seen from a little distance. Their broad facades show how Petra’s builders used the natural rock face as both building material and architectural frame. You do not simply walk past them at eye level. The higher viewpoint helps you see how the tombs fit into the cliffs.

The Theater view adds another angle to the city. Rather than treating Petra as a string of isolated monuments, this part helps connect the tombs, theater, streets, and rock walls into one large settlement.

The route also covers the Street of Facades and gives you views toward the Theater. Exact time at these points can vary because the remaining time is used for walking, sightseeing, and exploration. That flexibility is useful, especially if your group wants more photographs or has questions.

Ending at the Treasury after roughly 10 kilometers

The tour ends at the Treasury, where you spend about 45 minutes exploring Petra’s best-known facade. Reaching it at the end creates a strong finish. You have already seen the Monastery and crossed the central ruins, so the Treasury becomes the final reveal rather than the first thing you encounter.

The Treasury is not actually a storehouse of treasure, but its name and appearance have made it Petra’s signature sight. The facade is most powerful when you consider the effort needed to reach it and the narrow canyon that frames it.

You get free time here for self-guided exploration. That matters because a private tour should not feel like a race to the final stop. You can take photos, pause in front of the facade, or ask the guide to point out details you might otherwise miss.

Once the guided route ends, you have two practical choices. You can continue exploring on your own, or walk back through the canyon to the Visitor Centre. That return walk takes about 40 minutes. The tour does not include hotel drop-off, so you need to arrange your own return from Petra or pay the stated 5 to 10 JOD per car for hotel drop-off if that option is available to you.

What the private format is worth at $140 per person

The listed price is $140 per person, with group discounts offered. The value depends heavily on the size of your group.

For a couple, the price is substantial, but you are paying for a private English-speaking guide, hotel pickup, the back entrance arrangement, and the included 4×4 ride to the Monastery stairs. You also gain control over the walking pace and the freedom to stop for questions or photos.

For a group of four, the private format becomes easier to justify because the guiding cost is shared. One group of four would pay $560 before Petra admission, gratuity, and any hotel drop-off. You should calculate the full cost before booking, since the Petra entry ticket is specifically not included.

I see the best value here for people who already know they want the back entrance. Arranging the transport from the Visitor Centre to Little Petra, then finding the 4×4 transfer and navigating the route alone could be inconvenient. A guide takes care of the sequence and adds context to the monuments.

If your main goal is simply to see the Treasury with minimal walking, this is poor value. You would be paying for a demanding route when the main entrance offers a more direct visit. This tour earns its price through the route, private attention, and Monastery access.

What Bassil adds to the day

The guide can make or break Petra, and Bassil receives especially strong praise for his work. He contacts clients the day before to confirm arrangements, which is helpful for an early start and hotel pickup.

His background of more than 18 years guiding at Petra gives him the kind of site familiarity you want here. The strongest feedback points to his explanations of what you are passing, his answers to questions, his patience with slower walkers, and his suggestions for making the day run well.

He is also praised for sharing information about Jordanian culture and local life, not only the stones and dates of Petra. That broader context can make the site feel less like a collection of carved facades and more like a place connected to the country around it.

The experience is rated 5 out of 5 from 16 reviews, with 100 percent recommending it. That is a small sample, so I would not treat the rating as proof that every departure will be identical. Still, the praise is notably consistent: Bassil is described as kind, safe, patient, and excellent at explaining Petra.

When booking, check whether Bassil will lead your particular departure. The supplied tour information identifies Alfarajat as the provider, while the named guide in the feedback is Bassil. That simple confirmation is worth making before you pay.

Physical effort, heat, and what to bring

You need a moderate level of fitness for this tour. The important figures are clear: about 10 kilometers of walking, a mountain climb to the Monastery, and 850 steps downhill afterward.

Wear sturdy walking shoes with a reliable grip. The route includes uneven stone and steps, and ordinary city footwear would make the day less comfortable. Carry water and use sun protection, since the climb can feel hot even when the morning begins pleasantly.

Pace matters more than speed. The private format gives you a better chance to slow down, but you should still tell the guide early if the climb is becoming difficult. A patient guide can help, but no guide can remove the physical demands of Petra.

Service animals are allowed, and the tour is near public transportation. The experience requires good weather. If poor weather forces 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 made less than 24 hours in advance are not accepted for a refund.

Who should book this Petra route?

I would recommend this tour to couples, families with older children, and small groups who want Petra’s Monastery without following the standard route. It also suits you if you value explanations, photography help, and the ability to set a private pace.

It is a strong choice for repeat visitors who have already seen Petra from the main entrance and want a different day. The back approach gives you new views and makes the route feel more like a crossing of the region than a simple walk to one monument.

I would hesitate to recommend it if you have limited mobility, dislike long walks, or want a relaxed sightseeing schedule. The $140 price does not include admission, and the final walk back to the Visitor Centre is still your responsibility.

Should you book the Private Petra Back Entrance Tour?

Book it if reaching the Monastery by a quieter route is central to your Petra plans. The combination of Little Petra, the 4×4 transfer, a private guide, the Monastery, central ruins, Royal Tombs, and the Treasury makes a full and well-ordered day.

Before booking, confirm the guide, ask about the hotel pickup point, and budget separately for admission, gratuity, and your return to Wadi Musa. If you can handle the distance and steps, this is one of the more rewarding ways to connect Petra’s major sights in a single outing.

FAQ

What time does the tour start?

The tour starts at 7:00 am.

Where does the tour begin?

The stated starting point is 8FF9+X72 in Wadi Musa, Jordan. Hotel pickup is offered.

Where does the tour end?

The guided tour ends in front of the Treasury.

Is Petra admission included?

No. The Petra entry ticket is not included in the $140 price.

Is hotel pickup included?

Yes. Hotel pickup is included.

Is hotel drop-off included?

No. Hotel drop-off is not included. The stated cost is 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 and includes approximately 850 steps downhill from the Monastery.

Is the 4×4 ride included?

Yes. The 4×4 ride to the bottom of the Monastery stairs is included.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes, if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Poor weather cancellations offer a different date or a full refund.