Petra Entry Fees, Explained (Including the 90 JOD Trap Nobody Warns You About)

Petra entrance fees are, on the surface, refreshingly simple — three tidy tiers, one price list, no drama. And then you meet the fine print, which contains one genuinely brutal number and a couple of soft traps that separate cheerful visitors from their JOD without anyone quite explaining why.

We have stood at that ticket window a thousand times and watched the same three faces: the person who reads the sign and nods, the person arriving off a day cruise who is about to have a very expensive surprise, and the person who accepted a "free" horse ride and is now doing uncomfortable math. Let us walk through all of it so you can be face number one.

How much does a Petra ticket cost?

For visitors staying overnight in Jordan, a Petra ticket is 50 JOD for one day, 55 JOD for two days, and 60 JOD for three days. That is the standard rate, and it is the rate almost everyone reading this will pay.

The tiers are deliberately gentle: because the one-day ticket is 50 JOD and the two-day is 55 JOD, adding a second day costs only 5 JOD, and the third day is another 5 JOD. Petra is quietly bribing you to stay longer, and it is a bribe worth taking if your legs and schedule allow.

Why do some people pay 90 JOD to enter Petra?

The 90 JOD ticket is the day-visitor rate — it applies to people who enter Jordan and leave the same day without spending a night in the country, typically cruise passengers arriving at Aqaba for a quick Petra dash. It is not a scam and not a surprise fee; it is a deliberate rule, and it stings.

The takeaway is blunt: staying overnight in Jordan matters, a lot. Spend even one night in the country and you drop from the 90 JOD day rate to the standard 50 JOD tier — a 40 JOD swing for the price of a hotel bed. There is also a widely reported 1 JOD ticket for a specific category of cruise day-tripper who buys through an organized tour; the conditions shift, so treat that one as "confirm before you count on it." The reliable rule is the one we keep repeating: sleep in Jordan and you pay the normal price.

Should I buy a Jordan Pass for Petra?

For most independent travelers, yes. The Jordan Pass starts at 70 JOD, includes Petra along with Jerash, Wadi Rum, the Amman Citadel and 40+ other sites, and — this is the big one — waives the 40 JOD tourist visa fee if you stay at least three nights in Jordan.

Run the math: the 70 JOD pass minus a 50 JOD Petra ticket minus a waived 40 JOD visa means you are ahead before you visit a single other site. Add Jerash (10 JOD) and Wadi Rum (7 JOD) and it is not close. Buy it online before you fly, print or save the QR code, and enter Petra by scanning it. The Jordan Pass does not cover Petra by Night, which is a separate ~17 JOD ticket.

Do kids pay to enter Petra, and what about the "free" horse ride?

Children under 12 generally enter Petra free, but exact age cutoffs and ID requirements change, so check locally at the gate rather than assuming. It is one of the friendlier policies in Jordanian tourism.

Now the horse ride. Your Petra ticket "includes" a short horse ride along the first stretch before the Siq — and technically it does. What it does not include is the tip, which the handler will make very clear is expected and is not small. Plenty of visitors accept the ride thinking it is entirely free, then feel cornered into paying several JOD they did not budget for. Our advice: either skip the ride and enjoy the walk (it is a pleasant, flat 800 m), or take it knowing a tip is coming and decide your number in advance. On our Petra tours the private car and professional driver get you to the gate; the tickets, any on-site guide and those charming little on-trail negotiations are yours to handle — and now you are ready for them.