About this tour
When Finn from the crew booked this Amman day trip, we were after a proper look at Petra and the Dead Sea without the usual tour-group hassle. You get a private driver who actually knows their stuff—picking you up from your hotel and steering you toward two unmissable Jordanian landmarks. Petra's an ancient Nabatean carved city that's genuinely stunning; the Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth and bizarrely floaty. The whole thing runs 12–14 hours, so it's a full day but doable. You'll see the Siq, the Treasury, Royal Tombs, and get time to bob about in that salty water.
Highlights
- Private air-conditioned vehicle beats fighting tour-coach crowds.
- Driver doubles as informal guide—context without the megaphone.
- The Siq: narrow canyon approach to Petra proper, genuinely atmospheric.
- Treasury facade carved straight into rose-red rock, unmissable.
- Float effortlessly in Dead Sea—buoyancy actually works, strange feeling.
- Dead Sea mud treatment included; feels odd, oddly therapeutic.
- Hotel pickup means no early hotel-lobby scramble with randoms.
- WiFi onboard for Insta-posting between monuments if you're that way inclined.
What to expect
You'll be picked up early from your Amman hotel in a comfortable private car. Your driver chatters away about Jordan's history and landscape as you head south—it's a scenic drive with decent company. Petra takes up most of the morning and afternoon; you'll walk the Siq (a stunning narrow gorge), emerge at the Treasury (the postcard-famous carved façade), and explore the Street of Facades, Roman Theatre, and Royal Tombs. It's walkable but involves uneven terrain and some uphill sections—bring water and decent shoes.
After Petra you head to the Dead Sea. You'll change into swimwear at a resort facility, wade in, and float like a cork in that peculiar hyper-salty water. Mud's available if you want to slather yourself—it's weirdly popular. Lunch is usually included here. The drive back to Amman is long, so expect to arrive evening.
What travellers say
- Private transport and driver feels personal, not factory-line.
- Petra's carved facades and Siq canyon genuinely breathtaking.
- Dead Sea buoyancy is real and weirdly surreal.
- Full-day coverage of two major sites without rushing.
- Hotel pickup saves you finding your way to a meeting point.
- No expert guide—driver is friendly, not archaeologist.
- Long day means early start and evening return fatigue.
- Petra walks are exposed; summer heat is intense and relentless.
Themes summarised by our team from public information about this tour. Verify specifics on the operator's page before booking.
Good to know
Private transport beats shared coaches—you set the pace, skip the tourism spiels, and get actual conversation with your driver. If you're not a museum-plaque reader, that's fine; the landscape and monuments speak for themselves. The Dead Sea float is genuinely unique; nowhere else on Earth feels quite like it. Suits most fitness levels as long as you're comfortable walking a few kilometres over rocky ground.
You won't have a proper archaeologist-guide narrating Petra's details—your driver offers context, not expertise. The day's long; early starts aren't everyone's jam. Petra's exposed; sun's relentless in summer. The Dead Sea resort facilities can feel a bit corporate. Walking shoes and sunscreen are non-negotiable. Group size is just you (or your crew), which is brilliant but means no discount splitting costs with randoms. Peak season (Oct–Apr) means Petra gets busy mid-morning. Entry tickets aren't always included—check your package. Infant seats available if needed.
Tour sold and operated by Viator via Viator. Descriptions on this page are original Global Hobo summaries written by our team — not copied from the operator. Prices and availability are confirmed at checkout.