Dana to Petra Trek | Jordan | UFO Adventure Travel
Contact Us | +91 9756600449 | [email protected]

Difficulty

Moderate

Max. Altitude

1100m

Duration

8 Days

Best Time

Feb, Mar, Apr, Oct, Nov, Dec

In A Hurry?

You can download our complete tour details and guide for DANA TO PETRA. Also, you can schedule a callback from UFO Adventure Travel.


Tour description

This excellent Dana to Petra trek in Jordan takes us from the Dana Reserve, southwards to the ancient 'Rose-Red City' of Petra. This trek is rapidly gaining a reputation as one of the finest in the Middle East. Six days of trekking takes us through the most rugged country in Jordan, straddling the edge of the great Rift Valley. Starting out from Wadi Feinan in the Dana Nature Reserve, this exploratory Dana to petra trek takes us on hunters' trails through deep gorges and across high ridges, climbing gradually from around 300 metres at Feinan to around 1100 metres at the high viewpoint above Petra. Nights will be spent camping Bedouin-style with the local guide and crew. Crossing a final escarpment, we reach the spectacular ‘Monastery', which heralds our arrival at Petra - recently voted for inclusion among the world's ‘New 7 Wonders'. This great adventure follows in the footsteps of many explorers and is a magical week of discovery, walking and above all, Jordanian hospitality.


Virtual tour of
DANA TO PETRA

Is this Holiday for you ?

On this holiday we will be trekking through a desert world that has been crossed by nomadic people and their livestock for generations. Nowadays, the area is just about accessible by 4WD vehicles and there are rough ‘roads' to the various camping places that we will use. We will be trekking on scant trails, however, far away from the route taken by our support vehicle. The underfoot conditions will include dry wadis, open sandy desert and rocky desert known as ‘hamada'. There are also sections of narrow trail across rocky terrain including some easy scrambling. The tracks and trails we use are generally not difficult. We will walk for an average of 5 to 6 hours on each of days 2 to 6, covering as much as 15 kilometres each day and with a reasonable amount of ascent and descent. This is a relatively short trekking holiday and at low elevation.

Trek the 'Inca trail of the Middle East'

Walk the sculpted sandstone canyons and camp under the stars

Visit the ancient stone city of Petra





  • 8 Days, 2 nights hotel, 5 nights camping
  • 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 6 dinners
  • Max group size: 16
  • The best period for trekking in Jordan is in the late autumn through to early spring season, from October through to mid April. Outside of this period it can be very hot, with temperatures, rising to 40°C in July and August. In October and in April, the maximum daytime temperature is likely to be in the high twenties or low thirties °C, falling as low as 10°C at night. Heading into November the temperatures begin to cool and by December/January, typical daytime maximum temperatures are around 12 - 15 °C falling as low as 5°C at night. In December and January it can even snow in Amman.

Start Date End Date Code Adult Price Status  
08-02-2023 15-02-2023 DPT-Feb23 1460 Available

  • Local guide
  • Airport transfers as described
  • All land transport involved in the itinerary
  • All accommodation as described
  • Meals as per the Meal Plan
  • All permits and entrance fees in the itinerary
  • All costs are applicable for double occupancy
  • Travel insurance
  • Some meals as per the Meal Plan
  • Visas
  • Airport transfers other than those described
  • Tips for local staff including the local guide and drivers
  • Miscellaneous expenses - drinks and souvenirs etc.
  • Personal camera equipment & gear
  • Flights and airfare
  • Breakfasts on trek consist of bread, a variety of cheese, honey, jams, yoghurt, fruit, tea and Nescafe. For lunch there will be a variety of salads, spicy humus, breads and other dishes from which we can select, or a full packed lunch. Dinner will usually be a soup followed by barbeque or pan fried meat and vegetables with plenty of bread, yoghurt, and humus followed by fresh fruit and tea or coffee. Mineral water is provided. Vegetarians can be catered for.
  • A single group transfer will be arranged from Amman Airport to the hotel in Amman. This transfer will meet the arrival of the Royal Jordanian flight from the UK and will normally depart from the airport at around 0100 hours (the early hours of Day 2 of the trip itinerary). At the end of the trip there will be a single group transfer from the group hotel in Wadi Musa to Amman Airport timed to meet the check in for the Royal Jordanian flight back to the UK which departs in the late morning. This transfer will be after breakfast on Day 8 of the trip itinerary. A representative of our local agent will assist with the transfers between the airport and the group hotel. If the arrival transfer does not work with your flight, you will need to make your own transfer arrangements at Amman Airport. The airport is 20 kilometers (12 miles) east of the town of Madaba. Fixed price tan-coloured airport taxis are readily available outside the terminal exit doors. They charge a standard fare of JD20 for the one-way trip to Madaba. Airport taxis are preferable to the yellow taxis, which are metered but usually entail some sort of haggling with the driver. There is an ATM and money changing facilities in the airport. On day 8, should you require an airport transfer, these can be arranged by the hotel reception staff or alternatively please contact the UFO office for prices.
  • During this trip the group will spend 2 nights in hotel and 5 nights camping.. All accommodation is allocated on a twin sharing basis. If you are travelling by yourself you will be paired up with another single client of the same sex. All accommodations used by UFO adhere to hygiene and comfort norms. For Hotel prices and single supplement costs please contact UFO office.
  • Day will start with a hot cup of tea served to you in the tent at around 6.30 am. At around 8 a.m. breakfast will be under way and by 8.30 we should be back on the trail to our next camp. You will have plenty of time to get up and pack your trek bag which will be transported safely to the next camp by car. Please make sure you fill you water bottles for the trek ahead. After breakfast, you can pick your packed lunch prior to setting off. Usually, our route will involve a mix of walking through rugged terrain and scrambling over loose rocks. Be prepared for some uphill climbing every day. We will pick a beautiful spot with some shade or a meadow for Lunch. Usually we walk for around 5-6 hours every day. On arrival at camp, we can relax in our mess tent and take tea or coffee. Dinner is ready at around 7 p.m. in the mess tent. This is a great time of day for reliving the events of the trip so far and for general socializing. After dark, the temperature starts to fall and everyone will soon be tucked up in their sleeping bags.

How UFO makes DANA TO PETRA special?

    Small Groups

We are all about small groups and personalized services! Small groups tend to bond together much more than large groups and also help us give personal attention to each client. Also are you not in these isolated landscape to get away from the crowd?

    No hidden costs

Our adventure holidays have a lot of amenities and services included i.e accommodation, transportation, meals, staff et all. Right from picking you up at the airport we do not want you bother you with arranging or spending on anything other than personal expenses or some meals. Let us take care of you for the duration of your holiday!

    Camping equipment

All quality equipment is used for our camping and climbing holidays. Usually a camping setup includes client tents, mess tent, kitchen tent and private group toilet tent. We use 3 person tents on twin occupancy basis and 5 person tent on twin basis on our 'glamping' trips. We will be using 3 person tents on twin basis in this holiday.

    Meals

We have extensive meal options for our meals. Meals are combination of local and comfort food. Dinner has atleast 3 -4 options on the table. We understand the importance of food in the mountains. We follow our mantra of ‘ Adventure by day, Luxury by night’!

    Accommodation

Your stay in Madaba, on the first night, will be at a clean and hygienic hotel on twin occupancy. We also make you stay in Petra in a luxury hotel at the end of the trek, so you can relax in the city before catching your flight or train the next day.

More reasons to love the experience

Voted as one of the best hikes in the world by National Geographic
A fantastic walking experience in the wadis of Jordan
Make new friends
Avail the best of the Jordanian hospitality and cuisine
Visit a 5000 year old neolithic village and ancient water ducts and copper mines
Get to know the history and geography of the Nabatean civilization and region

ITINERARY FOR THE TREK

DAY 1

MEET AT THE GROUP HOTEL.

Meet at the group hotel. A single group transfer from Amman Airport to the group hotel in Madaba or Amman is provided. This transfer is normally in the late evening and a representative of our local agent will accompany the group on the 30 minute journey to the hotel.



  Accommodation
Hotel in Madaba
  Meals
No meals included

DAY 2

TRANSFER TO DANA VILLAGE. MEET TREK CREW AND HIKE TO WADI FEINAN.

We will make an early start for the drive southwards to the Dana Nature Reserve. Here, we meet our trek crew and trekking guide set off on a first day’s walk which will take 6 hours including a stop for lunch. The walk from Dana to Feinan is essentially downhill with the initial 800 metre descent taking place in the first hour of the walk. After this, the route levels out and we can enjoy a far more gentle walk through a wide open valley flanked by the Dana Mountains. Arriving in Wadi Feinan, we set up our first camp of the trip.



  Accommodation
Camping
  Meals
BLD
  Time
4-5 hrs walking(14-15 kms)

DAY 3

TREK THROUGH BYZANTINE RUINS IN THE DRY CANYONS OF WADI BARWAS

This is another 6-hour walking day, which will take us across classic ‘hamada’ landscape – dry, rock-strewn desert, with little sand. The route from Dana to Petra is quite level and there are spectacular views of the high mountain ranges to the east and the expansive Wadi Araba Desert stretching out to the west. Although the terrain is essentially flat, there are several small wadis (dry valleys), that must be crossed throughout the day. We pass both Byzantine and Nabatean ruins during the course of today’s walk and our local guide will point these out. We set up camp for the night in Wadi Barwas.



  Accommodation
Camping
  Meals
BLD
  Time
6-7 hrs walking(16-17 kms)

DAY 4

TREK TO REIS al FEID VIA ANCIENT BEDOUIN TRAILS

Leaving the stony ‘hamada’ desert behind, there is a steep ascent across rocks and small boulders which eventually leads to a twisting goat herder’s track. The initial uphill section takes approximately 3 hours. The track leads up into the mountains through a narrow and dramatic valley with wonderful views eastwards towards the Wadi Araba Desert. This is a steep and challenging section of the route, but extremely rewarding, as we finally reach the top of a high saddle. The descent to the river valley beyond is on a well–defined trail through rocky surroundings. There are views ahead of the next day’s route. On reaching the dry river bed, we turn upstream for half an hour to our camp at Ras el Feid.



  Accommodation
Camping
  Meals
BLD
  Time
5-6 hrs walking(12-14 kms)

DAY 5

MOUNTAIN TREKKING TO SHKARET UMSEID

We retrace our route along the riverbed, before turning off on a Bedouin trail that traverses a rocky valley side, gradually ascending by way of dry wadis and indistinct cols. This part of the path is particularly challenging, becoming less well-defined, with some easy scrambling to overcome the largest obstacles. This section lasts approximately 2 hours and eventually descends to a riverbed with perennial water. Look out for the elusive ibex in this remote area. The trail continues along the wadi floor and gently climbs up into the pale coloured sandstone mountains of the Petra region. The climb from the valley to the escarpment (where Petra is situated) is gentle and beautiful with a slight uphill climb towards the end across bare rock slabs. We camp at the col of Shkaret Msei’d.



  Accommodation
Camping
  Meals
BLD
  Time
5-6 hrs walking(13-14 kms)

DAY 6

TREK TO LITTLE PETRA. ONWARD DESCENT TO BEIDAH

Leaving the campsite at Shkaret  Msei’d the scenery changes dramatically. We leave the narrow, confining wadis behind and find ourselves amongst wide-open sandstone hills that have something of the feel of a moonscape. The rock is smooth and soft and despite there being no apparent trail the terrain is easy to negotiate, with wide tracks and walkways. The Nabatean influence is apparent here and the first cut steps can be seen. The trail passes through Bedouin encampments, before reaching another rocky area where the track once again becomes indistinct, with interesting route-finding and easy scrambling. We descend into Little Petra using a little used route. The splendor of Little Petra provides an insight into what lies ahead at the main Petra site. From the main entrance of Little Petra, we make our way towards Beidha with evidence of modern human settlement in the form of jeep tracks.



  Accommodation
Camping
  Meals
BLD
  Time
4-5 hrs walking(14-15 kms)

DAY 7

TREK INTO PETRA THOROUGH SPECTUCULAR CLIFF TRAILS. GUIDED TOUR OF PETRA.

We will say goodbye to our local trekking guide and crew this morning and we continue with our guide. The walk from here to Petra will take between 2 and 3 hours, with the initial walk across open farmland. The route then follows a well–defined mountain track with fantastic views across to the Araba Desert, some 100 km / 60 miles away. The views are impressive and with the exception of one short (2 metre) section a head for heights is not necessary. The walk into Petra is magnificent and is the culmination of 5 days of hard walking. The initial glimpse of the top of the Monastery, as it comes into view through the mountains, has a similar effect of the first glimpse of the Treasury from the Siq. We will then trek down from the Monastery and exit Petra by the secondary Siq before re-entering the site through the main Siq so you get to see the most famous view of Petra as though you are entering for the first time. After our sightseeing visit to Petra, we overnight at a hotel in nearby Wadi Musa.



  Accommodation
Hotel in Wadi Musa
  Meals
BLD
  Time
6-7 hrs walking(15-16 kms)

DAY 8

DEPARTURE DAY

After an early breakfast, we transfer by private vehicle (3hrs) to Amman International Airport. UFO Land Only package services end on arrival at the airport. However, if you would like to extend your visit in Jordan to visit the Red Sea, the Dead Sea or Jerash, please contact our team of adventure travel consultants.


Feel free to contact us about Dana to Petra Trek at [email protected]



  Meals
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Why trekkers love us?

The most amazing thing about UFO was the flexibility shown to accommodate very quick changes to the itinerary. We traveled to Ladakh and had to change our itinerary due to circumstances in the region. We requested them to make the change the same morning we were supposed to leave for our destination. Their response time to make the change was just 10 minutes!! We had an amazing trip with UFO and will look forward to another holiday with them.

Suyash Kundlia

For a first-time trekker, I thought picking Mt. Kilimanjaro was maybe not the smartest choice. But thanks to UFO it felt like a breeze. The guides and crew were excellent in every single way. For a group of 8 trekkers, UFO deputed a total of 40 including 4 experienced guides, cooks, servers and porters. I would definitely recommend using UFO as your adventure guides. They prepare you for every step of the way - from buying your trekking gear to getting you safely back down.

Anant Golyan

I have done two treks with UFO. One in Nepal and another in Ladakh, India. I am pretty sure I want to do my third trek with the same team. And I do recommend this company for treks any-day!

Deepa Agarwal

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Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to visit Jordan?

Jordan is one of the safest countries on the world! The first thing you will notice when you arrive to Jordan is that the people are very warm and welcoming to tourists. You will be pleasantly surprised by the sense of security you will find in Jordan- it is one of the safest places to travel in the world. Jordan maintains good relations with ALL of its neighbors and is truly an oasis of peace in this region. The country is fairly liberal,westernized, and friendly local population.

How should i dress?

When planning your clothing needs (particularly women), remember that you will be travelling in a Muslim country, albeit not a very conservative one. Too much body should not be displayed. Women and men can wear shorts, though it’s preferable for women to avoid wearing them while walking in Amman’s city centre. By following above guidelines, you will feel more relaxed. Make sure you bring with you comfortable walking shoes, a hat and sun block. The weather is usually warm in summer, but winters can be very cold, evenings are cool year round, so bring adequate warm clothing with you. If you were sleeping in the desert then you would need a warm sweater and Jacket even in summer.

Who will accompany our group?

All our tour leaders are Jordanian locals who have extensive knowledge of the local communities and terrain of the areas you will be visiting. We also make sure that they are properly trained in any specialized activities they may administer i.e. hiking, cycling etc. Your tour leader will also be in a position to provide information on the places you visit, recommend things to do and where to eat.

How easy is it to fly to Jordan?

Jordan’s capital Amman is served by Queen Alia International Airport which operates daily flights, from and to, all the major cities of Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East. If your city does not have direct flights to Amman it should be relatively easy to organize your flight plan through your local travel agent.

When is the best time to visit Jordan?

Jordan is blessed with moderate temperatures and all four seasons all year round. We don’t offer packages during the few months of winter when it can get quite cold and wet but the rest of the year we are open for business.

What about the interacting with Jordanians from local communities in the areas I visit during our holiday?

Fostering cultural interaction and exchanges between our foreign guests and local Jordanians is something we make every effort to encourage, knowing that it enhances the holiday experience for our guests as well as expose Jordanians to different cultures and viewpoints from around the world.

What if we are a group of people (3 or more) and would like to customize our own trip itinerary?

We’ll be more than happy to assist you and design your trip with you step by step and give you a good offer. All you have to do is send your request to our reservation team at [email protected] and keep in mind that the bigger your group is the more likely we can customize a trip specifically for you and the more reasonable the price will be for everybody.

How difficult is the Dana to Petra trek?

On this holiday we will be trekking through a desert world that has been crossed by nomadic people and their livestock for generations. We will be trekking on scant trails, however, far away from the route taken by our support vehicle. The underfoot conditions will include dry wadis, open sandy desert and rocky desert known as ‘hamada'. There are also sections of narrow trail across rocky terrain including some easy scrambling. The tracks and trails we use are generally not difficult. We will walk for an average of 5 to 6 hours on each of days 2 to 6, covering as much as 15 kilometers each day and with a reasonable amount of ascent and descent. This is a relatively short trekking holiday and at low elevation.