Petra Entrance Fee: The 50 vs 90 JOD Price Gap Explained

Why the 50 vs 90 rule exists

Petra’s entry fee is a proxy for whether you have “invested” in Jordan. Stay a night, and the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA) treats you as a committed visitor—you paid for a hotel, you are buying food, you are spending money in the economy. Come in from Eilat or Tel Aviv for the day and bounce back over the border the same night, and you are extracting value without contributing. The 90 JOD rate reflects that extraction. It is not punitive; it is economic policy.

The 40 JOD refund loophole: yes, it is real

If you visit Petra on your first day in Jordan, then stay that night in or around Wadi Musa (the town at Petra’s gate), you can claim 40 JOD back at the ticket office the next morning. Bring your passport and proof of accommodation (your hotel receipt). You will walk out at the 50 JOD rate. This is a legitimate policy, not a hack. It exists because the PDTRA wants to encourage overnight stays, and this rule rewards people who do. Most day tours from Amman or Aqaba already qualify because the tourists slept in Jordan the night before. For same-day visitors from Israel or Egypt, this loophole is the only way to beat the 90 JOD rate.

Multi-day tickets

Two-day ticket: 55 JOD (accommodated). Three-day: 60 JOD. The incremental cost per extra day is low—5 JOD per day after the first. These tickets assume you have slept in Jordan and are staying longer. You cannot buy a multi-day ticket and leave the same day; the PDTRA does not sell non-accommodated multi-day passes.

Children under 12: free entry

Children under 12 enter free during daylight hours (06:00–18:00 in summer, 06:00–16:00 in winter). You still need to bring your child’s passport and show it at the gate. If your child is visiting on a tour, tell the operator this detail at booking—they may use the savings to reduce your group’s total cost.

Tickets are non-refundable, non-exchangeable, non-transferable

Buy a ticket and change your mind, you lose the money. Lose your ticket, you cannot get a replacement. Give your ticket to a friend, they cannot use it. This is stated on the ticket itself and at the visitor center. Plan your visit carefully.

Which of our 8 tours include the entry fee

Included in the price: the Aqaba tour ($289, ticket baked in), the Eilat tour ($390, skip-the-line entry), the Jerusalem tour ($299, plus $125 cash at the border), the Tel Aviv tour ($583, skip-the-line), and the Sharm El Sheikh tour ($424, included). These operators are absorbing the 90 JOD (or the crossed-border equivalent) into the tour price.

Usually not included: the Amman tours ($73 and $93). The operators here do not bundle the 50 JOD ticket; you often buy it yourself at the visitor center. This is not a surprise—it is standard practice. The operator handles transport, you handle the gate. On the two-day tour ($249), the Petra and Wadi Rum entries ($70 + $10) are listed as payable on site; the Dead Sea ($40) is cash to the driver.

Jordan Pass: the three-night trap

The Jordan Pass comes in three tiers: Wanderer (70 JOD), Explorer (75 JOD), Expert (80 JOD). All three include a Petra ticket and waive the 40 JOD tourist visa. The maths looks good: 50 JOD ticket + 40 JOD visa = 90 JOD; the Wanderer at 70 JOD saves 20 JOD and throws in 40+ other sites (Jerash, Wadi Rum, Karak). But there is a catch: the visa waiver only works if you stay three consecutive nights in Jordan. Leave earlier and you pay the 40 JOD visa at the border on your way out. For a same-day visitor from Israel or Egypt, the Jordan Pass is a waste of money. Buy it only if you are staying three full nights.

ASEZ and the Aqaba free-visa zone

If you enter through Aqaba (airport, port, or the Wadi Araba crossing from Eilat), you get a free visa for up to 30 days under the Aqaba Special Economic Zone (ASEZ) rules. The catch: you must exit through the same ASEZ port where you entered, and you must stay a minimum of two nights. This is generous—it saves you 40 JOD. But it only works if your exit port matches your entry port.

What to bring to the ticket office

Bring your valid passport. No exceptions. You must show it to buy a ticket. If you are using the refund loophole (visit first, stay the night, claim 40 JOD back), bring your hotel receipt or a confirmation email showing your accommodation date. The ticket itself is your receipt; keep it if you plan to return the next day to claim your refund.

Official links

Tickets are sold at the Petra Visitor Center in Wadi Musa. petrapass.pdtra.gov.jo is the official online portal. visitpetra.jo is the official site of the PDTRA. Email: info@visitpetra.jo. Phone: +962 3 2156 044.

Frequently asked questions