Shobak Castle, Little Petra and Ma'an City Trips

Safety notice, 31 October 2026. Jordan is caught up in the 2026 regional conflict around Iran, and flights can be disrupted at short notice. At the time of writing, the US State Department puts the entire country at Level 3, “Reconsider Travel”, with Level 4, “Do Not Travel”, for the borders with Syria and Iraq and a few named areas. Its advice has also singled out Ma’an city and parts of Ma’an Governorate. The UK FCDO warns against travel only within 3 km of the Syrian border and carries no warning for Petra or Wadi Rum. Petra and Wadi Musa are open and running today, but the picture can shift quickly. Check the US travel advisory and the UK travel advice before booking and again before departure. Everything that follows is written for a normal trip.

Trips ranked by distance

  1. Little Petra and Beidha: about 8 to 9 km north, a half day, free.
  2. Udhruh: about 15 km east of Petra, a short stop.
  3. Ma’an city: about 33 km east of Wadi Musa, a short daytime stop.
  4. Shobak Castle: 30 to 40 km north, 1 JD.
  5. Dana: about 60 km north, in Tafilah Governorate.
  6. Wadi Rum: 1.5 to 2 hours south, in Aqaba Governorate.
  7. Aqaba: about 2 hours away, also in Aqaba Governorate.

Shobak Castle

The drive up the King’s Highway takes about 35 to 45 minutes. Foreign visitors pay 1 JD, and Jordan Pass holders enter free. The castle was built by Baldwin I of Jerusalem in 1115 and called Montreal by the Crusaders, then passed to Saladin and later the Mamluks. Jordan has put it on its UNESCO Tentative List. Hours change through the year, so check on the day. Carry a flashlight for the tunnels, and allow for steps. Visit mid-morning or late afternoon when the sun is lower.

Little Petra and Beidha

Spend a relaxed half day on the road north of Wadi Musa. Little Petra, a Nabataean suburb, has a painted dining room with vine, bird and erote frescoes, and Beidha is a Neolithic village. No Petra ticket is needed for either.

Ma’an city and Udhruh

The road east to Ma’an city passes Udhruh, a Roman fortress of 4.7 ha that Legio VI Ferrata rebuilt in AD 303 to 304. In town, look at the Ma’an Palace, the former 1904 Hejaz Railway station, where Prince Abdullah set up his headquarters in November 1920. Plan on a stop of an hour or so in daylight, and keep Wadi Musa as your base for the night. Ask your hotel about access to Udhruh before you set off.

Trips into other governorates

Wadi Rum charges about 5 to 7 JD per person at the protected-area gate. Dana reserve, run by RSCN , asks roughly 10 JD from non-Jordanians. For Aqaba, a US embassy security alert covering the airport and port was reported in July 2026, so read the latest advice first. The Dead Sea and Mount Nebo each take about 3 hours in one direction and do not work as day trips from Wadi Musa.

Fees and timing

Entry prices for Shobak, Wadi Rum and Dana are listed on the Jordan Tourism Board fee page . Set off early, and plan to be off the roads before dark.

Read more: Multi-day trips and Sightseeing .

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