Wadi Musa Activities: Cooking, Crafts, Hammams
Advisory as of October 2026. The 2026 conflict involving Iran has disrupted commercial flights across the region, and the US State Department currently marks Jordan Level 3 (“Reconsider Travel”), with Level 4 (“Do Not Travel”) along the Syrian and Iraqi borders and in a handful of named districts. The UK FCDO is narrower: it advises against travel only within 3 km of the Syrian border and carries no warning for Petra or Wadi Musa. Both places are open and running, yet flights may be cancelled or rerouted and advice can change without notice. Check the UK FCDO page and the US State Department page before booking, and once more before departure.
The ruins fill the days, but the evenings and rest hours in Wadi Musa need a plan too. Everything here is priced in Jordanian dinars (JD), and none of it needs a park ticket.
A cooking class on Tourism Street. Petra Kitchen holds its classes inside the Petra Boutique Hotel, a few minutes’ walk from the entrance gate. The fee is JD 35 a head, around USD 50, which pays for the lesson, dinner, soft drinks and a set of recipes. The session starts at 6:30 pm between March and October and at 6:00 pm from November to February. Places are limited, so reserve through petrakitchen.com . Expect dishes such as hummus, baba ghanoush and makloubeh.
A drink at the Cave Bar. The Petra Guest House Hotel keeps a bar inside an original Nabataean tomb, a few steps from the gate. It serves from 2:00 pm until midnight every day, and later on busy summer nights. The bar itself claims to be the oldest in the world. Think of it as a bar rather than a restaurant, and note that it stands outside the archaeological park. See petraguesthousehotel.com .
Silver and pottery workshops. The Shaqilah Centre for Traditional and Creative Crafts teaches hands-on silver and pottery work alongside lessons in Nabataean history. Its day runs roughly 8:00 am to 3:00 pm, and visits are arranged by getting in touch first. In the village of Taybeh, women’s pottery cooperatives sell what they make.
A hammam after hiking. Two bathhouses operate in town, the Al Yakhour Turkish Bath and the Petra Turkish Bath, and reports say both offer the classic scrub. Ask for the price before you undress.
Ayn Musa. The spring known as Moses’ Spring sits at the edge of town, and visiting costs nothing. A modern three-domed building stands over it, and local tradition ties the spring to Moses. Treat it as a short stop.
A tethered balloon. Petra Balloon operates from Petra Balloon Street in Wadi Musa. A helium balloon on a cable lifts up to 30 passengers to about 300 m. It stays tied down, so the ride is a view and not a drifting flight. Listed hours are 6:00 am to 8:00 pm, and wind cancels trips. Ask on the spot about prices.
What Wadi Musa cannot offer
The town sits at roughly 1,050 to 1,150 m in dry hills. It has no river, lake, beach, waterfall or hot spring, and no scuba or rafting. For water sports, head to Aqaba on the Red Sea, about two hours south. After a single dive, leave at least 12 hours before driving up to Petra.
More reading
Compare bookable options with a search such as Viator in Wadi Musa . For couples, read more: romantic plans in Wadi Musa . For the park routes, see walking in Petra .