Private Driver or Licensed Guide at Petra?
A private driver gets you from Amman to Petra; a licensed guide walks the site with you. Who may guide inside Petra, what a guide costs at the Visitor Center, and the private tours that include one. November 2026.
A private driver gets you from Amman to the Petra Visitor Center and back; a licensed guide walks Petra with you. Most private Petra listings sell the first and leave the second out. Petra’s ticketing site says licensed guides are booked inside the Visitor Center only, at 50 JD for the main trail (Visit Petra, November 2026). If you want the guide arranged before you go, Zaid Tours and Travel Jordan’s From Amman: Private Petra Day Trip with Guide includes a local English-speaking guide for the classic visit of Petra, from US$187 for each of two adults on its option for Jordan Pass holders (checked November 2026).
With the Petra entrance fee included, the day cost US$440 for one adult and US$280 each for two on 15 January 2027; the Jordan Pass option leaves the fee out.
What the driver does, and what the guide does
| Private driver | Licensed guide | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Amman to the Visitor Center and back, sometimes on to Wadi Rum | Inside the archaeological park, on foot |
| Booked | With the tour | At the Petra Visitor Center on arrival, or as part of a tour that includes one |
| Cost | In the tour price | 50 JD for the main trail; 100 JD with the Monastery; 100 JD with the High Place |
| Allowed inside as a guide | No | Yes |
Guide fees: Visit Petra, November 2026. Who may guide: PDTRA online ticketing, November 2026.
Petra’s ticketing site is direct about it: “You can book a licensed guide upon arrival inside the visitor center only.” It warns that locals offering private tours, or transport with private pickups, are acting illegally and are not allowed into the archaeological site. The site says a licensed guide is the only person authorised to arrange your visit inside.
Private days that include a guide
| Tour | The guide | Price (15 January 2027) |
|---|---|---|
| Zaid Tours and Travel Jordan’s private Petra day | A local English-speaking guide for the classic visit of Petra, every option | US$440 one adult, US$280 each for two, with the entrance fee |
| R&H VIP Travel & Tourism's private day (Petra and Wadi Rum) | A 2-hour Petra guide on one option, with a 2-hour Wadi Rum jeep ride | US$433 one adult, US$213 each for two, without entry fees |
| Jordan Private Tours and Travel's Petra private trip | A guide on the option that includes one | US$125 a person |
| Private 3-Hour Guided Tour of Petra with Hotel Pickup (Viator) | A private guide for 2 to 3 hours inside Petra, pickup within the Petra region only | US$75 a person on Viator |
GetYourGuide option pickers and Viator listings, read November 2026.
The Viator guide is for travellers already staying near Petra: its pickup covers the Petra region only, and the entrance ticket is extra.
What the reviews say
A complaint that recurs in the low reviews of private Petra days: a driver was booked and a guide was expected. A 2023 reviewer of R&H VIP Travel & Tourism's day called it “basically just a driver and the car” and wrote that separate guides had to be booked. A guest on Camel Taxi Tours' all-inclusive option paid about EUR 100 more for a Petra guide (November 2025). On Zaid Tours and Travel Jordan’s day the one low review with text, from April 2023, had booked the day in Spanish and paid a Spanish-speaking guide separately on the spot.
Which to choose
From Amman: Private Petra Day Trip with Guide
Zaid Tours and Travel Jordan: private car from Amman and a local English-speaking guide for the classic visit of Petra; the entrance fee on every option but the Jordan Pass one.
Check dates →Petra and Wadi Rum: Full-Day Private Tour
R&H VIP Travel & Tourism: private car from Amman or Swemeh; the option with a 2-hour Petra guide also has a 2-hour Wadi Rum jeep ride. Entry fees extra.
See the tour →Private 3-Hour Guided Tour of Petra with Hotel Pickup .
A private guide for 2 to 3 hours inside Petra, with pickup within the Petra region; entrance tickets and the drop-off not included.
See it on Viator →Prices, ratings and review counts from the listings (GetYourGuide checked November 2026; Viator checked November 2026). Operators price by date and season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.
If you only want the car, the private Petra tour price shows what each transport-only option costs for one and for two, and the guide is then 50 JD at the gate.
More from Amman
Private Petra Tours with Open Dates
Private and small-group days to Petra with live availability. Pickup, what is included and the cancellation terms show before you book.
A Private Day with a Guide in Petra
Zaid Tours and Travel Jordan's private day from Amman: hotel pickup, a private car with an English-speaking driver, and a local English-speaking guide for the classic visit of Petra.
Check dates