Ruins on Foot or Desert by Jeep
Petra rewards effort. The walk from the visitor center to the Treasury is about a mile, much of it through the Siq, where the sky narrows to a ribbon. From there the main path passes the Royal Tombs, the theater and the Colonnaded Street. The best moments come higher up: several hundred rock-cut steps to the Monastery, or a climb to the viewpoint above the Treasury that few visitors make.
Wadi Rum asks less of your legs. Private cars do not drive into the protected area, so your camp or guide collects you in an open 4x4. A half-day tour visits Lawrence's Spring, the petroglyphs of Khazali Canyon and red dunes, while a full day adds the Burdah rock bridge. Short scrambles and a dune climb at sunset are about as strenuous as it gets.
If one of you loves hiking and the other does not, Wadi Rum is the gentler shared day. Petra can be done gently too, but its best views take work.
Where You Sleep
At Petra you stay in Wadi Musa, the town around the entrance. Mövenpick Resort Petra sits directly opposite the visitor center, which makes an opening-time start easy. The Petra Marriott Hotel and Old Village Resort Petra sit higher up the hill with views over the valley, a short taxi ride from the gate. Rooms are conventional hotel rooms, alcohol is available in hotels and the Cave Bar inside an ancient tomb is a local tradition.
In Wadi Rum you sleep in a camp. The honeymoon pick is a dome with a glass front or clear ceiling, such as those at SunCity Camp, where you watch the stars from bed. Traditional Bedouin camps are cheaper and more communal, with dinner around a fire. Many camps serve no alcohol.
That contrast is part of why couples want both. A hotel with a hot bath after a long Petra day, then a single wild night in the desert, gives a Jordan trip its rhythm.
Nights Needed and the Ideal Split
Petra needs two full days for most couples. Day one covers the Siq, the Treasury, the Royal Tombs and the Monastery. Day two lets you hike above the Treasury, climb to the High Place of Sacrifice and visit Little Petra, which is free and much quieter. With travel, that usually means three nights in Wadi Musa. One day is possible but rushed.
Wadi Rum needs one night for the essentials: arrive by mid-afternoon, take a jeep tour, watch sunset from a dune, eat dinner and stargaze. A second night adds a full-day tour, a hike or a sunrise balloon flight when conditions allow.
A comfortable honeymoon split is three nights for Petra and one or two in Wadi Rum. If you are squeezed, keep two nights in Wadi Musa and one in the desert. A day trip to Wadi Rum from Petra is possible, but it misses the best hours, which come after sunset.
Seasons and Heat
The best months are almost the same for both: March to May and September to November. Days are warm, skies are clear and nights are cool, which suits Petra's long walks and Wadi Rum's evening stargazing.
Summer is hot. Shade on Petra's trails is limited, so start at opening time and rest through midday. Wadi Rum often tops 95°F, though nights can still be pleasant. Plan jeep tours for early morning and late afternoon.
Winter brings crisp days and cold nights in both places. Petra can see rain and the occasional snow. The site may close briefly after heavy rain because of flash flood risk in the Siq. Wadi Rum's winter nights approach freezing, but the clear air brings some of the year's best stars.
Whenever you go, the first hour after Petra opens is the quietest time at the Treasury. In Wadi Rum, aim for nights near the new moon if stargazing is a priority.
Romance After Dark
Petra by Night runs on certain evenings, when hundreds of candles line the Siq and the Treasury square while musicians play. It is atmospheric, though it can be busy, so arrive early and let crowds pass. Afterward, a drink in the Cave Bar or a cooking class at Petra Kitchen in Wadi Musa makes a fun shared evening.
Wadi Rum's evenings are quieter and more personal. Your guide brews tea on a small fire at a sunset viewpoint. Dinner is often zarb, a Bedouin barbecue cooked in a pit under the sand, then the camp lights go down and the sky takes over. There is almost no light pollution, so the Milky Way is easy to see on moonless nights.
If candlelight and history move you, Petra's night is the memorable one. If you want to lie on a blanket and pick out constellations with no one else in sight, the desert wins easily.
Costs to Expect
Both are reasonable for a honeymoon. In our listings, Old Village Resort Petra and the Petra Marriott Hotel start around $150 to $155 a night and Mövenpick Resort Petra around $200, all approximate and higher in peak spring and fall weeks. SunCity Camp in Wadi Rum starts around $250 a night for a dome, typically with dinner and breakfast included.
The Jordan Pass, bought online before you fly, bundles admission to Petra with Wadi Rum and dozens of other sites. Choose the version with at least two Petra days. Add a licensed guide for your first Petra morning, a jeep tour in Wadi Rum and tips for drivers and camp staff.
A private driver for the Petra to Wadi Rum leg is common if you are not renting a car. Overall the desert night usually costs a little more than a Petra hotel night, but meals are included, which evens things out.
Building the Route
Most couples fly into Amman (AMM) and drive south, about three hours on the Desert Highway to Petra or around four on the slower King's Highway. After Petra, Wadi Rum is about 90 minutes further. From there Aqaba is an hour away, with Red Sea beaches and King Hussein International Airport (AQJ) for a flight back to Amman.
That order works well: start with Petra while you are fresh enough for the climbs, then unwind in the desert and finish on a beach. Couples who prefer to end on a high can reverse it, starting at Aqaba and finishing with two Petra days before driving back to Amman, perhaps with a Dead Sea night on the way.
The main mistake is cramming. Arriving at Petra in the afternoon and leaving after one rushed day means you miss the dawn Treasury and the climbs. Arriving in Wadi Rum after dark means no jeep tour. Leave the extra night if you can.
