The trip
Overview
AlUla and Petra were built by the same civilisation, and seeing them in sequence is one of the most satisfying journeys you can make from the UAE. The Nabataeans carved Hegra's tombs into the golden outcrops of north-west Arabia before their capital at Petra reached its full glory — yet Hegra sees a fraction of Petra's visitors. Start there, among monuments you often have almost to yourself, then fly north to Jordan for the famous second act.
The logistics are easy from Dubai: a short flight into AlUla — direct services operate in season, otherwise via Riyadh or Jeddah — and onward connections to Amman. Eight nights covers both without rushing: three in AlUla's canyon-and-oasis landscape, then Petra over two days, a night under canvas in Wadi Rum and a Dead Sea float to finish.
Highlights
- ✦Hegra's Nabataean tombs at dawn with barely another visitor in sight
- ✦Elephant Rock and the old town of AlUla at dusk
- ✦Two full days in Petra, including the climb to the Monastery
- ✦A night in a desert camp beneath the cliffs of Wadi Rum
- ✦Floating in the Dead Sea at the lowest point on Earth
Who it suits
- ●Travellers who did Petra years ago and want the fuller Nabataean story
- ●Couples and friends after a short-haul trip with genuine archaeological weight
- ●UAE residents curious about AlUla before the wider world catches on
Why this journey works
- ✓Both sites sit within short flights of Dubai, yet feel worlds apart from the city
- ✓Hegra first, Petra second builds the story in the right order — quiet to grand
- ✓The Dead Sea finish converts a touring trip into something that ends restfully
Day by day
Days 1–3
AlUla — Hegra before the crowds arrive
Fly from Dubai into AlUla, direct in season or via a short Riyadh or Jeddah connection. Three nights among the sandstone canyons: a guided morning at Hegra's tomb facades, the mirrored Maraya building rising from the desert, Elephant Rock at sunset, and the mudbrick old town with its revived craft souq. Stay in a desert resort where the rooms face the cliffs; stargazing here is superb.
Days 4–5
Petra — the capital
Fly to Amman and drive south to Wadi Musa. Two days lets you do Petra justice: through the Siq to the Treasury on day one with the classic route to the Royal Tombs, then the eight-hundred-step climb to the Monastery on day two, with tea at the Bedouin stalls on top. Evenings back at a hotel overlooking the Petra basin.
Day 6
Wadi Rum — a night in the red desert
An hour and a half south to Wadi Rum, where a Bedouin driver takes you deep into the protected area by 4x4: natural rock bridges, canyon inscriptions and a sunset viewpoint. The night is the point — a camp beneath the cliffs, dinner cooked in an underground zarb oven, and a sky thick with stars.
Days 7–8
The Dead Sea — the float and the wind-down
Drive north along the length of the Jordan Valley to the Dead Sea, dropping to four hundred metres below sea level. Two nights at a spa resort on the shore: the obligatory float and mud application, an afternoon trip to the Baptism Site or Mount Nebo if you want one more landmark, and otherwise pure recovery after the walking days.
Day 9
Home to the UAE
Drive up to Amman — under an hour — for the direct flight back to Dubai.
When to go
October to April is the season for both countries, with clear warm days ideal for walking Petra and the AlUla canyons; December and January evenings in the desert are properly cold, so pack layers for the camps. Summer is very hot at Hegra, Petra and especially the Dead Sea. AlUla's cultural festival season, typically in the winter months, adds concerts and installations but tightens hotel availability.
Planning around seasons, regions and style? Read the full Saudi Arabia destination guide →
What’s included
- ✓Return flights from Dubai or Abu Dhabi with the AlUla–Amman connection
- ✓Private guiding and site tickets in AlUla, Petra and Wadi Rum
- ✓Eight nights' accommodation from desert resorts to a Dead Sea spa hotel
- ✓Daily breakfast, with dinner in Wadi Rum and AlUla's desert nights
- ✓4x4 desert excursion in Wadi Rum
- ✓PCT travel consultant support before and during travel
Not included
- —Visas where required
- —Travel insurance
- —Most lunches and dinners
- —Balloon flights over AlUla unless quoted
- —Personal spending
Ways to extend it
- +Add two nights in Amman and Jerash
- +Add snorkelling in Aqaba on the Red Sea
- +Include a hot-air balloon flight over AlUla
- +Extend the Dead Sea stay for a spa programme
Gallery
