Viator is a complete roll of the dice. Book at your own risk. After having a horrible experience with Viator In our previous booking for this exact Petra trip, when our operator ditched us and Viator refused to provide a refund, we hit the jackpot with this tour, which was wonderful from start to finish. We took our chances because Viator is very convenient and we had no time to re-book (we went to Eilat In part to do this trip and had only 1 day to rebook after the prior operator ditched us), but understand that some tours with Viator are great (as this one was), and some are horrible. It all depends on the actual operator that provides the service through Viator. Viator is just a clearing house, and they wash their hands of the service provided by the operator. The operator we had the first day did not provide instructions on where to meet and didn’t respond to calls, texts and emails. They also made us go through a totally unnecessary passport uploading process, and they told us we needed US dollars for visa, which was not true. The operator for this tour (the next day) was incredible. They picked us up at our hotel and took care of every detail. They did not create obstacles or road blocks like the first one did. Petra is beautiful, and our guide was extremely knowledgeable. We felt safe and cared for. What a difference a day (and the operator) makes.

We went to Petra at the end of January. We were 3 adults from Eilat. The car picked us up from the Eilat hotel at the agreed time and took us to the border. The driver spoke English and explained how to cross the border. Then he said when you come back from the excursion I will take you back to the hotel. When we crossed the border into Israel, we were met by another person from the agency who collected the money for the border fees (when we booked the tour we had chosen to pay the customs fees in cash). Then we crossed the jordanian border and got on a big bus. We went to pick up tourists from Aqaba. Everything went quickly and smoothly. When all the tourists were on the bus, we headed towards Petra. The guide gave each a bottle of water. The guide spoke good English. He told a lot on the way to Petra. The views from the windows of the bus were amazing. There was a toilet stop near the Petra. When we arrived in Petra and got off the bus, the guide showed us the place where we will have lunch and what time we will finish walking around Petra. The time during the whole trip was calculated well, because there were tourists who had to catch the ferry in Aqaba after the excursion. Walking around Peter went at a good pace, we managed to take pictures and admire it. When walking petra, footwear should be sporty. We went forward with the group. then we were given free time to walk back to the place for lunch. Lunch was a buffet. The food is delicious. Drinks at extra cost. In the afternoon we went back to the border. We said goodbye to the guide at the border. When we were in Eilat, the driver took us back to the hotel. The excursion is not cheap, but it is worth the money :)

Our driver to border of Jordania and away from border was really nice and funny. Petra is place to see but waiting in border was waste of time, took 1,5 hours. No matter the company you hire in Israel, one bus take them all to the one bus to Petra. The guide in this bus, Fadi, was really nice and efficient. Petra was cold at this time of year, Feb, since it's in the mountains.

We paid $378.10 for two adults for this tour and then paid another $260.00 for what we were told was the entrance to Jordan and recently to Israel fees. This should have been approximately $65 each. The operator never did give us a breakdown of this charge. We were the only Bookings/Viatour people on the trip and everyone in line in front of us was charged $65 per person. Petra is lovely. The tour was ridiculously overpriced.

Petra is a unique experience. One day probably isn't enough. The tour was ell organised and comprehensive. Our guide Karim was great. Thanks

I loved the locals that dressed as soldiers, they had fun with the event!! They were great and very entertaining!! Our guide Miguel was very helpful and informative also

Well organised trip which gave us 4 hours at Petra, not quite enough time to see all the highlights but enough to enjoy and learn about this fantastic place. Jordan charges a high price (90 dinars) for visitors to Petra who don’t stay overnight, and a higher visa fee, which contributes to the cost. It might be almost as cheap to stay one night in Jordan, which could give an extra 3 hours at Petra Guide (Ali) and overall organisation was excellent, they helped us at the border crossings which were easy on the Israeli side. very slow on the Jordanian. Lunch was disappointing

There was a border problem and the tour was cancelled last minute. Apparently it’s very difficult to do it in one day and the better option is to plan a two day trip which requires an overnight stay in Jordan . Unfortunately none of the tour operators tell you this clearly and they book a tour and then you either have to cancel and fight with them or they recognize their mistake and apologize which was the case here. The organization was very nice about it but they should not have booked a tour they should’ve override that feature on their computer system or posted a warning.

We had to cancel it when Israel implemented its covid-19 travel policy. Sadly the tour company would not refund any of the cost, and when I asked them if they would credit me the cost and allow me to rebook for 12 months from now (when my Israeli tour has been rebooked), they stated that they can't rebook that far ahead. It cost me $500 for the day trip for my husband and myself.

Definitely recommend to visit the Petra site. It is really a fabulous experience. The only problem was very unprofessional guide. When the group criticised him (some time delays of individuals), he almost physically attacked one of the guests. It was terrible experience to go through this.

We were prepared that it would be a long day but at the end we have seen everything what was needed during the Petra stay. Transportation and border control took same time but was not so worse than described in other comments. At the end a wonderful day.

Petra is a great place to visit and it’s definitely a change of scenery after several days of visit in Israel ! I think the tour company is ok, but advice for people who are signing up for this tour I would suggest and be aware of the following : - see if the tour operator confirm your Trip beforehand, if not advice to contact them to confirm the trip - Hotel pickup can be late since they will be collecting passengers from various hotel, the guide collect us at around 9:05am - you will be combining with several other groups of tour when you reach the border, some of them are staying overnight - inside the Jordan Israel border control will be chaotic, hopefully the tour guides will inform future passengers “clearer” on how to cross the Israel - Jordan border; ie: “where and who” to pay the border and visa tax - they have been doing this tour for a while now I they should enhance the efficiency. At least 2.5 hrs were used just to cross the border, and half an hour wasted just to find the guide - Bring a bottle of water / light snacks ; there will be a stop on the way to Petra after crossing the border, the stuff there can be expensive. - Inside Petra if you want to explore more; you can go with the guide; or do a research and get deep inside the structure for locations your want to see. We only have 2.5hrs inside Petra and couldn’t get into some structures - if I could choose I would skip the meal option entirely for more time in Petra. The meal time we had is around 4:30 pm, after visit to Petra so make sure you have a big breakfast in the morning - for some reason, the time taken back to Israel after sunset is longer (if in winter); and our trip ends at crossing the border back at 8pm; expect transport back to hotel around 9pm

great trip, great historic sites, horse carriage through the the cliffs was breathtaking.Great camel and mule rides too! Wouls recommend to stay in Jordan overnite and save on the $125 visa fee for one day. Best experience ever!

Choosing the right operator to visit Petra from Eilat is not easy. And I don‘t have a solution for you, I can just say that I would not repeat the choice I have made this time. One part of the choice is the daytrip from Eilat. Choosing that setup means putting the entire experience under time-pressure from the get-go. Petra is too spectacular to be handled in that manner. The other part is the company. They only way it really matters is in the way you get carried from your place to the border. The car in question did only have place to sit in one seat in the car because everything else was taken by other stuff. And in price, which I haven’t explored further. After passing the border, you get bundled together with various other groups (1 day, 2 days) from various companies and rushed through the day. You spend 1h in a shopping place in the middle of nowhere with people trying to get you to buy various types of overpriced knickknacks. Then you arrive in Petra, always reminded that you’re on a tight schedule. Our guide was a 60+ yo guy (Ali, who made a magnificent effort with a group consisting mostly of Russian-speakers who accidentally booked an English tour) walking an astonishing pace, hard to follow (I did the Masada snake path in 26 minutes the day after). I appreciate the difficulty to get that job done in a day, but i do believe it should be possible in a more customer-focused way in one day. But anyway, I would go for a two-day trip or even sacrifice a whole week of I could do it again.

You will never forget Petra. The 1 mile walk to the iconic treasury building is as wonderful as the building itself. But take a bus tour, not a van and NOT from Booking.com. The van was uncomfortable, the ride was rough, and the guide just wanted to get the trip over with ASAP. DO NOT take the donkey ride up to the Monastary!! I'm a very adventurous guy (Rescue SCUBA diver, bungy jump, etc) and it was WAY too sketchy for me so I quit half way to the Monastery and walked down. Slippery sandstone rocks, or worn out steps (1,000 of them) that are 3 feet wide for a donkey to negotiate, with 60 ft drops and certain death if the animal slips once. I just felt the downside risk was too great. SO - go to Petra for sure, but enjoy the walk, even take a camel or donkey to the Treasury building and coloseum, and if your tour has time and you are in excellent shape go see the Monastery. But the walk in to the treasury and the treasury itself are well worth the trip.

My wife and I bought this tour to Petra from Eilat this week. We were taken to Petra by car and fed along the road. Petra is truly one of the wonders of the world! My wife and I are very pleased with the tour and recommend it.

I think this is the best one-day tour of my life. Such a large number of architectural structures accumulated in one place I have not met. I just can't get over how they used to build it. Without further words', I advise everyone to visit this place, because it is better to see once in your life than hear a hundred times.

Went to Petra from Eilat.I liked the prices and the fact that everything is included in the tour,ie you do not have to think about some little things like transport or visa.Guides tell all interesting,and do not mutter under his breath.Recommend to all

Went with a tour company booked from my hotel. About 15 of us, the guide was informative an accommodating. Lunch was tasty and filling. Stops on the way to the site we’re appropriate, be prepared to be harassed at the stops though, although it’s probably for a good cause, the toilets are a lot to be desired

DAY TRIP TO PETRA: It is worth visiting from Eilat, if you are a fan of Petra you can have other options to sleep there and 2 days would be enough. Have in mind that the day trip covers part of the attractions and you won't have time to see the Monastery. BOOKING-TOUR: I think they a travel operator hiring other companies to do the service. So, don't expect that you wake a connection with someone. Their pre sales attendants are very good. The other services should be improved. ISRAELI SIDE: We didn't receive previously the driver's info, name, car plate or phone. One guy picked us up at the hotel a little late and took us to the Israeli border, it was only 15 minutes away. It was fast and easy. No big deal, the border offices are serious and efficient, you could do it without anyone. JORDAN BORDER: After finishing the Israeli border procedures, we walked to the Jordan border. There were another guide was waiting in the other side, he was from a Jordanian tour company receiving people from different Israeli tour companies. Having someone from the other side was very helpful entering a and exiting Jordan. THE GUIDE: The guide was the worst. He was sarcastic and, sometimes, impolite with the people there. I felt very sorry, specially for the older couple from Canada, who travelled the entire night and were disrespected a few times from this guide. He complained about our arrival time to the border, like it was our choice. Also said that the people from Eilat were in fancy hotels, having nice breakfast while the others were there waiting at the border. We never chose the time, it was a travel agency schedule, not ours. TRIP TO PETRA: So, we did a good and safe trip. Petra us amazing and worth visiting. But, the price we paid was very high and we expected a better service from the company. We only had 3 hours there, we could have started earlier and having at least 4 to 5 hours there and go until the Monastery. It could be better if we left earlier and had more time there, I saw here that it is a common complaint from others too.