Sustainable Travel · Jordan
Eco-Friendly Hotels in Petra — Your 2026 Guide to Sustainable Stays
Petra is the kind of place that makes you reconsider what humans are capable of. Two thousand years ago, the Nabataean people carved an entire city — temples, tombs, a 7,000-seat theatre, water channels — directly into sandstone cliffs in a desert canyon in what is now southern Jordan. The Treasury (Al-Khazneh), revealed at the end of a 1.2-kilometre narrow gorge called the Siq, is one of the most photographed façades on Earth. But it covers roughly 5% of the archaeological site. The full Petra extends across 264 square kilometres of canyons, plateaus, and rock-cut monuments — enough to explore for days. Book through IMPT and every night removes 1 tonne of CO₂ at the same rate as Booking.com.
Why Petra for Sustainable Travel
Petra's conservation model is one of the most successful in the Middle East. The Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority manages the site with strict controls: no vehicles inside the archaeological area, no construction within the UNESCO buffer zone, and guided hiking trails that channel visitors away from fragile rock-cut surfaces. The Petra National Trust runs ongoing preservation projects, including stabilising the Royal Tombs and restoring water management systems that the Nabataeans engineered two millennia ago.
The Bedouin community — particularly the Bdoul tribe, who lived inside Petra's caves until relocation to the purpose-built village of Umm Sayhoun in 1985 — are integrated into the tourism economy as guides, tea sellers, and horsemen. Hiring a local Bedouin guide (30–50 JOD for a full day) provides the deepest understanding of the site and directly supports families with generational knowledge of every canyon and trail.
Petra's architecture is the ultimate example of building with nature rather than against it. The Nabataeans didn't import materials — they subtracted rock. Temples, tombs, and homes were carved from existing sandstone, eliminating the need for quarrying, transport, or mortar. The water channel system carved into the Siq walls still functions, and the 2,000-year-old dam at the canyon entrance continues to divert flash floods. This is sustainable engineering from an era that predated the concept by two millennia.
Best Areas for Eco-Conscious Stays Near Petra
Wadi Musa — The Gateway Town
Wadi Musa is the modern town that sits at the entrance to Petra. Hotels line the main road descending to the visitor centre, with rates from 10 JOD/night (€13) for basic guesthouses to 80 JOD (€105) for luxury properties. The closest hotels are a 5-minute walk from the Petra gates — no transport needed. Most hotels arrange sunrise access and Petra by Night packages. The town's restaurants serve Jordanian home cooking — mansaf (lamb in yoghurt sauce), maqluba, and fresh-baked taboon bread.
Taybeh & Umm Sayhoun — The Bedouin Perspective
Small guesthouses and homestays in the villages surrounding Petra offer the most authentic cultural experience. Umm Sayhoun, where the Bdoul Bedouin were resettled, has community-run accommodation from 8 JOD/night (€10). Taybeh, on the back road to Little Petra, has eco-camps with desert views and Bedouin-style tent accommodation. These stays put money directly into local communities rather than chain hotels.
Little Petra (Siq al-Barid) — Off the Main Trail
Nine kilometres north of Petra proper, Little Petra is a smaller Nabataean site with painted frescoes, carved dining rooms, and far fewer tourists. A handful of eco-camps and guesthouses operate in the area, from 15 JOD/night (€20). Staying here puts you at the start of the back trail into Petra — a stunning 3-hour hike that enters the main site from above, arriving at the Monastery rather than the Treasury.
How IMPT Makes Your Petra Stay Carbon-Negative
Here's the maths. An average hotel night produces roughly 35 kg of CO₂ — from air conditioning, laundry, lighting, and food service. When you book any Petra hotel through IMPT, we retire 1,000 kg of UN-verified carbon removal credits. That's 28 times what your stay produces. Not carbon-neutral — carbon-negative.
The cost to you? Zero. IMPT funds the removal from its booking commission. You pay the standard nightly rate — in fact, IMPT offers the same rate as Booking.com on the same room, with carbon removal built in. The carbon credits are tokenised on Ethereum, retired against a named project, with a public retire code anyone can verify. No double-counting. No greenwashing. Just verified carbon removal, every night.
- €5 free credit when you sign up — applied to your first Petra booking
- 5% back on every stay — 3% funds carbon projects, 2% as travel credit
- 8M+ hotels worldwide, 195 countries — Petra is just the start
- Free cancellation on most rates, typically up to 48 hours before check-in
Beyond Hotels — More Ways IMPT Works in Jordan
Shop through IMPT's 25,000+ retail partners for cashback on purchases that also offset carbon. Send someone a trip credit gift to visit Petra — IMPT plants trees with named farmers, GPS-tagged and photo-verified.
For business travel, IMPT's B2B Corporate Travel platform gives you exclusive rates, automatic ESG reporting, and a single dashboard tracking every booking's carbon impact. Companies with CSRD compliance needs get automated sustainability reporting out of the box.
Interested in running IMPT in Jordan? Country Ownership offers 50% revenue share on every transaction from Jordan-registered users, with 8% APY staking yield. Book a call →
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days do I need to visit Petra properly?
Two full days minimum. Day one: the Siq, Treasury, Street of Facades, Royal Tombs, and the Colonnaded Street — a 6–8 hour walk covering the main archaeological area. Day two: the Monastery (Ad Deir) via the 800-step climb, the High Place of Sacrifice trail, and Little Petra (Siq al-Barid) 9 km north. Many visitors do a day trip and see only the Treasury — that covers perhaps 5% of the site.
How much do hotels near Petra cost?
Wadi Musa hotels on IMPT start from around €15 per night for guesthouses, with mid-range hotels from €40 and luxury properties from €100. IMPT offers the same rate as Booking.com — the carbon removal is funded from IMPT's commission. New members receive €5 free credit on signup.
Is the Petra by Night experience worth it?
Yes, if you set expectations correctly. The walk through the Siq by candlelight — 1,500 candles lining the narrow canyon — ends at the Treasury illuminated by hundreds more. It runs Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings. The experience is atmospheric rather than informative, and can be crowded. Arrive early to walk the Siq ahead of the main group. Tickets are 17 JOD (€22) on top of the main Petra pass.
Does IMPT remove carbon for Petra bookings?
Yes. Every booking through IMPT retires 1 tonne (1,000 kg) of UN-verified carbon removal credits on the Ethereum blockchain. An average hotel night produces about 35 kg of CO₂, so IMPT removes 28 times more. Each retirement has a public retire code you can independently verify — permanently auditable, no double-counting.
When is the best time to visit Petra?
March to May and September to November offer the most comfortable temperatures (18–28°C) and the best light for photography. Summer (June–August) is extremely hot — 40°C+ with little shade on the trails. Winter (December–February) is cool and occasionally rainy, but the site is far less crowded and the sandstone colours are richest in low-angle winter light.
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