Jordan Trail: Dana to Petra emergency & health guide: hospitals, rescue, 911 and Petra rules

Emergency numbers

Phone signal is patchy in Wadi Araba and the deep wadis, so tell your guide, camp provider or hotel your plan for each day, carry a GPS track and a satellite messenger if you walk without a guide, and start early to finish before the heat and before dark. In 2026 check your government's travel advice for Jordan before you go: the UK Foreign Office reported Iranian strikes on targets in Jordan from July 2026. If you hear sirens, go indoors and keep away from windows.

Rules to know

• Dana Biosphere Reserve: call +962 79 911 1434 before you enter to pay the fee. In 2026 RSCN sells the Wadi Dana trail to Feynan at JOD 20 per person for non-Jordanians, including entry and a guide; the JOD 10 daily ticket (2025) covers only the short trails around Dana. Carry your passport; smoking and pets are not allowed in the reserve, and guided trails do not run in Ramadan.
• Guides: there is no trail permit, but most of this section is not waymarked and has long stretches without water or signal. The Jordan Trail Association strongly recommends a local guide and publishes lists of licensed guides and local providers for each stage.
• Petra: you need a Petra ticket or a Jordan Pass. A one-day ticket costs JOD 50 if you stay at least one night in Jordan (JOD 55 for two days, JOD 60 for three); a Jordan Pass costs JOD 70–80 and waives the visa fee if bought before arrival and you stay at least two nights.
• Back Trail from Little Petra: buy your ticket, or have your Jordan Pass checked, at the Little Petra ticket office at the Nabataean Cultural Village. It is open 07:00–14:00 in winter (2 October 2026 – 1 March 2027) and 07:00–16:00 in summer, so start the last day early.
• Petra is open 06:30–17:00 in winter and 06:00–18:00 in summer. You must leave before sunset: camping and overnight stays in the park are not allowed, and people found inside after hours risk arrest. Off the main trails the Petra authority requires a local guide, and drones need special permission.
• Flash floods: from November to March rain can turn wadis into torrents within minutes. Do not enter narrow wadis when rain is forecast or for a day after heavy rain; climb to high ground if water rises, never cross flood water, and call 911.
• Heat and water: carry 4–5 litres a day and more in warm weather, and treat natural water. Springs are few on this section, so arrange water drops with your camp provider. From May to September Wadi Araba is extremely hot: avoid those months.
• Carry your passport: police run random checks and checkpoints. Wadi Araba lies near the Israeli border, so stay on the route and keep away from military areas. Dress modestly, ask before photographing people, and do not drink alcohol in public.
• Money and transport: there is no ATM in Dana or on the trail, so bring Jordanian dinars in cash for camps, guides and tips. Minibuses leave when full and run less on Fridays, holidays and around iftar in Ramadan; most hikers use a taxi or private transfer to Dana.
• Leave no trace: carry out all your rubbish, camp away from springs so herders and animals can reach the water, and do not light fires with the scarce wood of the desert.

Nearest hospital for each stage

Hospitals

Pharmacies, cash and supplies

• Pharmacies: Petra
• ATMs: Petra
• Shops: Little Petra, Petra
• Bus stops: Petra

There is no pharmacy in Dana, on the trail or at Little Petra. Wadi Musa has several pharmacies near the town centre, and Tafila has pharmacies too. Buy your medicines, oral rehydration salts, a blister kit, sun cream and water-treatment tablets in Amman before you go, and carry a power bank: the camps have little or no electricity.

Pharmacies, ATMs, shops and stops: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hospitals and health centres checked online.