As a traveler, planning a kosher trip to Petra can be complex. Every year, thousands of travelers who observe kosher food rules visit this amazing site, so we decided to try and debunk the question of how to plan a kosher trip to Petra.
Jordan is a Muslim country and unsurprisingly, it does not have any Kosher restaurants. However, due to many observant Jews visiting Petra every week from Israel, there are many tourists looking for kosher food at the site.
1. Kosher Restaurants in Petra
Jordan does not have a single Kosher restaurant (there was a Kosher restaurant at the site in the past, however this has long-since closed). At Petra, many of the restaurants are familiar with the requirements of Kosher travelers, due to the large number of Israeli and Jewish travelers who visit on a daily basis. The restaurants that most Petra tours use (all of the tours advertised through our site) try to accommodate kosher travelers as much as possible. The default dinner included in tour programs that stay overnight in a Bedouin Camp is an authentic Jordanian Bedouin-style meal which consists of meat, chicken, and many salads (hummus, vegetable salads, and so on). If you make a note in your booking, or send a message prior to the tour, it is possible to arrange a meal of grilled fish with salads, which for some kosher travelers is an acceptable solution when traveling in Jordan.
2. Bringing Kosher Food into Jordan from Israel
The Jordanian authorities introduced a law in 2012 which prohibited the entrance of food from Israel. In other words, you are not allowed to enter Jordan with Kosher food and if it is discovered at the border, it gets confiscated.
In practice, many travelers do bring snacks or food with them every day, without a problem. Officially speaking though, you cannot bring any food into Jordan, including Kosher food.
3. Buying fruit, vegetables, and bread in local markets
Jordan, like Israel, has great local markets. In Wadi Musa, the village next to Petra, there are stores and stalls selling fresh fruit, vegetables, bread etc. On a group tour to Petra, straying from the group to buy lunch in Wadi Musa is a little tricky as the group does not travel there on the bus and time in Petra may be limited, especially on a one day tour. But, if you arrange a private tour to Petra and inform the reservations team of your dietary requirements beforehand, it’s not a problem for a stop to be arranged. Of course, you most likely won’t find a kitchen to prepare a proper meal in, but if you are happy with a lighter meal, this is a good solution.
Get Traveling
Ultimately, planning a Kosher trip to Petra is not difficult if you are flexible and able to adapt to what’s available in Jordan. We are happy to help with any questions you might have about kosher travel to Petra. Please contact us or check out our tours to Petra for more details about the options we offer.
