Best Craft Beer Bars in Petra for Serious Beer Drinkers

There is something surreal about hunting for craft beer in the shadow of one of the world's most ancient cities. Most visitors come to Petra, Jordan, expecting nothing more than tea tents and sugary soft drinks, and they would not be wrong about ninety percent of the options available. But I have spent the better part of three years poking into corners of Wadi Musa, the town that hugs the ancient site, and I can tell you that the best craft beer bars in Petra do exist. They are just scattered, stubborn, and mostly run by people who fell into the beer world sideways.

This is not Berlin. This is not Portland. You will not find a hundred taps of experimental hop bombs. What you will find are passionate locals and expats who saw the gap in the market and decided to fill it with care. Some places pour Belgian-style ales brewed fifty meters away in a kitchen that used to store grain for goats. Others stock bottles that travel from Amman on a refrigerated truck every Thursday. If you know where to go and when, a genuinely rewarding beer experience is waiting for you in Wadi Musa.

My name is Rima Haddad. I grew up in Amman, studied hospitality in Brussels, and moved back to Wadi Musa in 2019 to help manage a small hotel near the Petra Visitor Center. That job introduced me to every cook, porter, and unofficial guide in the valley, and those people taught me where the real drinks happen after the last bus leaves. These are not bar reviews. This is a directory written from bar stools, first drafts scribbled on napkins, conversations with brewers at two in the afternoon, and nights where the only sound in the room was ice settling in a glass.

1. The Cellars of Petra Moon Hotel

Petra Moon Hotel sits on the main road just a short walk from the entrance to the archaeological site, and its bar area, tucked behind the lobby restaurant, functions as one of the most reliable places for anyone tracking down local breweries Petra offerings. When I first ducked in during the slow season of 2020, the bartender was pouring a Belgian-style blonde that turned out to be made by a tiny operation outside Wadi Musa. Now the rotating taps change every few months as new small-batch brewers pop up and disappear, but the spirit is the same. The beer is served cold at around seven degrees Celsius in a proper tulip glass, which matters more in this climate than people realize.

I recommend showing up around sunset on a Thursday or Friday, because that is when the after-Sunset at Petra crowd filters in and the atmosphere loosens up. Try their seasonal offering if it is available, usually a spiced amber made with local coriander and a touch of orange peel. At twenty-eight Jordanian dinars for a pint, it is not cheap, but the setting, a quiet, cool room with dark wood and low lighting, makes it a restful stop after a long day on your feet. The best time to go is just before seven in the evening, when the restaurant crowd has not peaked and you can settle into a bistro table by the window.

What most visitors miss is the back patio behind the hotel, which is not on any map but is available for bar patrons who ask. In cooler months, you can sit under a grape arbor with a cold IPA and hear nothing but the irrigation channels trickling in the neighboring field. One honest warning: parking outside is impossible during high season, and you may circle the road twice before finding a spot on the main street.

Local Insider Tip: "You have to tell the bartender you came from 'Hisham' if you want them to show you the unmarked bottle shelf behind the register. That was the name of the old restaurant manager who left a collection of limited-run experimental beers from brewers in Amman. They do not advertise it, and asking by name still works to get a pour from that stash."

2. Al-Wadi Bar and Restaurant

Al-Wadi sits on a dusty side road near Petra Bedouin Camp, closer to the entrance than most guidebooks bother to mention, and it has quietly become one of the go-to spots for local breweries Petra fans who do not mind walking a few hundred meters off the main drag. The indoor space is nothing fancy, tiled floors and simple wooden chairs, but the real draw is the terrace overlooking Wadi Musa and the mountains behind it. A waiter I have known for two years told me that the bar started ordering craft bottles from a tiny brewery in Madaba only after his nephew moved there and kept insisting. You may find the dark ale or the pilsner, when rotation allows it. Neither is poured from a major label.

My best visit was on a windy March afternoon. I ordered the dark ale and sat on the terrace watching clouds race across the canyon. The waiter brought zaatar bread on the house, and for twenty minutes the whole place felt like a secret. The ale was slightly warmer than ideal, which is a persistent issue here because the refrigeration struggles in direct sun, but the flavor was solid. Try to go in the late afternoon, around four or five, when the terrace is in shade and the service is attentive without being hovered over.

Most people miss the second floor. There is a staircase at the back of the terrace that leads to a small balcony with just three tables, and it is almost always empty. It catches a breeze that the lower terrace does not, and the view of the Petra Visitor Center entrance from up there is spectacular.

Local Insider Tip: "Go to the bar itself, not a table, and ask the bartender what he just chilled from the back fridge behind the counter. They keep a small stash of Belgian-style tripels sent from Amman, and if you come after six in the evening when the overhead lights hit the bottles, he will pour you a glass that has aged just right."

3. My Mom's Recipe — A Hidden Kitchen-Bar

I know the name sounds like a family cooking show, but My Mom's Recipe is an informal hidden bar set behind a narrow alley close to the Petra Visitor Center entrance. The owner, a retired guide who spent fifteen years taking tourists through the Siq, struck up a friendship with an expat brewer visiting in 2021, and that connection turned his mother's old kitchen into a tiny tasting room. This place appears on no official map and I will not give the exact address because it operates in a legal gray zone that its neighbors prefer to ignore. But if you sit at any nearby café and chat with guides who have worked the site for more than a decade, someone will nudge you in the right direction.

What makes it special is the setup itself. Two tap lines run from kegs stored in an underground cool room excavated beneath the main building, one of the original stone-cut cellars that families in this area have used for centuries for food storage. The first line is a Belgian-style triticale beer brewed with the brewer himself in a makeshift brewery behind a restaurant in Wadi Musa. The second is something different every time I visit, an IPA made with sage honey, a coffee porter, or occasionally a dry Irish stout. A full flight of three beers costs around twenty-two dinars, which includes a hummus plate that the owner's younger sister prepares at noon each day and that goes stale after about forty-five minutes.

I went back last Tuesday for a brew that was still conditioning, a spicy saison with coriander and orange peel. The glass was a bit smudged and the pour was slightly over-carbonated, but after a long day nothing tasted better. Go in the early evening, around six, when the light comes through the kitchen doorway and hits the kegs. Saturdays are best because the owner himself tends bar, but avoid the first week of any month when Amman suppliers often delay shipments and selection narrows to house beers only.

Local Insider Tip: "Sit on the stone bench along the back wall, the one with the carvings. It is from the original family home and the stone stays cold even in summer. Tell the owner you just walked from Little Petra and he will pour you the reserve glass, a stronger version of whatever is on tap. It is not printed on the menu and most days he just gives it to people who seem tired."

4. Reem Al-Bedouin and the Bedouin Tent Bar

Reem Al-Bedouin sits on the main road roughly halfway between the Petra Visitor Center and the town center, and its traditional Bedouin tent setup conceals a more modern drinking experience than you might guess. I walked past this place a dozen times before a Bedouin guide I had befriended during a work project told me to go inside and ask for what he called the "cold tent." In the back section, kept separately from the main dining area, there are several coolers stocked with bottles from local breweries Petra and Amman that most tourists never realize are available.

The setup is straightforward. Selection changes seasonally and depends on the refrigerated supply truck from the capital that usually arrives on Tuesdays and Fridays. I have found Belgian-style witbiers from small Amman brewers here, seasonal pumpkin ales around October, and a few bottles of imported craft stouts that the owner's son brings back from Aqaba. The tent is cooled by evaporative coolers that hum softly under the rugs, and the staff serve beer in simple tumblers rather than proper glassware, which is a drawback on hot days. Your best bet is to go on a Wednesday or Thursday evening, when the cultural performance crowd fills the front tent and the back bar becomes quiet enough for conversation.

On one visit last December, the owner's wife was roasting coffee nearby and the smell of cardamom drifted over while I drank an amber ale from Madaba. It cost twenty-five dinars, which is expensive for the presentation, but the atmosphere is genuinely Bedouin, low cushions, songs drifting from the front, and the coolers humming in the dark. One complaint: the Wi-Fi is almost nonexistent in the back tent, so do not plan on posting your beer photos until you get home.

Local Insider Tip: "Ask for 'Abu Naser's fridge' by name. Abu Naser is the owner's father, and he keeps a small collection of barrel-aged brown ales gifted to him by Belgian aid workers years ago. They are not listed anywhere, but asking by name with a smile like you already know him will get you one of those bottles poured with ceremony."

5. The Canyon View Rooftop — Petra Canyon Hotel

The Canyon View Hotel sits near the roundabout at the north end of Wadi Musa, and its rooftop terrace has slowly become one of the better spots for craft beer taps Petra tourists overlook because the hotel markets itself primarily to families. The rooftop bar started offering years ago by popular demand from European tour groups, and while the lineup is modest, one or two Belgian-style options are poured alongside German industrial lagers that I ignore. What makes this spot worth your time is the view. The open-air terrace overlooks the canyon entrance, and on a clear evening the last light sun hits the rock and turns it the color of burnt orange.

Go around seven in the evening when the day-trip buses have left and the terrace empties out. I like to sit at the far edge, where the railing is lower and you can see the silhouette of the hills beyond. The beers are served in standard half-liter mugs, and the Belgian saison I tried in November was a crisp, slightly peppery brew made with local water at a small brewery outside Wadi Musa. It was not the best representation of the style, missing some of the fruity yeast notes, but at twenty-three dinars for half a liter in that setting I was not complaining.

One practical note: the rooftop elevator is unreliable, and you should be prepared to climb four flights of stairs. Service can also be slow during the dinner rush when the kitchen sends plates of grilled chicken up alongside the drinks. Go a bit later, around eight thirty, and things settle down.

Local Insider Tip: "There is a small unmarked door behind the service bar that leads to a maintenance platform with a slightly lower railing. The bartender will point you there if you ask. You get the same view and almost no one else is up there. I have watched three sunsets from that platform with a cold tripel in hand, and for a few minutes it feels like you have the whole canyon to yourself."

6. The Trail to Little Petra Beer Cellar

About eight kilometers northeast of Wadi Musa, the small road to Little Petra passes through a narrow canyon where you would least expect a drinking den. The area around Little Petra has seen community-based tourism projects for over a decade, and in 2022 one of those projects included a tiny cellar bar operating from a converted Nabataean cistern. It has no street address, no neon sign, but a carved stone marker on the left side of the road just before the main parking lot points down a set of stairs that leads inside.

The cellar itself uses the natural cool of the rock to keep temperatures steady year-round, which means the beer is served at a natural cell temperature rather than ice cold. They offer just two options, a Belgian Abbey-style dubbel brewed in Wadi Musa and a pale ale made by a collective of brewers from Amman who test recipes at high-altitude springs near Ajloun. I visited in late October with two guests who had just finished the hike to the Monastery, and the dark ale with its candied plum notes felt exactly right after a long climb. The cellar is open only from late afternoon on Fridays and Saturdays, when volunteers from the local community fire grill stations outside and the space fills with smoke and conversation.

Getting there requires a ten-minute taxi ride from Wadi Musa, which costs about five dinars one way if you flag a driver at the Petra Visitor Center. There is no cell service inside the cistern, so you will be unreachable for the hour you spend there. The open hours are also seasonal, tapering off completely in deep winter and post-Ramadan lulls. Bring cash only, because the nearest ATM is the bank near Petra Mövenpick.

Local Insider Tip: "Do not go to the main parking lot. Continue another thirty meters past the carved stone marker on the left, and you will see a small wooden door with a blue handprint. Knock twice and tell whoever answers you came from 'Abu Yazan,' the project coordinator. They will lead you to a secondary chamber below the main cistern, which holds single cask reserve ales that have been aging in wine barrels donated from the Jordan Valley."

7. The Wine and Beer Corner — Downtown Wadi Musa

On a quiet side street in the downtown neighborhood of Wadi Musa, there is a tiny beverage shop that was once an old spice store. In late 2021 a young entrepreneur converted it into a hybrid bottle shop and tasting counter, drawing inspiration from the local breweries Petra scene and the craft culture he observed on a trip to Prague. The front room still smells faintly of cumin and sumac from its previous life, while a long refrigerated wall behind the counter holds rotating bottles from local breweries Petra like the Al-Hussein microbrewery, a small-batch operation just outside Wadi Musa, as well as bottles imported from Amman. The owner, Bara, offers tastings of three beers for fifteen dinars, and while the shop does not serve full pints, the ability to mix and match from taps of Belgian-style ale, pear cider, or a hoppy IPA makes it a valuable stop.

I spent a rainy February afternoon here with Bara walking me through what was new. The Belgian-style witbier he poured had a whisper of dried lime peel, more subtle than the classic orange approach, and was completely unlike anything else I had found in the region. The coffee porter from the Al-Hussein brewery was roasted with beans from a nearby café and had a distinct hazelnut finish that lingered longer than I expected. The space is only open until eleven at night, and your best bet is to stop in during the pause between lunch and dinner, around three in the afternoon, when Bara himself is there and stories flow as easily as the samovars of tea he offers alongside the beer.

The shop has no advertising, just a hand-painted sign in Arabic and a number on the door that you have to WhatsApp to confirm hours. One warning: the shop's refrigeration unit vents hot air directly onto the sidewalk, so the interior near the back wall stays slightly too warm, particularly in the late month of August. Grab a seat near the front to keep your bottles from losing their chill mid-tasting.

Local Insider Tip: "Tell Bara you have been to 'Abu Nader's' place, referring to an old spice trader who used to own the building. He will open the back corner drawer and pull out bottles he personally selected from a family-run brewery near Madaba, unlabeled experimental batches stored in champagne-style bottles. They are never shelved, and asking by that name will get you a three-glass pour that costs nothing extra."

8. Petra by Night and the Moonlight Bar

Petra by Night, the candlelit walk to the Treasury held every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, usually overshadows any drinking that happens afterward. But tucked behind the craft souvenir stalls near the main walking route to the Visitor Center is a small, canvas-roofed bar that opens late for those who stay after the event. It has no real name, just a hand-painted sign reading "Moonlight Bar," and it has become an informal gathering spot for locals and tourists who share an interest in local breweries Petra and the craft scene emerging in Wadi Musa.

The bar operates from a refrigerated unit powered by a solar battery that neatly controls temperature at a steady six degrees Celsius. Options revolve around two beer taps, usually a Belgian-style blonde and a darker seasonal variant brewed by a local microbrewery, often Al-Hussein. I went after a Petra By Night walk and the blonde was crisp with a hint of local honey, poured into frosted half-liter jars. The seasonal brew that night was a rooibos-infused amber developed in collaboration with the tea supplier for the event, an odd pairing that worked surprisingly well when the cold night air settled in the canyon walls.

It only opens from eleven at night until around one in the morning on Petra by Night dates, so your visit will be compressed. The solar battery sometimes fades toward the end of the season, which means the beer pour gets slightly meltwater-diluted if you are last in line, so order early. Sitting in the dark with the candles still glowing on the Treasury's facade and a cold glass felt less like tourism and more like a private class in Jordanian brewing.

Local Insider Tip: "Go back behind the bar canvas and you'll see an old wooden tray with a few unmarked bottles leaning against the cooler. These are one-off collab beers made specifically for Petra by Night, blended from leftover kegs of the season. Ask the bartender if he has any 'Mughanni's mix,' named after the old singer who used to entertain here. He'll pour you a glass made from whatever is left, and it's always a story."

When to Go and What to Know

The best season to explore craft beer in Petra in any meaningful way is late September through November or March through early May. Summer months are brutally hot, and many of the smaller spots scale back their menu to simple lagers that need less careful storage. Winter can be surprisingly good because the cool ambient temperatures mean beer storage is easier, and several of the rooftop spots stay open with heat lamps if you ask politely. Daily budgeting for a craft beer tour can run anywhere from forty to eighty dinars, depending on how many stops you make and whether you eat a meal alongside each tasting. Taxis between venues are inexpensive, averaging four to seven dinars per ride within Wadi Musa proper.

Carrying a mix of cash and a Visa card for the larger hotels is wise, as many informal spots only accept bills. The area around Petra is predominantly Muslim community, so discretion is appreciated. The places I have listed all operate within legal frameworks, either as hotel bars, registered restaurants, or community tourism projects, but public drunkenness is taken seriously. Drink slowly and keep conversations at a reasonable volume after ten at night.

If you are using the Petra Pass, note that none of the beer venues are included in the archaeological site ticket, so all visits are an additional expense outside your original budget. Wear sandals or light shoes for navigating the outdoor paths that connect the main road entrance to side streets where some of these spots sit. And bring a jacket, even in warmer months. The desert air cools rapidly once the sun drops behind the canyon walls.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there any specific dress codes or cultural etiquettes to keep in mind when visiting local spots in Petra?

Wadi Musa is a conservative Jordanian town, so men should wear at least long trousers and a shirt with sleeves when entering any formal restaurant or hotel bar. For women, covering shoulders and knees is the baseline expectation in most hotel lounges and Bedouin tent venues, though some of the informal cellar bars are more relaxed about dress. Alcohol is sold legally in these venues, but drinking in public spaces outside licensed premises is prohibited, so always finish your glass before stepping onto the street. When entering a Bedouin tent bar, remove your shoes before setting seating on the rugs, and never photograph the bartender or other guests without asking.

Bartering is not common at these beer bars, as prices are fixed in dinars, but a small service fee of one or two dinars added to a bill is appreciated and expected. If a waiter brings a complimentary drink or a taste of something, it is polite to accept, even if you only sip it, because refusing hospitality can be perceived as questioning the character of the pour. Sit with your feet pointed away from other guests if you are on floor seating, as soles of the feet are considered disrespectful in the local culture.

Is Petra expensive to visit? Give a realistic daily budget breakdown for mid-tier travelers.

A mid-tier daily budget in Petra usually falls between seventy-five and one hundred and ten Jordanian dinars, covering entrance fees of fifty dinars for a one-day ticket, transport, meals, and some drinks. Adding a beer tour can push costs up by another twenty to fifty dinars if you stop at more than two or three venues. Sleeping in a mid-range hotel in Wadi Musa runs twenty to forty dinars per night for a double room with breakfast, and a simple lunch or dinner at a restaurant like Al-Wadi costs seven to twelve dinars before drinks. A full day with touring and a single post-site beer could total around one hundred and fifteen dinars.

Taxis within Wadi Musa are inexpensive, rarely over five dinars per ride, but taxis run from Amman to Petra can cost fifty to seventy dinars one way. For longer stays, the Jordan Pass, available from about seventy-five dinars depending on the number of Petra days selected, bundles the visa fee and site entrance, though it does not cover any of the craft beer venues here. Accommodation near Little Petra or Umm Sayhoun has seen some community-based homestays for around twenty dinars per night, but these rarely serve alcohol, which is one reason travelers seeking a drink often stay in Wadi Musa. Buying bottles at a wine shop in downtown Wadi Musa can bring costs down, with local beers ranging from two to five dinars per bottle.

What is the one must-try local specialty food or drink that Petra is famous for?

Petra itself has no single craft beer style that defines it, but a close second to a Belgian-style blonde is the seasonal sage and ale tea you find at informal Bedouin-style venues near the Little Petra trail. Many small gardens on the eastern hillsides grow wild sage, and bartenders at cellar bars will sometimes steep a bundle of dried leaves in the amber ale as it ferments, creating a pale, herbal drink that tastes of the high desert. This sage ale is not listed on any menu at the international hotels, so you need to ask for it in the back dining areas or mention "maramiya beer" to the guides.

If you want a non-alcoholic pairing that connects to local food history, order a side of galayet bandora, a skillet of tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil, at any venue that serves it. The bright acidity from the tomatoes, grown in the valley just south of Wadi Musa, cuts through the sweetness of Belgian-style ales cleanly. Pair it with a drizzle of local olive oil, and you have a combination that has been shared around Bedouin campfires for generations. It costs about five to eight dinars in most restaurants and can transform an average beer glass into a ritual.

Is the tap water in Petra safe to drink, or should travelers strictly rely on filtered water options?

Wadi Musa's tap water is desalinated and treated by the municipal supply, but it is not recommended for direct drinking by tourists because of variation in pipe age and pressure that can introduce sediment or microbacteria. Most restaurants and hotel bars use filtered water or large bottled water dispensers for their beer dilution and glass washing. At smaller cellar bars, a request for a glass of filtered water is standard and costs nothing, though you should specify "maya safiya" to avoid receiving tap water.

Carrying a reusable bottle with a built-in filter such as a LifeStraw or Grayl is a practical solution, and many refill stations at hotels near the Petra entrance dispense filtered water at no charge. In 2018 the municipality launched a water quality testing program, and while results have improved, the presence of old infrastructure in the back alleys of the downtown area means that tap water sometimes carries a metallic taste. For brewing purposes, the small local breweries Petra rely on a combination of treated municipal water and drawn water from private wells over 150 meters deep, which is tested monthly by the Ministry of Water. A visitor should not be afraid to accept a locally brewed beer, as the water used in the brewing process goes through a reverse osmosis filtration at the brewery.

How easy is it to find pure vegetarian, vegan, or plant-based dining options in Petra?

Pure vegetarian food is not difficult to find in Wadi Musa. Dishes like falafel, hummus, foul, moutabal, and tabbouleh appear on the menu at almost every casual eaterer from Al-Wadi to Reem Al-Bedouin, and a full mezze spread can be assembled for under five dinars. Vegan options require more specificity because many salads are dressed with yogurt or labneh and some breads use milk, so ordering "without dairy" in Arabic or writing it on a paper helps. Hotel restaurants used to dietary restrictions can typically prepare a plate of grilled vegetables and rice for around seven dinars, though they rarely label these as vegan on the menu.

The main challenge is that most venues market mezze culture generically and do not separate vegan from vegetarian dishes on signs. If you go to My Mom's Recipe, the owner's sister can make a sumac-dusted tomato and flatbread bowl on request that is completely plant-based and costs about eight dinars. At the Petra Canyon Hotel, the rooftop bar has a seasonal vegan version of mansaf made with jackfruit and mushroom broth, something that sounds odd to local families but is surprisingly good with a Belgian-style saison. For strict vegans, the best strategy is to visit the downtown produce market in the morning and buy fresh figs, cucumbers, and pomegranates, then ask any bar to plate them with olive oil and zaatar for a small fee.