There are very few places in the world that have the ability to leave each and every person who visits them with their mouths open. The city of Petra, surrounded by a mysterious aura and welcoming you with the impressive and famous Treasury, is one of them. When any adjective falls short to describe what you have before you, you know that you are in front of a Wonder of the World.
The ruins of the lost city, a World Heritage Site, are fascinating enough to inspire your imagination, even though only 20 percent of it can be seen. That is enough to give an idea of what it must have been like in all its splendor, when the remaining 80 percent was not buried under the sand.
Access to it from the gorge known as El Siq, through which a curious human stream moves along its 1,200-meter length, increases the expectations of what one is about to see: a dark gorge 90 meters high that widens and narrows in some places to 3 meters, which only increases the excitement even more upon arrival at a destination with a history that has included Edomites, Nabataeans, Byzantines and Romans.
Organizing a visit to such a complex place with so much written information is both exciting and overwhelming. That’s why our intention in this guide is to help you prepare your days in Petra in advance with the most clear and concise information possible.
We will talk a little about its history, the things you can see, how to do the route (which we know firsthand can be confusing) and other more practical aspects such as schedules, prices or accommodation.
No one doubts that Petra is one of the most fascinating cities on the planet, but while admiring this sculpted city one wonders, why is it there? At what point and for what reason did someone decide that this rocky and arid enclave was a good place to live?
But little by little, if one reads a little more, one also discovers that it is a very safe place due to its hidden location and that, in addition, this easy-to-carve stone allows for the storage of water, something to take into account in a climate where rainfall is scarce.
Although there had already been other peoples living in the area for centuries, such as the Edomites (Semites from the Arabian desert), it was the Nabataeans, a nomadic Arab tribe, who, after settling there, transformed the place into the monumental Petra we know today, making it the capital of the kingdom.
The Nabataeans, bandits and merchants, took advantage of nearby trade routes leading from Yemen to Damascus, Gaza or Aqaba (main port), taking over them. Hence, the location was ideal.
Construction began around the 8th century BC and the city was called Raqmu, a place where it is estimated that 30,000 inhabitants lived.
Centuries later it was annexed to the Roman Empire, becoming a province of it, but after several earthquakes and changes in trade routes, it ended up sadly abandoned.
Petra remained hidden from the rest of the world until 1812, when a Swiss explorer named Johann Ludwig Burckhardt discovered it. Although he took the secret to the grave, when he died, his memoirs came to light, and with them the discovery.
It’s essential to travel to Jordan with comprehensive insurance. We were among the first to offer the popular 5% IATI discount, and you can now get it with Heymondo Travel Insurance as well. You can find more information about both companies through the links provided above, or you can access the discount directly using the buttons below (in both cases, you’ll see the reduced final price on their website):
The best time to travel to Jordan and therefore to Petra is generally during spring and autumn, which are considered the optimal seasons to enjoy the most pleasant and comfortable weather conditions in the country.
If you are going to buy the Jordan Pass to travel around Jordan, you will have to know in advance how many days you are going to spend in Petra, because, depending on that, the price varies:
The price of a visit to Petra without the Jordan Pass is:
As you can see, the price of the Jordan Pass is only 20 JD more than the entrance to Petra, so if you plan to see several things in the country, it can be very worthwhile.
Please note that, even if you have the Jordan Pass, you will need to show it and exchange it for your ticket at the entrance office before entering Petra.
Petra and visitor center: Summer 6:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. / Winter 6:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Little Petra Office: Summer 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. / Winter 7:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Check it before your visit;-)
While most hotels and restaurants offer Wi-Fi, it’s worth noting that getting a local SIM card with a data plan is quick, easy, and affordable, ensuring you stay connected during your trip.
We’ll guide you on how to obtain a Jordan SIM card with internet access and make the most of its competitive prices. Additionally, there’s now information available about the Jordan eSIM with unlimited data (from Holafly) or with fixed data but cheaper (from Saily). If you want to get it directly, here’s the link (with a discount) for both companies:
Despite the large percentage of the city that is suspected to be still buried under the sand, there are many points of interest in Petra and below, and, to give you an idea of what you are going to find, we are going to name some of the most visited ones.
The famous gorge where one begins their visit to Petra is a ravine of more than a kilometre that one must travel through to stumble upon an image impossible to forget: The Treasure.
This natural corridor, which was formed when the rock split in two, once kept the city hidden and served as a defence against possible attackers.
The canyon widens and narrows along its length, and its 200-metre-high walls add to the spectacular nature of the place and the epic nature of the moment, so exciting for the thousands of tourists.
If one takes the tour of Petra in the way that, at first, seems most logical, after crossing the Siq one arrives at what is, surely, the most emblematic place not only of the city, but of Jordan: The Treasury.
The image of this façade carved from the same stone, 40 metres high and 28 metres wide, remains etched for life in the retina of anyone who has decided to visit it.
Despite the spectacular nature of what is said to be the tomb of an important Nabatean king, there are not many details on the outside, and inside there is only an empty chamber. Apparently…
Because the interior of the Treasury has always been in the sights of treasure hunters, giving rise to all kinds of theories, some with more and others with less foundation. Proof of this are the bullet impacts in the urn inside, from those who were looking for these treasures.
Moreover, after the tombs were found in 2003, further investigations were carried out, and it was in August 2024 when a tomb containing around ten human remains was found beneath the Treasury, as we read in the New York Times. In the end, so much suspicion and mystery were not in vain.
Although it is located at the other end of the most visited part of Petra, we will talk about The Monastery secondly because it is another of the most emblematic places.
Although it was apparently built in honour of King Obodas, it is known as a monastery because of the use it was given by the Byzantines. It is 47 metres wide and almost 50 metres high, but has far fewer details than the treasury.
It is not usually so busy, as to get there you have to climb several hundred steps (if you don’t start the route through the backdoors), and right in front of it there is a restaurant where you can sit down and have a drink with beautiful views.
We don’t intend for this post to be too long, but after describing two of the main points of interest in Petra, we would like to mention others that you will come across while taking the tour.
Leaving the Treasury and walking along the Street of Façades (with some 40 tombs), you will stumble upon the unmistakable theatre, initially excavated in the mountain by the Nabataeans and later enlarged by the Romans.
From the left side you will find the stairs to go up to the Altar of Sacrifices, a place where animal sacrifices were performed and which you will need to spend at least 40 minutes to reach.
More or less opposite the theatre are the famous Royal Tombs, with four that deserve special attention: the Urn Tomb, the Silk Tomb, the Palace Tomb and the Corinthian Tomb.
But after this visit, don’t leave just yet, because this is where the Al-Khubtha Trail begins, and, if you follow it, you will find one of the most popular viewing points of the treasure, one where you can admire it from the front and above.
But after this visit, don’t leave just yet, because this is where the Al-Khubtha Trail begins, and, if you follow it, you will find one of the most popular viewing points of the treasure, one where you can admire it from the front and above.
If you plan to reach the monastery, depending on the time you have, consider whether it is feasible to make this climb, since it will take at least an hour to get there, plus the time you spend on, and the cost of the descent.
Once you have made the relevant visits, it is time to join the Avenue of Columns, the main artery of Petra, where you will eventually come across the nymphaeum and the Great Temple.
If you continue along the route, further ahead you will find on the left the Qasr al Bint, which peculiarity is that it is not carved directly in the stone, and, following a path that goes off to the right of the avenue, the Temple of the Winged Lion and the Byzantine Church.
The latter was built in the 5th century, and its state of preservation still allows us to see some Byzantine mosaics on the floor.
After passing the Nabataean Restaurant and the Crown Plaza Basin, the leg-pleasing part begins: the path (or rather, the staircase) that leads to the Monastery. The good thing is that, along the entire route, you will find stands selling drinks and hundreds of little shops with awnings where you can take shelter from the sun.
And at the end, the reward, the Monastery.
Ten kilometres north of Petra lies what we could call its younger sister: Little Petra. And although it is said to have been a suburb of the city, here too there is still much uncertainty and various theories regarding its origin and reason for existence.
On a much smaller scale than in Petra, here you can see tombs, temples, houses and even a small gorge.
Remember that, in addition, access to Petra through the backdoors (the route that starts at the monastery) begins at Little Petra.
You can visit this wonder on a Petra Full-Day Private Tour lasting about 8 hours, if you are staying in the city itself.
On the other hand, you also have an excursion to Petra from Amman lasting 11 hours.
For our visits to Petra we enjoyed Seif’s hospitality at Petra Paradise Home, una homestay a la que llegamos en nuestro propio vehículo.
Most hotels are located in Wadi Musa, next to the old town of Petra. Here is a list of hotels where you can find accommodation:
When planning a visit to Petra, it can be overwhelming to find the amount of information you can find on blogs, guides, videos and podcasts. The site is big enough, and has enough to see, so anyone who has already visited it can have their own perception and give their own advice.
Before going, one does not know whether it is better to visit Little Petra first, to start by entering through the Siq, or to take the tour of the Monastery. The truth is that this kind of advice comes from a very personal experience, and in the end one option or another will not condition the memory of the trip, but it can make it easier.
We will tell you from the start that, if you are not making a quick trip to Jordan, you should spend a couple of days visiting Petra. It is well worth seeing it at a leisurely pace.
The first question one asks oneself after reading that there is an alternative route that starts at the monastery is: Where do I start the tour?
If you have a couple of days, we would say: well, one day at a time, taking advantage of the first day to enjoy the whole tour in one go, and the second to entertain yourself with the ruins that you most want to see in detail, take hundreds of photos and look for viewpoints.
But if you only have one, we will tell you the advantages of each stop.
It is undeniable that, as impressive as the Monastery may be, walking through the Siq and suddenly arriving at the Treasury surpasses all other emotions that one could experience on a visit to Petra. Therefore, taking the tour in the “natural” direction of the route will leave a visual impression on the traveler that is impossible to erase.
However, for the experience to be completely satisfactory, we recommend getting up early, because at midday the amount of people that can be in front of the famous façade and walking through the Siq can be overwhelming.
Petra is visited by day-trippers from Aqaba, from cruise ships, from other parts of Jordan, and also people visiting neighbouring countries who take advantage of their stay to visit the ruins on a quick trip. Imagine the number of people who can gather there at rush hour, which, as we say, is at midday.
If you are planning to walk the entire route from the Treasury to the Monastery, which, as you know, are the buildings at both ends, you should know that there is a section with a climb of 800 steep and uneven steps that can be exhausting.
If you don’t want to sweat profusely, you have the option of traversing it in the opposite direction, starting at the Monastery and ending at the Treasury, so you will go downhill and the physical strain will be much less.
There is only one but, and that is that to get to the Monastery, you have to take a short walk from Little Petra, since Little Petra must be reached by vehicle.
In summary:
There are short ones that can be completed in one or two hours, and there are longer ones if you want to stretch your legs. The difficulty also varies from one to another, so find out before starting one.
On the Visit Petra website, you can find descriptions of the most popular trails and the places of interest you can see on each of them.
It may seem like an obvious one, but taking into account the importance that some people give to having a nice outfit when taking photos, our advice is that at least the shoes should be comfortable. Bear in mind that it is a rocky terrain, with many ruined steps, where you have to walk for a long time.
Other things you can’t forget: a hat, sunglasses and sun protection. You’ll find plenty of small restaurants where you can stay hydrated and protected from the sun throughout the tour, but when visiting the main ruins, and especially climbing up to the viewing points, you’ll be exposed to the sun for a long time.
If you don’t have anything to cover yourself a little, you will come across dozens of stalls selling kufiyas (the famous and typical Middle Eastern scarf) where the same sellers will teach you how to put it on correctly.
On Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., you have the opportunity to see Petra by candlelight. The price of 17JD is not included in the day ticket price.
Opinions on whether or not it is worth spending extra money to visit something at night that you will see during the day are as varied as there are types of travelers. We, traveling with a 9-month-old baby, did not do the activity and cannot give you our opinion.
Click on the image and it will take you to a new Google Maps window with all the points of interest to travel around Petra.
