Petra Jordan - What you have to do when you visit Petra

Petra, one of the seven modern wonders of the world and it really deserves that place! The city of Petra is only a 3 hours drive from the capital Amman. This short distance from Amman makes it an easy spot to visit! Petra is so much more than the familiar sight of the Treasury, carved into stunning rose-red sandstone cliffs, which appears in many movies, Indiana Jones is probably the best known one. Be sure to plan 2-3 days during your trip to explore this ancient city, you will definitely need it, and maybe something to help you controle muscle pains too, because the distances you walk here are not to be underestimated!

The best time to visit Petra

The best time to visit the ancient city of Petra is during Spring (March to May) and fall (September to November). During these seasons, the weather is mild and stable. You’ll experience warm days and cool nights, making it comfortable for exploring the Nabatean Kingdom’s rock-cut architecture. The pleasant weather is especially beneficial for hiking to attractions.

Summer (June to August) can be scorching hot, so it’s best to avoid this period. During winter there is a possibility that the weather conditions are extreme, with high risk of flash floods.

We visited Jordan in Winter and were very lucky. But three days before we arrived there was a flash flood in Petra and hundreds of tourist had to be evacuated. So be aware this risk is a real one before you book your trip!!

Ancient city of Petra: The hiking trails

There are several hiking trails in the ancient city of Petra. In fact, hiking is the main activity here if you want to see the most beautiful and breathtaking spots. You can use a camel, horse or donkey on certain parts of the Main trail and the Ad-Deir trail.

The government has taken many measures to improve the living conditions of the animals. So using this alternative transportation no longer means you are contributing to perpetuating animal abuse. Notwithstanding this, we ourselves are not big fans. We saw families using a donkey to give their little ones some relief on the tough parts of the trail, which we understand perfectly! But we equally saw donkeys weighed down by the weight of some hefty tourists, and clearly no one got any happier from that....

The price of a horse, donkey or camel ride? That depends entirely on your own negotiating skills!

map of the hikes in the ancient city of Petra Jordan

Entrance - Treasury: 4K round-trip. A part of Petra that every visitor walks several times, but it didn't bore, the path up to the siq is very beautiful, and once we arrived at the siq it is downright gorgeous! The path continues into the spectacular gorge that only seems to get deeper and deeper. The color of the rock makes the incidence of the sun's rays even more special. Just before you reach the Treasury, the siq is at its narrowest, which only increases the spectacle value of the first glimpse you can get of the Treasury. Especially in the morning, when the sun provides a golden glow.

Main trail (Entrance - Quasr al-Bint): 8K round-trip, an interesting one to do with an official guide of Petra! It would be a shame to turn back after watching the Treasury already. After all, Petra is so much more. To the right of the Treasury, the wide path continues past the Royal Tombs, many smaller caves and an amphitheater completely carved into the rock. You will encounter small bars in many places, so even if it is very hot here, you will never be thirsty! Beware of the price you have to pay here and there, though! After the Royal Tombs, the path becomes a wide avenue that ends at the two restaurants at Quasr al-Bint.

Al-Khubtha trail: 3,5K round-trip. Starts at the Royal Tombs and goes up until you have a magnificent (and free!) view on the Treasury far below you.This trail took us about two hours, it has a few 100 steps and you can buy drinks along the way.

High Place of Sacrifice Trail: 3K. Starts not far after you pass the treasury and ends near the end of the Main Trail. This trail has about 400 steps and is very popular. Gives you a great view over the whole city

Ad-Deir Trail: 2,5K round-trip. This trail starts at the end of the main trail and leads to the Monastery, it's a breathtaking hike (yes, also because of the 788 steps!), but very crowded. You can buy food and drinks near the monastery and drinks and a lot of stuff you don't actually need along the way.

The Petra Trail: 12,8K, starts at little Petra (small path on the left side just before you enter little Petra), passes the monastery (yes, by taking this trail you don't have to take 788 steps up to see the Monastery!) and ends at the entrace of Petra. This is the 'back door' trail and our absolute favorite! A local guide is mandatory on this trail.

Petra by night

We had read in advance that this spectacle would not be very impressive. But as always, I like to judge this for myself, so we decided to go anyway, also because the curiosity about Petra was so great now that we were finally here in this historic place ourselves. Even the manager of our hotel whispered just before we left that Petra by night is really not worth the money (we would be better off spending this on a wellness evening at the hotel :)). Luckily we were on time, we had one of the last seats, for at least an hour after we had arrived the people kept pouring in. It was so bad that we couldn't see the lights in the square any more and people were crammed up against the Treasury. First impression: oh my god, this is chaos! Illuminating the Treasury was very beautiful, the musicians who were playing probably had an off day, so we decided to turn back earlier, because if all those 100's of people have to go back together through the siq ... that seemed just a little too stuffy for us. Conclusion: glad we saw it, but no need for a second time.

Best hotels in Petra Jordan

You have two options here if you want to spend the night in Petra. You either stay in one of the hotels near the main entrance or you pick one of the hotels in Wadi Musa and take a taxi to get to the main entrance. We chose a hotel near the main entrance of the ancient city of Petra. This makes it easier to go to Petra by night or go to the ancient city very early. One of the best hotels near the entrance is the Petra Guest House Hotel. Another hotel that is very good and affordable is Petra Boutique Hotel. Nomads Hotel Petra is a more budget option, but also near the entrance and a place to enjoy after a day of hiking!!

If you don't want to spend the night in Petra it's also possible to book a tour from Amman and make a daytrip of your visit to Petra.

Ancient city of Petra, the information you need to know!

Opening hours:

Winter (November - March) every day between 7h and 16h
Summer (April - October) every day between 6h and 18h

Entrance fee:

The entrance fee is included in the Jordan Pass (always have your Jordan pass and your Passport with you!)

No Jordan Pass? Than this are the prices:

1-day ticket: 50JD (67€)
2-days ticket: 55 JD (73,50€)
3-days ticket: 60 JD (80€)
Children under the age of 12: free

You will find more information about Jordan here.