Please note that we absolutely recommend buying a Jordan Pass before entering the country. The Jordan Pass includes waiving of tourist entry visa fees (if you stay at least 4 days in Jordan), downloadable brochures and entry to more than 40 historical sites in Jordan. Depending on the package you choose, the number of days you’re allowed to visit Petra varies. We bought the Jordan Explorer Pass, which included 2 days in Petra.
- With Jordan Pass:
- Jordan Wanderer (87€ / 99$): includes 1-day visit to Petra
- Jordan Explorer (94€ / 106$): includes 2 consecutive visit days to Petra
- Jordan Expert (100€ / 113$): includes 3 consecutive visit days to Petra
- Without Jordan Pass:
- One day: 62€ / 70$
- Two days: 69€ / 78$
- Three days: 75 € / 85$
Introduction
The ancient Nabatean city of Petra is probably what drives most tourists to Jordan. This fenomenal half-carved, half-built city was strategically located between powerful civilisations, and hence flourished as a wealthy trade centre.
It was the capital of the Nabatean Kingdom from the 6th century BC and thrived for centuries, until it was incorporated in the Roman Empire on the 2nd century AD. The Romans understood its importance and continued to invest in the city, adding their architectural style as they expanded it.
An earthquake abruptly terminated its glory in the year 663, damaging buildings and their innovative water supply system. The city still endured until Saladin’s conquest of the Middle East, after which it was abandoned.
Forgotten for centuries, the city appeared again on the news after a swiss explorer and adventurer, Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, rediscovered it in 1812. By the beginning of the twentieth century, Petra was already the major touristic attraction of Jordan.
The complex is huge and, in our opinion, two days are necessary to cover it decently. However, one day is enough to see the jewels of the crown: Al-Khazneh (The Treasury) and Ad Deir (The Monastery). The following suggestion is very similar to the Lonely Planet guide.
Day 1: from the ticket booth to Ad Deir (The Monastery)
This day will be long, but it will cover most of the highlights of Petra. We advise you to arrive early so you can snap some pictures of the Siq and Al-Khazneh (The Treasury) with no other tourists on the background. Another advantage of arriving early is to get a picture before the sunlight hits the facade of the Treasury – the pink colour will definitely stand out in these conditions.
The first attraction you’ll come across after the entrance are the Djinn Blocks. These are carved structures whose aim is not yet completely known, but it is thought that they were built for funereal purposes. A short stop is deserved before entering the Siq.
The Siq is a 1,5km-long canyon and the gateway to the ancient city of Petra. Here you can admire the water system engineered by the Nabateans a couple millennia ago. The water used to constantly flow to the city by carved channels on the side of the canyon. This flow was controlled by an upstream dam that held the stream coming from Wadi Musa (Valley of Moses), also preventing floods in Petra.
The end of the Siq reveals the majestic Al-Khazneh (The Treasury), probably the most photogenic structure in Petra. It got its name from a tale that a pharaoh escaped the closure of the Red Sea while pursuing Moses and hid his treasury inside this construction. Al-Khazneh has a funerary purpose, presumably as the tomb of King Aretas IV.
As soon as you arrive to the little plaza just before the Treasury, a lot of guides will try to sell you “the best view to the Treasury”. The view they offer is actually not the best, so resist the temptation of going there now and leave the Treasury viewpoint for the day after. Instead, continue to the “Street of Facades” (you can actually enter some of these facades) until just before the Amphitheatre.
Here, you shall take a path (represented as orange on the map) on your left that leads you to the High Place of Sacrifice. This trail goes all the way up the mountain. Once you are on the top, you’ll see an obelisk on your left while the path you want continues right for a few more meters. You’ll eventually note that the obelisk you see was not built but carved instead, like many things here.
Continue right and you’ll reach the High Place of Sacrifice. A large rectangular triclinium (three carved-stone benches distributed in a U shape) stands around a hall with an elevated stone for the sacrifices. You can also see the altars for the gods and even observe the channels to drain the blood of sacrificed animals.
Tip: if you continue, you’ll find a small coffeeshop just before a cliff. From there you can get a good view over the Royal Tombs (see picture below).
Now, you should go back and when you reach the obelisk, take the trail on its right. This will lead you to Wadi Farasa, where you can admire a lion-shaped fountain and more Nabatean tombs.
Wadi Farasa will eventually lead to the main colonnaded street, near Qasr Al-Bint. There are restaurants in this area and you can grab something to eat here (prices are obviously exaggerated). It’s possible to sit at a table outside “The Basin” restaurant even if you brought something to eat from outside.
After lunch, start the ascent to Ad-Deir (The Monastery). The path is initially flat but once it starts going up, it doesn’t stop until you reach your destination. Ideally, you should arrive here by mid-afternoon, as the oblique sunlight beautifully hits the building, enhancing the facade’s contours.
Day 2: Colonnaded street and around
This day will have a little less walking distance. Follow the Siq, meet the Treasury again, and continue to the Street of Facades. This time, do not turn left to the High Place of Sacrifice, but instead go forward until you see the Amphitheatre. You may notice that, like mostly everything in Petra, it was carved on the bedrock instead of being built, despite its traditional Roman appearance.
A bit further ahead, turn right (green path on the map) and you should encounter the Royal Tombs. Don’t stop just yet. After the tombs, you should find some stairs. The path reverses and at the end of it you’ll find a small coffeeshop and the viewpoint over the Treasury (you’ll have to drink something at the coffeehouse to have access to the viewpoint)!
As a bonus, this trail also offers great views over the Amphitheatre:
Take your time admiring the Treasury and then head back to see the Royal Tombs, a set of majestic mausoleums facing the centre of Petra.
From the Royal Tombs, walk down to the colonnaded street. First you’ll find the Nymphaeum, the remains of an old roman fountain, on your right hand side. On the left side there’s the Great Temple, covering an area of >7000m2. Its purpose is still on debate.
Qasr Al-Bint, a religious temple and one of the best preserved buildings in Petra, stands right next to it. The last stop of the day would the Church, which has beautiful mosaics representing various animals and the four seasons of the year.
And that’s a wrap for Petra! This itinerary covers all the main sites in Petra: the centre of the ancient city as well as the Treasury and the Monastery.
You can also book a visit to Petra by Night to see the Treasury after dusk. This is only available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, starting at 20:30. We didn’t do it both because the tickets were expensive (this is not included on the Jordan Pass) and the reviews we’ve read were mixed.
If you enjoyed the read, you may as well be interested in our quick guide to Amman: just click here!
Any other questions about Petra? Comment below and we’ll be happy to answer as soon as we can!