Petra

Petra: How to See It Properly

Petra, the ancient Nabataean city carved from rose-coloured sandstone in southern Jordan, is extraordinary. The Treasury facade is about 30 metres tall and 25 metres wide; the columns, frieze, and urn at the top are carved directly into the cliff face. The workmanship is remarkable for any era, and it dates from around the 1st century CE. What undermines the experience for most first-time visitors is arriving at the Treasury at 10:00 in July when 200 other tourists are also there and horse touts are offering donkey rides at the entrance.

The solution is simple: enter the Siq at 06:00 when the site opens. The Siq is the 1.2km canyon approach to the Treasury, with walls up to 80 metres high, carved niches, water channels, and in some places the original Nabataean paving still in place. At dawn the light entering the canyon gradually illuminates the Treasury facade. At 06:30 on most mornings outside peak season, you may have it to yourself for 15-20 minutes.

What to see

The Treasury is the most famous structure but not the largest or the most interesting to explore. The Royal Tombs cut into the eastern cliff face above the main thoroughfare - the Urn Tomb, the Silk Tomb, the Palace Tomb - are individually impressive and far less crowded. The Urn Tomb was later converted to a Byzantine church; the interior has the vaulted character of a natural cave.

The Monastery (Ad-Deir) at the top of the site requires an 850-step climb from the valley floor that takes 30-45 minutes. The structure itself is 47 metres wide and 48 metres tall - larger than the Treasury - and was probably used as a religious and political venue rather than a tomb. Most visitors who come on a single-day tour do not make it this far. The view back from the Monastery terrace over the canyon and the surrounding mountains is the best in Petra.

The High Place of Sacrifice, reached via a different trail on the western ridge, gives the best overview of the site from above.

Practical details

Entry costs around JOD 50 for one day (approximately USD 70). The Jordan Pass (JOD 75-80, includes visa fee for most nationalities) gives multi-day entry to Petra and other Jordan sites and is essentially mandatory for visitors planning more than one day.

The site is open from 06:00 to 18:00 (approximately; check current hours). Two days is the minimum to see the main structures without rushing. Three days allows the Monastery and some of the outlying sites like Little Petra (Siq al-Barid, a smaller Nabataean settlement 8km north) without fatigue.

The carriage rides and horse-touts inside the Siq are aggressive by Jordanian standards; saying “la shukran” (no thank you) firmly and not making eye contact works. The horses and donkeys are not treated well and the rides are not worth taking.

Staying and eating

Wadi Musa is the village adjacent to the site entrance. The Movenpick Resort Petra at the entrance gate is the convenient luxury option (USD 200-300 per night); the hotel breakfast buffet is genuinely good. At the mid-range, Rocky Mountain Hotel has clean rooms from around JOD 40-60 with a rooftop view toward the mountains. The restaurants along the main Wadi Musa street serve mansaf (Jordan’s national dish, lamb slow-cooked in dried yogurt over rice) and grilled meats at around JOD 8-12 for a main.

Petra by Night, a separate candlelit walk through the Siq to the Treasury (run Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings), costs JOD 17 and is worth doing once.