Wadi Musa
Petra, built in 312 BC, is one of the Seven New Wonders of the World. It's also known as the Red Rose City because of its color. Another name for it is the Lost City because it wasn't found until 1812, when a Swiss explorer discovered it. When he found Petra, it was in bad shape and buried under sand.
Before we begin, I want you to know that Petra is huge, so take your time to explore. You'll need about three days to see everything, so be sure to get the right Jordan Pass. Every part of the park is interesting, so try to visit them all!
Before entering, make sure you bring your passport, cash, sunscreen, and water—you'll need all of them.
Just a quick note: We visited Petra in October 2021, when COVID-19 was still a big concern. Normally, around 10,000 people visit Petra each day, but during our visit, there were only about 800 people in the park. It was an amazing experience!
Once you're in the park, right at the main entrance, locals might offer you a “free” horse or donkey ride to the Siq entrance. This is a scam—they'll expect a tip of at least 5 to 10 euros. The walk from the main entrance to the Siq takes just 5 to 10 minutes and is slightly downhill.
It takes another 10 minutes to walk from the entrance of the Siq to the Treasury. In the Siq, you'll notice how the ancient people transported water—take a close look at the walls!
You'll be amazed at how the Treasury suddenly appears! One moment, you're walking on a narrow path between towering rocks, and then, out of nowhere, you’ll step into a huge open square, right in front of a 40-meter-tall building carved into the sandstone. It's unbelievable!
Locals will try to take you to one of the viewpoints to take good pictures, but don’t do it here, yet. It is better to hike to the Al-Khubtha Trail Viewpoint, more about this later. The Treasury is just the beginning of the site. As you continue on your way deeper into the city, you’ll reach the Outer Siq and the Street Of Facades. The narrow walls make room for wide and open spaces. On your left side you’ll see the Street Of Facades, some of Petra’s oldest tombs. Some of them are high up into the cliffs!
Keeping a left, you’ll walk by the Theater, built in 1 AD and unique in the world. It is the biggest theater in the world that’s carved in a solid rock! More than 8500(!) persons could attend cultic or cultural performances.
Walking further down the Street of Facades, the Royal Tombs will be on your right. This is an impressive collection of tombs carved into Al-Khubtha. Make sure to make your way up and visit all of them, you can even enter some tombs!
Facing the Royal Tombs, you’ll notice a path on your left, going behind the mountain. This is the way to the Al-Khubtha Trail Viewpoint (Treasury viewpoint). From here, it is an hour hike to the viewpoint, a must do!
On your way up, make some time to have a drink at the first teahouse you will find on your way. Those guys are super friendly and the view is amazing, facing the Theater and Colonnaded street. We had an amazing experience with them, but more of that later!
Continue your way up and over the mountain. The viewpoint is absolutely worth the hike. At the very end, there is another teahouse where you can take amazing photos.
Coming back down from the Al-Khubtha Trail Viewpoint, follow the Colonnaded Street, a wide and open place in the city. On the right side you can see the ruins of the Great Temple, a theater with seats for up to 600 persons! On your left you can do a small hike to the Byzantine Church or check out the ruins of Qasr el-Bint, the largest freestanding structure in Petra!
The Monastery is located behind the mountains next to the Qasr el-Bint. It’s another highlight of Petra and maybe even more impressive than the Treasury. It takes about 30/40 minutes and 850 steps to get there. It is a good spot to check the sunset and have some tea. Also, when you visit this place in the afternoon, the sun won’t be on the path, making it less difficult. There are lots of shops on the route where you can buy some water or snacks.
Don’t take a donkey to go up, it’s not any faster and probably uncomfortable.
Another option to visit Petra is at night, every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. This is not included in your day pass or Jordan Pass. Buy your tickets at the special counter, tickets will be 17 JOD per person, 22 euro.
The tour starts at 20:30h at the main entrance of the site and goes all the way through the Siq to the Treasury. Hundreds of candles will light up the way, the atmosphere during the walk is unique, I can highly recommend going.
