Petra – the ancient capital of the Nabataeans, carved into pinkish-red rock – is Jordan’s top attraction and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Most of you have surely seen a photo of its best-known monument, the Treasury, which in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” played the temple guarding the Holy Grail. We visited it on 20 March 2022, the second day of our week in Jordan. In one day we walked about 14 km – along the gorge, past tombs, temples, palaces and the theatre, all the way to the Ad Deir monastery – and it took us about 10 hours. Unsurprisingly, Petra takes first place for us in the whole of Jordan.
Table of contents
- The main trail: the Siq and the Treasury
- The Al-Khubtha Trail – a viewpoint above the Treasury
- The Ad Deir monastery
- Bedouins, vendors and donkeys
- Practical information
The main trail: the Siq and the Treasury
We stayed in the small town of Wadi Musa, right by the entrance to Petra. We started with the main, red trail (about 4 km one way, about 2 hours at a leisurely pace).
It leads past the Visitor Center and the museum, the Djinn Blocks and the Obelisk Tomb into the Siq – a narrow, winding crack between rock walls several dozen metres high.
At its end, through a narrow gap, the façade of the Treasury (Al-Khazneh) suddenly appears. This section is relatively easy.
The Al-Khubtha Trail – a viewpoint above the Treasury
Roughly halfway along the main trail, past the Royal Tombs, we turned onto the green Al-Khubtha trail, which leads to a viewpoint above the Treasury. It’s about 3.5 km and up to 3 hours of walking – a demanding trail, with long, steep climbs up steps carved into the rock. On the way you pass Bedouin “cafés” in makeshift tents, where you can have coffee or tea, rest and chat with the locals.
The effort pays off: from above you see the Treasury from a completely different perspective than from below, and all around – the whole Petra valley. At the viewpoint itself there’s a bar run by one of the Bedouins: as well as taking a photo, you can sit on the carpets, drink fresh orange juice and chat with the vendor, who lives here.
The Ad Deir monastery
After coming down from the Al-Khubtha trail we returned to the main trail and followed it further – past the theatre, the Nymphaeum and the Colonnaded Street – to its end. That’s where the trail to the Ad Deir monastery (the Monastery) begins: about 2.5 km there and back, which takes 2.5 to 3 hours, because it climbs several hundred steps. You return the same way.
Ad Deir is one of the largest monuments in Petra – its rock-cut façade is about 47 m wide and about 48 m high. Despite our tiredness it was worth it: it’s much quieter here than at the Treasury, and the nearby viewpoints look out over the surrounding mountains.
You can also leave Petra on the orange trail past the tombs (including the Soldier’s Tomb and the Renaissance Tomb) – about 5 km, but uphill and much harder, so it takes 2–4 hours. To fit in this trail on the same day as well, you need a really good pace.
Bedouins, vendors and donkeys
Many Bedouins still live in Petra – some of them lived in caves until recently. Along the way to most of the sights there are stalls, and there’s no avoiding them. Their presence alone didn’t bother us, but pushy vendors can spoil the visit – as can people offering rides on a donkey or in a carriage, or to “take you” to a viewpoint. It’s sad to watch the animals carrying tourists up steep steps all day – we walked everywhere.
One of the locals told us that there were about 7 times fewer tourists at the time than before the pandemic – worse for them, because they earn less, better for us, because we could explore more freely.
After Petra we headed north – to the Crusader castles, the Dana reserve and the Wadi Numeira canyon – and we ended the week in the desert: Wadi Rum – a night in the desert and a jeep tour.
Practical information
- Ticket – entry to Petra is included in the Jordan Pass, which comes in three versions depending on the number of days in Petra: 1 day – 70 dinars, 2 days – 75, 3 days – 80 (2022 prices). The pass also covers the visa and entry to more than 40 other attractions – I write more about it in the practical information on Jordan.
- How much time – if you’re fit, one full day is enough to see the vast majority of the sights: the main trail, Al-Khubtha and Ad Deir. For a relaxed visit, two days are better.
- Opening hours – in winter (November–April) from 6:00 to 16:00, in summer from 6:00 to 18:00 (as of 2022). It’s worth arriving as early as possible.
- Accommodation – most convenient in Wadi Musa, a few hundred metres from the entrance.
- What to bring – comfortable shoes, water and something to eat, and in winter also a warm sweatshirt – in March it can be chilly and windy.
