a hike into the ancient civilisation!
Like the Giza Pyramid in Egypt and Machu Picchu in Peru, Petra is the evidence of great ancient civilisation in the present-day Jordan. Carving the city into the mountains in such a massive scale, for centuries, most of the monuments are still beautifully preserved today. Petra remains one of the most impressive historical ruins to see.
I have seen great photos of this world wonder long before visiting it, but being there to see it with my own eyes is just astounding. I’ve always loved hiking and the idea of combining hiking and admiring the historical ancient ruins is just perfect for me.
About Petra
The city of Petra, capital of the Nabataean Arabs, is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world, it is Located 240 km south of the capital Amman and 120 km north of the red sea town of Aqaba, Petra the world wonder, is undoubtedly Jordan’s most valuable treasure and greatest tourist attraction, and it is visited by tourists from all over the world.
It is not known precisely when Petra was built, but the city began to prosper as the capital of the Nabataean Empire from the 1st century BC, which grew rich through trade in frankincense, myrrh, and spices.
In addition to the magnificent remains of the Nabataean city, human settlement and land use for over 10,000 years can be traced in Petra, where great natural, cultural, archaeological and geological features merge.
On December 6, 1985, Petra was designated a World Heritage Site, also Petra was chosen by the Smithsonian Magazine as one of the 28 places you should visit them before you die.
(abstracted from https://visitpetra.jo/)
How to Get There?
The distance to Petra from Amman, the capital of Jordan is about 231 kms, getting there can never be easier.
- By Bus:
If you wish to travel around Jordan by public transportation, the Jordan Express Tourist Transportation Company (JETT) is a high standard, safe, secure and punctual public transportation and tourism bus service system.
JETT buses operate once per day and return to Amman in the evening. If you want to see Petra in one day and return to Amman, this is your best option. The bus departs at 0630 from the Abdali JETT Bus Station in Amman and you can either buy a round trip ticket or buy a one way ticket to Petra (if your journey continues somewhere). It returns to Amman at 1700 during Summer & 1600 during Winter, OR you can stay the night in Petra. Ensure you arrive 30 minutes before departure to pay for your ticket. The ticket costs JOD 11 (USD 15.50) one way to Petra.
Book your ticket in advance to secure your seats as it’s usually selling off fast, especially during high season from March to June.
- By Car Rental:
Jordan is not a big country, that makes driving a good option to explore all the beautiful attractions, like Petra, Wadi Rum Desert, Aqaba, Dead Sea and Mujib Biosphere Reserve. While driving in Amman can be chaotic, once you are on the highway and out of the city, the drive to Petra is quite easy. It takes about 3.5 – 4 hours with the distance of 231 km.The best thing about driving is the freedom, sometimes you may wish to spend 1 or 2 days more at one place after getting there, you can also leave for your next stop as early as you want or as late as you want.
I was renting a Kia Picanto from my accommodation in Amman, paying USD 120 for 6 days plus USD 42 (USD 7 for 6 days) for insurance covering theft, damages and accidents. I think it’s a pretty good deal, the gas in Jordan is very cheap, per litre is about JOD 0.98 (USD 1.38).
- By Tours:
You’ll find a lot of tour operators in Amman offering variety of packages, I am sure you will find something that suit you, with your own preference, budget and schedule. What I always do, is to get inspired by the their itinerary and then I create my own.Taking a tour is my least favourite option when I go travelling, unless for places that is only possible to go by tour. I like to take my time to truly admire the place I visit, taking nice photos does require some patience and time, and I am also taking footage for my travel video.I always love to find a nice cafe to sit down, preferably around the attractions, where I can still feel the atmosphere, unwind myself, enjoying a good cup of coffee, checking my photos and I have the habit of writing postcards to my friends and family, when I go travel.
- By Private Transfer or Taxi:
You can check online or directly from the tour operators for private transfer, another option. Taking a taxi could cost you easily over USD100 one way to Petra, but if you have a group of 3 to 4, that could be an option worth considering. Do remember to negotiate for the price that works for both you and the driver!
Where to Stay?
There are plenty of accommodation choices around Petra, Wadi Musa is the closest town and you will find anything from luxury hotel to as humble as homestay.
Mövenpick Resort Petra, located just right opposite of the Petra Visitor Centre, is a 5 star hotel. Others like Petra Boutique Hotel, Petra Palace Hotel, Sun Set Hotel & Silk Road Hotel received good ratings too, and they are on the Tourism St. and within walking distance to Petra. There are restaurants, bar, cafe, souvenir shops, tour agencies around. Staying around this area is very convenient if you don’t have a car.
You may check booking.com for more accommodation choices around Petra.
Petra & the Trails
There are 4 common trails in Petra which you can complete all in one day visit, plus visiting all the monuments and viewpoints. The Visitor Centre opens daily from 6am to 6pm during Summer and 6am to 4pm in the Winter (November through April). Start your day as early as possible to avoid crowd, especially at the iconic Treasury, it usually gets extremely packed after 9am. Get your instagram shots before the place becomes busy.
Let me share with you how I did it!
-
The Main Trail:
Distance : 4 km (one way, from Visitor Centre to Basin Restaurant)
Difficulty Level : EasyAfter purchasing the ticket at the Visitor Centre, remember to get a trail map, with it you can easily navigate through Petra. The Main Trail starts as soon as the Visitor Centre, this trail is very easy, it’s flat all the way until you reach Ad-Deir Trail.
An extra JOD10-20 (USD14-28) for a horse ride into the Siq! You’ll soon be approached by the local people, we call them Bedouin, asking if you would like to take a horse ride into the Siq. A horse ride should be included in the ticket as told when you purchase it. However, they will still ask for JOD 10-20 (USD 14-28), depending on your negotiation skills. It is a fun way to start the day, if you don’t bother to pay, it’s just a short distance away before you get to entrance of the Siq.
The Siq, the main road that leads to the ancient city of Petra! 
The iconic Treasury! -
The Al-Madras Trail:
Distance : less than 1 km (one way, from Treasury to viewpoint)
Difficulty Level : Moderate (a Bedouin guide is required)
As soon as you get to the Treasury, more Bedouins will come talk to you, selling you the guide to a nice Treasury viewpoint from above. For this short trail, you must have a local Bedouin to bring you, you are not allowed to go up by yourself. The path is not clear and some part can be dangerous. Exercise your negotiation skill again here, they will ask for at least JOD 10 (USD 14), but I managed to seal the deal at JOD 5 (USD 7), good thing to arrive early when you are their only business. Good luck!
After the “Viewpoint from Above I”, you will go back to the Treasury, take all your time to admire this iconic monument. If you start early at 6-7am, by the time you get back here, you should see groups of tourist start flooding in, and you are ready to move on to the next stop. You will then continue on the Main Trail, passing by the Theatre, Royal Tombs, Great Temple and Temenos Gate, spend some time to look at the wonderful monuments. For Royal Tombs, you may leave it to the end, when you do the Al-Khubtha Trail.
-
The Ad-Deir Trail:
Distance : 2 km (one way, from Basin Restaurant to Monastery)
Difficulty Level : ModerateAt the end of the Main Trail, you will see Basin Restaurant, follow the path to start ascending the mountain, that’s Ad-Deir Trail, or you can call it the Monastery Trail. Be prepared as this trail is more challenging because of the steps all the way to the Monastery. You will find stalls selling beverages and souvenirs half way through, take some breaks.
If you are struggling with the steps going up, there are Bedouins riding donkeys offering rides on that trail, you can pay for the ride. I don’t encourage this to be honest, I have seen the poor donkeys got beaten.
After hundreds of steps and you will finally arrive at the Monastery, you must not miss visiting this monument because it is as impressive as the Treasury. All your great efforts will repay you here, right opposite of the Monastery, there is a cafe, I believe at this time you are desperately in need of a refreshing drink. Go quench yourself!
You will take the same way back to the Main Trail. When you get back to Basin Restaurant, it should be lunch time, you can grab some bites there. You should expect paying much higher price than outside of Petra, I’d suggest you to pack some snacks or sandwiches with you.
The Monastery! 
-
The Al-Khubtha Trail:
Distance : 1.75 km (one way, from Royal Tomb to viewpoint)
Difficulty Level : ModerateThe Al-Khubtha Trail branches off from the Mail Trail, coming down from Ad-Deir Trail, you will see the Royal Tombs on your left. It’s now that you turn left and go explore the tombs, after exploring, follow the Al-Khubtha Trail all the way up and until the end, it will lead you to the “Viewpoint from Above II”. This trail is slightly challenging with the steps, but hang in there, you are about to complete all 4 trails, and this Treasury viewpoint is definitely worth all the effort, it’s your big reward!
When you get to the “Viewpoint from Above II”, you will find a store selling cold drinks, coffee and tea, there’s a minimum purchase of one drink to go to the picture spot. With one drink and you can spend time and relax for as long as you want. That’s no doubt the best way to finish your long day!
For return, take the same way back to the Main Trail and go back to the Visitor Centre.
I would say, it should easily takes 8-9 hours completing all 4 trails and exploring all the spectacular monuments with the 2 beautiful viewpoints from above.
It’s a long day but extremely rewarding!
At the “Viewpoint from Above II” taking the Al-Khubtha Trail.
The “Little Petra” (Siq Al Barid)
An easy ten-minutes drive north of Petra is Siq Al-Barid, which is also referred to as “Little Petra” due to similarities with the main site. It is thought to have been an important suburb of Petra and is entered through a narrow opening, similar to Siq but of a much smaller scale. The site includes tombs, temples, water channels and cisterns carved out of the rock as well as the remains of frescoes on plaster.
I’d highly recommend you to check it out, “Little Petra” will amaze you!
There are less tourists visiting “Little Petra”, making your exploration very pleasant and relaxing.
I arrived Wadi Musa in the afternoon by driving, we were first looking for a nice restaurant to eat, then we went check-in at our accommodation. After settling down, we drove to “Little Petra” and it took us about 2 hours to visit the place. We got back to our room before sunset, took a hot shower, had dinner and rested early for the next day at Petra.
“ History is merely a list of surprises. It can only prepare us to be surprised yet again.”
– Kurt Vonnegut
Petra by Night
You may complete your Petra experience with a visit of Petra Night Show, you’ll start by walking the entire Siq to the Treasury, lit with over 1,500 candles. This event is a magical way to see part of the rock city by candlelight.
Petra by Night runs every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, it starts at 2030 from Petra Visitor Centre and delivers you back by licensed guide to the Visitor Centre around 2230.
This is my little regret not seeing Petra Night Show as I didn’t match the day. For such a magnificent historical attraction, that’s without question I would go back and revisit.
If you have a “Jordan Pass”, the Petra Night Show is NOT included, you have to buy a separate ticket to the show. The price is JOD 17 (USD 24).
Entrance Ticket to Petra
- Fees for the accommodated visitor: Visitor who stays at least one night in Jordan.
1-Day Ticket is at JOD 50 (USD 71)
2-Day Ticket is at JOD 55 (USD 78)
3-Day Ticket is at JOD 60 (USD 85)
- Fees for non-accommodated visitor: JOD 90 (USD 127)
Get your “Jordan Pass”
The Jordan pass is the ultimate sightseeing package that has been specially tailor-made for visitors to the country. It gives pass holders the ability to make the most out of their trip visiting top sights and attractions whilst saving time, money and efforts.
- Hassle-free prepaid entry to over 40 attractions in Jordan, including Petra and Wadi Rum Desert.
- Free downloadable digital brochures covering all of Jordan’s tourist attractions.
- Waiving of tourist entry visa fees if you purchase the Jordan Pass before arrival to Jordan and stay a minimum of three nights (4 days).
Click here to buy your “Jordan Pass”
For most nationality visiting Jordan, the visa on arrival costs JOD 40, and if you are visiting Petra, one day ticket is at JOD 50, that makes a total JOD 90. The 1-Day Petra Jordan Pass is just JOD 70, and you get your tourist entry visa fee waived. It is actually a good deal!
My Jordan Travel Video
Check out my wonderful trip to this beautiful country:
