10 Essential Travel Tips for Petra, Jordan

Jordan was my first “adventure” destination. I booked my trip completely on a whim with limited preparation time. In hindsight, there were some things I wish I considered before my visit to Petra. Luckily though, my mistakes are sooo cringeworthy that I remember most of the things I wish I knew while I was preparing for my trip! In this post, I share 10 essential travel tips for Petra, Jordan.

Ever since its “rediscovery” in 1812, Petra has captured the imaginations of the adventurous-at-heart for generations. Today, it is the most visited attraction in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. It is a cultural and engineering gem that serves as a testament to the achievements of humankind. In a worldwide vote, it was chosen as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007.

Before embarking your adventure to Petra Archaeological Park, here are a list of things that are worth considering….

10 Essential Travel Tips for Petra, Jordan

1) Best time to visit…

Jordan averages 310 days of sunshine per year and has four seasons.

Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) have the most favourable weather to come visit Petra. Temperatures are cooler and there is a VERY low chance of precipitation. However, peak tourist season for the site coincide with these months.

Summer (June to August) is low tourist season. You can expect temperatures to rise up and over 40°C/104°F with balmy winds that are most active between noon and 3pm. If you find that you can’t handle the heat, you can go exploring early in the morning and then again late in the afternoon (until sunset which is when the park closes).

Winter (December to February) is also low tourist season. Temperatures can dip below freezing and you may even see Petra’s monuments covered in snow! Word of caution, Jordan receives 70% of its annual rainfall in January. Petra is prone to floods during this time.

Petra is open all year round. One of my top Petra, Jordan travel tips is to decide under which conditions you’d prefer to see the Rose City and plan around that time of year.

2) To get (or not get) the Jordan Pass…

If you are planning on visiting Jordan with an organized tour group, you can skip this section as you are probably already eligible for waived tourist visa fees…

Another one of my top travel tips for Petra, Jordan is to look into getting the Jordan Pass.

The Jordan Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities offers the Jordan Pass, a discount program. For a fixed price, it bundles the cost of a tourist visa and admission into 36 tourist sites across Jordan.

It is worth looking into if you:

• are eligible for a visa upon arrival,
• are staying in Jordan for three consecutive nights,
• want to save time at border control, and
• ARE VISITING PETRA!

If you need to pay for a tourist visa AND are planning on visiting Petra, you will already realize some cost savings even without visiting any of the other tourist sites.

In numbers… The Jordan Pass costs either 70, 75, or 80 JD depending on if you plan to visit Petra for 1, 2, or 3 days, respectively. A tourist visa costs 40 JD and assuming you are staying in Jordan for at least one night, entry fees into Petra are 50, 55, or 60 JD for a 1, 2, or 3 day ticket, respectively.

In addition to Petra, the more tourist sites you see during your visit, the higher your cost savings via the Jordan Pass.

3) How to get there…

Assuming you are flying into Jordan, there are two routes you can take to Petra Archaeological Park.

From Amman

By bus – The JETT Bus departs from Abdali Station at 6:30am. Duration of the trip is about 4 hours. The JETT Bus heads back for Amman at 5:00pm during the summer and 4:00pm in the winter. Ensure to reserve your spot on the return trip; you can do this when purchasing your ticket to Petra or at the Visitor Centre in Petra.

By public minibus – The busses depart from Mujamaaa Janobi (مجمع الجنوب or Southern Station in English) for Petra between 9am and 4pm.  They leave Petra for Amman between 6am and 1pm.

If you are staying at a hotel, you can ask them about transportation.

By private car – depending on whether you take the Desert Highway or the more scenic King’s Highway, Petra is a three hour or four hour drive, respectively. You can book a car in advance to avoid haggling or getting ripped off at the airport.

By taxi – If all else fails… though expect this to be an expensive ride. It would take about four hours to get to Petra.

From Aqaba

To save driving time, you can fly from Amman to Aqaba. Aqaba is a beautiful city right on the Red Sea.

By public bus – you can catch a bus from the Mojamaa Albassat bus station located at the market in the town center. Duration of the trip is approximately two hours.

By private car – you can book a car in advance or arrange one via your hotel to avoid haggling or getting ripped off at the airport. The drive between Aqaba and Petra takes approximately two hours.

By taxi – again, if all else fails… Fare should be cheaper than if you were coming from Amman.

4) Do some research!

I booked my trip on a whim and left myself with very little time to research Petra and Jordan in general. This went against every fibre of my Type 1/INTP/Virgo being.

As this was my first trip to the Middle East and have 0 knowledge of the Arabic language, I travelled with a small group tour. I had put a lot of faith on learning from my tour guide.

Unfortunately, my guide dropped me off at The Treasury (which is very close to the park entrance) and disappeared for the rest of the day.

I wandered aimlessly through Petra for eight hours. The park is MASSIVE; it is about 264 square kilometres to be exact! Half the time, I had no idea what I was looking at and felt quite disappointed with my experience with that tour operator. (Note: The tour operator is NOT affiliated with Petra Archaeological Park.) However, I was mostly disappointed with myself for not doing my research.

There are some history markers around the park but most have been weathered by the elements.

Sometimes it’s fun to go to a place with no expectations and enjoy the surprises that come along the way… In the case of Petra, I feel like there were some really cool places that I missed simply because I didn’t know they existed.

To make the most out of your time in Petra, I recommend researching which sites you would like to see and prioritise them. This is especially helpful if you are only planning to go to the park for a day. You can consult park maps and ask local guides to help you find places on your list. If you’re reading this, you are probably already researching travel tips for Petra, Jordan… welcome and you’re on the right track!

For the history lesson I wish I got before my visit to Petra, check out Spotlight: Petra.

5) How many days should you spend there…

The number of days to allocate to your Petra visit depends on how much you want to see of the ancient city. The park spans about 264 square kilometres! At a minimum, you would need to allocate at least eight hours at the site to make the visit worth it.

I would say a full day and an overnight stay is the ideal amount of time to spend there. I recommend booking an overnight stay (whether by hotel or Bedouin cave) at Wadi Musa so that you can catch a sunrise AND sunset at the World Wonder. It really is a spectacular sight during these times of the day.

Tip: On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, Petra By Night is held at the site. It is a light show where 1,500 candles illuminate the Siq (a 2km natural gorge leading into Petra) all the way to The Treasury. It starts at 8:30pm and ends around 10:30pm.

6) What to Expect at Petra…

This section covers some Petra, Jordan travel tips on what to expect once you’re at the World Wonder.

Getting into Petra Archaeological Park

Visitor Centre Hours

The centre is open daily from 6am to 6pm during the summer and 6am to 4pm in the winter. Check the official Petra tourism site for the latest details. Here you can purchase your entry tickets, hire official guides, or book your return ticket to Amman or Aqaba. Cash and credit cards are accepted.

Entrance Fees

If you don’t buy the Jordan Pass, tickets into Petra can be purchased at the Visitor Centre. The schedule fee is quite complex… If you don’t visit on your first day in Jordan, tickets in to Petra costs 50, 55, or 60 JD for 1, 2, or 3 day entry, respectively. If it’s your first day in Jordan and decide to go to Petra directly, expect to pay 90 JD (but you can return the following day for a 40 JD refund?!?!). Check the official Petra tourism site for the latest details.

Guides

Hiring a guide to show you around Petra has its pros and cons. On the one hand, you could learn plenty about Petra but not necessarily move as fast as you would like. In the other, an experienced guide can show you the hard to find gems of the ancient city that you probably wouldn’t be able to find on your own.

You can hire a guide right at the Visitor Centre. They have guides that speak Arabic, English, French, Spanish, German, Russian, and Greek. The guide will take you on the Main Trail and for extra money, either the Monastery or the High Place of Sacrifice.

Another option is to go to The Treasury where there are young Bdouls willing to show visitors around for a fee. The Bdouls would know shortcuts around the park to some of the best views of Petra. FYI – the guides hired from Visitor Centre are not permitted to use these shortcuts.

I travelled with a small group tour so I had a designated guide taking me around Jordan. When we reached Petra, she walked me to The Treasury and disappeared for the rest of the day. I managed to find the trail to The Monastery with no issues. In my opinion, you don’t need a guide for the Main Trail and The Monastery. My main disappointment is that I didn’t have a guide to help me make the most of my day in Petra. A lot of it was spent wandering around aimlessly. It is ultimately up to you how you want to discover the ancient city.

Once inside Petra Archaeological Park

Toilets

Toilets can be found through out the park. There’s some at the Visitor Centre, by The Theatre, and at the little cafes around the site.

Bdoul Tribe

When Petra received its UNESCO designation in 1985, the Jordanian government relocated the Bdouls, a Bedouin tribe that lived in Petra’s ancient caves and ruins. The Bdoul are the only people permitted to work in the park and few actually still live there. In 2008, the Bdoul people were inscribed in UNESCO’s list of Cultural Intangible Heritage. In the off chance that you come across someone’s house while in Petra, please be mindful of how you treat their home. Most of the Bdoul remaining in Petra are elderly and have watched Petra go from remote, desert backcountry to a major tourist attraction. They aren’t necessarily used to interacting with foreigners. Before taking pictures of anyone, ask for permission and be kind. On the other hand, the younger generation of Bdouls working in Petra have been around tourists their entire life and are quite fluent in many languages. It is impressive!

Vendors

You will come across vendors selling souvenirs or rides on pack animals (horses, donkeys, and camels – oh my!). There is an especially high concentration of them around The Treasury. Some might find them annoying but if you ignore them or give them a firm ‘no’, they will leave you alone. I read a blog post discouraging people from visiting Petra because they felt harassed by the vendors. While in Petra, I saw a lady absolutely lose it on a group of Bdoul teenagers for “being rude” (her yells echoed through the mountains …it was hard to miss). I mention this to temper expectations.

In my experience, the vendors didn’t define my experience in Petra. I understood that they are trying to make a living in an industry that has suffered because of the war in Syria. Even if you are annoyed with a vendor, be firm yet kind. I don’t think it’s worth causing a scene and you will probably be annoyed for only a minute. But don’t make false promises that you will make a purchase later… they WILL remember you.

You may also see children selling souvenirs at Petra. I would not recommend buying from them. Children between the ages of 6 and 16/18 are supposed to be attending school in Jordan. Transacting with children will only encourage them (or their guardians) to forgo an education.

Pack animal rides

While you can hire pack animals to take you around, I would personally not recommend going this route. Local entrepreneurs in Petra own the animals independently. I cannot attest to how well they treat them. The animals may be tired and hot, potentially posing a risk to your safety when descending from the cliffs. Explore on foot if you are physically able to.

7) Points of Interest

As a history nerd, this section covers my favourite travel tips for Petra, Jordan. Full disclosure: I was only in Petra for a day. I didn’t see as much of it as I would have liked. If you are only visiting for a day, I listed my personal highlights below to help you make the most out of your visit.

The Siq

This is a dim, narrow gorge that serves as the main entrance to the ancient city of Petra. I heard there is “back door” into Petra that is quite an impressive hike too, but I definitely wouldn’t want to miss out on hiking the Siq.

Rock walls, between 91-182 m (299-597 ft) tall, dwarf the Siq, and at certain points, it is no wider than 3 m (10 ft) wide.

Tip: if you hear the horse drawn buggies approaching, make room!

This is the same route that Burckhardt took to Petra when he rediscovered the site in 1812. If you read my previous post on Petra, I share excerpts from Burckhardt’s journal where it sounds like the path has changed very little since then.

Certain parts of the gorge get dimmer than others as the rock formation ebbs and flows around you. For nearly 2 kms, visitors will follow the flow of of the rock walls when it seemingly comes to an abrupt end. The Siq ends at Petra’s most famous monument: Al-Khazneh (or… The Treasury in English).

Al-Khazneh (or The Treasury in English)

After following the Siq for about 30 minutes, it makes a sharp right and offers your first glimpse of Al-Khazneh through a break in the wall. Al-Khazneh seemed so out of place that I questioned if I really did just see an impossibly opulent building in the middle of the desert valley.

Al-Khazneh (or The Treasury in English) is arguably the most recognizable monument in Petra. It is believed to be the very opulent tomb of the Nabataean King Aretas IV. There are also other theories regarding the original purpose of Al-Khazneh.

This monument gets its nickname “The Treasury” from old Bedouin folklore. When the rest of the world forgot about Petra, the Bedouins who frequented the abandoned city created stories to explain the existence of the elaborate building in the middle of the desert.

According to one of the most popular stories, the prophet Moses had a ghostly pharaoh enemy who hid his treasures in the urn on the top of the building. Hence the nickname, Al-Khazneh (or The Treasury in English).

In fact, when Burckhardt rediscovered Petra in 1812, he was afraid that the Bedouins would suspect him of being a “treasure-hunting infidel”. Hence, he couldn’t stick around Petra for too long. Generations of Bedouins have attempted to shoot the treasures out of the urn. Bullet holes leading up to the urn are visible to this day.

The Royal Tombs

These tombs constitute a group built for Nabataean monarchs. They are higher and more intricately carved than the tombs over at the Street of Facades. I recommend climbing up there to get fantastic views over Petra.

The Collonaded Street

This was the city centre of Petra during its golden era. Shops would have lined both sides of the street and this is where citizens of the city would go to run their errands.

The Romans developed this part of the city during their annexation. Unlike the older parts, builders constructed the structures in this part of the city instead of carving them out of a mountain.

The Theatre

The Petra Theatre is located fairly close to the Collonaded Street. The Theatre could seat up to 8,500 people which more than doubles the capacity of the Roman theatres found in Jerash. In its golden era, Petra rivalled the other great cities of the Mediterranean and had comparable amenities. In fact, an ancient Greek influencer listed Petra as a must-see city in the Mediterranean area.

Ad-Deir (or The Monastery in English)

After Al-Khazneh, Ad-Deir (or The Monastery in English) is the second most visited monument in Petra. It is the biggest monument and is an excellent example of Nabataean architecture.

Throughout its history, people repurposed Ad-Deir multiple times. Evidence shows that it may have served as a Nabataean tomb and as a Byzantine church… but it has definitely never been a monastery! The nickname came from the Bedouins who dwelled in the abandoned city. They assumed it was once a monastery because of the cross inscriptions found inside the monument. These inscriptions date back to the Byzantine era.

Ad-Deir is about an hour hike from the city centre. This hike consists of 800-850 steps up a hill. The hike is a bit of a challenge especially under the desert sun but the views from this vantage point is worth the challenge.

8) What to wear…

The most essential accessory for your Petra adventure is a comfortable pair of walking shoes! If you are planning a visit to Petra, treat it like you are going on a hike. Petra Archaeological Park is massive with the notable sites located far apart from each other. Case in point: the distance from the Visitor Centre to Al-Khazneh is about two kilometres. Plan for hours of walking on sandy/rocky ground.

I highly recommend bringing a sun hat, sunscreen, and your sunglasses as there is barely any shade in the park. I recommend wearing loose, breathable fabrics that offer sufficient skin coverage for the warmer months.

For the ladies: While Jordan is a more conservative country, expectations on conservative dress is more lax in Petra (and most non-religious tourist attractions). So while you don’t have to cover your head, arms, and legs, I recommend at least covering your shoulders and knees. Doing so is a sign of respect to the local culture and may also avoid unwanted attention. Also, if you are planning on exploring Petra, there are many big steps and rock faces that you may need to climb. Pants or long shorts may be a more practical choice for these scenarios.

Depending on the season and time of day you are planning your visit, it is a good idea to bring extra layers for warmth. It gets pretty cold during the winter in Petra and the site is also pretty cool before sunrise and after sunset.

9) What to bring…

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An article offering travel tips for Petra, Jordan would be incomplete without one of my signature packing lists. Here are my recommendations on what to bring with you on your adventure to the Lost City:

• Cash – bring a sufficient amount of cash for entrance fees, tips (if you plan on hiring a guide or pack animals), souvenirs, snacks, tea, cold drinks, or a warm lunch.
  
• Passport – you may or may not be asked for your passport upon entry.
  
• Snacks and water – prepare for a full day hike… but you will probably want to buy ice cold drinks at Petra after a long day under the sun.
  
• Sunscreen – you will most likely spend hours on areas with no shade. Remember to reapply your sunscreen!
  
• Toilet paper and sanitizer – I didn’t use the facilities at Petra so I can’t vouch for how well they are stocked. However, through my travels in the Middle East, I found it was a good idea in general to have these on hand.
  
• Camera! Petra is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. You wouldn’t want to forget your camera.

10) Respecting the site…

To me this section offers the most important travel tips for Petra, Jordan.

Once upon a time, people were allowed to go inside Al-Khazneh. When tourism to Petra grew in popularity thanks to the Indiana Jones movie, a considerable number of tourists liked to scream within the ancient monument. Al-Khazneh started to suffer structural damage from the echoes.

In addition, white spots have appeared on the walls of the ancient monument from stearic acid deposition from people touching the walls and the humidity emitting off the crowds.

While access inside Al-Khazneh and Ad-Deir have been blocked, there are still many monuments on the site that are accessible to the public. This is one of the cool things about Petra; you can wander almost anywhere provided that you are respectful of the place.

It is ultimately up to the Petra Development and Tourism Regional Authority to enforce measures to protect the World Wonder. However, I think that we as travellers have our part to play in preserving our natural and cultural wonders.

Here are some of my suggestions:

• Do not scream into the 2,000 year old monuments (serious question…why was that even a thing?!)
  
• Dispose of your garbage properly.
  
• Try not to touch, lean or rub the ancient walls of monuments.
  
• Do not walk or climb monuments which are restricted to foot traffic.
  
• Do not deface ancient walls.
  
• Use designated toilets (as opposed to the ancient tombs and caves… This was an actual issue; I’m not sure if it has been resolved.)
  
• Stick to designated trails and respect that you need an experienced guide to explore certain areas.
  
• Do not take or buy stones or other relics from the site.

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Do you have any questions to help plan your adventure to Petra? Do you have a game-changing travel tips for Petra, Jordan? Let me know in the comments below!