How to visit Petra
Petra is certainly the main reason I originally chose to visit Jordan and it does not disappoint. This ancient Nabatean civilization carved into the pink sandstone cliffs of the Jordanian desert is a bucket list destination for sure – and its one of the new 7 wonders of the world. Its entrance is located in the town of Wadi Musa which offers several hotels and restaurants to fit almost any budget. A single day ticket will cost 50 JOD or 55 for a two day pass. Gates open at 6am and stay open until 7pm in the summer and 5pm in the winter months. Its best to get there early in the day when the sun is not as harsh or hot and there are less people to contend with to get a clear view and photo.
What may not be apparent before you visit is just how vast the area of Petra is and the distances between the sights. There are various routes which you can follow depending on what you want to see most and how much time you have but all of these will take several hours and upwards of 20,000 steps to complete.
No matter which route you chose to take they all start from the visitor center and pass through the Siq; a colossal natural valley with engravings along the walls. From the visitor center you walk around a mile and a half before reaching the Treasury. This is probably the most famous sight in Petra due to its appearance in the Indiana Jones film series.
From here the main trail continues for another 3.5 miles past the street of facades, roman theater, royal tomb and the great temple. The trek to this point is 5 miles in total so if you were to turn around now it would be a total of 10 miles of walking (very flat) with an average time of 3 and a half to 4 hours in total.
This stage of the hike makes a great time to take a break for food; there are several restaurants and some of the hotels in the area may even offer to make you a packed lunch which you can take with you if you tell them that you are going to visit Petra.
The most common way to continue from here is to continue around to the right up to the Monastery. This is a further 2 and a half miles which includes 800 stairs. This segment of the trail is particularly difficult and so throughout your journey you will be offered donkey rides to the top. I personally did not do this both because animal welfare in the area has been questioned and to save money for those traveling on a budget. For those with a lower fitness level this could make the day a lot easier though so it is worth baring in mind.
For most people this is about as much walking as they can tolerate in one day given the heat and sun no matter how many bedouin tea breaks you take. There are two way to return to the visitor center from here. Either retrace your steps and come back exactly the way you came for a total of 15 miles/6-8 hours of walking for the day or you can continue along the path for a mile or so around the side of the mountain looking out of Jordan and beyond. Make sure to stay on the main path unless you are with a guide as there are many false paths at this point that lead to impassible and/or dangerous valleys – something I learned the hard way after getting lost for a couple of hours!
You will then reach a point where 4x4s park up and offer to drive you the rest of the way to little Petra for 5-10 dinars depending on how busy it is and how good your haggling skills are! From here you can get another shuttle back to the visitor center to save you walking, again for a fee. I was lucky enough to bump into a couple that had driven there themselves and so hopped in with them back to Wadi Musa.
What should I see if I have more time?
The Al Khubtha trail leads to the top of the canyon above the Treasury. This starts from just past the street of facades with signs which say they lead to the best view of Petra. This is quite a strenuous uphill climb which is about 2 miles long but it is well worth it for the views at the end. It is less well known and signposted and so many people use a guide for this hike but it is possible to do without.
Alternatively you can continue to the left from the end of the main trail up the the high point of sacrifice. This trail also includes a lot of stairs and as such results in fantastic views over the landscapes below. The trail also leads to some Roman architecture such as the lion statue.
Finally get tickets to Petra by night for a different perspective of what this wonder my have looked like in the past lit purely by torches and candles.
