The highlight for me on our trip to Jordan was visiting the ancient Nabataean city of Petra. It doesn’t matter how many times I have seen it in photos, watched it in movies or been told about it – walking 1km through the narrow canyon of the siq and catching my first glimpse of the Treasury in person is something I will never ever forget.
The Treasury, which is almost 40 meters high, really is a sight to behold. Petra, also known as Red Rose City due to the colour of the stone out of which it is cut, is one of the seven wonders of the world and is famous for its rock carved architecture and water conduit system.
We stayed at the Mövenpick Hotel for 2 nights and spent both days exploring as much as we could of Petra. I felt like I had stepped inside an Indiana Jones movie, exploring rock tombs, diving inside temples and hiking the cliffs above the Treasury.
The second most impressive monument of Petra is the Monastery, it’s underrated and certainly gives the Treasury a run for its money. There are far fewer visitors there, which probably has something to do with the 800+ steps up a mountain you have to climb to reach it. It blew my mind to stand there infront of these amazing monuments and imagine how the Nabataeans carved this city into the sheer rock face.
The main parts of Petra not to be missed are: The Treasury, the street of Facades, the Theatre, Royal Tombs, The Colonnaded Street and The Monastery.
One of the best things to do whilst in Petra is goto the night show. Every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday there’s a late night show at Petra called ‘Petra By Night’. With 1500 candles lighting the route along The Siq to The Treasury, it’s an unmissable event and one that i’ll remember forever.
Petra Opening Times:
The ticket office for Petra is open from 6am to 6pm in the summer and 6am -4pm in the winter.
Petra closes around sunset, which was around 4.30pm when we were there.
Petra by Night starts 8:30pm and finishes around 10:30pm.
How much is the entrance to Petra?
A one-day ticket to visit Petra costs 50 JD
A two-day ticket costs 55 JD
A three-day ticket costs 60 JD.
Petra by night isn’t included in that price and will cost you an additional 17 JD (totally worth it)
Where should we stay when visiting Petra?
The small town of Wadi Musa, where Petra is located, has a wide variety off hotels from budget to luxury, something to suit everyone. We stayed at the Mövenpick hotel which was very comfortable, had good food and a great location as the entrance to petra was located directly opposite the hotel.
When to visit Petra?
It is said that the best times to visit Petra is from March – May) or in Autumn (September to November) The Summer months may be a bit too hot to walk around all day in the heat. We visited in November and the temperature was perfect, mild and pleasant.
Additional Info when visiting Petra:
Wear comfortable shoes as there is a lot of walking involved in Petra. Although there are also horse drawn carriage rides, donkey rides and horse rides available inside.
There are a couple of restaurants and cafes inside Petra (my favourite being opposite the Monastery where we sipped on fresh pomegranate juice) but I would bring a packed lunch.
