How to Visit Petra - Jordan

Leggi questa pagina in Italiano

How to visit Petra like a pro - day 1: We recommend spending two days in Petra. 

On the first day, if you arrive in Wadi Musa in the early afternoon, have lunch and then relax at your hotel for a couple of hours. Enter Petra two hours before the gates close. Walk to the Monastery (6 km total) and enjoy the Siq, the Treasury (do not spend too much time there at this moment if there are many people), and the Colonnaded Street.

Now it is time to climb to the Monastery and its 800 steps. Before climbing, some people might try to stop you, saying there is not enough time to make the climb, depending on the time you arrive. If that happens, tell them you only want to see the Lion Monument (Lion Triclinium) and are not planning to go to the Monastery.

Once you arrive at the Monastery, you will be the only one there. This is a great experience, and the touts will not bother you. On the way back, you will be alone, and if it is late enough, you might be able to see Petra by night, with its lights on, or even have the Treasury all to yourself.

In the morning of your second day, visit Little Petra. It is an archaeological Nabataean site, with buildings carved into the walls of the sandstone. The total walk is 450 meters (1,480 ft). The whole complex was a suburb of Petra meant to house visiting traders.

Have lunch in Wadi Musa, relax a few hours in the hotel, and follow the suggestions for Day 2 in Petra.

How to visit Petra like a pro - day 2: 

On the second day, after relaxing at your hotel in the early afternoon, enter Petra three hours before the gates close. Unfortunately, you will repeat the same long walk through the Siq. But today, you will focus on the Street of Facades and the Amphitheatre, the High Place of Sacrifice, and the Royal Tombs. There will be very few tourists if you visit these places in the late afternoon. On the way back, you will probably be alone at the Treasury, which makes for fantastic pictures.

Splitting Petra over two days and visiting in the afternoons will make your experience unforgettable, without the crowds. Although you can still see Petra in one day, be prepared to walk 20 km, deal with the heat, and face the crowds

Are you looking for a full week itinerary for Jordan? Read this page.