Petra Travel Guide: A Fascinating Lost City

Jordan’s world-renowned ancient city, Petra, adorned with its legendary beauty and history, captivates the dreams of many. During our journey through Jordan, we visited different cities, and Petra was the place I was most looking forward to seeing. Let’s now delve into the details of our visit to Petra, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, where we spent two fulfilling days. 🙂

Petra Travel Guide: Transportation

As I mentioned in my Dead Sea Travel Guide, we rented a car from Aqaba Airport and explored every place we wanted to see in Jordan by car. I believe renting a car is the best option for reaching Petra. Because there are many beautiful scenic spots where you can stop and take a break along the way. If you’re considering renting a car, you can check the vehicle options here.

The ancient city of Petra is located in the city of Wadi Musa. It takes about 3 hours to reach here from the Dead Sea and 2 hours if you come directly from Aqaba.

If you don’t want to rent a car and wish to visit places like the Dead Sea, Petra, and Wadi Rum, I suggest arranging a tour. You can customise your tour to start and end at the airport using the platform below. Additionally, you can compare tour options and prices via this link.

Petra Travel Guide: Accommodation

When planning our trip to Jordan, we allocated two days for Petra, and after visiting, I said to myself, “I’m glad we did.” Petra is located in a much larger area than you might imagine, and one day is not enough here, folks.

As accommodation, we stayed at Asad Apartment in the city of Wadi Musa. The location of the hotel was nice, and our rooms were quite clean. There was a car parking space right next to it, so we didn’t have any trouble with that either.

We arrived at our room at sunrise, exhausted after spending the whole day exploring Petra, and we were about to collapse from fatigue. Therefore, my advice is that you don’t have to book a very luxurious place here. Besides, apart from a few major hotel chains, the accommodation options in the city mostly consist of Airbnb-style places converted from apartments to hotels.

Petra Travel Guide: When to Go?

The best times to visit Petra are during the spring season between March and May and the autumn season between September and November. During these periods, the weather is normal and suitable for outdoor activities. We visited Petra in October, and the weather was quite lovely.

Petra Travel Guide: A Brief History

I said a brief history, but as you might guess, the history of an ancient city like Petra is not so brief at all. Firstly, the earliest traces of life here date back to around 7000 BC. Petra, which served as the capital of the Nabataeans between the 4th and 1st centuries BC, experienced a splendid period until it was occupied by the Roman Empire. The Nabataeans, who built systems to use rainwater, engaged in agriculture, and practiced stone carving, developed Petra considerably. After joining the Roman Empire and the discovery of other trade routes, Petra’s importance gradually declined, and it suffered greatly from an earthquake in the 3rd century. After the beginning of the Islamic period, it became an abandoned city where only a few Bedouins lived.

Unfortunately, this magnificent city remained lost until 1812 when the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt rediscovered it. Johann set out to find this city, which is constantly mentioned in poems and stories as the lost city where the tomb of Aaron is located. And as a result of his efforts, Petra was rediscovered as if anew.

Petra Travel Guide: Tickets

The ticket price for entry to the ancient city of Petra was 50 JD for one day and 55 JD for two days. We bought a two-day ticket and explored this beautiful city to our heart’s content. You can check the current ticket prices here.

Separate tickets are sold for Petra by Night, which turns into a magnificent show with night lighting. Petra by Night is held every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and the ticket price is 17 JD. You can find the current information on tickets and entry/exit here.

Petra Travel Guide: Places to See

There are many beautiful structures to see here. While this is great for a tourist, it also adds a bit of stress wondering if you’ll be able to see them all. We divided the places to see in Petra into two days: places near the main gate and places near the back gate. And we planned our two days accordingly.

On our first day, we visited places near the main gate. On the second day, we entered through the back gate and started our tour from there. We did this because the distance between one end of Petra and the other is 9 km. So, if we entered from the main gate, it would have been a total of 18 km, which we couldn’t manage. Another reason was that the path to the Monastery was very steep and exhausting. By entering from the back gate, we avoided climbing stairs and instead descended. We walked the entire length of Petra, about 9 km, and exited from the main gate close to our hotel.

Even with our divided approach, unfortunately, we couldn’t see everywhere in Petra. We had to prioritize what we were most curious about or what was most easily accessible based on our energy levels.

Obelisk Tomb & Bab as-Siq Triclinium – Day 1

Estimated to be built in 100 AD, this structure is a tomb carved out of stone. The five obelisks at the top represent five people buried inside. There’s also a dining area inside, as it was part of the funeral ritual.

Al-Siq – Day 1

A narrow path of 1.2 km among stones of every tone of red and pink. The Siq was formed by a mountain split, and visitors enter Ancient Petra from here. There are water channels on both sides of The Siq. Also, along the way, it’s possible to see many drawings and sacred stones related to Petra’s history carved on the rocks. Walking here, I felt like I was living in another century.

Treasury (Al-Khazneh) – Day 1

The end of The Siq leads to the unique structure of The Treasury. You need to walk at least 3 km from Petra’s entrance gate to reach The Treasury.

The Treasury is undoubtedly Petra’s most famous structure. It is believed to have been built around 100 BC and stands 40 meters high, adorned with many figures and symbols. In addition, there is a tomb inside The Treasury, and the locals believe it belongs to a pharaoh.

Due to another local legend, many believe there is a real treasure hidden beneath this magnificent structure. Those who sought this treasure made numerous attempts until today, unfortunately damaging the structure. Even today, it’s possible to see bullet marks left by attacks on The Treasury.

High Place of Sacrifice – Day 1

To reach this place of worship at the top of a mountain, you climb 700-750 steps. The path is a bit narrow, so you need to be careful while climbing. Along the way, we saw many beautiful views and enjoyed ourselves. When we finally reached the summit, we were greeted by a magnificent view. We were very lucky to be at this point at sunset.

At the highest point of the mountain, there is an area where religious ceremonies were held years ago. Next to this area is a place where sacrifice rituals took place. Watching the sunset in this sacred area, one cannot help but imagine what was done here years ago in the same area. Feeling close to the gods, perhaps making sacrifices at such a high point to be heard, one cannot help but imagine.

Hiking – Day 2

On our second day, we woke up early and boarded a minibus from the main entrance of Petra at 6 a.m. After getting off the minibus here, we paid 5 JD and boarded another vehicle and got off here. From here onwards, it was up to us. Our hiking adventure began after getting off. We climbed through the mountains of Petra for about 1.5 hours, sometimes using stairs and sometimes ascending hills. We were accompanied by wonderful views. Although there were places along the hiking trail where we could have tea or coffee, we didn’t want to take a break. However, we stopped at beautiful scenic spots to catch our breath and enjoy the view.

Ad Deir (The Monastery) – Day 2

When the hiking ended and we reached the end of the trail, we reached Ad Deir, also known as The Monastery. Similar to The Treasury but not as popular, this structure is estimated to have been built in 200 AD. Carved out of stone, this structure contains a mihrab and seating rows on both sides. It was used as a meeting place for religious gatherings and got its name from there. The Monastery, a magnificent structure, is one of the must-see structures in Petra.

The Colonnaded Street – Day 2

This street displays original Nabatean architecture and creativity. It was repaved after the Roman Empire took control of Petra. This was the most important shopping street in Ancient Petra.

The Nymphaeum – Day 2

This is a fountain designed in the shape of a semicircle. It is located at the intersection of Wadi Musa and Madi Al Mataha. The water was taken from a tank located just across the valley. Next to the fountain is a 450-year-old pistachio tree.

The Theatre – Day 2

The only theatre in the world carved out of stone. It was built at the foot of the mountain next to the High Place of Sacrifice. The seating areas, consisting of three different sections, are separated by a corridor running through the middle. This theatre, which has a capacity of 4000 people, was rebuilt by the Romans.

What We Wondered and Didn’t See in the Ancient City of Petra

Let’s look at some other beautiful places in Petra that we couldn’t see due to lack of time and energy. Firstly, The Royal Tombs, consisting of four different sections, looked very beautiful. Secondly, we unfortunately missed The Great Temple, one of the most important structures of Petra in terms of archaeology and architecture. As for the other parts, they are; the Church, Qasr al-Bint, The Lion Triclinium.

Sunset

If you want to watch the sunset in the city of Wadi Musa, I recommend going to this point half an hour before sunset. The sun sets over both Wadi Musa and the Ancient City of Petra. The view is definitely worth watching.

Petra Travel Guide: Food & Drink

We had heard that Jordanian cuisine is wonderful and that there are dishes to try even before we went. And the food was really as good as it was said to be. We tried very delicious local dishes in Wadi Musa, where we stayed for Petra.

Sajiat Al Janoob

We loved the food at this restaurant so much that we came here for dinner two nights in a row. The food was amazing. From the famous Jordanian dish cooked in a skillet to the potato kebbeh cooked on a tray, from the mixed kebab to the salads, everything was very delicious. I definitely recommend this place. At the end of the meal, they served us orange-almond semolina dessert. And a glass of Bedouin tea each. I liked the Bedouin tea because it was minty, but it was too sweet, you can’t drink more than one glass. 🙂 As for how much we paid; skillet dish 10 JD, potato kebbeh 9.5 JD, plate with four types of appetizers 5.5 JD, mixed grill 10 JD.

Al Wadi Restaurant

We sat here for lunch on Friday. The restaurant was open, but we had to wait for the chefs as they were all at Friday prayers. If you’re going to sit down for lunch, you can pay attention not to coincide with Friday prayer time, otherwise you may end up waiting like us. The food was very good. I tried Maklube, one of the most famous Jordanian/Middle Eastern dishes. Also, dishes made of camel meat and chicken casserole were served at the table. The food was tasty, but it didn’t impress us as much as Sajiat Al Janoob did. As for the prices, we paid 10 JD for Maklube, 13 JD for camel meat kebab, and 7 JD for chicken casserole.

Al Maqa’ad Bar / Movenpick

If you’ve come this far and want to try the local beer named after Petra, you can sit at the bar in Movenpick’s lobby. Alcoholic drinks are not sold in supermarkets or restaurants stores; it is only available in places inside hotels.

Petra Travel Guide: Movies

After the legendary city of Petra was rediscovered, it became the center of attention worldwide, and many films were shot here. If you want to watch movies shot in Petra before or after going there, you can choose a few from the list below. 🙂

• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
• Arabian Nights
• Passion in the Desert
• Mortal Kombat Annihilation
• Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger
• The Mummy Returns
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Petra Travel Guide: Notes & Tips & Conclusion

• There is a Petra Museum at the main entrance of Petra, which is open until 8:30 p.m. I recommend visiting this museum in the evening calmness after visiting the ancient city of Petra.
• The weather can be very hot during the day. It’s a good idea to wear comfortable clothes that won’t make you sweat, and bring a hat, sunglasses, and water with you.
• If you want to hike or climb hills, be sure to wear comfortable shoes. Some paths can be very narrow, so be careful.
• Keep cash with you in case you want to buy something in the Ancient City of Petra, as most places only accept cash.
• At the peak where the High Place of Sacrifice is located, we met two Bedouins who have houses there. They were born in Petra and have been living here for generations. They climbed the places we climbed with joy, which we climbed with fear. Talking to them and getting information about the local life in Petra made us very happy.
• Donkeys are generally used as transportation. People who get tired of climbing up and down stairs ride donkeys for sightseeing. It’s very sad to see donkeys trying to carry adults. Please don’t ride donkeys 🙁