Petra Guide: Everything You Need to Know

Petra is a huge bucketlist destination. It tops the list of most people’s itinerary when visiting Jordan and it is no surprise. The Rose Colored City captures the imagination of anyone who walks the winding Siq and sees the iconic Treasury for the first time. Petra is a massive archaeological site and it can feel overwhelming to think about exploring it on your own. In this Petra Guide, I will cover everything you need to know so that you can plan your trip and discover Petra independently. For a detailed itinerary of how to see it all in two days check out our Two Day Hiking Guide to Petra.

When To Go

Petra can be visited year round however, the best time to visit Petra is in the spring and fall when the temperatures are lower and there aren’t as many crowds. That being said, we visited in December and had amazing weather!

The Visitor Center and ticket office is open from 6:00am – 6:00pm in the summer and 6:00am – 4:00pm in the winter. Getting an early start and reaching the Treasury before the crowds is highly recommended!

In our opinion, you really need to spend two full days to explore the site. The ancient city covers 2,640 hectares!! One day alone does not give justice to all there is to see. Check out our Two Day Hiking Guide to Petra with a full itinerary to see all of the iconic sites of Petra while hiking the lesser known trails that get you off the beaten path.

How To Get There

Petra is located in the south of Jordan off of the King’s Highway. If you are driving to Petra, it’s 236km (around 3 hours) from Amman to Petra via the faster Desert Highway or 255km (4.5 hours) via the slower but more scenic King’s Highway. From Aqaba to Petra it’s 126km (2 hours). There’s a free car park in Petra opposite the bus stop near the Petra Moon hotel. This bus stop is also where you can catch the JETT buses to Amman and Aqaba if you’re travelling around Jordan by public transport.

Tickets

OK, here is my biggest tip in this Petra Guide: Get the Jordan Pass before you leave home. I can’t stress enough how much of a saver this is! It saves time, and money. Both are things I value and like saving! The Jordan Pass is package pass that covers your entry visa fee into the country as well as pre-paid entry to over 40 attractions in Jordan (including Petra, Wadi Rum, Jerash, Karak Castle, and Um ar Rasas just to name a few!). It must be purchased online before arrival to the country and you must stay for a minimum of 3 consecutive nights in the country to make it valid. There is a printable page with a QR code that you present at both Customs on arrival and at entry to any of the 40 included sites.

How Much Does the Jordan Pass Cost?

The Jordan Pass comes in three categories depending on how many days you want to spend exploring Petra. The Jordan Wanderer Pass (70 JD) includes a 1 day Petra Pass, the Jordan Explorer (75 JD) includes a 2 day Petra Pass and the Jordan Expert (80 JD) includes a 3 day Petra Pass.

Considering that a Jordanian visa is 40 JD and a one day pass to Petra is 50 JD, the pass pays for itself and more if you plan to go to Petra during your stay. Throw in any other sites or museums that are covered by the pass and that is a lot of savings!!! It also saves you time by allowing you to skip the ticket lines and head straight to the entrance with your Jordan Pass in hand.

It is important to note that children under the age of 12 can enter all of the sites in Jordan for free so a Jordan Pass is not required. However, children do still need a visa to enter the country.

Where to Stay

If you are visiting Petra and want to spend the night, then you will stay in the nearby town of Wadi Musa. Wadi Musa is approximately 3 km from Petra and serves as the tourism hub for visitors to Petra. There are hotels to suit all budgets as well as restaurants and shops. Some hotels offer free shuttle service to the Visitor Centre at Petra and there are taxis available for a nominal fee.

For those wanting to stay closer to the Vistors Centre the Petra Guest House and the Movenpick Resort Petra are right outside the gates. We opted to stay in town at the Rocky Mountain Hotel which was good value and had stunning views of Wadi Musa and the mountains of Petra from the lounge.

What to Wear

Petra is a huge site and no matter what, you will be doing a lot of walking! My biggest tip is to wear comfortable walking shoes!! We actually wore our hiking boots as we did a lot of hiking on the back trails of Petra. Comfortable clothes are also a must as well as a hat for sun protection. There is very little shade around the site, so be sun smart!

What to Bring

We wore small day packs to carry the basics with us for the day. Food and drink are available on site at multiple cafes and tea stalls, but we opted to bring our own water, snacks and a packed lunch that we arranged for ahead of time with our hotel.

Here is a list of what we brought in our packs:

• lunch and snacks
• water bottles
• site map we picked up from the Visitor’s Center on our way in
• camera
• sun hats
• sunscreen
• light jackets for the cool morning

Petra Guide: The Main Sites

Petra was once the capital city of the Nabataean Kingdom and was revered for its tombs cut into the stone walls of the city. Eventually the city was absorbed into the Roman Empire and a traditional Roman City flourished amidst the Nabataean Tombs. The main sites that remain today are a combination of Nabataean tombs and Roman ruins. We spent two days in Petra and were able to see all of these sites plus more following our Two Day Hiking Guide to Petra.

The Treasury

The Treasury is the most iconic site in all of Petra and is the picture that is on every brochure or magazine about the rose-colored city. It is believed to have been the mausoleum of the Nabatean King Aretas IV in the 1st century AD. In the early 19th century it became known as the Treasury by the area’s Bedouins as they believed legends that bandits or pirates hid their loot in a stone urn high on the second level. Regardless of whether it held any treasure or not, seeing the Treasury appear through the rock walls of the Siq for the first time is an unforgettable bucketlist moment!

The Street Of Facades

The Street of Facades is a series of tombs and houses built by the Nabataeans in a ‘crow step’ style. They are easily accessible and some even have funeral chambers in the upper stories.

The High Place of Sacrifice

Up a steep trail from the Street of Facades is the High Place of Sacrifice where sacrificial animals were slaughtered atop an alter with drains to channel the blood, a triclinium for communal suppers and a repository for the god statues. It is the most accessible of Petra’s high places.

The Theatre

Originally built by the Nabataeans and expanded by the Romans, the theatre is carved right out of the rock. At its peak it held 8500 people. Today, it makes a great place to pause and watch the crowds go by!

Royal Tombs

The Royal Tombs are reached from a set of stairs that ascend from the valley floor past the Theater. The Royal Tombs are a series of massive tombs in a row, all cut from the sandstone rock face. They include the Urn Tomb, the Corinthian Tomb, the Silk Tomb and the Palace Tomb.

The Roman City

Downhill from the Royal Tombs is the Ancient City of Petra established by the Romans. It includes the Colonnaded Street, the Great Temple, market areas, and the temple Qasr Al Bint. There are many other temples and church ruins in the ancient city as well.

Monastery

The Monastery is hidden high in the hills and requires a steep walk up carved stairs to get there. It is similar in design to the Treasury but is bigger and in my opinion, more magnificent. This is one monument that often gets missed if people only have one day to visit Petra and this is a shame. It was the highlight of our trip to Petra and I am so glad we made the time to see it.

I hope this Petra Guide has helped you feel confident to start planning your next family trip to Petra! Not ready to go quite yet…pin it for later! Have more questions? Comment below! We would love to hear from you!