2 Days in Petra: Jordan's Ancient Nabatean City

After being lost to the desert for centuries, Swiss traveller Johann Ludwig Burckhardt rediscovered the ruins of the ancient Nabatean city in 1812.  In 1985, UNESCO declared Petra a World Heritage Site and in 2007, it was named one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. Today, Petra is the most visited site in Jordan, welcoming over 1.13 million people in 2019. 

Wadi Musa, the tourist-oriented town next to the archeological site, is a 3 hour drive south of Amman on the Desert Highway or two hours north from Aqaba, the Jordanian port city adjacent to Eilat, Israel. Wadi Musa is full of restaurants, tour operators, and accommodation for every budget. March-May is high season. If you plan to visit Petra during the mild weather of Spring, book your lodging well ahead. 

While the main sites can be visited in a single (very busy) day, this incredible place really deserves more. I spent two full days exploring the site and didn't manage to see everything. 

Free parking is available in several lots (and on the streets) around the entrance to Petra. Many Wadi Musa hotels offer free drop off to the Petra Visitor Centre. But if you've arrived in a rental car, I recommend driving yourself. After hours of hiking and climbing at Petra, the last thing you'll want to do at the end of your day is to walk back to your hotel. Most of Wadi Musa is located (steeply) uphill from Petra. 

Even if you've purchased the Jordan Pass ahead of time, you still need to visit the ticket office at the Visitor Centre. They'll scan the QR code on your Jordan Pass and provide you with a paper ticket to show at the turnstiles. Jordan Pass holders, be aware that you may be asked to show your photo identification when visiting. The name on your Jordan Pass must match your photo ID. 

After the visitor centre, you'll pass by numerous locals offering horse rides. "Horse rides included with your ticket," they'll call. (Of course it is not included.) There are also electric golf carts that will transport you almost all the way to the end of the Siq passage for a steep JD 15, one-way, or JD 25 for a return trip.

Petra's sites begin before you enter the gorge. The Djin Blocks are three, massive cubical carvings. Their purpose remains unknown. The Obelisk Tomb demonstrates the architectural blending the Nabateans practiced. In this case, four pyramidal obelisks stand atop a Greco-Roman facade. 

The Siq (literally, the shaft) is the narrow 1.2 km gorge leading to Petra's most famous monument - the Treasury. Unless you have limited mobility, skip the horse and golf cart rides! The walk through the Siq is one of Petra's best experiences. Not to be rushed! 

There was significant rainfall on the day before my visit. Twelve hours of clear skies weren't enough for all of the water to drain away. The Siq had a few cm of water flowing downhill and my feet were already quite wet by the time I reached the Treasury. Water-resistant hiking boots would have been great. (These photos of the Siq were taken on my second day at Petra, by which time the water had cleared.)

Speaking of rain: be aware that Petra's opening hours can be reduced or the site can be closed altogether as a result of rainfall. Flash floods are a real risk. Twenty-two French tourists were killed during floods in 1963. Emergency evacuations were needed amid flooding in 2018. The possibility of rain closures in another reason to plan for more than one day at Petra. 

When the light starts to brighten and you hear gasps from the delighted people ahead of you, you're about the round the final bend of the Siq that will open up into a broad canyon where the Nabateans carved the Al-Khazneh (Treasury) into the sandstone cliff face. 

Petra's tombs were not built from the ground up, but carved into the stone. An arguably more difficult and unforgiving process. Archaeologists believe that the Nabateans carved from the top down, the rubble from the uppermost carving creating a rubble ramp that would allow the artisans to reach their project without the use of scaffolding. 

You're suddenly surrounded by camels, donkeys, and Bedouins offering rides and guide services. Just to your right, young men will offer you a "5 minute guided climb" to see the Treasury from above. If you accept, you'll pay a negotiated fee to be led up an extremely steep path on the cliffside. Seeing the Treasury from above is highly recommended, but it can be achieved for free by following the Al-Khubtha Trail further ahead.

When you've finished gazing up at the Treasury, continue to the right towards the Street of Facades. Here begins the series of literally dozens of tomb and temple facades carved into the walls of the canyon. Some are at ground level, others require a diverting climb. Unlike many ancient sites around the world, explorers are able to climb and enter almost all of the monuments at Petra. 

Towards the end of the Street of Facades, you'll find the 8000 seat theatre which is carved into the base of the mountain known as en-Nejr. Gladiator fights were held here during the period of Roman occupation. This marks the point where the narrow valley opens up into a plain. 

If you turn left, you'll traverse the main thoroughfare of Ancient Petra. Veering to the left at this point will bring you onto the Al-Khubtha Trail, ending in the Treasury overlook. 

The Al-Khubtha Trail ascends dramatic flights of caved stairs with numerous places to stop and snap incredible photos of the ancient city down below. The maps provided by the Visitor Centre label this trail as "hard". This trail was indeed a challenge for me, but plenty of people in good shape passed me by. The roughly 3.5 km route is mostly uphill, with an elevation gain of nearly 300 meters. With even light percipitation, these stone steps can become extremely slippery. Think carefully before attempting this trail on a wet day. 

At the end of the trail, you're rewarded with magnificent views of the Treasury. You need to poke around a bit to locate the several viewing points as they are not marked. Be cautious as there are no fences or safety signs marking the potentially fatal vertical drops. An enterprising local has set up a ramshackle coffeehouse on a prime spot. For JD 2 you can enjoy a Turkish coffee and savour the view. JD 3 for a freshly squeezed orange and pomegranate juice. (This is essentially a tent with a few cushions. There are no restrooms, chairs, or tables.)

Back down on the valley floor, the colonnaded street leads past the ruins of a Byzentine church. Though the church structure is mostly lost, beautiful mosaics have been unearthed. On your left, a grand staircase leads up to the remnants of the City Temple. The Nabatean builders of Petra initially venerated three female deities who were usually represented in abstract stone tablets called betyl. As time passed, the Egyptian goddess Isis, and the Greco-Roman deities Dionysus and Tyche were folded into Nabatean worship. The elaborate city water system carried fresh water from the nearby Spring of Moses into cisterns and large ornamental pools beside the City Temple. 

If I had a "do-over", I would have called it quits at this point and saved the Monastery, Petra's second most prized monument, for Day 2. Hindsight is 20/20, as they say. 

The challenging 1 hour ascent up 800 steps will require you to periodically rush to hug the side of the path as donkeys carrying paying tourists zip up past you, depositing unpleasant packages on the trail as they go. Watch your step! 

If you intend to spend multiple days at Petra, spread out the main sights. One major climb per day will leave you with happier feet and more energy to continue. 

Petra absolutely deserves every accolade you've read! Even Oprah agrees. 

Spring and Autumn are the best times to visit Petra. April/May and September/October are considered your best bet. In these periods of higher visitor numbers, book you accommodation well in advance as this is when prices are at their highest. 

I visited in March. There was significant rainfall just ahead of my visit, which luckily didn't close the site. There is very little shade during midday. Visiting in the heat of summer could make climbing those 800+ steps to Ad Deir a very unpleasant experience! 

Dress in layers and be sure to pack sun cream, sunglasses, a brimmed hat, and hiking boots.

Transport: Car rental was by Europcar at Amman airport. Open 24 hours. Excellent service during pick-up. Great compact SUV hybrid. Always thoroughly check for damage to your rental car at pickup. When I dropped off the car a week later, the employee cited damage under the front bumper and asked, "What did you bump into?" A quick call to his colleagues revealed that this was in fact old damage and I wasn't charged. A reminder of the importance of taking photo/video records of the car at pickup, and considering areas that are out of sight.

Accommodation: I stayed two nights at the Town Season hotel and it was great. The staff are helpful and knowledgeable. The room was the most comfortable that I had during my whole trip to Jordan. Great breakfast with both Jordanian and western options. 

Favourite Restaurant: Beit Al-Barakah on the roundabout in Wadi Musa town centre. A solid option to try Jordanian classics like maqlooba and mansaf. Each meal came with a complimentary mezze starter and was followed by tea and a dessert. The owner speaks English, Arabic, Hebrew (possibly more!) He recognized that I was a repeat customer and refused to accept my tip on the second visit. 

READ: Is Jordan a Safe Destination for Solo Travel? 

The small town of Wadi Musa is largely geared towards tourists and their needs. Restaurants,  hotels, and travel agencies dominate the town centre. English-speaking tourist police are available in both Wadi Musa town and at the Petra Archeological Park. For my part, I never felt even slightly unsafe walking around Wadi Musa town centre after dark. 

The archeological park will be full of fellow visitors, regardless of when you visit. Petra is, after all, one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. But in this huge site, there are many spots where you can wander away from the crowd and find yourself alone amongst the ruins. 

None of the locals proffering camel rides, souvenirs, or coffee were especially insistent. This was true elsewhere in Jordan as well. 

The only instance of aggression during my week in Jordan was at Petra and it was quite minor. While hiking on one of the less popular trails on the second day of my visit, a Jordanian boy approached me on the path and asked for money. I declined and when I tried to move past him, he sort of punched me in the side. This wasn't even a little bit threatening, given the size difference between us. Just a surprise, really. But when I passed an older, solo female hiker a few hundred meters down the trail, I did give her the heads-up.