Petra
The Ultimate Travel Guide
Petra
The Ultimate Travel Guide
Why visit Petra?
If you’re looking for a place that will take your breath away, look no further than Petra. This ancient city, located in present-day Jordan, is one of the seven wonders of the world. Petra was built by the Nabataean people in the third century BC, and it was their capital city until the Roman Empire annexed it in 106 BC.
The city is full of remarkable features, such as the Treasury, the Street of Facades, and the Theatre. Petra was also home to many temples, palaces, and other public buildings.
In 1985, Petra was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today, it is one of Jordan’s most popular tourist destinations. So if you’re looking for a place to explore and marvel at the handiwork of human beings, Petra is the perfect place for you!
How to get there
You could rent a car or get a taxi to Petra, or take a JETT bus from any destination, it’s completely up to you!
Petra is open every day from 6am – 6pm in summer and 6am – 4pm in winter.
Tickets
You can select how many days you want to visit Petra when purchasing the Jordan pass. 1 day is 70JD (about €90), 2 days is 75JD (about €97) and 3 days is 80JD (about €105). If you don’t buy the Jordan pass then the fee to enter Petra starts at 50JD (about €65) for one day. The Jordan Pass is well worth it as one day in Petra plus the visa fee would already equate to more than the price of the Jordan Pass.
When you arrive at Petra even if you have the Jordan Pass you will need to queue up at the ticket counter to show your pass to receive a paper ticket to enter the ancient site.
If you would like to visit Petra at night then you will need to buy a separate ticket even if you have the Jordan Pass. This will cost you 17JD (about €22). This is only possible on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday of each week and starts at 20:30 at the visitors centre and will end at 22:30.
Highlights
If you follow the main trail this will allow you to see all the highlights of Petra and you will be able to do this all in one day!
The highlights include:
- The Siq
- The Treasury
- Street of Facades
- Colonnaded Street
- The Theatre
- The Great Temple
- The Monastery
How many days should you spend in Petra
It depends on how many days you have in Jordan and how many places you want to visit along your trip. But if you have enough time, then 2 days in Petra is good enough to see the highlights of Petra as well as explore some of the less popular trails and see some of the other impressive structures like the Royal Tombs and the magnificent views over this ancient city.
You can read our Full 3 Day Itinerary here.
Safety and Scams
Petra is a very safe place for tourists and if you are having any trouble or lose where you are then ask any of the Bedouin people or any of the tour groups roaming around as people are extremely kind and very willing to help.
In terms of health and safety, there are many trails around Petra and these often involve a steep climb with very sharp drops so wear good walking shoes and take your time. Take plenty of water and sun cream but there are many stalls along the side of these trails where you can buy water and food so don’t worry if you don’t have enough. In the winter, there are often bad weather conditions involving lots of wind and rain and sometimes flash floods, so if the weather is predicted to be bad avoid going on the less touristy trails as it may be dangerous.
At the Treasury there are lots of ‘guides’ offering to take you up to a viewpoints that are not free, they may be less safe and may cause damage to the ruins as the path is not established so be careful if you choose to do this.
Read more: Solo Female Travel in Jordan
