Petra is one of the most extraordinary places we’ve ever visited. Hidden within Jordan’s rose-red mountains, this ancient Nabataean city is far bigger, wilder and more impressive than we expected – and the famous Treasury is only a tiny part of it.
In this Petra Jordan travel guide, I’ll share exactly what it was like visiting Petra as a family, including our experience tackling the spectacular 8-mile hike from Little Petra to the Treasury. You’ll also find practical tips on the best route through Petra, how long you need, where to stay in Wadi Musa, what facilities are inside the site and Petra by Night.
If you’re planning a trip to Jordan and wondering how to visit Petra without missing the highlights, this guide will help you make the most of your time there.
Introduction
Nothing quite prepares you for Petra. You’ve seen the photographs. You know what’s coming. And still, when the Treasury appears at the end of the Siq – that narrow slot canyon of rose-coloured rock – it stops you in your tracks.
Petra is one of the 7 Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and visiting it was without doubt the highlight of our entire six-day trip to Jordan. We had a day and a half here, and we still didn’t see everything.
Planning your Jordan trip? See our full itinerary:
👉 Jordan Itinerary & Travel Guide: 6 Day Adventure on a Budget
Contents
- About Petra
- Wadi Musa: The Town Next to Petra
- Two Ways to Walk Through Petra
- The Treasury
- The Monastery
- Facilities Inside Petra
- Petra by Night
- Where to Stay: Tetra Tree Hotel Review
- Tips for Visiting Petra
- Useful Links
Some of my content may contain affiliate links for companies I use and love and recommend to awesome readers like yourself. If you take action, (i.e. subscribe, make a purchase) after clicking one of these links, I’ll earn a small amount of pocket money (at no extra cost to you), so I can buy a coffee while creating more helpful content like this.
About Petra
Petra is an ancient city carved out of mountain rock. Known as the Rose City because of the warm pink hue of the stone, it was built by the Nabataean people and dates back to the first century AD.
It is vast – you could spend several days here and still not cover everything. The site includes hundreds of elaborate rock-cut tombs, temples, a colonnaded street, a Roman amphitheatre and two iconic monuments: the Treasury and the Monastery.
Petra was largely unknown to the Western world until Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt rediscovered it in 1812. Today it is Jordan’s most visited attraction and one of the great archaeological wonders of the world.
Wadi Musa: The Town Next to Petra
Wadi Musa is the town that sits directly beside the entrance to Petra. It is charming and pretty – it reminded me of the kind of Christmas cards that depict Bethlehem, with its pale stone buildings cascading down the hillside.
There are hotels, restaurants and, famously, The Cave Bar – claimed to be the oldest bar in the world, set inside a 2,000-year-old Nabataean rock tomb. We didn’t make it there (we were too worn out after our 8-mile hike!) but I’d put it on the list for a return visit.
Two Ways to Walk Through Petra
There are two main entrances to Petra, and the route you choose makes a significant difference to your experience.
Option 1: Visitor Centre Entrance (Classic Route)
The walk from the Visitor Centre through the Siq to the Treasury takes around 30 minutes. From there, continuing up to the Monastery takes another hour or so. This is the most popular route and the one most tourists take.
E-buggies are available at the Visitor Centre entrance for around 25 JOD and include a horse ride (a tip is expected).
🌟 Tip: If you want to see the Treasury without crowds, late afternoon is the best time. We arrived in the late afternoon on day one and had it almost entirely to ourselves – the photographs were stunning.
Option 2: Little Petra Entrance (The 8-Mile Hike)
Our driver Khaled strongly recommended entering from Little Petra and doing the full 8-mile hike that passes the Monastery before descending to the Treasury and exiting at the Visitor Centre. This was the best day of our entire trip.
The hike takes you through spectacular scenery that most visitors simply never see. We walked for miles without passing another soul – at one point we genuinely wondered if we were going the right way!
🌟 Tip: A local guide is worth considering so they can explain the history and point out what to see. We didn’t hire one but we wished we had for parts of it.
💗 We did this hike as a family and all agreed it was our favourite day in Jordan. It was challenging but completely manageable. Good walking shoes are essential.
The Treasury
The Treasury (Al-Khazneh) is the iconic façade that appears on every Petra postcard and travel brochure. Standing in front of it for the first time is breathtaking – it is vast, intricately carved and almost impossibly well-preserved. We were blown away by its size and majesty.
No one knows for certain what the Treasury’s original purpose was, though it is believed to have been a royal tomb. Local legend holds that it conceals a pharaoh’s treasure hidden inside the stone urn at the top – which is why the urn is riddled with bullet holes from Bedouin tribesmen who tried to crack it open.
🌟Tip: Late afternoon is the best time to visit – far fewer crowds and beautiful golden light on the stone.
The Monastery
If the Treasury is Petra’s most famous sight, the Monastery (Ad-Deir) is its most impressive. Similar in design to the Treasury but considerably larger, it sits at the top of a long climb via carved stone steps.
The hike up from Little Petra to the Monastery takes around 2 hours, and the scenery along the way is spectacular. Once you arrive, there are a few small stalls selling tea and cold drinks – a very welcome sight after the climb.
Along the way: There are people selling tea, trinkets and donkey rides. Our driver mentioned these are not traditional Bedouin people and technically operate illegally. We stopped for tea with one woman and I bought a scarf, but it’s worth being aware of your surroundings.
🫏 A man tried to get us to ride his donkey up to the top of the steps. He said it was an hour and a half walk or 30 minutes on the donkey. We were laughing and thinking that must be some turbo charged donkey but it actually was a turbo charged donkey and it came whizzing passed us as we climbed the steps!
Facilities Inside Petra
Petra is very well set up for visitors:
- 🍽️ There is a restaurant in front of the Monastery with shade, seating and toilets. Food is very reasonably priced – around 6 JOD for a chicken baguette and 2 JOD for drinks.
- 🚽 The toilet near the Monastery café costs 1 JOD and is spotlessly clean and well equipped.
- 💧 Bring plenty of water, especially for the long hike – it gets very hot.
- We took a packed lunch provided by our hotel but it would have been perfectly easy (and similarly priced) to buy food inside.
Petra by Night
Petra by Night is a separate ticketed experience where the Treasury is illuminated by hundreds of candles and accompanied by traditional Nabataean music.
- Price: 17 JOD per person
- Runs 8:30pm to 10:30pm
- Tickets from the Visitor Centre or most hotels
We decided not to go because we had an early start planned for the 8-mile hike. If we had more time in Wadi Musa, I definitely would have gone – it looks truly magical.
Where to Stay: Tetra Tree Hotel Review
We stayed at the Tetra Tree Hotel in Wadi Musa for two nights and it was excellent.
The staff were genuinely wonderful – warm, kind and incredibly helpful throughout our stay. The rooftop restaurant deserves a special mention: it has a spectacular panoramic view over Wadi Musa and Petra, and we ate there both evenings. Watching the sunset and listening to the Call to Prayer echo across the town from up there is one of those travel memories that stays with you.
The rooms are spacious and well appointed. There is an indoor swimming pool, a pool table and a large lounge area downstairs. Breakfast is included.
After our epic hike on day two, we rewarded ourselves with cocktails at the rooftop bar – very much deserved.
Price: We paid £261 for 2 rooms for 2 nights (including breakfast)
Tips for Visiting Petra
- Start early – the site gets very busy mid-morning
- Wear walking shoes with good grip – the steps at the Visitor Centre entrance are worn and slippery
- The 8-mile hike is the best way to see Petra – do it if you’re reasonably fit and have a full day
- Late afternoon at the Treasury – far fewer crowds and beautiful light for photos
- Bring cash for food, toilets and tips
- A guide adds real value – especially if you want to understand the history of what you’re seeing
- Wadi Rum is only an hour away – try to get there as early as possible on the day you leave Petra
Leave a Reply