Tips for Visiting Petra – Things I wish I had known

Petra, the Rose Red city, was carved out of the mountains in present day Jordan by the Nabateans. It dates back to 5th century BC and was located on the trade route between the East and West. It is one of the World UNESCO heritage sites and often appears in the top 10 places of the world to visit.  

I visited Petra in 2023 during my trip to Jordan and wrote about my two days in Petra in detail here and here. I also wanted to put together a list of tips for anyone who might like to visit, because these are the things I wish had known before my visit…

• First of all, know that Petra cannot be seen in one day. Allow for at least one and a half to two days to spend here. 
• Get there early to avoid crowds. Petra gets really busy, even in low season. Getting here about 8 am will give you the opportunity to enjoy the city before the crowds arrive. 

Food and Drink

• Take cash for food and drink – there are no refill stations for water, so you need to buy all drinks, including bottled water. Card machines are available in the shops, but there’s normally charge for paying by card.
• There are some cafes at the entrance to Petra, but the prices here are extortionate (15  GBP for a falafel sandwich and a drink). There are some cafes within the site itself which we found to be slightly less expensive.

What to take

• Wear layers in any season. The temperatures vary with how high you climb up, the sun and the wind, so take layers. 
• Good footwear is a must. The whole area is made of red rocky mountains and the trails and be very rocky and slippery.
• Try not to carry too much, especially if you are planning to do the hiking trails. There is nowhere to leave luggage inside the site, so you have to carry everything with you, all the time.

Guided Tours

• Do a guided tour at the start of the visit. The leaflet that comes with the entry ticket has limited information and there aren’t any information plaques on site either.  So you really do need someone to tell you about the site. If you go as part of a tour group, this will most likely include a guided tour. Also, tours can also be booked at the entrance. 

Hiking Trails

• The guided tour usually covers the main points of interest in Petra, such as the Treasury and the Amphitheatre, but to really explore Petra, you need to do the trails. There are a number of trails that explore different parts of Petra:
  • The Monastery Trail: The monastery looks bit like the Treasury, but is larger and better preserved. A bit beyond the Monastery you can also see into the Sinai desert.
  • Treasury view point trail: This trail takes you to the top of the mountains a to a great viewpoint above the treasury. On the way there are spectacular viewpoints across the whole of Petra.
  • High Place of Scarifies Trail: This is another uphill hike taking you to one of the highest locations in Petra.
• My recommendation is to do the Monastery Trail, Treasury View Point trail and spend the remainder of the day taking a closer look at the temples, royal tombs and/or the museum. I wouldn’t bother with the High Place of Sacrifice Trail – the trail is mostly steps and there isn’t a lot to see at the top – compared to the other two trails.

• I did the monastery trail, treasury viewpoint and the high place of sacrifice trail all in the same day, and my legs have not been the same since! Plus, I missed out on the chance to take a closer look at the royal tombs and the museum.
• The trails are not well sign posted, especially towards the end, when you usually are on top of a cliff with steep drops. The terrain can be very rocky and slippery. Travel with someone else (or at least tell someone where you are going). The mountain trails are not very crowded (especially in the low season), and it is easy get lost or hurt yourself. Good footwear is a must. 

• On some of the trails, industrious Bedouins sellers have set up tents over the best viewpoints and are selling tea and coffees.  Use the opportunity to have a coffee, use WiFi, have a rest and take some good photos. It may cost you the price of a drink (1 to 2 JD) but it is worth it. 

• The main part of Petra, with the treasury and amphitheatre is 45 minutes walk from the entrace and the car park. So, remember to preserve some energy for the walk back to the entrance. There are electric golf buggies that will transport you from the Treasury to the entrance (and vice versa) but tickets cost 15JD one way. There are donkeys that can transport you as well, but this is over a much shorter distance from the start of the Siq to the entrance. The donkey ride is included in the ticket price, but you have to tip the handlers. And I also would not recommend the donkey rides as the animals are not well treated.
• Save some time for the museum at the end. The Petra museum is at the entrance and is free to enter. It tells you a lot about the excavations at Petra. Unfortunately I was so exhausted at the end of both days, I only had energy for a cursory look around.

So, these are my trips for visiting Petra. If you do visit Petra, I hope you find these tips useful. 

Have you been to Petra? If so, do you have any tips? Leave a comment below and let me know.