Hey friends, I’m finally getting around to sharing my experience and tips from my trip to Petra last year! The world has started to open up again and I’m hoping to inspire some of you to visit this beautiful place and country! So, lets get right into it – first things first…
How to get to Petra
We flew into the main Amman airport (Queen Alia International Airport) and during COVID we had to pre-fill out a travelers form and prepay for an onsite COVID test. I believe at the moment all you need is the form (here). PLEASE PLEASE also double check information on this! Once you exit immigrations its a straight shot out of the airport. We rented a car at the airport terminal directly and were able to pick it up quickly and go on our way! I did some research which did not recommend driving in the main city of Amman as it is can get quite hectic. Luckily we landed pretty late in the evening and headed straight out of the city to the Dead Sea. Alternatively you can drive straight to Petra ~2.5hrs drive.
Where to stay
We chose to stay at the Marriott here, we had pretty limited options since a lot of hotels were still closed due to COVID and not enough tourists around. If we had the option I would have booked the Movenpick Petra instead due to the convenience of location. It’s right outside of the entrance to Petra and you won’t have to deal with finding parking.
How many days
We initially planned to spend 3 days exploring Petra, but upon arrival they told us that the park would be closed Friday due to it being a holiday. We were so sad!! In addition, they were no longer doing Petra by Night due to COVID as well. But I believe everything is back to normal schedules so I would definitely say minimum of three days to do everything!
Day 1 The Treasury at Petra:
Walk into Petra, spend some time at the infamous Treasury. It will be about a 20 min easy walk from the entrance. You have the option to ride a horse or carriage, but it’s not necessary and animal abuse is everywhere in Petra. Once you’ve gotten enough of the view from ground level, you can continue on your way towards the Royal Tombs. Then you’ll follow the Al-Khubha Trail (you can’t miss it – it’s all stairs 🥲). Once you get to the top, you’ll start to head downhill a bit again. You’ll see the Bedouin tent where they serve tea and you can take in the view of the Treasury from the top before you head back down.
Tips for all days at Petra, bring enough water. You can buy some at the shops inside, and wear sensible shoes. Petra = stairs all day.
Day 2 The Monastery:
Alright so you thought, wow – can’t get much harder than the hike to the top view of Petra! Nope you’re wrong. Get ready because the Trek to the Monastery is longer and you guessed it, more stairs!! I will say though it wasn’t as steep as the hike up to the Treasury from the top. There are two ways to get the the Monastery. We took the trail from the entrance which meant around 850 steps. There is a cafe around the middle of the trail as well as at the end where you can buy more water and rest up. Is it worth the trek? ABSOLUTELY. And getting back isn’t as tough as the way there.
Day 3 Shorter trails and Petra by Night:
Obviously we weren’t able to get to day 3 but IF we had. I would hit up some of the other shorter trails to see the sights. Like the High Place of Sacrifice Trail. Tickets to Petra by Night are sold separately and not included in your entrance ticket so be aware of that! Alternatively on Day 3 you can hire a guide (they are usually by the Tourist Center at the entrance) and take a slow walking day to learn about the history of Petra.
And that’s all for my guide to Petra folks!!
For more adventures in Jordan inspo, you can check out my other posts here!
