Exploring Petra in Jordan

We arrived in Amman, Jordan after a 11.5 hour flight from Chicago, pretty weary but glad to be there safely and on-time. After a taxi ride through some rather hectic and heavy traffic we arrived at our hotel in time to walk down the block to the bus station to buy bus tickets to Petra for the next morning and then walk to what the hotel staff called the “new downtown area” of Amman for dinner and our first real meal of the day.  

The next morning we took the Jett bus from Amman to Wadi Musa where Petra is located. The bus ride took around 3.5 hours and was pretty smooth and uneventful. The landscape along the way was mostly dry, flat desert with few trees or shade of any kind. We saw many sheep herds and the odd camel beside the road here and there. The sun was strong and bright and could be almost blinding without sunglasses.

Wadi Musa has a mountainous landscape with buildings densely packed into the mountainside. After dropping our bags at the hotel and having lunch we took a taxi out to Little Petra, a small archaeological site with several impressive sandstone carvings and some big mountain views. Entrance is free with a Petra entrance ticket or a Jordan Pass  and a taxi ride there from downtown Wadi Musa cost us $20 Jordan Dinars (JD) round trip, which included the taxi driver waiting on us while we explored Little Petra for as long as we wanted. The scenery on the way was beautiful with gigantic mountains.

The next day after breakfast at the hotel we headed to Petra Archaeological Park at 7:30am for a full day of exploring Jordan’s most well known historical and archaeological site. Petra was built more than 2,000 years ago and was once the capital of the Nabataean Empire. Caves, temples, and tombs were carved by hand right into the side of the pink sandstone cliffs throughout the ancient city in Jordan’s desert. Petra is known as the “rose-red city” due to the unique color of the rock, which seems to change as the light changes throughout the day. We spent three nights in Wadi Musa and allotted two full days for exploring Petra.

On day one we decided to tackle the hike leading all the way to the Monastery, the farthest site within Petra, in order to reach the site as early in the day as possible before it became too hot. When you arrive at the Petra Archaeological Park you walk down a gravel path for about half a mile then enter through a narrow gorge named The Siq with beautiful curved sandstone walls. It makes for quite a dramatic entrance. After walking about another half mile you reach The Treasury, probably the most iconic site in Petra. It is definitely the most photographed spot. There is a popular vantage point you can walk up to to take photos.

The hike included about five miles of walking and then climbing 850 steep and uneven steps to reach the spot where The Monastery is located. Along the way local Bedouin people have set up souvenir stands and tent cafes selling jewelry, trinkets, scarves, drinks, and snacks. Even at the highest vantage points throughout Petra you will find makeshift lounges with tea and fresh squeezed juices available for sale. They offer shade and some refreshments and a chance to chat with the local people, who were friendly but not pushy about trying to sell you things.

The hike up to the Monastery is challenging but the amazing monument is worth the effort and the scenery along the trail is breathtaking. There is also a cafe selling cold drinks and snacks at the end of the trail so there are some pleasant shaded spots to sit back and enjoy the view. There are local Bedouin people with donkeys, horses, horse-drawn carriages, and camels offering to sell rides within Petra. The camels were beautiful but I had an uneasy feeling about how well these practices really were for all the animals and we decided we would rather walk to get around.

For that evening we had purchased tickets to Petra by Night. It sounded magical, the entrance path and the Treasury area are lit by candlelight and that was about all I knew about it in advance aside from the beautiful photos I had seen online. The experience begins with walking the mile or so to the Treasury site in the dark with the path lit only by candles in bags. Once we reached the Treasury there was a show that consisted of a performer playing the flute, followed by another performer playing a string instrument and some singing, and then a Bedouin man gave a short talk about Petra. Then colored lights are displayed on the Treasury itself. If you are into light shows you would really like this experience. Lastly everyone is given 15 or so minutes to take photos and then it is time to walk the mile or so out again. Since our day had included hiking around 12 miles and many, many steps, the walk in and back out was slightly exhausting. It was an interesting experience but with so many people it was honestly pretty hard to take many decent photos. Above is our best attempt.

On our second day exploring Petra we tackled the Al-Khubtha Trail, which climbed many steps to a high elevation point that overlooked the Treasury from high above. This was a challenging hike but the scenery was incredible the entire way up and once we reached the top the view of the Treasury was awe inspiring. The photo below was taken at the top of this trail. A really helpful map is provided at the visitors center listing all the significant sites within Petra and we managed to see all of them over two days. It required lots of walking and we were pretty exhausted with tired legs at the end of each day but it was an amazing experience. Even without the incredible carvings and monuments, the natural beauty of the area is simply amazing.  

The town of Wadi Musa is visitor-friendly with many hotel and dining options. Everyone we met was friendly and helpful. The only minor challenge we faced was haggling with taxi drivers over fares a few times. I would recommend sticking with the real taxi drivers in official looking cabs, the others did not seem good about honoring the fare they quoted. The food was incredible with many vegan-friendly offerings. Some of the local dishes we tried were falafel, maglubah, and gallayah. Hummus and a variety of fresh salads seemed to be offered at pretty much every meal as well.     

We took a local mini bus from Wadi Musa back to Amman and then a taxi to the city of Madaba for our last night in Jordan. The mini bus probably comfortably seated about 16 people. Somehow 27 men, women, and children plus everyone’s large suitcases and backpacks were crammed on the mini bus for the 3.5 hour trip to Amman. Our reward for the cramped ride was paying the reduced rate of $7 JD instead of $10 JD, which is the price when the bus is only “half full.” Taxis will also gladly drive you anywhere, including between cities, and stop anywhere you like along the way for the right price. Always settle on the price before you go anywhere with a taxi in Jordan and if they try to change the price while you are en route (which happened to us on the way to Madaba) be polite but firm and only pay what you initially agreed to and all will be well. Overall the people in Jordan have been very kind and locals we have interacted with have been quite friendly when they learned we are from the U.S.A.