Things to do in Petra
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Petra
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best: spring, 18 to 28C, wildflowers, long light and full trails, but peak prices and crowds.
Hot, 32 to 38C plus in the basin, workable only with 06:00 starts and afternoon shade.
Joint best in autumn to early November: October sweet spot, warm days, cool nights, ideal trekking.
Cold, quiet and cheapest, with short days, snow possible and Siq flood closures after heavy rain.
What's on
- Jerash Festival late July
Roman theatre concerts in Jerash, base in Amman for it.
- Perseid meteors mid-August
Summer night skies in Wadi Rum and Dana, a reason to schedule the Rum camp night then.
Best things to do in Petra
Al-Khazneh
Walk the Siq at opening to reach the Treasury facade in quiet light before day tours arrive.
Ad-Deir
Larger and quieter than the Treasury, reached by 850 steps and set on a plateau with wide views.
Royal Tombs
Huge multi storey tombs in the Kings Wall, best in late afternoon light, with scale you feel inside.
Al-Khubtha Trail
The official signed trail to the cliff viewpoint looking directly down on the Treasury.
High Place of Sacrifice
Mountaintop altar with city wide views, then a quiet descent through Wadi Farasa tombs.
Qasr al-Bint
Free standing temple at the end of the Colonnaded Street, past the Theatre and Great Temple.
Little Petra
A miniature Petra in a tight siq with carved dining halls, a painted ceiling and far fewer visitors.
Petra Museum
Modern museum by the gate on Nabataean water, trade and daily life, best after a day inside.
Where to stay in Petra
Visitor Centre / lower Tourism Street, Wadi Musa
first trip, all-round base
Only base that lets you enter at 06:00 on foot and walk home after 20 km inside.
Wadi Musa town centre / upper town
budget and local life
Cheaper hotels and local restaurants up the hill, with a steep walk or short taxi to the gate.
Taybeh village
quiet, views and a splurge with a car
Sunset views over the Petra mountains and silent nights, but you eat at the hotel or drive.
Little Petra / Bayda
camps, eco-lodges and Back Door starts
Starry Bedouin camps ideal the night before a Back Door hike, with shuttles needed for main Petra.
Think twice about
- Amman or Aqaba as a Petra base
Three hours from Amman and two from Aqaba for a site that opens at 06:00 and needs two days.
- Isolated King's Highway hotels with no shuttle
A cheap room 5 to 15 km from the gate with no restaurant or taxi nearby costs more in transfers and lost early starts.
- Upper-town Wadi Musa if mobility is limited
The slope is real, pavements are intermittent, and the post Petra uphill walk is widely complained about.
- Taybeh / Bayda as a whole-trip base without transport
Lovely for a night, but car free travellers are stranded for dinners, supplies and second gate entries.
Best restaurants in Petra
Basin Restaurant
The park's main sit down lunch by the Monastery trailhead, busiest with tour groups at midday.
Petra Kitchen
Cook your own Jordanian dinner in a class, then eat it family style in famously generous portions.
Beit Al-Barakah Restaurant
Family run local restaurant with grilled meats, mezze and big portions at local prices.
Reem Beladi Restaurant
Well executed grills and Jordanian Mediterranean mains, suited to a group's last night dinner.
Zawaya Restaurant & Cafe
Broad international Mediterranean menu done well, the reliable all rounder for mixed groups.
Sana'a El Yemen
Yemeni style mandi, rice and barbecue platters built for sharing after a hiking day.
Abu Elias Restaurant
Small personal room with Mediterranean plates and owner present service for a quiet dinner.
Mr. Falafel
Fresh, fast and cheap falafel wraps and plates, the budget lunch between Petra days.
Best bars in Petra
The Cave Bar
Cocktails, wine and beer in a carved Nabataean cave by the gate, Wadi Musa's only real bar.
Outdoor things to do in Petra
Back Door Trail
Start at Little Petra and arrive at the Monastery from behind, then descend through the main valley.
Dana-to-Petra Trek
Four to five day Jordan Trail trek from Dana through Bedouin camp country into Petra by the Back Door.
Wadi Rum Protected Area
Red dunes and sandstone massifs best done as an overnight with a jeep tour, zarb dinner and camp.
Dana Biosphere Reserve
Cliff edge village, terraced orchards and trails through four bio geographical zones toward Feynan.
Shoubak Castle
Crusader fortress from 1115 on a conical hill with tunnels, churches and valley panoramas.
Petra B&B Ranch
Guided sunset rides on mountain tracks around Little Petra, Bayda and Taybeh outside the park.
Japanese Garden
Fringing reef snorkelling and diving in Aqaba, a Red Sea reset about two hours south of Petra.
Ayla Golf Club
Greg Norman designed 18 hole championship course in Aqaba, Jordan's only grass golf course.
Best hotels in Petra
Mövenpick Resort Petra
Luxury benchmark directly opposite the gate, with rooftop garden, pool, spa and a famed breakfast.
Petra Moon Luxury Hotel
Newer luxury leaning hotel minutes from the gate with a rooftop pool ideal after the Monastery steps.
Petra Canyon Hotel
Large well run hotel a short walk from the gate with a pool, big breakfast and early start ease.
P Quattro Relax Hotel
Town side mid range pick with a pool and a reputation for early breakfasts and packed lunches.
Petra Plaza Hotel
Straightforward hotel very close to the gate, well reviewed for cleanliness and staff.
The Old Village Hotel & Resort
Stone village houses turned resort on a Taybeh hilltop with pool, spa and sunset panoramas.
Petra Moon Hotel
Long standing closest budget hotel to the site, simple rooms about 100 metres from the entrance.
Cleopetra Hotel
Classic budget institution in the village, friendly and famous for honest Petra advice and lifts.
Is Petra expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | JOD 70 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | JOD 140 a person |
| Splurge | JOD 300 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Petra Kitchen: a few days ahead
- Petra by Night: a few days ahead
- Aaron's Tomb: weeks ahead
- Umm al-Biyara: weeks ahead
- Back Door Trail: weeks ahead
- Dana-to-Petra Trek: months ahead
- Wadi Rum Protected Area: weeks ahead
- Dana Biosphere Reserve: a few days ahead
- Buy the Jordan Pass online before you fly and pick the 2 day Petra tier by default.
- Book gate strip hotels early for March to May and September to November.
- Book Petra Kitchen 1 to 2 days ahead in season and Rum and Dana operators ahead.
Is Petra safe?
- Carry at least 2 litres of water, more for Monastery and Back Door days, and watch heat and sun.
- Obey Siq closures in winter rain because the gorge is a flash flood channel.
- Check your government Jordan advisory and airline status in the week you travel.
Petra travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Day tripping Petra from Amman for a midday Treasury photo.
- Unofficial Treasury viewpoint scrambles and unlicensed guides in the Siq.
- First price souvenir stalls at the Treasury and Monastery, and climbing on tombs for photos.
Getting around Petra: public transport and more
- Inside the park walk on foot. Golf carts run the Siq stretch for a fee.
- Walk the gate strip in Wadi Musa and taxi the hill, agreeing the fare first.
- JETT buses link Amman Abdali to the Petra Visitor Centre in about 3 hours.
- Carry small dinar notes in the park and download offline maps before entering.
Who Petra suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | OK |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Petra your trip
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