By air
Queen Alia, Amman (AMM), ~3 h by road
Middle East · Jordan
Petra, Jordan
The rose-red city carved in rock
Getting there
Best time to visit
March to May and September to November — mild
Don't miss
Al-Khazneh (the Treasury)
The Monastery
The Royal Tombs
The Siq
Things to do
The Siq to the Treasury
The climb to the Monastery
Petra by Night
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Azurfrog · CC BY-SA 3.0
What to pack
Walking shoes, a sun hat, layers
A quieter corner
The High Place of Sacrifice trail
Questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Petra?
March to May or September to November, when it's mild. Pack walking shoes, a sun hat and layers.
What shouldn't I miss in Petra?
Walk the Siq to Al-Khazneh (the Treasury), see the Royal Tombs and make the climb to the Monastery. If you can, come back for Petra by Night.
Is there a quieter trail in Petra?
The High Place of Sacrifice trail — Petra's hidden gem. Afterwards, recover over mansaf and Bedouin tea.
How do I get to Petra?
Fly into Queen Alia, Amman (AMM); from there it's about 3 h by road.
About Petra
- Desert
- Mountains
Where it is
Petra is an ancient city in southern Jordan, hidden among sandstone mountains on the eastern flank of the Wadi Araba valley, which runs between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba, next to the town of Wadi Musa.
History
Petra was the capital of the Nabataeans, Arab traders who grew rich on the caravan routes carrying incense and spices, and who carved temples and tombs into its rose-coloured cliffs from around the 1st century BC. Rome annexed their kingdom in 106, and after earthquakes and shifting trade routes the city faded, known mainly to local Bedouin until the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt reached it in 1812. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
People
The Bdul Bedouin, who lived in Petra's caves until the 1980s and now live in the nearby village of Umm Sayhoun, and the people of Wadi Musa work as guides, traders and animal handlers at the site. Arabic is spoken, and local dishes include mansaf, lamb cooked in dried fermented yoghurt and served on rice.
Known for
- Al-Khazneh, the Treasury
- The Siq, the narrow canyon entrance
- The Monastery, Ad Deir
- The Royal Tombs
- Petra by Night
Did you know?
The facade of the Treasury appears as the hiding place of the Holy Grail in the 1989 film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.