Tips 👏
Petra is the must-visit in Jordan, and even with all the hype, it truly lives up to it.
- Plan at least two full days to really explore it properly, it’s much bigger than people expect.
- The main entrance (Visitor Center) is well organized, but the back entrance through Little Petra offers a much more scenic and peaceful start if you can arrange it.
- Petra involves a lot of walking, good shoes are essential.
- Hiring a guide is absolutely worth it to understand the history and hidden spots.
- Be cautious when you arrive: many people will flag you down pretending to help with parking, it's a scam. Most hotels near the Visitor Center offer valet service.
- Afternoons are super peaceful (fewer crowds and beautiful light), perfect for pictures.
- The Cave Bar near the entrance sells alcohol, both for drinking there and for takeaway, very handy after a long day!
- Shuttle buses are available after the main exit to help you avoid a long uphill walk back to the Visitor Center but beware: some people will wrongly tell you there’s no more shuttle to trick you into overpriced private rides.
🏠 Accommodation
We stayed at the Petra Moon Luxury Hotel near the main Visitor Center, and it turned out to be a really good choice. The hotel was very nice: clean, spacious rooms, helpful staff, and a chill rooftop terrace. The food (especially lunch) was just average, but everything else made up for it. Best of all, it was close enough to walk to Petra easily, no extra taxis needed.
🚲 Getting there
We left Dana around 10:30 AM (after another “Yalla habibi!” drive up the hill) and drove about 2 hours to Petra. When arriving, watch out for fake parking helpers — lots of people try to wave you down pretending to be official. Luckily, our hotel provided valet service, making arrival totally stress-free.
⏱ Duration
We spent two full days exploring Petra, and that was the right amount.
Petra is huge—way more than just the Treasury!
Little Petra to Monastery Hike 🏛️
On our first afternoon, we decided to access Petra through the back entrance via Little Petra. This turned out a little trickier than expected:
- We arranged a taxi for 20 JOD to Little Petra, but the driver wasn’t quite sure where to drop us.
- Then, another 20 JOD for a pickup truck to drive us deeper into the valley, close to the trail start.
Best if to properly check with your hotel beforehand for clear directions and asked them to call a taxi for you. The back gate is not well marked, and drivers often don’t know exactly where it is.
After getting dropped off, we started hiking toward Petra. The trail took about 2 hours, crossing peaceful desert canyons and rocky paths with barely anyone around, an epic and peaceful entrance compared to the busy main gate. We reached the Monastery (Al-Deir), and arriving there on foot after the hike made it feel even more special. We continued down into Petra’s main site, walking about 1 more hour through tombs, caves, and cliffs.
By the late afternoon, the crowds had mostly cleared out—perfect lighting for photography and a super chilled vibe. We finished the day with dinner and beers at The Cave Bar, and grabbed takeaway beers for a rooftop nightcap at the hotel. Perfect end to a long day!
Petra Main Site with Guide 🧭
The next day, after a lazy morning (big breakfast and pool time), we started exploring again around 12:30 PM. At the Visitor Center, we hired a local guide for 100 JOD for a private 4-hour tour, and it was worth every dinar.
He led us through the Siq canyon, pointing out hidden carvings, ancient engineering tricks, and lots of stories about the Nabateans and Petra’s history that we would have missed on our own. After some more exploring, we had basic lunch inside Petra, and then:
- Took donkeys (20 JOD per donkey) to reach the Treasury Viewpoint which was challenging but absolutely epic for photos.
- Later grabbed another donkey to shortcut over to the Byzantine Church area and the back ruins.
After that, we found the official free Petra shuttle, located a short walk past the official exit signs. Careful, many people around the exit falsely claim the shuttle is closed and try to sell you expensive private rides, ignore them and keep walking another 5–10 minutes to the actual free shuttle point. The shuttle dropped us back near the Visitor Center, saving our tired legs just when we needed it most.
We finished the day with beers on the hotel rooftop again, perfect chill end to two massive but unforgettable days.
Petra is a lot bigger, wilder, and steeper than you might imagine.
Take your time, split your visit into two days, and combine a scenic backdoor hike with a guided tour for the best of both worlds.
And trust us, donkeys and shuttles are not cheating; they’re smart survival moves!
Hope this was helpful, you can ask us any questions on Instagram.