Pass The Passport
Completed: Peek At Petra

Bucket List / Travel Goals

Peek At Petra

Ticked off in January 2010

Walk through a narrow, winding gorge until the rock parts and the rose-red Treasury suddenly fills the gap.

Peek At Petra

The adventure

The approach to Petra is pure theatre. You walk into the Siq, a narrow canyon over a kilometre long, its sandstone walls swirling in reds, pinks and ochres and rising so high that only a sliver of sky shows above. The path twists and turns, and then, through a crack ahead, you glimpse it: the Treasury, its columned facade carved straight into the cliff and glowing in the morning sun.

That's only the beginning. Beyond lies a whole city carved by the Nabataeans more than 2,000 years ago: royal tombs, a theatre, colonnaded streets and caves. Climb the 800 or so rock-cut steps to the Monastery, even bigger than the Treasury, and look out from the clifftops across the desert mountains toward Wadi Araba, with Bedouin tea stalls waiting at the top.

Why it’s epic

  • The Treasury (Al-Khazneh), around 40 metres tall and carved directly into the rock face.
  • The Siq, a winding gorge about 1.2 kilometres long that leads into the city.
  • The Monastery (Ad Deir), reached by about 800 rock-cut steps.
  • A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, and a film location for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

What it is

Petra is the ancient Nabataean city carved into rose-coloured cliffs, entered through the narrow Siq gorge.

How to do it

Stay in Wadi Musa and buy the Jordan Pass, which includes entry. Allow two days to reach the Monastery and the High Place of Sacrifice.

Top tip

Petra by Night runs a few evenings a week, with the Treasury lit by candles.

Need to know

  • The Jordan Pass includes Petra entry and waives the tourist visa fee if you stay at least three nights in Jordan.
  • Expect a lot of walking and climbing; summer is very hot, so start early and carry plenty of water.
  • Wadi Musa is about three hours by road from Amman and around two from Aqaba.

Plan this trip

Rough cost
£2,000 to £5,000 per person, including flights from the UK
Time needed
2 days
Best time to go
March to May, September to November
Fly into
AMM airport

Petra tickets are among the priciest in the region, and flights, hotels and transport across Jordan add up.

Sample itinerary

  1. Day 1Fly to Amman or Aqaba and transfer to Wadi Musa
  2. Day 2The Siq at opening time, the Treasury, the Royal Tombs and the climb to the Monastery
  3. Day 2 eveningPetra by Night (Monday, Wednesday and Thursday)
  4. Day 3The High Place of Sacrifice trail, then on to Wadi Rum or the Dead Sea

Do it yourself

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My experience

Ticked off, but the full story is still to be written up.

Over to you

Is “Peek At Petra” on your bucket list, or have you already done it? Tell me in the comments, and if you've got a question about it, ask away and I'll answer.