When people ask where our favourite destination of our trip is, we say Petra. There is something about the magnitude of the structures, the isolation in the desert, and the spirit of the Bedouins. Petra is over 2000 years old, but was only rediscovered around 200 years ago. Our favourite moments included golden hour at the Treasury and Monastery, and having tea with a Bedouin overlooking the Treasury.
Petra can be done in one day but given it’s size and the number of hidden gems we recommend two. This is why we’ve created a comprehensive two-day guide to Petra (ALL of it).
Petra (A two-day guide)
Petra is a seriously massive place. We covered a total of over 40km (and 45,000 steps!) over our two-day adventure, which is why we would recommend buying the two-day Jordan Pass. In addition, the Jett bus from Amman arrives late morning which means if you entered Petra the same day, you’d be losing half a day at Petra. This is why we’d recommend 3 nights for your visit.
Of course, Petra can be done in 1 full day, but you will be missing out on a lot of hidden gems. You could rush the main sites in half a day, but to give you a sense of the size of Petra, it takes about 2 hours one-way to walk from the Visitor Centre to the Monastery via the Treasury – visiting the two most popular sites in Petra.
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Here is our two-day guide to Petra. Including tips and suggestions from what we learnt along the way!
How to get to Petra (Wadi Musa)
To go to Petra you actually need to visit Wadi Musa, the town located to the east of Petra. We would recommend catching the JETT bus from Amman early and then staying the night in Wadi Musa, this would allow you to explore Wadi Musa, rest, and prepare for your time in Petra. Additionally, this is around the same time when all the tour buses arrive and so Petra is starting to get packed with people!
Where to Stay?
We would recommend staying near the entrance to Petra, to enable you to visit there first thing when it opens in the morning at 6 AM. We stayed at the Petra Cabin Hostel and would definitely recommend it! Note that they do serve breakfast at 6AM (for an additional fee), which may impact your starting time for Petra.
Where to Eat?
We only have one recommendation in Wadi Musa for you:
Beit Al-Barakah – Delicious food with free entrée, tea and desert. Definitely worth a visit (or three)
Food for Petra – Take a packed lunch (available from your hostel, or a few restaurants prepare if you ask the day before) and many snacks! Food is expensive in Petra
A Two-Day Guide
Day 1
Get to the Entrance Early
Try and get to the park entrance ASAP for when it opens early at 6AM. The goal for this is to get to the Treasury for those beautiful early morning golden hour photos with minimal crowds. Skip the sites along the entrance and As-Siq (you can visit these on your way out) and make your way down to the Treasury.
If you are staying at the Petra Cabin Hostel and are having their breakfast which starts at 6AM, you should be able to make it to the entrance just after 6:30, then the Treasury by 7 AM. Although there were a few early birds who beat us when the park opened, there weren’t many people at the Treasury which allowed us to take great photos!
The Treasury
First stop is the Treasury. When you see a photo of Petra, it is likely this place (or maybe you recognize it from Indiana Jones). Make sure to pay a quick visit up close to look at the detail and bullet holes where tomb raiders have tired to set off booby traps.
It is perfect for golden hour morning photos as it is facing the east. There is a nice photo spot to the right of the entrance, where you can use the rock to hide any people in front of the Treasury. You will likely get approached by many Bedouins offering to take you to a photo spot up high. You can do this if you want but it will cost money. If you’re not interested, politely refuse (remember this is their home and their source of income). We recommend continuing to the tea house as you’ll get a great photo without having to pay.
Hike to Tea house above Treasury
One of our favourite memories of Petra was relaxing at a teahouse overlooking the Treasury, staying cool out and of the morning sun. This location is accessible via the Al-Khubtha walking trail. Follow the walking trail via the Royal Tombs and continue until you reach the teahouse that overlooks the Treasury. Enjoy the stunning view and take some time to rest and talk with a local Bedouin.
The teahouse is actually a home, try to be respectful while here and purchase a tea (or 2!) as a way of saying thank you for the view. Have a chat to whoever is home, we did and found out some interesting facts about Bedouin culture.
Explore the Ruins and Escape the Sun
Make your way back down from the tea house, and use this opportunity to explore the ruins located on the east side of Petra valley before the sun gets too hot. If you’re feeling up to it and it’s not too hot in the sun, you may want to try and complete the High Place of Sacrifice hike. Make sure to rest regularly with a tea and water break!
Cross the Valley and have Lunch
The Colonnaded Street connects the east and west sections of the Valley in Petra. There are a number of ruins through this section such as the Nymphaeum, Blue Church, Market Area and Winged-Lion Temple to check out on your way through. Make sure to rest often to avoid the sun!
There are a number of nice tea houses to rest in the Valley and have lunch. However there is a nice viewpoint over the valley where you could eat lunch. Head towards the restaurants and take the stairs behind the buildings to the left (located south west of The Nabatean).
Head to The Monastery
After having lunch, looking at the many ruins around the valley and taking a break, it’s time to head to The Monastery. The hike to the Monastery is an 800 step journey, but you can stop at many locations along the way for a rest or stunning views back to the valley.
Heading to the Monastery is best as your last stop of the day because it faces west and captures the golden sunlight in the afternoon. After completing your hike, take a rest and purchase another tea (or icecream) and sit and admire the view.
There are many viewpoints scattered around the Monastery. We enjoyed the one just to the south behind the cafe.
Finish of Day 1
Head back from the Monastery. The park closes at 6pm so plan your walk back accordingly.
We stayed in a Bedouin Cave with some local hosts and although it was a truly unique experience, it was quite expensive relative to the rest of Jordan. If it’s in your budget it is worth doing but we wouldn’t say it’s worth breaking the budget for.
Day 2
There are many options for Day 2 – if you choose to stay in the Bedouin Cave like we did in Petra, an early morning camel ride or exploring the local area near the cave are great choices.
If you are staying in Wadi Musa, then catching a cab to the side entrance (Lower Gate near restaurants) or back entrance (near Mini Petra) are possibilities for you. Entering via the Lower Gate means you are likely the first to visit locations in the Valley, while entering via the Back Entrance means a peaceful hike to the Monastery.
Explore the unexplored locations
For Day 2, we would recommend exploring the locations you were unable to on Day 1. Here are some suggestions:
- Painted Room – A well kept room near the restaurants containing original Roman wall paintings. A MUST visit. To get there, head down the river past the restaurants, you will see a staircase after 200m leading to a room blocked off with bars
- Quarry – The old quarry used to mine stone by the Romans. To get there, head down the river until you see a big cut into the rock face. The area adjacent is now used for farming
- Mini Petra/Back Door Hike to the Monastery – Although we didn’t get time for this, many people recommend this option as a more peaceful and secluded hike. It removes the 800 step climb if you want to continue back into the main area
- Any major sites you missed on Day 1 – Petra is a large site and it’s likely you may have missed some sites/hikes you wanted to do on Day 1 due to time (or sun) constraints. Spend the rest of the day visiting places you missed!
Petra is such a huge site with many hidden gems to explore. It is easily one of our favourite destinations and we had such a magical time there. That’s all for our two-day guide to Petra, we hope you got something useful from it!
