Petra / Wadi Musa, Jordan: travel guide
The rose-red Nabataean city carved into sandstone canyons — Jordan's crown jewel and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The modern town of Wadi Musa on the ridge above is the base for visiting.
- Country
- Jordan
- Currency
- JOD
- Time zone
- Asia/Amman
Top places to visit in Petra / Wadi Musa
Qasr al-Bint
Heritage · 4.6 rating · about 0.5 h
The main freestanding temple structure in Petra, dedicated to a Nabataean deity, located at the end of the Colonnaded Street.
Little Petra (Siq al-Barid)
Heritage · 4.6 rating · about 1 h
A compact satellite Nabataean site 8km north, its narrow "cold canyon" lined with facades, cisterns and a rare painted biclinium ceiling. Free to enter.
The Monastery (Ad-Deir)
Heritage · 4.9 rating · about 2.5 h · entry JOD 50
Petra's largest monument, a 47m-wide rock-cut facade reached by an ~800-step climb, rewarding hikers with a giant Nabataean temple and canyon-edge viewpoints.
Petra Museum
Museum · 4.6 rating · about 0.8 h
A modern museum by the visitor centre displaying artefacts from the site and explaining Nabataean civilisation, engineering and daily life. Free entry.
Petra Roman Theatre
Heritage · 4.7 rating · about 0.5 h · entry JOD 50
A theatre carved by the Nabataeans and enlarged under Rome, seating around 8,500, cut directly into the mountainside amid the Street of Facades.
Petra Colonnaded Street & Great Temple
Heritage · 4.7 rating · about 1 h · entry JOD 50
The heart of the ancient city centre: a paved Roman-era colonnaded street leading to the Great Temple, the largest freestanding structure Petra's Nabataeans built.
Obelisk Tomb & Bab as-Siq Triclinium
Heritage · 4.8 rating · about 0.3 h
A combined two-story monument near the entrance to the Siq, featuring four Nabataean pyramidal obelisks above a banquet hall.
High Place of Sacrifice
Viewpoint · 4.8 rating · about 2 h · entry JOD 50
A well-preserved Nabataean open-air altar on a summit reached by a steep stepped trail, offering some of Petra's finest panoramas.
Al-Beidha (Neolithic Village)
Heritage · 4.4 rating · about 0.8 h
One of the oldest known farming settlements in the Middle East (~7,000 BCE), an excavated Neolithic village beside Little Petra.
Al-Habis Citadel
Fort · 4.3 rating · about 0.7 h
A small Crusader-era fortress atop a hill within the Petra archaeological park, overlooking the city centre.
The Siq
Heritage · about 1 h · entry JOD 50
The dramatic 1.2km natural gorge, in places only a few metres wide between 100m cliffs, that forms the winding entrance to Petra and frames the first glimpse of the Treasury.
The Treasury (Al-Khazneh)
Heritage · about 0.8 h · entry JOD 50
Petra's most famous monument: a 40m-high Hellenistic-style facade carved into rose sandstone around the 1st century CE, revealed at the end of the Siq.
Things to do
- Petra by Night Cultural · 2 h · from JOD 17 per person
- Petra Full-Day Guided Tour Cultural · 6 h · from JOD 55 per person
- Little Petra to Monastery Back-Trail Hike Adventure · 5 h · from JOD 60 per person
Where to stay in Petra / Wadi Musa
- Wadi Musa Town Centre about JOD 55 per night
The main accommodation hub above Petra with hotels for every budget and short transfers down to the gate.
- Petra Gate about JOD 110 per night
Staying right at the entrance means being first into the Siq in the morning — a few upscale hotels cluster here.
Hotels
- Petra Marriott Hotel 5-star · JOD 90 to JOD 190 per night
- Rocky Mountain Hotel 2-star · JOD 22 to JOD 45 per night
- Petra Gate Hostel 1-star · JOD 8 to JOD 35 per night
- Mövenpick Resort Petra 5-star · JOD 120 to JOD 260 per night
- Petra Guest House Hotel 3-star · JOD 60 to JOD 110 per night
Where to eat
- The Basin Restaurant International, Jordanian, Buffet · about JOD 20 per person
- My Mom's Recipe Restaurant Jordanian, Middle Eastern · about JOD 14 per person
- Al Qantarah Restaurant Jordanian, Levantine · about JOD 14 per person
- Three Steps Restaurant Middle Eastern, International · about JOD 9 per person
- Petra Kitchen Jordanian · about JOD 35 per person
- The Cave Bar Bar, International · about JOD 15 per person
- Al-Wadi Restaurant Jordanian, Middle Eastern · about JOD 10 per person
Getting around
- Shuttle main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Taxi main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Walking main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
Safety and scams to avoid
Petra "free" horse ride and tipping pressure
Petra gate to the Siq
The short horse ride from the gate to the Siq is included in your Petra ticket, but handlers present it as a personal favour and then demand a large tip. Kids may also press you to buy postcards or "guide" you.
How to avoid it: Know the horse ride is pre-paid; tip only a small amount (1-2 JOD) if you wish. Politely decline unsolicited guiding.
Overpriced donkey/camel rides inside Petra
Inside Petra (to the Monastery)
Animal handlers quote low starting prices then raise them mid-way, or pressure tired hikers near the Monastery steps.
How to avoid it: Agree the full price and destination clearly before mounting; walking is free and often just as quick.