The historical and archaeological city Petra has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. It is is one of the 7 new wonders of the world and is therefore a must-do for a visit to Jordan. You cannot stay Petra but only visit the historical city. Wadi Musa is the city where you need to look for a hotel. In 2019 Petra exceeded the mark of 1 million visitors a year for the first time.
Petra is more than 2000 years old and was an influential trading city. At that time it was built by the Nabataeans. The city was later taken over by the Romans. The city was badly destroyed by an earthquake 363, which was probably also the cause that the city lost influence and was completely abandoned in the 7th century. It was rediscovered for the Western world in the 19th century and gradually attracted more visitors. The city could not hide from Hollywood either, and got its place in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” and “Transformers – Revenge of the Fallen”.
The entry fee for Petra is relatively high, but has only a little difference in the price whether you buy a ticket for 1, 2 or 3 days. Note – if you only do a day tour to Jordan without spending the night in Jordan, the price is even higher, but I would recommend to spend 2 days for Petra anyway.
Information about the current prices can be found here: https://www.visitpetra.jo/Pages/viewpage.aspx?pageID=138
If you are in Jordan for at least 3 nights and especially if you have to pay a tourist visa fee (depending on the place of entry) or if you want to visit more in Jordan, the Jordan Pass might be interesting for you. TheJordan Pass includes the visa fee and entrance fee for Petra:
https://www.jordanpass.jo/contents/Prices.aspx
Attention, your ticket is only valid in combination with your passport, so be sure to have it with you.
Petra By Night is a special event on selected days, costs an additional entry fee and is only valid in combination with a day ticket. All you need to know about Petra By Night can be found by the dedicated detail page.
The city Petra is mainly known for the Treasury, but there is much more to see. I would definitely recommend 2 days for Petra.
Generally you have to walk a lot in Petra. The Treasury is about 2 km from the entrance, the impressive Monastery is even 6km away, which is why the return journey then adds up to 12 km. Additional a lot of walking to explore the sights and get the different viewpoints for the photos.
Due to the long distances, you should also pay attention to the weather when planning your trip. Nobody wants to walk a lot at over 30°. I would recommend November to March. Less tourists and better hiking weather, what else do you want? I traveled in mid-December, at pleasant temperatures of around 15°. It was warm enough for a T-shirt in the sun during the day. At night, however, the winter jacket was needed.
On the following detail pages I will show you the highlights of Petra in detail and with many pictures.