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Tips for visiting Petra and Avoiding the Crowds

One place that has been on my bucket list for years is Petra. Ever since I watched Indiana Jones as a kid I was inspired by the travels and adventures of Indiana and the amazing places he traveled to all around the world. Back in my home state of Michigan many years ago, there was also a traveling exhibit on Petra and the Dead Sea Scrolls which was fascinating to visit. It fueled my desire even more to see this wonderful ancient city carved into stone in Jordan.

We visited Petra in mid-March which is probably one of the best times to go. The summer heat hasn’t quite yet blasted Jordan, and there aren’t that many tourists around, especially if you go before spring break.

Hotels

As a part of our trip around Jordan we had to spend at least a day in Petra! The hotel we had stayed in the night before our visit within Petra the city was not that great. It claimed a 3-star rating but I would say it was probably less than 1 – and I am not a picky traveler! It was dirty, the sheets’ cleanliness was questionable, and the bathroom flooded.

The hotel had also overbooked and they were asking single guests if they could stay together. This was pretty unprofessional and made many people quite disgruntled. I’m not sure how it was resolved in the end. Due to this experience, staying in Petra will probably be a bit costly, especially at a legitimately nice hotel like the Mövenpick, so be prepared to splurge if you want comfort, cleanliness and professionalism. If you are looking for ideas on where to stay in Petra, check out this link for dozens of options.

We were provided with a buffet breakfast and dinner at our hotel which were okay – I got to try camel meat which was surprisingly delicious – but overall it was not the greatest place for the night. Thankfully we were only there for one night, and seeing Petra in the morning made it all worth it!

Visiting Petra

Tickets

Tickets for a visitor who stays overnight in Jordan costs 50JD ($70). This is pretty expensive and really not for the budget traveler unless Petra is definitely on your bucket list. Then again, if you’ve flown a long way to get to Jordan, Petra really is a spot not to be missed.

Getting around

Once you pass through the gate there are several Bedouins with small horses who will offer you a free ride to the canyons. It is a very short ride and is included in your ticket, however they will ask for a tip at the end. We did not ride the horses but saw others doing so. Just be prepared for some harassment over a tip!

Once you reach the canyons there are horses and carts which you can pay to ride through to the city itself. These are good options for people who have trouble walking. The walk to the city itself is a few kilometers and some parts are sandy and rocky. If you are not prepared to walk very far and have difficulty on uneven ground you should definitely take the horse and cart which you will also need to haggle for.

Abuse of animals

There are also signs which tell you to report abuse of the animals to the authorities. Honestly, we weren’t sure where exactly you could report abuse, but the Bedouins apparently didn’t care as we saw a few of them beating their animals in front of tourists. The tourists would yell at them but they never stopped. Riding these animals is a way of life in Jordan, but it is your choice if you decide to support the tourist industry there or not. I know some people would refuse to ride the animals if they knew they were being abused.

It isn’t all about the Treasury

There are many sights to see along the way within the canyon itself, including caves carved by hand from the rock and beautiful, intricate sculptures. There is also an aqueduct that runs nearly the full length of the canyon.

The Treasury

When you finally emerge at the famous “Treasury” be prepared for some crowds unless you go very early in the morning or before closing time. Unfortunately, we were not given the option of going early. If I had been traveling alone I would have been there for the 6am opening! There are lots of tour groups taking photos at the entrance so once you have had a chance to ogle over the Treasury, move on – there is so much more to see!

Vendors

There are many Bedouins selling items and various services like camel or donkey rides all over the ancient city. I found this distracting from the beauty of the city itself. Unfortunately, there is an agreement the Jordanian government has made with the Bedouins since evicting them from Petra in recent years. They are allowed to sell whatever they like within the city during opening hours. Although I realize this is how they are able to earn their living it definitely made the experience less enjoyable and it was hard to concentrate on the beauty and history of Petra while being bombarded with vendors and “guides.”

Explore and hike

Andreas and I ended up wandering all over the city on our own. There are many longer trails that you can take to the Monastery, theater, and other places. You can also climb up to larger spaces in the rocks above the main road which is still partly paved with rock. There are many Roman influences in the architecture and it would have been amazing to have seen the city at its peak hundreds of years ago.

So you want an Instagram picture of the Treasury?

Find the famous overlook

To get to the famous overlook above the Treasury proved to be controversial. The path is on the left side of the Treasury. We were intercepted by Bedouins who insisted we had to pay them to go up. They tried roping a policeman in to the conversation who basically walked away and pretended he didn’t speak English. We heard later that technically one does need a guide up this path, though it’s a legal grey area. I’m sure if you get there early and are able to avoid the Bedouins you might be able to get up without paying a guide.

Haggle

We had to do a lot of haggling, especially when a couple in front of us agreed to pay their guide $20 per person and started going up. I also heard a Bedouin ask for 90JD (~$125) from a famous Instagrammer! The Bedouins were insistent that they would not let us up and there was a narrow entry walkway with no way around them. We were with two other people and Andreas (with his awesome haggling skills) managed to convince our guide to take us up for $10 for all four of us.

Be prepared for a little climb

Climbing up required a little flexibility and scrambling but we did not find it so difficult to require a guide! The view was definitely worth it and the guides offered to take pictures for a few extra dollars. If you want a really great picture (and save yourself some more money) it is probably best to bring a tripod and set it up yourself. Honestly, we weren’t after the Instagram-perfect-photo and were happy to just enjoy the moment and the view!

Don’t be upset if you have to pay

We believe that it is free to get up to this overlook but we were in the wrong place at the wrong time. There are no signs and the policeman did not seem threatening. The Bedouins probably give him a cut of the cash that they make! Our guide did say that it was very difficult to get up without paying the Bedouins. They are trying to make all the money they can from tourists!

Because the initial path is very narrow you will find it impossible to get around the Bedouins if they are there when you want to go up. Be prepared to haggle or just look for the right opening to climb up if you want to avoid paying a guide. You may also be able to access the viewpoint from a long hike that you can do around the Treasury, but this will take you quite a bit more time.

If you want to visit

I would definitely recommend visiting Petra if you are in Jordan. There are some day trips from Israel but border crossings might cut your day there short. You really need several hours if not a whole day to explore. It took us at least 2 hours to cross the border and we hear that’s average. Petra was far bigger than we had originally thought so I would suggest you plan an overnight trip. An overnight trip will also make it possible for you to beat the crowds and visit during opening hours. You can also go later in the evening when most of the tourists have left.

Make sure you bring:

• Sunscreen
• Hat
• Lots of water (water within Petra is expensive at $2/small bottle)
• Cash (USD or Jordanian dinar)
• Snacks (food is also expensive)
• Hand sanitizer
• Toilet paper (sometimes there is no toilet paper in the toilets)
• Camera
• Good walking shoes
• Dress conservatively (many tourists don’t dress conservatively but as a woman in a predominantly Muslim culture I definitely felt more respected by covering up)

Have you been to Petra? What did you think? Do you think the hype is worth the hassle of the vendors? Did you get to the famous Treasury overlook? I’d love to hear your thoughts below!