3 days in Petra

Day by day

1. Day 1: The Siq and The Treasury (Al-Khazneh)

   The Siq, The Treasury (Al-Khazneh) and Royal Tombs, then Petra by Night in the evening.

   1. Morning

      The Siq

      Petra's main entrance is a winding gorge about 1.2 km long, its walls rising up to around 80 metres and narrowing in places to a few metres apart.

   2. Late morning

      The Treasury (Al-Khazneh)

      The facade is in full sun from mid-morning; for a view from above, take the Al-Khubtha trail or the path from the Street of Facades.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Mansaf

      Traditional restaurants in Wadi Musa and at hotel buffets; often prepared to order for groups.

   4. Afternoon

      Royal Tombs

      Carved into the face of Jabal al-Khubtha, the Royal Tombs include the Urn Tomb, with its vaulted terrace later used as a Byzantine church, the small Silk Tomb with swirling bands of red, yellow and white sandstone, the Corinthian Tomb and the multi-storey Palace Tomb.

   5. Evening

      Petra by Night

      Walk at the front or back of the group for the quietest Siq, and bring a torch for the uneven path.

2. Day 2: The Monastery (Ad Deir) and Street of Facades and the Theatre

   The Monastery (Ad Deir), Street of Facades and the Theatre and Colonnaded Street, Great Temple and Qasr al-Bint, then Petra by Night in the evening.

   1. Morning

      The Monastery (Ad Deir)

      Start the climb in the afternoon, when the stairway is in shade, and stay for the light on the facade near sunset.

   2. Late morning

      Street of Facades and the Theatre

      Beyond the Treasury, the valley widens past rows of tombs with stepped crow's-foot tops, then reaches a theatre cut into the mountainside, which the Nabataeans carved and the Romans later enlarged to seat several thousand people.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Maqluba

      Family-style restaurants and cooking classes in Wadi Musa.

   4. Afternoon

      Colonnaded Street, Great Temple and Qasr al-Bint

      Rest in the shade near Qasr al-Bint before starting the Monastery steps, and refill your water there.

   5. Evening

      Petra by Night

      Walk the candle-lit Siq together to the Treasury for music under the stars.

3. Day 3: High Place of Sacrifice and Al-Khubtha trail and Treasury viewpoint

   High Place of Sacrifice, Al-Khubtha trail and Treasury viewpoint and Jabal Haroun (Aaron's Tomb), then Sunset at the Monastery in the evening.

   1. Morning

      High Place of Sacrifice

      A stepped path climbs from near the Street of Facades to a summit platform on Jabal Madbah, where the Nabataeans performed rituals at a rock-cut altar beside two obelisks.

   2. Late morning

      Al-Khubtha trail and Treasury viewpoint

      Go in the morning, when the Treasury is lit by the sun; a small tea stall at the top usually serves Bedouin tea.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Zarb

      Bedouin camps around Little Petra and in Wadi Rum, usually served at dinner.

   4. Afternoon

      Jabal Haroun (Aaron's Tomb)

      A small white shrine on the summit of Jabal Haroun, the highest peak in the Petra area, is venerated as the tomb of Aaron, brother of Moses.

   5. Evening

      Sunset at the Monastery

      Climb the steps in the afternoon shade and watch the facade turn gold from the teahouse opposite.

Before you go

• Petra by Night: It runs only on certain evenings and needs a separate ticket; check the schedule locally when you arrive.

If it rains

• Swap in Petra Museum (Visitor Centre area): Visit on your first afternoon to understand what you will see in the Siq and the city centre the next morning.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, Visitor Centre area keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Wadi Musa town centre ($) suits budget, solo travellers and food lovers. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 17–22 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.2 hours in December to 14.1 hours in June.

More or fewer days

• One day in Petra
• 2 days in Petra

Questions travellers ask