Things to do · Petra · Jordan
13 best things to do in Petra
13 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Susanahajer, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Petra are The Siq, The Treasury (Al-Khazneh) and Royal Tombs. Of the 13 picks below, 1 is free, 1 work on a rainy day and 5 suit children. Allow about 2 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- The Siq
- Free sights
- 1
- Good on a rainy day
- Petra Museum
- Time to see the highlights
- 2 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Siq | Petra Archaeological Park | 30–45 minutes each way | Expensive |
| The Treasury (Al-Khazneh) | Petra Archaeological Park | 30 minutes | Expensive |
| Royal Tombs | Petra Archaeological Park | 1 hour | Expensive |
| The Monastery (Ad Deir) | Petra Archaeological Park | 2–3 hours including the climb | Expensive |
| Petra by Night | Petra Archaeological Park | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Street of Facades and the Theatre | Petra Archaeological Park | 45 minutes | Expensive |
| Colonnaded Street, Great Temple and Qasr al-Bint | Petra Archaeological Park | 1 hour | Expensive |
| High Place of Sacrifice | Petra Archaeological Park | 2–3 hours | Expensive |
| Al-Khubtha trail and Treasury viewpoint | Petra Archaeological Park | 1.5–2 hours | Expensive |
| Little Petra (Siq al-Barid) | Little Petra camps | 1–1.5 hours | Free |
| Petra Museum | Visitor Centre area | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Jabal Haroun (Aaron's Tomb) | Petra Archaeological Park | Full day | Expensive |
| Jordanian cooking class | Wadi Musa town centre | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
The 13 best things to do
Nature · Petra Archaeological Park
1.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. Along the sides run the channels the Nabataeans cut to carry water into the city, and niches that once held carved deities. The path is reached from the gate past the Djinn Blocks and the Obelisk Tomb.
Enter at opening time to walk the Siq almost alone, and pause at each bend; the light changes the colour of the rock constantly.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes each way
- Cost
- Expensive
- Iconic
- Nature
- Photo spot
- Kids
Historic site · Petra Archaeological Park
2.The Treasury (Al-Khazneh)
The facade that appears at the end of the Siq is about 40 metres high, carved from the cliff in the 1st century AD, probably as a royal tomb. Its name comes from a legend that treasure was hidden in the urn at the top, which is pockmarked by bullets fired to break it open. It featured in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
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.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Expensive
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
- Kids
Historic site · Petra Archaeological Park
3.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.
Visit in the late afternoon, when the west-facing tombs glow orange in the sun.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Expensive
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
- Views
Historic site · Petra Archaeological Park
4.The Monastery (Ad Deir)
Reached by a stairway of about 800 rock-cut steps from the end of the Colonnaded Street, the Monastery is a facade nearly 50 metres high and wide, larger than the Treasury and carved in the 1st century AD. Viewpoints a short walk beyond look over Wadi Araba towards the Negev.
Start the climb in the afternoon, when the stairway is in shade, and stay for the light on the facade near sunset.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours including the climb
- Cost
- Expensive
- Iconic
- Views
- Active
- History
- Outdoors
Experience · Petra Archaeological Park
5.Petra by Night
On several evenings a week, the path through the Siq is lined with candles in paper bags, and visitors walk in near-silence to the Treasury, where hundreds more candles light the square for a short programme of Bedouin music and storytelling.
Walk at the front or back of the group for the quietest Siq, and bring a torch for the uneven path.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- It runs only on certain evenings and needs a separate ticket; check the schedule locally when you arrive.
- After dark
- Couples
- Iconic
Historic site · Petra Archaeological Park
6.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. Tomb chambers were sliced through when the upper seating was cut.
Look at the back wall of the theatre, where cut-through tomb interiors show how the cliff was reshaped.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Expensive
- History
- Architecture
Historic site · Petra Archaeological Park
7.Colonnaded Street, Great Temple and Qasr al-Bint
The city centre lies along a paved Roman-era street lined with columns, leading past the excavated Great Temple complex to Qasr al-Bint, the main Nabataean temple and one of the few freestanding buildings to survive in Petra. Restaurants and toilets near the end of the street mark the start of the Monastery climb.
Rest in the shade near Qasr al-Bint before starting the Monastery steps, and refill your water there.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Expensive
- History
- Architecture
Viewpoint · Petra Archaeological Park
8.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. The descent through Wadi Farasa passes the Lion Fountain, the Garden Tomb and the Roman Soldier Tomb before rejoining the main valley.
Do the loop in the morning, climbing from the theatre end and descending through Wadi Farasa to Qasr al-Bint.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Views
- Active
- Outdoors
- Off the beaten path
Viewpoint · Petra Archaeological Park
1.Al-Khubtha trail and Treasury viewpoint
Steps behind the Royal Tombs climb Jabal al-Khubtha to a ledge looking straight down on the Treasury from above, one of the most dramatic views in Petra. The trail is steep but short, and few visitors make the effort.
Go in the morning, when the Treasury is lit by the sun; a small tea stall at the top usually serves Bedouin tea.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Views
- Active
- Photo spot
- Off the beaten path
Historic site · Little Petra camps
2.Little Petra (Siq al-Barid)
About 10 km north of Wadi Musa, this short canyon was probably a Nabataean suburb for caravans, with rock-cut houses, water cisterns and temples. A climb inside the Painted Biclinium reveals rare 1st-century ceiling frescoes of vines, flowers and birds. The Neolithic village of Beidha is nearby.
Visit early or late in the day; it is much quieter than the main site and makes a good half-day with lunch at a nearby camp.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Kids
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Visitor Centre area
3.Petra Museum
Opened in 2019 beside the Visitor Centre, the museum explains Nabataean history, trade, water engineering and religion with finds from Petra, including carved statues, pottery and jewellery. It makes a useful introduction before entering the site or an air-conditioned break afterwards.
Visit on your first afternoon to understand what you will see in the Siq and the city centre the next morning.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Nature · Petra Archaeological Park
4.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. The trail from Qasr al-Bint is a long, exposed hike through quiet desert valleys with few other walkers.
Take a local guide, start early and carry plenty of water; allow most of a day there and back.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Active
- Outdoors
- Views
- Off the beaten path
Experience · Wadi Musa town centre
5.Jordanian cooking class
Evening cooking classes in Wadi Musa teach dishes such as maqluba, galayet bandora, mezze and baba ghanoush, followed by dinner together. They are a relaxed way to end a long day of walking.
Book for your first evening if you arrive early, or the night after your longest hiking day.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Food
- Kids
- Couples
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Petra Museum |
| History | The Treasury (Al-Khazneh), Street of Facades and the Theatre, Royal Tombs and Colonnaded Street, Great Temple and Qasr al-Bint |
| Views | Royal Tombs, The Monastery (Ad Deir), High Place of Sacrifice and Al-Khubtha trail and Treasury viewpoint |
| Outdoors and nature | The Siq, The Monastery (Ad Deir), High Place of Sacrifice and Jabal Haroun (Aaron's Tomb) |
| Food and markets | Jordanian cooking class |
| After dark | Petra by Night |
| With children | The Siq, The Treasury (Al-Khazneh), Little Petra (Siq al-Barid) and Petra Museum |
| On a rainy day | Petra Museum |
What to book ahead
- Petra by Night: It runs only on certain evenings and needs a separate ticket; check the schedule locally when you arrive.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Petra?
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.
+What can you do for free in Petra?
Little Petra (Siq al-Barid). More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Petra when it rains?
Head indoors to Petra Museum.
+What is there to do in Petra at night?
Petra by Night are best after dark.