With kids · Petra · Jordan
Petra with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Children usually love the Siq, the Treasury and scrambling in the side canyons of Little Petra, but Petra involves long distances on foot, steep steps and unfenced drops. Plan shorter days, rest at midday and save the Monastery climb for older children. Top picks: The Siq, The Treasury (Al-Khazneh) and Little Petra (Siq al-Barid). Families usually base themselves in Visitor Centre area.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 5
- Best area for families
- Visitor Centre area
- Rainy-day options
- 1
- Busiest months
- April and October
Best things to do with kids
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 · Little Petra camps
3.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
4.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
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
Rainy-day ideas
- Petra Museum — Visit on your first afternoon to understand what you will see in the Siq and the city centre the next morning.
Where families should stay
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, families and luxury
Visitor Centre area
A handful of hotels stand within a few minutes' walk of the Petra Visitor Centre and the Petra Museum, so you can enter at opening time and return for a rest in the midday heat. Restaurants and shops line the short street leading up from the gate.
- Good
- Walk to the entrance in minutes; Easy midday breaks; Convenient for Petra by Night
- Watch out
- Highest room prices; Busy with day-trip coaches in the morning
- Nearby
- Petra Visitor Centre, Petra Museum, The Siq
Family travel tips
- Use a sturdy child carrier rather than a stroller; the paths are sand and rock.
- Hold young children's hands on the Monastery, High Place and Al-Khubtha trails, which have unfenced edges.
- Carry more water and snacks than you think you need.
- A multi-day ticket lets you split the site into two shorter visits.
- Bedouin camps near Little Petra make a fun overnight for children, with fires and stargazing.
Day trips for families
- Wadi Rum (About 1 hour 30 minutes by car) — A protected desert of red sand and towering sandstone and granite mountains, associated with T.
- Aqaba (About 2 hours by car) — Jordan's Red Sea port has beaches, coral reefs for snorkelling and diving along the South Beach coast, and a small Mamluk-era fort.
- Kerak Castle (About 2 hours by car) — One of the largest Crusader castles in the Levant, Kerak's warren of vaulted halls and passages sits above the town on the King's Highway.
When to go with children
The best months overall are March–May and October–November. April and October are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Petra good for kids?
Children usually love the Siq, the Treasury and scrambling in the side canyons of Little Petra, but Petra involves long distances on foot, steep steps and unfenced drops. Plan shorter days, rest at midday and save the Monastery climb for older children.
+What can kids do in Petra?
The Siq, The Treasury (Al-Khazneh), Little Petra (Siq al-Barid), Petra Museum and Jordanian cooking class.
+Where should families stay in Petra?
Visitor Centre area: Hotels right at the entrance gate at the bottom of Wadi Musa.