Tickets & entry
Pay the smart way
The Jordan Pass. If you are visa-exempt or buying a Jordan Pass anyway, it includes your Petra entrance fee (one day for the standard pass, two days for most higher tiers) and your tourist visa fee. For almost everyone flying into Jordan and staying more than a couple of nights, it is the most economical option — buy it online before you travel.
At the gate. If you are not using a Jordan Pass, one-day, two-day and three-day tickets are sold at the entrance. The two-day pass costs only slightly more than one day, which is one more reason to stay two days. Two-day and three-day passes must be used on consecutive days. Bring your passport.
Petra by Night. A separate ticketed evening event on selected nights, lit by candles along the Siq and in front of the Treasury. Atmospheric rather than archaeological — worth it if your schedule allows, but check the current nights at the gate as the schedule changes.
The basics
| Opening | 06:00 (summer) / 06:30 (winter) to ~18:00 |
| Best months | March–May & September–November |
| Avoid | July–August midday heat; winter flash floods |
| Tickets | Jordan Pass, or 1/2/3-day passes at the gate |
| Location | Wadi Musa, ~3 hrs south of Amman by road |
| Currency | Jordanian Dinar (JOD) |
What to bring
Pack for the desert, not the city
Footwear is the big one. Sturdy closed shoes with grip — not sandals, not fashion trainers. The ground is uneven, rocky and hot, and you will walk far further than you expect. Water: carry at least two litres per person, more if you are climbing; you can top up at cave cafes but do not rely on them alone. Sun protection: a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen — much of the site is fully exposed. Layers: winter mornings are genuinely cold, summer middays are brutal; dress for both. Cash in small notes for cafes, donkeys and the toilet attendants.
Food, toilets & rest
Surviving the day comfortably
There are small cave cafes throughout the site selling tea, coffee, juice, water and simple food, plus a larger restaurant near the Basin and the museum at the entrance. Prices are higher than in town but reasonable; carry snacks if you want to keep moving. Toilets are available near the entrance, the Basin and a few points inside — small tips are expected. Build in a long rest in shade during the hottest hours rather than pushing through.
Accessibility
Petra for everyone
Petra is not wheelchair-accessible in the full sense — the Siq is flat but the rest of the site is uneven and rocky. However, the core experience is reachable for more people than many assume. Horse-drawn carriages cover the Siq to the Treasury, a golf cart can take visitors along the main trail, and donkeys carry people up the climbs to the Monastery and the High Place. If you have older travelers or anyone with limited mobility, plan around these options and consider two days to keep each day short.
Petra for who you are
Plan to your group
Petra for families
The main trail to the Treasury and Royal Tombs is flat and doable for most children. Build in rest stops at the cave cafes, carry extra water, and skip the big climbs with young kids — a donkey ride to the Monastery is usually the hit of the trip. Aim for the cooler months and an early start.
Petra for older travelers
The Siq and Treasury are reachable by horse-drawn carriage, and a golf cart can cover the main trail. The climbs are not advisable on foot, but donkeys offer a way up to the Monastery. Pace the day with a long midday rest, and consider two days to spread the walking.
Petra for hikers
This is your kind of site. Link the Back Trail, the Monastery, the High Place of Sacrifice and Wadi Farasa into a long loop, or spread them across two days. Carry serious water, start early, and read our trails page for distances and difficulty.
Petra for photographers
Timing is everything — the Treasury is a morning subject, the Royal Tombs and Monastery are afternoon ones. Arrive at opening for clean frames, and plan two days if you can to light the whole site. See our photography guide for the hour-by-hour breakdown.
Petra for archaeology enthusiasts
Look past the tombs to the living city: the Great Temple, Qasr al-Bint, the colonnaded street and the water system. A guide makes an enormous difference here, and three days lets you explore the back valleys and Little Petra properly.
Whatever your group, our Petra tours are private and shaped around your pace and interests.
Safety
Heat, floods and common sense
Heat is the real risk. Most people who struggle at Petra do so from underestimating the midday sun and not carrying enough water. Start early, rest in the middle of the day, and turn back if you feel unwell — the monuments will still be there tomorrow.
Flash floods. In winter, heavy rain in the hills can send sudden floods down the wadis and through the Siq. The park authority closes the Siq when there is a risk, and you should never enter it during or just after a storm. It is rare, but it is real — the Nabataeens built their whole water system around this exact problem.
Donkeys and carriages. If you use one, agree the price and the destination before you set off. Treat the animals and the local Bedouin who run them with respect — this is their home as well as a heritage site.
See Petra through local eyes
Tell us your dates and travel style and we will craft a private Petra journey — with a local team who knows the city’s quiet corners and a licensed guide on request.
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Petra Back Trail — Monastery Route Private Hiking Tour
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