January 2020

Petra, Jordan

Yes, this site is very famous. And yes, it gets many tourists, which puts it in contrast to most of the places I write about. That said, Petra is absolutely worth visiting, and worth visiting multiple times if possible. Here are my impressions from my recent trip in January 2020, and here’s why Petra rightfully has a place on the list of the New 7 Wonders of the World.

My Visit and Observations

Petra is Huge

Prior to going, I had seen a few pictures of Petra online. Most of them were just of it’s most famous building, named The Treasure (see below), which gave me the impression that all of Petra was confined to one compact area. That turned out to be very wrong. Turns out, the Treasure is just one of thousands of structures in a complex that stretches further than the eye can see. During our visit, Hanka and I walked around for over seven hours and still didn’t see the whole place.

Not only were there thousands of buildings carved into the rocks, including houses, churches, markets, tombs, and a theater, but there were many trails leading up into the rocks to overviews and lookout points. If you were just to stay on the main path and walk it all the way to the end (to a carving known as the Monastery) and back, it would take you at least four hours. I don’t recommed that, though, since you¨ll miss so many amazing features. Instead, go off onto the side trails, climb the rocks, and visit the viewpoints with amazing scenery. Meet and have tea with the local Bedouins who still live within Petra (currently there are about šř families). Explore and enjoy as much as you can.

WHEN TO VISIT

So, I visited Petra just once and it was in January. Therefore, I can only compare it to what I have heard from locals and others who visited at different times of the year. That said, I’ll do my best to have an accurate assessment. Despite being in the desert, it can get fairly cold in January. For example, it actually snowed the first day I visited (see video below). However, the bright side to this was that there were very few tourists, which meant Hanka and I got to see so much more than we would have if we came during the high season (spring and autumn). Although the weather is much nicer then, several of the people who worked there told me that it gets so crowded you can barely move without your path being obstructed by a large oblivious group in cargo shorts. Likewise, all the incredible views become obstructed.

Therefore, if you want to avoid the crowds, you have too options: mid winter or mid summer. In the mid winter, you can expect cold temperatures, wind and some snow, but in the summer, you can expect temperatures of +45C (+110F) and burning sun. Pick your poison. I recommend the winter because there’s a lot of walking and hiking involved. Even if you’re cold at the begining, you can warm up easily as long as you keep moving. In the summer, there’s no way to cool down.

On top of that, I highly advise you to go in early. Petra opens at 6:00am, and in order to beat the crowds, you should at the very lease enter well before 8:00. It also takes a long time to see everything, so you should try to give yourself as much time as possible. Spend the night in the nearby town of Wadi Musa to help maximize this.

WHERE TO STAY

Again, I’m biased here since I only stayed at one place while here. That said, the place in which I stayed: Petra Cabin Hostel, was amazing and very affordable at just 11JD per night for a two-person room.. Therefore, I strongly recommend it. Petra Cabin Hostel is new, having just opened at the start of 2020 and is convieniently located just a 3-4 minute walk to the site’s entrance. The staff, too, was incredibly welcoming, helpful, friendlz, and spoke English very well. On top of that, free tea and coffee were offered at all times along with buffet breakfasts and dinners for 5JD and 7JD each.

DO AND DON’T

Go to all the view points, especially the High Place of Sacrifice and those past the Monastery.
Go all the way to and beyond the Monestary.
Talk to the local Bedouins (many speak some English) and try their tea.
Bring your own snacks and food since the food sold in Petra is very expensive.
Don’t ride the camels and donkeys. The animals don’t seem happy to be there.
Don’t be part of a tour group. Explore Petra on your own instead.
Wear comfortable shoes. You will be walking a lot on various terrain.
Go there early in order to beat the crowds. I got there just after 7AM, which was good.
Be prepared to spend the entire day in Petra. Spend two days if you can.
Make friends with local animals. I met some friendly/hungry goats