Petra
A city carved into rose-red cliffs, and the desert of Wadi Rum beyond.
Petra was the capital of the Nabataeans, who cut tombs, temples and a theatre into the sandstone of a hidden valley in southern Jordan. You enter through the Siq, a narrow gorge, and come out in front of the Treasury; the rest of the city unfolds for kilometres beyond. Wadi Rum's desert and the Dead Sea make it a journey rather than a visit.
Why go
The Siq and the Treasury are the moment every traveller remembers, but Petra is a full day at least: the street of façades, the theatre, the royal tombs, the climb to the Monastery and the high place of sacrifice above it all.
Jordan pairs it with contrasts a short drive apart: the red sands and rock bridges of Wadi Rum, where Bedouin camps sit under an unpolluted sky; the salt-thick water of the Dead Sea; and the Roman streets of Jerash in the north.
Highlights
What people go for, in no particular order.
01The Siq and the Treasury
A kilometre and more of winding gorge, the walls closing overhead, and then the carved façade of Al-Khazneh filling the gap at the end. Early morning has the fewest people and the softest light.
02The Monastery
Some eight hundred steps up from the valley floor to a façade larger than the Treasury, on a plateau with views across the mountains to the Rift Valley.
03The royal tombs and the high places
The line of great tombs cut into the eastern cliff, and the paths that climb to the high place of sacrifice and the viewpoint over the Treasury from above.
04Petra by night
On certain evenings the Siq and the square in front of the Treasury are lit by candles, with Bedouin music in the dark. Quiet, and different from the day.
05Wadi Rum
The desert of sandstone mountains, red dunes and rock bridges an hour and a half south, explored by jeep, camel or on foot, with a night in a Bedouin camp under the stars.
06The Dead Sea and Jerash
Floating in the salt lake at the lowest point on land, and the colonnaded streets of the Roman city of Jerash north of Amman, each a day on the way in or out.
Areas
Where to base yourself, and what each area is like.
Wadi Musa
The town at Petra's gate, with hotels from simple to grand within a walk or short drive of the entrance.
Wadi Rum
Desert camps, from canvas Bedouin tents to domed cabins, for a night or two after Petra.
Amman and the Dead Sea
The capital's hillside neighbourhoods and the resort hotels on the Dead Sea shore, at the start or end of the journey.
When to go: Petra
- SpringMarch – May
- Warm days, cool nights and wildflowers in the valley. The most comfortable weeks for the long walks and climbs.
- AutumnSeptember – November
- The heat easing and the light golden on the sandstone. The other prime season.
- SummerJune – August
- Hot and dry, with the Siq cooler than the open valley. Start at first light and rest through the middle of the day.
- WinterDecember – February
- Cold, occasionally wet, and sometimes with snow on the high places. Few visitors and clear air.
Getting there
Airports
Two airports in our search serve Petra. Distances are measured in a straight line.
- AMMQueen Alia International · Amman
- AQJKing Hussein International · Aqaba
Distance from
- DXBDubai2,040 km
- CDGParis3,450 km
- LHRLondon3,760 km
- BOMMumbai3,960 km
- JNBJohannesburg6,330 km
- SINSingapore7,880 km
- JFKNew York9,280 km
- SYDSydney14,050 km
Getting around: Petra
Amman's airport is around three hours' drive from Petra; Aqaba's is under two, and near Wadi Rum. A driver or a hire car along the Desert Highway or the slower King's Highway is the usual way.
Inside Petra everything is on foot, with a long day's walking on sand and steps; transport through the Siq can be arranged at the visitor centre for those who need it. Wadi Rum is explored by Bedouin jeep from the village.
Practical facts
The country, its currency and languages, the time zone and the time there now.
- Country
- Jordan
- Currency
- JOD · Jordanian Dinar
- Languages
- Arabic
- Time zone
- Jordan Time
- Local time now
- Calling code
- +962
The atlas
Petra in figures
The figures under this guide: the climate on modelled 2001–2020 averages, how far it is from the UAE, and the places around it.
Climate
The weather in Petra, month by month
- Jan12°
- Feb14°
- Mar18°
- Apr23°
- May28°
- Jun31°
- Jul33°
- Aug32°
- Sept30°
- Oct26°
- Nov19°
- Dec14°
- Mild to warm and dry
- Mild to warm, humid or showery
- Hot
- Cool
- Wet
- Cold
Good for going, on these averages: March to June and September to November.
Mean highs run from 12°C in January to 33°C in July, with about 163 mm of rain in a year.
These are modelled averages for 2001–2020; the seasons described above are our own reading of a typical year.
Month-by-month climate for PetraModelled averages for an area about 50 km across, not a weather station's record: NASA POWER climatology, 2001–2020.
Airports
How far it is from the UAE
From DXBPetra
2,040 km
3 hrs 10 mins · Estimate
From AUHPetra
2,000 km
3 hrs 5 mins · Estimate
The great-circle distance, and a rough flying time: the distance at an average 850 km/h plus 45 minutes for take-off and landing. Real flights follow airways, meet headwinds and wait for traffic, so schedules differ.
On the map
Places near Petra
Plan this trip: Petra
Open the trip builder with Petra already filled in. Flights, stays and everything else are priced together in one quote, prepared by a person on our team.
