Frequently asked questions

A standard Petra ticket admits you to the entire archaeological park: the Siq, the Treasury (Al-Khazneh), the Royal Tombs, the Roman Theatre, the colonnaded street, the Great Temple, the Monastery (Ad Deir), the High Place of Sacrifice, and all marked trails. Guided tours and day-trips booked above add transport, a guide, and logistics — each option states whether the Petra entry fee is included or paid separately on the day.

First entry at 06:00 is the right call in any season. The Siq is empty, the Treasury reveal happens without crowds, and you finish the Monastery climb before the heat of the day. The visitor centre also queues 30–60 minutes by 09:00 in peak season — arriving at opening means you're already inside.

Plan on a full day minimum (8 hours including the Monastery climb). Many visitors find 2 days more comfortable: day 1 for the Siq + Treasury + Royal Tombs, day 2 for the Monastery and the quieter trails. Visit duration is the most common visitor underestimate.

If you're staying in Jordan for 3+ nights and visiting multiple sites (Jerash, Wadi Rum, Aqaba, Dead Sea), the Ministry of Tourism's Jordan Pass is worth considering — it bundles the tourist-visa waiver with admission to 40+ attractions including Petra, and is bought before arrival at jordanpass.jo. If you're focused on Petra — or day-tripping from Aqaba, Wadi Rum, or across the border from Israel — a guided Petra tour or day-trip is the simpler choice; the options above show live availability and prices from our partner GetYourGuide. Note that some tours include the Petra entry fee and some don't — each option lists exactly what's included before you book.

For most options, yes — you can change or cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before the start time, directly from your GetYourGuide booking confirmation. Always check the cancellation terms shown on your chosen option before booking.

Yes — children under 15 enter free with a paying adult, and most kids love the Siq + Treasury reveal and the carved tombs. The Monastery climb (800+ steps) is too much for under-10s; they can do the main route and skip the climb.

Petra is a high-desert site (about 950 metres elevation). Summers (June–August) reach 35°C+ and the rocks radiate heat; March–May and September–November are the best months. Winters (December–February) can be cold, occasionally with snow, and the Monastery trail can be slick. Layers are essential year-round.

Partially. The main path from the visitor centre to the Treasury is approximately 2 km on cobble and gravel with a gentle gradient — wheelchairs can manage with some effort, and electric carts are sometimes available at the visitor centre. Beyond the Treasury, the terrain becomes rougher and steeper; the Monastery, High Place of Sacrifice, and most upper trails are not accessible.

Most experiences booked through our partner GetYourGuide offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund — the exact policy is shown on each option before you book. Any cancellation or change is handled directly from your GetYourGuide confirmation.

Yes — if you have the day and basic fitness. The Monastery (Ad Deir) is Petra's largest monument at 45m wide × 50m tall, and the 800-step climb takes 45–60 minutes. Donkeys are offered all the way up; we recommend walking down regardless of how you go up. The view from the Monastery viewpoint over the Wadi Araba valley is the photograph everyone misses by leaving too early.

Petra is an ancient Nabataean city carved into the rose-coloured sandstone cliffs of southern Jordan, in Wadi Musa within the Ma'an Governorate. The Nabataeans, an Arab trading people, settled the site in the fourth century BC and made it the capital of their kingdom in the second century BC, controlling the caravan routes that carried incense and spices across the region. Visitors enter through the Siq, a narrow gorge that opens dramatically onto Al-Khazneh, the Treasury — a 37-metre Hellenistic façade carved straight into the cliff, thought to be the mausoleum of King Aretas IV. Beyond it lies a vast park of tombs, temples and the towering Monastery, Ad Deir. Rome annexed the kingdom in 106 AD, and the Swiss traveller Johann Ludwig Burckhardt brought the ruins to Western attention in 1812. UNESCO inscribed Petra in 1985, and a global vote named it one of the New7Wonders of the World in 2007.

Petra is open daily — roughly 06:00–18:00 in summer and 06:30–17:00 in winter. Arriving early beats both the midday heat and the crowds at the Treasury.

Petra admission is sold by duration at the Petra Visitor Centre in Wadi Musa, and you can extend your visit by paying for additional days. Multi-day options cost less per day than separate single-day tickets.

The Jordan Pass includes Petra admission and waives Jordan's tourist visa fee for eligible visitors who stay the required minimum number of nights — often cheaper than buying the visa and a Petra ticket separately.

From the Visitor Centre it is about a 2 km walk through the Siq gorge to the Treasury. Petra by Night — a candlelit walk to the Treasury on selected evenings — is a separate ticketed event and is not included in the standard day ticket.

Petra lies in Wadi Musa, a town in southern Jordan's Ma'an Governorate, roughly 235 kilometres south of the capital, Amman. Most visitors arrive by road from Amman, a drive of about three hours along the Desert Highway, or a longer, more scenic route on the older King's Highway through Madaba and Karak. Coach and minibus services also connect the two cities. From the south, the Red Sea city of Aqaba is about 125 kilometres away, roughly two hours by car, and its King Hussein International Airport is the nearest airport to Petra, a convenient gateway for travellers combining the site with Wadi Rum. Queen Alia International Airport near Amman handles most long-haul arrivals. Whichever route you take, the Petra Visitor Centre at the edge of Wadi Musa is the single entrance to the archaeological park, where the walk through the Siq begins.