Petra has been on Clinton’s bucket list ever since he watched Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade as a child. He has always been fascinated by the Arabian desert, and I’ve been fascinated with carpets and lamps, so Jordan seemed like a good place to visit. Our one day of hiking in Petra covered 17km over 10 hours and more steps than you would want to count. It was broken down into three smaller hikes, not including the Main Trail. Be prepared to be sore the next day.
We highly recommend starting your day as early as possible and heading straight to the viewpoint over the iconic treasury. The tour buses from Amman start arriving at 9am, so the earlier you arrive, the better.
Whilst there are multiple entrances into Petra, the main entrance takes you through the slot canyon called the Siq, which is arguably the best introduction to the city of Petra as your first glimpse of the ancient city will be the iconic Treasury.
There are two viewpoints over the Treasury which allow you to view the structure without a million tourists in the foreground. Accessing the best viewpoint involves a 1.75km uphill hike along the Al-Khubtha Trail.
The hike ends at a Bedouin tent, where you will have amazing views over the treasury. Prior to 2pm you can’t walk any further than the tent; according to the Bedouin man that occupied the tent it’s because there are too many tourists below in the morning, and there is a risk of people dropping bottles etc. on them. There weren’t many people at the tent when we arrived in spring, but apparently people wait in line up to 30 minutes in summer just to take a photo!
While we were there a young boy arrived with a baby goat that had lost its herd. I LOVE goats and it was literally the best thing that could have happened to me. The plan was to return the goat to its mother later that day when the herd returned from the mountains. We purchased some mint tea for 2 JOD to thank the Bedouin man for letting us use his tent and for taking some (very good) photos of us.
After making your way back down the hill head back towards the theatre and start the High Place of Sacrifice Trail. The complete trail, including descent, is 3km long. At the end you will find the alter where sacrifices were made to the Gods. The view is excellent at the top.
On the way back down from the High Place of Sacrifice there are seemingly several trails and it’s quite easy to get lost. If you’re not sure where you are, look for the Jordanian flags or brown signposts which are along the trail. The trail finishes near the start of Ad-Deir (Monastery) trail and there is a restaurant nearby, although I wouldn’t bank on it having your favourite food.
The hike up to the Monastery involves 850 stone steps. There’s a café at the top with ample seating, and it’s a good place to hang out while waiting for the crowds to slowly die down. If you don’t want to brave the 850 steps you can catch a donkey ride up the hill. Only take a donkey ride if it looks like the animals are being treated humanely. If you see any animals being mistreated you can report it to the Petra Police onsite.
After leaving Petra you should visit the Petra Museum, which is to the left of the exit. It has heaps of interesting artefacts including tools and sculptures, and the descriptions are in English.
Read more on Driving in Jordan and 5 Things to know before visiting Petra
