1. Get a Jordan Pass
If you’re visiting Petra and staying a minimum of 3 nights in Jordan, you’ll at least be paying for a visa and your entry ticket into Petra. A Jordan Pass costs 20JD less than the cost of the visa and Petra ticket combined, so you’re already winning. The Pass also gets you into many other attractions including the Wadi Rum Protected Area, which usually costs 5 JD.
The Jordan Pass can be purchased online and does not need to be printed. You can simply show the electronic Jordan Pass (e.g. on your phone) to the airport staff on arrival and they will waive the visa fee. You can also show the electronic pass at the entrance gate to Petra; the electronic pass does not need to be exchanged for a physical ticket.
2. Be wary of deals that are too good to be true
After pass the entrance gate and start the 30-minute walk toward the lost city of Petra, many people will approach you and offer you all sorts of tours and transportation. The main offer we suggest you avoid, is the ‘express tour via the lesser known path’ to the viewpoint over the treasury. There are two main viewpoints over the treasury, both of which can be easily reached without a guide. Read more in our post 1 Day Scenic Hike in Petra, which also includes a map of the trails.
Many locals will also approach you offering a free horse ride to the treasury, stating that it’s included in your Jordan Pass. While technically it is actually included in your Jordan Pass, guides will expect a very hefty tip for this service. Furthermore, the 30-minute walk is easy and enjoyable, on a flat surface.
3. Take all the water you need for the day
Drinking water at Petra is extremely expensive. You can buy 8L of water for 1.5 JOD at the Wadi Rum Village. Or you can pay up to 2 JOD for 600mL at Petra, which is 17 times the price. If you need to buy water at Petra, the cheapest we saw was 2L for 1 JOD.
4. Consider wearing shoes with good grip
You don’t need special hiking shoes to visit Petra, normal sports shoes will be fine. Just bear in mind that the stone steps can be slippery if your soles don’t have a good grip.
5. Photography enthusiasts: arrive early and plan your day well
Since we are extremely keen on photography, we planned our Petra visit around getting to the best viewpoints at the least crowded times. For us the most important viewpoint was that over the Treasury, so we arrived at 7.30am and powered straight there. After a hike up to the High Point of Sacrifice, which is seldomly too crowded due to the large hill that must be climbed, we ended our day by hiking to the Monastery. By that time most people had left. For more suggestions or photo ideas see 1 Day Scenic Hike in Petra.
Bear in mind that there are 2 entrances in to Petra. The second is actually via little Petra and spits you out right at the Monastery. This essentially means you can tour Petra in reverse without having to double back at the end of the day. There is a catch though, as the hike from Little Petra requires a guide (for a fee), if you want to minimise your chances of getting lost, and takes several hours in itself to complete.
How did we get there?
We hired a car and drove from Amman airport to Petra. We would only advise self-driving if you are very comfortable with all sorts of adverse driving conditions. Read more on Driving in Jordan.
Fabulous work.
Thanks!