Petra has always been on my must-see list, so when a beach vacation in Aqaba, Jordan came up, I had the chance to visit this sandstone marvel. After arriving at the parking lot, you have to walk a narrow passage (a few meters wide) for a while, and out of nowhere there it is – the Treasury you have seen in all the photos! Just incredible! If you continue further down, there are a lot more ruins, but nothing beats the Treasury! At the end there is a small restaurant, at which we had lunch – nothing special. It is also possible to do a one hour climb to get a far reaching view of the area. I didn’t do the climb, as I was more than content with the views I got from the surrounding cliffs. However my friend did, and she was very happy about her choice. You can also pay for horses or donkeys to take you down/up the passage, but then you might miss a curiosity – a boulder which looks like a fish from the side, and an elephant from the front.
We were on a bus tour, but if you’d like you can hire a taxi to take you there. It’s a few hours drive from Aqaba. It felt like everybody arrived early in the morning, so maybe going in the afternoon should be considered.
Website: visitpetra.jo
Petra is on my bucket list!
Good! It’s incredible:)
Well, this is so amazing. I’m planning a cruise in April, 2017 from Dubai to Athens, and the highlight for me will be docking at Aqaba and planning a day trip to Petra and Wadi Rum. Being a huge fan of “Lawrence of Arabia”, I’ve always wanted to see these places. Great post. Thanks.
That sounds great! You’re gonna love Petra, if you can shut out all the people… Didn’t do Wadi Rum, but as a Lawrence of Arabia fan I guess it is a must 🙂 Thanks!
I would just love to go to Petra – maybe one day.
It’s a good one!
still hope to go there one day…
You’ll get there 🙂
My image of Petra is forever ruined now that I hear there are parking lots and a restaurants. I should’ve guessed it wouldn’t have been like I imagined from the Indiana Jones movie. it’s on my wish list too though!
So sorry! I guess where there is a lot a people, there will be restaurants… Nothing fancy, just a couple or three places to get food, mostly catering to the many groups that arrive every day. Nothing’s like (the old) Indiana Jones 🙂
Not your fault. I blame Hollywood for setting unrealistic expectations.
Haha 🙂
Petra is one of those places that sticks with you. It is just that amazing. Thanks for linking up with #wkendtravelinspiration!
It sure is! And I am so happy to have been. I guess I could have wished for a bit smaller crowd, but I always do that 🙂
I would love to visit someday. What is the best time of year to go?
Went in January. In Aqaba, at the coast, the weather was nice – warm and sunny. I was tanning and going for a swim in the pool, not the sea, too cold. Colder in Petra, like thin long-sleeves. And very cold (at least in a t-shirt…) and windy while crossing higher altitudes on the way there. Summer in the Middle East is sweltering hot. Hope you get to see it some day!
I like the second shot because of the contrast in scale (small people + big backdrop).
Thanks! I’m definitely no expert on how to compose a great pic! More of a “This looks great, shoot” kid of girl 🙂
Petra is still at the top of my bucket list. I really hope to get there some day. Thanks for sharing. At least I can live vicariously through other travel bloggers.
It was amazing! A little bit crowded for my taste, but no regrets. Some day you too will make it to Petra! Thanks so much for stopping by my blog!