Petra is a construct in the soft rock of the mountains in Jordan. It is one of the seven wonders of the world. It was built in the 3rd century by the Nebataean Arabs. The structures are partially built and partially carved into the stones.
There is a network of paths and gorges within this ancient city. People still live in this city today! It is a long day of walking to traverse this massive wonder, I was happy to conclude my day there. So exhausting!
There is much to cover in Petra. This post will focus on the entry into the city only. The entry was the highlight of the journey for me.
The entrance fee is the equivalent of $70 USD for foreigners. Yes it is expensive. That is the one day price. You can prepay a two day price for only $7 USD more, as I did, but I wouldn't recommend. I saw all of it in one day and was in far too much pain to go a second day. There's really no need for a second day unless you're into exploring this place in detail. I was not so inclined.
The entrance fee includes a horse ride to the site. But it's not really free. The locals who guide you on this ride are very aggressive for significant tips, so you will be charged. If you refuse to tip them very generously they create a large scene, I had read this before entry so I just skipped this part. But I did pay for a donkey excursion inside the city which I'll speak to on another post.
Walk or ride horse to the entrance
The entrance walk is over a mile long. It's best to do first thing in the morning while it's still cool. Besides, if you want to do Petra in a day, you really should start early.
Early entrance photos:
How much is rent here?
The walk to this point is a prelude to the walk through Al Siq Canyon, one of the highlights of Petra. The canyon is a tall, narrow formation leading to the Treasury at the entrance of the city. The following photos describe this part of the journey.
This is called "Elephant Rock". Can you see it in the formation?
Fat man squeeze!
Finally a glimpse of the Treasury ahead!
The impressive Treasury. Carved into the sandstone.
It's called the treasury but it's not really as it's name implies. It's believed to be a tomb for one of the kings and as such it was believed to contain treasures, hence the name. This site has been the subject of many tomb raiders over the years.
It's possible to pay for a separate guided tour up the sandstone mountain that surrounds this structure to give an aerial view. I passed. I knew I wouldn't have the energy to do it and also continue further miles of walking within the city. I decided to leave that for the younger crowd.
This is just the beginning of the journey through this city. I'll post more of the journey on future posts. But for me, this was the best part of Petra. The Treasury was also the most impressive of the structures I encountered.
I'll leave you with a few videos of the entry through the canyon:
Wow, that rock formations are amazing 🤩
Very impressive rock formation .