Stories · Jordan
A weekend in Petra (Wadi Musa)
Told the way I’d tell a friend, step by step.
You don’t visit Petra (Wadi Musa); it takes you in. Here is how I’d spend 2 days there without rushing, leaving room for the things you can’t plan.
Day 1 · The icons
Early in the morning, head to Petra. Take the time to walk all the way around it; the best views are rarely at the entrance. Unmissable, and for good reason. Travellers give it 4.8 out of 5 (46,135 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. Practical: the public-transport route, and if you’d rather skip the queue, get your tickets in advance or compare on Tiqets.
Around noon, I make my way to Byzantine Church Petra. It’s the kind of place that makes you go quiet for a moment, even when you thought you knew it all. 4.5 out of 5 across 338 reviews: few places are this unanimous. To get organised: how to get there; skip-the-line book your tickets, otherwise also check Tiqets.
For lunch, Wadi Musa is full of options: trust the rooms full of locals rather than the menus translated into six languages.
In the afternoon, it’s Royal Tombs. You’ve seen it a hundred times in pictures; in person it is bigger, closer, more alive. Everyone goes; everyone is right. Travellers give it 4.8 out of 5 (283 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. Practical: here is the route by public transport, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your visit or go through Tiqets.
As the light fades, meet me at Great Temple. Take the time to walk all the way around it; the best views are rarely at the entrance. Unmissable, and for good reason. Travellers give it 4.7 out of 5 (489 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. Practical: how to get there, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your tickets or also check Tiqets.
In the evening, let go: a terrace, a walk, and Petra (Wadi Musa) does the rest.
Day 2 · The icons
To start, it’s The Treasury. It’s the kind of place that makes you go quiet for a moment, even when you thought you knew it all. Unmissable, and for good reason. 4.8 out of 5 across 12,799 reviews: few places are this unanimous. To get organised: how to get there; skip-the-line get your tickets in advance, otherwise compare on Tiqets.
Then, head to Tomb of 'Unayshu. It’s the kind of place that makes you go quiet for a moment, even when you thought you knew it all. Practical: how to get there, and if you’d rather skip the queue, get your tickets in advance or compare on Tiqets.
At lunchtime, stay around Wadi Musa: a noisy room, a dish of the day, and you’ve understood everything.
After lunch, it’s Al-Siq. It’s the kind of place that makes you go quiet for a moment, even when you thought you knew it all. Unmissable, and for good reason. Travellers give it 4.8 out of 5 (1,971 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. Practical: the public-transport route, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your tickets or also check Tiqets.
To end the day, meet me at High Place of Sacrifice. You’ve seen it a hundred times in pictures; in person it is bigger, closer, more alive. Unmissable, and for good reason. Getting there: here is the route by public transport. To get a feel for it: what visitors say.
Keep the evening free. Petra (Wadi Musa) is a city that tells itself better at night.
If you’re still hungry
I still have a few up my sleeve: AlDayr, Nabatean Theatre, Obelisk Tomb & Bab as-Siq Triclinium., Al-Khubtha Trail, Djinn Blocks and Petra Visitor Center. Your call.
My advice
Walk. Then take public transport: that is where you see the city live.
Book the busiest places the day before: queues have ruined more than one morning.
Keep a little local cash: the best addresses are often the least equipped.
And if you go, tell me what you loved. Petra (Wadi Musa) changes, and so do I.
A Triovol story · written by someone who would go back tomorrow
Opening hours, prices and closures change: a quick look at the venue’s website before you go avoids bad surprises.
Share your experience!
Been there? A tip, an address, a mistake to avoid: the next travellers will read you.