Petra Travel Guide: YOU MUST Know These Tips

After walking 17 miles from sunup to sundown, we're ready to share everything we think you'll want to know so you can plan your dream trip to Petra. Ready to go! In hopes that you too will feel like this when you finally get there. Alright, let's get the boring logistics out of the way first. Tip number one is get the Jordan Pass. Getting the Jordan Pass takes less than three minutes and if you're staying in Jordan for more than three nights, it is a no-brainer. Purchasing this pass waives your tourist visa fees when you enter the country and it also includes prepaid entry to Petra as well as 40 other attractions. But you must stay a minimum of three nights in Jordan in order to waive the tourist visa fees. The Jordan Pass with one day admission to Petra is 70 JOD. Without the pass, you would spend 90 JOD on visa entry fees and a one-day ticket to Petra. This 20 JOD savings equates to about 28 USD per person. Tip number two is to reserve a rental car. Petra is about two and a half hours from Queen Elia International Airport and it's a pretty easy drive. Google Maps don't let us down. But having a rental car really allows you to explore Jordan and see all of the sights on your own terms. Also, you can stop and buy snacks whenever you want which is a huge plus especially for me. Tip number three is to plan to stay two nights in Wadimusa. Petra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a wonder of the world, and a filming location for iconic movies like Indiana Jones. So it's no surprise that this attraction brings over 1 million visitors each year. For that reason, you're going to want to get there early. The park opens at 6 a.m and we definitely recommend that you take advantage of that. After a long day of hiking, you're not going to feel like driving so staying another night in Wadimusa lets you enjoy dinner and catch Petra at night. We used points to book two nights at the Petra Marriott Hotel. The hotel is about a 10-minute drive from the park's entrance and most of the restaurants in Wadimusa. The hotel is super nice and the staff was really accommodating and friendly. Tip number four is to pack good hiking shoes. When we were packing for this trip, we were debating whether or not we wanted to use precious real estate on our hiking shoes, but we have walked in sand and on rock and loose gravel. So all in all, I would recommend packing the hiking shoes. If you're also planning on visiting the Wadi Rum protected area while you're in Jordan, you're not going to want to walk those sand dunes in normal tennis shoes. Tip number five is to go beyond the treasury. I feel like when people talk about Petra or think about Petra, they really just think of that one place, the treasury, but this place is huge. While the treasury is the most iconic feature of Petra, it can also be the most crowded. So continue past the treasury to the Adir Trail to see the monastery and enjoy some tea with the view. As a bonus tip, a lot of you Instagrammers have probably seen pictures that look a lot like this. Up here at the monastery is where you can find that awesome photo spot. That little hole in the rock is the famous Instagram spot. We also highly recommend the Al Qabouta Trail to see the treasury from above. When you get here, a lot of people will try to sell you a view of the treasury from above, and we've read online that a lot of those views are unsafe because they like take you up these like really quick routes. We're hiking the long route. It's basically a whole bunch of stairs up the back of the mountain. Climb all the way to the top, and you go down the hill, and there's these guys that have like a juice shop. You get coffee and tea, and it's like a perfect panoramic view of the treasury, and it was really awesome. And if you don't enjoy hiking, don't worry because there will be plenty of opportunities to ride a camel or a donkey to the top. Which brings us to tip number six. Decide if you want to pay for a tour to a photo spot or a camel ride, and then be prepared to tell a lot of people no. Just to kind of set like realistic expectations, there's a lot of vendors and people asking if you want to ride a camel, or asking if you want to ride a donkey, or trying to take you to a picture spot. They're out there trying to make a living, but you realize like I can't possibly say yes to all of you. Tip number seven is to remember to negotiate. Coming from the United States, it's not really in our culture to negotiate prices. Lauren was an easy target, and we just spent 30 JD on these two, and they were definitely like two dollars, but it's always nice to help people out. Oh, two dinar, three dinar, and we ended up paying like 30. However, while in Jordan to get the best deal, it is acceptable to negotiate price on goods and services. And now our eighth and final tip, see Petra by night. And this will take some advanced planning, as Petra by night only runs every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday of each week. So it's really cool they have, you can kind of see them behind us, but they they light the walkway with candles, and then you get to the treasury, a bunch of lights, and light show, and music, and it's supposed to be like a peaceful event, and everyone drinks tea, and kind of hangs out. There are no advanced reservations for Petra by night, but there are unlimited tickets, so you don't have to worry about it selling out. Tickets cost 17 Jordanian dinar, or about 24 USD, and can be purchased from your hotel or at the visitor center. Additionally, make sure you hold on to your site ticket from earlier in the day, as you will need to present your valid daylight ticket with your show ticket at the entry gate to gain entrance to Petra by night. If you want to follow along with the rest of our travels in Jordan, or watch our full Petra vlog, we would love it if you would subscribe to our channel, okay?