Petra Is the Jewel of Jordan!

petra jordan

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

20 thoughts on “Petra Is the Jewel of Jordan!

  1. 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.

    1. 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!

  2. 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!

    1. 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 🙂

  3. Petra is one of those places that sticks with you. It is just that amazing. Thanks for linking up with #wkendtravelinspiration!

    1. 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!

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