Petra Jordan wasn’t voted one of the New 7 Wonders of the world for nothing! It really is one of those places that lives up to the hype. Petra Jordan is one of the most magnificent ancient cities on earth. We had the chance to visit it both at night and during the day and it definitely lived up to the hype. While many people only pop into Petra for a short visit on a day tour, we suggest spending a couple of days at the ruins.
Things To Do In Petra, Jordan
We had two days to explore and we feel that we could have used even more time. The Petra Archaeological Park is 65 acres and there is a lot to cover when you start your tour through the entrance of the siq.
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Dave and I had a private guide take us through the city and it was an excellent way to stay one step ahead of the crowd and to easily find the best vantage points to see all the beautiful rock cut facades.
1. The Siq of Petra
The Siq is a 1.2 km long passage slicing through rocks reaching 80 meters into the air. The Siq (another name for a gorge) did its job well, hiding this mysterious wonder. Nobody knew where the entrance was. Today it is the main entrance to the extraordinary ruins where visitors can either walk down or take a horse and buggy.
2. Bab el Siq
Bab el Siq is the Gate of the Siq. It is the modern entrance to Petra and the beginning of the walkway taking you from the visitor’s center to the Treasury.
Be sure to take your time and stop at the Obelisk Tomb. It is impressive being the first tomb that you see. It’s sort of a smaller, rougher version of the Treasury and is a really cool thing to see before we get into the ancient city center.
3. Djin Blocks
The Djinn Blocks are one of the first monuments you’ll see along your journey. They were built in the 1st century AD by the Nabataeans. Very little is known about the three-block tombs, but it is believed to be funerary monuments.
4. Petra at Night
Things to do in Petra | Treasury in Petra at night
Our first introduction to Petra was actually Petra by night. We arrived the day before our tour of the ruins to enter the Treasury after dark.
We walked along the Siq following a candlelit path on the original stones dating back to 1000 BC. It was a beautiful and ethereal experience seeing the walls of the siq rising in the dark. It led us to the Treasury lit with thousands of candles where we watched a traditional Bedouin performance takes place.
While the actual performance was less than stellar, the walk through the Siq at night was awe-inspiring. If you can do Petra at Night before visiting the city by day, we highly recommend it.
