After visiting Machu Picchu last year, I was skeptical whether or not anything could come close to amazing me. The lost city of Petra does just that! I was shocked by the number of ruins at the site, as I was under the impression that the Treasury building was the only thing to see. There is a whole city that was hidden, with many buildings carved into the sandstone walls of the canyon. The site is filled with gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains and gorges. I was truly astounded by the magnitude of this hidden gem!
I've seen a few people complain about Petra, but I think they were just unprepared, and didn't know what to expect.
The area around Petra - Wadi Musa- is 3 hrs from Amman, Jordan, but that should not deter you from visiting. We stayed at an amazing hotel only 10 minutes away - in Wadi Rum- the Taybet Zaman. Our trip was with a group from Friendly Planet Travel, and it could not have been better! Tourism in Jordan is a fairly new industry, and the country is making great strides in accommodating the influx of tourists since Petra was named to the New 7 Wonders list. You should know beforehand that Petra is not an archaeological site that you just drive up to.... it's literally a lost city, hidden away in a long canyon gorge. Once you reach the gates, it's about a 40 minute walk through a gorgeous canyon to reach the Treasury site. I wouldn't recommend strollers or wheelchairs at all! There are uneven walkways, but for those that are unable to walk unassisted, there are horse carts available to transport you to the site. These are old, rickety carts, pulled along a bumpy, sandy makeshift road, but if you're set on seeing this breathtaking place, you'll do what you have to! There is a small tent that sells a bagged lunch for about 5JD near the end of the city, and it's a great place to sit and relax during your visit in the canyon. There are vendors throughout that sell cold water, so you don't have to pack a cooler.
On your way back to the parking lot, you may find the slight uphill trek a little tiring in the sand, sun, and heat. If so, you can rent a horse from one of the many available outside of the Siq. Make sure to set a price before you get on the horse! The Jordanians are not as difficult to haggle with as those we experienced in Egypt, but you need to make sure you don't get yourself into a situation where someone could take advantage of you. The horse ride back to the entrance shouldn't cost you more than 5JD at most! Stand your ground, and don't let them coax you into believing that you have to tip them on top of that! In conclusion, be prepared for the heat...wear a hat, and wear comfortable clothes. Consider this adventure like a hike, and don't have expectations of 5star transportation to the foot of a Wonder of the World, and you'll have a magnificent experience. I'm so glad I was able to behold this amazing sight!

I spent two days at Petra. Bottom line: it is a lot of work going there, and there are only the ruins to see. And I did not find them particularly interesting.

First pain in the neck: Israeli customs. I got there shortly after the border crossing was open, and the tour operators had already brought hundreds of tourits. 40 minute wait.

Second PAIN in the neck: Jordan customs. These guys just take it easy. 90 minute to get out of there.

Third: get creamed by the taxy. It costs around 80 USD to get to Petra. Luckyly, I had met two other people. Traveling alone would have been a pain. And the taxi driver wanted me to go to his hotel of choice, until I screamed him to stop af the hotel I had booked.

This was the Movenpick Nabatean castle. Beatiful hotel, and a great view of the stunning desert mountains. But it is removed from the ruins, which is not convenient. In retropect, I would pick an inexpensive hotel in town. And you know: the receptionist wanted to sell us our taxi back, and stopped being friendly when we declined.

More hassle? Jordanians don't take dollars or euros. And they don't take credit cards. So you are forced to exchange cash. The exchange was fair, but don't forget to bring extra dollars. My two travel partners found out the exchange office did not accept $100 bills. Luckily I had just enough extra cash on me.

Going into the ruins, the locals show off their beautiful horses. But there are lots of carts carrying tourists, and pushing aside the tourists they don't carry. There were tons of people -so much for the bucolic feeling. And we barely scaped the disembarkment of tourist battalions from a cruise ship.

The gorge which leads to the Treasury is really impressive, so tall and narrow. And then the Treasury itself comes up, a sight to behold. You wonder what led these people to build this place.

And that is it, pretty much.

The rock is soft sandstone. The Treasury is beautifully restored, but most of the ruins are worn out. Lots of archaeological interest, but hardly something amazing.

The best part was the climb to the Monastery. It is long, but worth it. You enjoy the views of the valley and the building itself, which is quite interesting, although not nearly as impressive as the Treasury.

It takes about two hours -non stop at a fast pace- to get from the entrance to the Monastery, and ninety minutes back. Plan accordingly. I was there late January and it was hot. I cannot image was must be like in summer.

Lots of people selling things. They are polite, and not terribly insistent if you dismiss them. There were little girls selling rocks -yes, vulgar stones from the ground- for a buck. You know what? Female tourists bought them -the kids were irressistibly cute.

And even these girls spoke English. Everybody spoke decent English -something to be said for the British Empire heritage.

Coming back, my travel partner -which was used to haggle- negotiated a $50 ride back. We arrived early to the border crossing, so we could avoid the crowds and made it into Israel quickly.

Petra was amazing! The entire area is so naturally beautiful! I'm not sure the route, but we drove down the mountainous road that leads into the town Petra (maybe the only way in?). Suddenly we turned a corner and BOOM! the entire town and the surrounding geology was laid out before us in a huge, beautiful panorama.

There's so much to say, but I'll keep it simple. Here are my recommendations.

** We went in December and it got very cold! Take some warm clothes. It's better to have to peel off clothing and carry it, then regret not taking anything warm **

If you are adventurous and bring literature with you, rent the horses and ride in on your own. We were shy. Didn't know if we could ride, even though the Bedouins were giving us every opportunity to try it. I regret not getting a horse. If you aren't quite that adventurous, rent one of the buggies.

If you don't do that, I definitely recommend a guide. They speak wonderful English (other languages, too) and are very knowledgeable. Again, if you walk, get a guide.

Once you get to the Treasury, get a camel and ride it. Set your mind now, because when you get there, there may be a lot of people going back and forth on whether they should or not. Just jump in and say, "I'll take that one." You can ride camels in other parts of Jordan, too, but ride one in Petra. :)

After the Treasury and riding a camel to wherever you ride to, get a donkey and ride to the Monastery...I didn't go to the place of high sacrifice, but honestly, I don't really regret it. You see so much, that it's pretty breathtaking- missing one or two won't kill you. The donkey is fun to ride once you get used to it and saves a lot of muscle aches going up to the Monastery. Once in a lifetime. They are so surefooted. I am 250lbs and my donkey (poor guy) was a champ.

Talk with the Bedouins. They are amazing and have a LOT of knowledge about the area. Some of their knowledge of the area has been passed down orally and is simply amazing. Our guide showed us the cave where he was born and lived.

Be adventurous. Don't be afraid to jump on a camel, horse, or donkey. Don't be afraid to ask questions! And ABSOLUTELY negotiate. Don't be a jerk, but DO NOT pay the original price for anything. I don't say that to be rude- I make enough money that I can pay the first price they give, but there is some joy to haggling with them that, if you do it right, can really make good memories and leave them with a better impression of the mass of tourists trapsing through their home.

My oh my! In November 2004 I took an excursion from Sharm El Sheikh to Petra and all I can say is Awesome, so in Decemeber 2007 when my wife, my two daughters (aged 4 & 1) and myself embarked on the Thomson Celebration cruise ship around the Red Sea, a family visit to Petra was a must. Petra is a mixture of buildings and rock hewn structures. There are lots of interesting structures and shrines on the way down the Siq, which is the gorge or canyon that leads to Petra the city of the Nabateans. When you reach the end of the Siq you are confronted by the Treasury of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade fame. The way it emerges as you reach the end of the Siq is still amazing for me 2nd time around. The Treasury is hewn from the rock and stands 40m tall. From the Treasury you then continue down into the valley where you see Rooms, Royal Tombs, an Ampitheatre and eventually reach a couple of Temples. Most guided tours takes you to the temples and finish there. You are then left to your own devices to make your way back usually having been given a coach departure time. However, even with all that has been seen there is still one structure that is missed. The Monastery or Al Deir, is bigger than the Treasury but requires you to climb up into the mountains to see. My 4 year old daughter had had enough at the temples so my wife returned back to the start with her. Meanwhile with my 1 year old on my back we took the path that led to Al Deir. According to all the guide books this walk should take an hour and requires climbing about 800 steps throughout the path. I did it in half that. The emergance of the Treasury is one thing but well what can I say. You emerge through an opening in the rock to be confronted by a big open space, a shack selling snacks, rooms carved in the surrounding mountains, but it's not until you look to your right on the wall that you have just emerged, that wow! As with all the rock structures which are hewn from the bed rock, Al Deir is truly Awesome! It's 50m wide and 45m tall. I'd seen a picture of the Treasury and Monastery in a copy of National Geographic many years ago in My hairdressers and always wanted to visit, and am now glad that I have been able to visit and see both structures.
For anyone wishing to visit Petra you will need stout shoes, walking boots or trainers as there is a lot of walking involved.To see everything on a standard tour you go on a downhill journey, you need to remember the return journey is therefore uphill, a gradual incline but uphill none the less. Take plenty of water, and lunch if a meal isn't included in your tour, sun cream, sun glasses, and a hat. If visiting during their winter a sweater would be advisable. This could be left on the coach if not needed. The first time I visited there was a chilly wind but not so this time. If you have the time the trek to Al Deir (the Monastery) is worth it. Enjoy!