2 Days in Jordan: Beyond The Treasury at Petra

Get off the couch and spend the weekend hiking around the Middle East!

The details: Cross the border from Israel into Jordan at Wadi Araba / Yitzhak Rabin border.

This is the southern border, shared between the Israeli city of Eilat and the Jordanian city of Aqaba. Here, you will get a Visa and an Independent Travelers’ Entry Manifest through South Wadi Araba Border Crossing, which you need to keep upon your departure. Hang on to that document!. You may be asked for it during your stay in Jordan.

Arrange for transportation from the border (cab or private driver) and make your way to Wadi Rum in about an hour. There is a Visitors Center at Rum Village where you can book a jeep tour or camel ride. We opted for the jeep tour, which takes about 4 hours. Seeing Wadi Rum from the back of a beat up pick up truck is a surreal experience! And kind of bumpy…

Touring through Wadi Rum

There are several different ways to see Wadi Rum- whether it be by jeep touring, camel riding or hiking. Whatever your preferred method of transport, make sure to hire a local guide. This will make the best use of your time and allow you to see the best sights in the vast 300 square miles of desert. Clarify what you would like to see- as this will likely cost a few extra bucks, so be sure to negotiate the terms. A few cool sights to check out while cruising around:

Khazali Canyon is a long, narrow canyon with an impressive collection or ancient petroglyphs and inscriptions on the rock walls. You can walk through the first 100 yards- but need climbing equipment if you want to go farther.

Entrance to Khazali Canyon

Inside the Canyon walls

UmFruth Rock Bridge is a cool archway which stands almost 50 feet high! Its an Insta- worthy photo stop, thats for sure!

Pillars of Wisdom (backside) made famous in the book by T.E Lawrence

Watching the sun set, really from any vantage point, at Wadi Rum, is peaceful and beautiful. Perch yourself on a giant rock and take in all that mother nature has to offer…without all the tourists to spoil your moment of zen…

Overnight in Wadi Rum

I would absolutely spend the night in Wadi Rum! You can throw down a sleeping bag and sleep under the stars, or opt for glamping in a bedouin-style tent. The options vary in terms of quality and cleanliness- so do your research! There are private accommodations as well as tents that sleep up to 6 people. The bathrooms are communal (western-style and modern) and dining is with a group as well. After dinner with the group everyone sat around a fire and had tea. It was a great night!

As you can see, there is electricity in the tent so you can charge your cell phones! I would bring a headlamp to use if you have to go to the restroom at night. It can get pretty dark in the middle of the desert!

Another interesting option is the Wadi Rum Night Camp. This is a serious luxury experience with beautiful furniture in lavish tents, cozy bed linens, but shared bathrooms still! This campsite offers the “Full of Stars Hotel”- domed bubble tents made partially of transparent plastic. Talk about a cool star=gazing experience!

Petra

It takes approximately 1 hour 45 minutes to drive from Wadi Rum Visitors Center to Petra. You will head through the town of Wadi Musa, where there are loads of accommodations based upon your budget. The closest one to the entrance is the Petra Guest House. There is also a five-star hotel called Movenpick Resort just across the street.

Tickets for Petra vary based upon how long you are staying in the country. (They ding you if you just drive in for the day at about $70.) two and three day tickets are less expensive IF you are staying in Jordan. It is more expensive if you do not stay overnight in Jordan! You will pay even more if you head to Petra on the day you arrive in the country and leave the same day. Jeez! Just do what works for your time and budget. The costs can get very confusing. One bright note: kids under 15 get in free! They accept cash and credit at the Visitors Center ticket office.

Be prepared to walk quite a bit once you arrive inside the park. Wear comfortable shoes! There is loads of hiking here- so come prepared if you want a super cool experience away from the madness of the Treasury.

You can ride a camel, donkey or a horse drawn carriage to the Treasury, the main sight of the park. I was totally annoyed by this service as the animals were sliding all over the place on the downhill run over rock. Opt for the 15 minute walk through the canyon- but watch out for the damn carriages! They come flying downhill through hoards of people. My Pepper had to block me from getting plowed over!

Besides good walking/hiking shoes- bring plenty of water. You can buy bottled water throughout the park at souvenir stalls- but you may end up in the middle of nowhere if you hike one of the many trails in the park. You can’t say I didn’t warn you!

Head through the Siq via a narrow gorge. The Treasury is definitely the most crowded attraction at the park so get there early if you can. Otherwise you will have a fabulous Insta shot with 500 of your closest friends!

Hike above the Treasury via the Al Khubtha Trail to the right of the monument. You can catch a good view and a nice picture to get away from the crowds.

Hiking in Petra

There are loads of trails in Petra to hike! All are exposed to the elements, so come prepared with good hiking shoes, water, snacks, a hat and sunscreen. It gets hot out there! Walk past the Treasury, say goodbye to all the tourists, and make your way along the Street of Facades. You will pass the Nabatean Theater which is quite a sight to see!

We then went off trail and hiked above the Siq. We got a great view of the Urn Tomb from this vantage point of the theater side of the Siq.

Hike across past the Tomb of Unayshu, and look for a trail on the right going up the mountain. This is the trailhead for Wadi Farasa, which leads to the highest point in Petra- the High Place of Sacrifice. You will see tombs and the Lion Fountain along the way.

From the High Place of Sacrifice look for The Monastery Trail, one of the most impressive hikes to take. It follows a path past the restaurant, towards a valley. Hike up stone steps for what seems like FOREVER, and arrive at the Monastery, the second best site in Petra next to the Treasury! Grab a seat at the cafe and take in the view…Head up behind the monastery to get away from the crowds. Backtrack to the Main Trail west of the rest stop near the Monastery It should take about 90 minutes from here to get back to the Visitors Center.

What a great hiking day! Reward yourself with a few cool options after your hike…

Thirsty? Take a break! Check out the Movenpick Hotel and its Arabian- style bar or the Cave Bar at the Petra House. It is in a 2000 year old tomb that was turned into a bar! Bottoms up!