Petra is an add-on, and it is the add-on people are gladdest they paid for. The walk in through the Siq — a narrow canyon that opens without warning onto the Treasury — is the kind of thing that stops a group talking mid-sentence. There is not much of that left in the world.
It is not a light detour. A border crossing and two long driving days are the real cost, and a group with limited time or limited mobility should weigh that honestly. For everyone else it is the day they will still be describing at home a year later.
Highlights
- The Siq — a narrow canyon walk into the city
- The Treasury, Petra’s famous facade
- The Monastery, a steeper hike with a smaller crowd
- Wadi Rum’s desert landscape, often paired nearby
Best time to go: Spring and autumn; the desert heat is brutal in summer.
