Three days is enough to see the best of Petra and sleep under the desert stars, provided you plan the order sensibly and accept that you cannot see everything. This itinerary assumes you start in Wadi Musa, the town at Petra’s gate, having arrived from Amman or Aqaba the evening before.
Before you go
Sort out your tickets first. The Jordan Pass bundles Petra entry with Wadi Rum and many other sites, and it is usually worth buying before you fly if you are staying a few nights. Book your Wadi Rum camp ahead, especially if you want a dome tent, and check the opening hours for Petra for the season, since they change between winter and summer. Wear sturdy shoes, because you will walk many kilometres on uneven stone, and carry water and sun protection every day.
Day one: the classic Petra
Be at the gate when it opens. Walk the Siq, the narrow gorge that leads to the Treasury, while the light is soft and the crowds are thin. Spend time in front of the facade, then continue down the Street of Facades to the theatre and the Royal Tombs, and on along the colonnaded street. Have lunch near the Basin restaurant area, then climb the High Place of Sacrifice trail in the afternoon, which gives you a view over the valley and a gentle descent through the Wadi Farasa side of the city. Walk back out slowly, since the final stretch is uphill. If you still have energy in the evening, Petra by Night is a quiet, candlelit walk to the Treasury on selected evenings, and it makes a memorable end to the day. Check which nights it runs before you plan.
Day two: the Monastery and Little Petra
Start early again and head for the Monastery, Ad-Deir, which is reached by a long rock-cut stairway of roughly eight hundred steps. It is bigger than the Treasury and often much quieter, and the climb is the whole experience, so go in the cool of the morning. Rest at the top with a glass of tea, then take the time to walk to the viewpoints beyond the building. In the afternoon, either walk back through the site or, if you have a second ticket day, take a car to Little Petra, about fifteen minutes north. This free site is a smaller version of the main city, with a quiet, narrow canyon, carved rooms and, in one chamber, a rare painted Nabataean ceiling. If your legs are tired, shorten the day and treat yourself to the spa or pool at your hotel. Those with more energy can arrange a back trail hike from Little Petra to the Monastery with a guide, an adventurous alternative to the main route.
Day three: to the desert
Leave Wadi Musa in the morning and drive about two hours to Wadi Rum. Many camps and tour operators can arrange a transfer. Arrive around lunchtime, meet your Bedouin guide at the village and set out in a 4x4 for a half-day tour, stopping at rock bridges, canyons and dunes, and finishing at a sunset viewpoint. Back at the camp, you will have a Bedouin dinner, often cooked underground in a zarb oven, followed by tea around a fire and a sky full of stars. If you want more, add a stargazing session with a guide and a telescope, or a sunrise balloon flight the following morning if the weather allows.
Adjusting the plan
If you only have two days, combine the first two days into one long Petra day and spend the second in Wadi Rum. If you have four days, add a second night in the desert or a night in Aqaba to finish with some time on the Red Sea. Travelling in the heat of summer, shift your walking to the early morning and late afternoon and rest at midday. In winter, nights are cold in both Petra and the desert, so pack warm layers.
Practical notes
Cash in Jordanian dinars is useful for tips, tea stalls and taxis. Dress modestly in towns, and wear a hat and sunglasses at the sites. Licensed guides are available at the visitor centre and are worth hiring for your first morning, when the context makes the carvings much more meaningful. Do not feel you have to ride the donkeys on the steep stairways, since walking is kinder to the animals and often easier than it looks. Finally, leave a little slack in the plan. Petra rewards lingering, and some of the best moments come when you sit on a rock with a cup of tea and simply look.
