City guide

Petra

JordanRegion

Petra is a city in Jordan — browse events, places and travel essentials. It's home to around 17,083 people.

What's on in Petra Plan your trip

Photo: Luca Nebuloni / CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

About Petra

Petra is a city in Jordan — browse events, places and travel essentials. It's home to around 17,083 people.

Country: JordanPopulation: 17,083Time zone: UTC+3

PetraSee what's on

Top things to do in Petra

The most popular sights, with 2026 entrance fees. Prices are adult admission — cheapest at the gate. Many of the best things are free.

Attraction	Entrance	Time	Why go
Petra Archaeological Park & The Siq	JOD 50	Full day (6-8 hours) for a first visit, 2-3 days to see it properly	The single admission that unlocks the whole Nabataean city; the visit begins by walking the 1.2km Siq, a narrow, twisting sandstone canyon that is itself one of the most dramatic approaches to any ancient site in the world.
The Treasury (Al-Khazneh)	Included	20-30 minutes at the viewpoint, longer if queuing for the camel/viewpoint photo	Petra's iconic 40m-high tomb facade carved directly into rose-coloured rock, revealed dramatically at the end of the Siq; it is the most photographed monument in Jordan and the mandatory first stop for every visitor.
The Monastery (Ad Deir)	Included	2-3 hours round trip including the climb	An even larger rock-cut facade than the Treasury (about 50m wide), reached via an 800-step uphill trail from the Petra basin; far fewer visitors make the climb, so it feels much more remote and rewarding.
The Royal Tombs	Included	1-1.5 hours	A cluster of monumental facades cut into the cliff face on the eastern side of the Petra basin — the Urn Tomb, Silk Tomb, Corinthian Tomb and Palace Tomb — showcasing the scale of Nabataean royal burial architecture in one sweep.
High Place of Sacrifice	Included	2-3 hours round trip	A Nabataean sacrificial altar carved atop a mountain (Jabal Madbah), reached by a steep stone staircase; the payoff is one of the best panoramic views over central Petra, including a rooftop view down onto the Royal Tombs.
Street of Facades & Roman Theatre	Included	30-45 minutes	A row of large multi-storey Nabataean tomb facades lining the path just past the Treasury, followed by a 3,000-seat theatre the Nabataeans carved into the hillside (later enlarged by the Romans) — one of the few theatres cut from solid rock anywhere in the world.
Petra by Night	JOD 30	2 hours	An evening walk through the Siq to the Treasury lit by roughly 1,500 candles, ending with traditional Bedouin music; a widely-sold add-on experience distinct from daytime entry, running three evenings a week.
Petra Museum	Included	30-45 minutes	A modern museum near the main visitor center displaying artefacts excavated from the site — Nabataean carvings, pottery, coins and tomb finds — good context to see either before entering the Siq or on the way out.
Little Petra (Siq al-Barid)	Free	1-1.5 hours	A miniature version of Petra about 8km north near the village of Umm Sayhoun — a narrow canyon lined with smaller Nabataean facades and carved rooms, believed to have been a suburb or caravan trading post; far quieter than the main site.