Your free audio walking tour of the rose-red Nabataean city, custom-built around your pace, your day-pass and your taste for stairs. Tell us a story, theme, or vibe and your tour is ready in 30 seconds. Works offline, 9 voiced languages, 30 free minutes on signup.
Siq, Treasury, Street of Facades, Royal Tombs, Colonnaded Street, Monastery if you have legs.
1.2 km of slot canyon, then Al-Khazneh emerges from the rock. The most famous walk in archaeology.
Ad-Deir. 800 rock-cut stairs up, 50m-tall facade waiting. Half-day from the centre.
Urn, Silk, Corinthian and Palace tombs. The colour-banded sandstone glows at sunset.
Cliff-top Nabataean altar. The other big climb. Quiet, panoramic, often empty.
Mon/Wed/Thu evenings. 1,500 candles light the Siq. Bedouin musicians at the Treasury.
The dam, the cisterns, the channels. How a desert city ran on rainfall water.
Siq al-Barid, 8 km north. Smaller, free, and the trailhead for the backdoor route to the Monastery.
The Bdoul tribe who lived in the tombs until 1985, and the cafés and stalls they run today.
Spielberg shot the Last Crusade finale here in 1989. Walk in Indy's footsteps.
Type a theme, an angle, a question - we'll build the walk in 30 seconds.
Local knowledge
The things you only learn after you've walked it.
01
The site opens at 06:00 and the Siq is empty for the first 90 minutes. The light is soft pink, the air is cool, the donkey handlers are still drinking coffee. By 09:00 it's busloads from Aqaba and Amman. The first hour you have is the best hour you'll get.
02
jordanpass.jo. 70-80 JOD bundles the entry visa (40 JOD on its own), Petra (50 JOD/day), and 40+ other sites including Wadi Rum, Jerash, and the Citadel. You must buy it before arrival in Jordan to get the visa waiver. It's almost always the better deal.
03
Day 1: Siq, Treasury, the centre, Royal Tombs. Day 2: Monastery in the morning (cool, empty), High Place of Sacrifice in the afternoon. The Jordan Pass covers a two-day visit for 5 extra JOD. One-day-only visitors all complain about the same thing: not enough time for the climbs.
04
The animal welfare at the famous photo spots is poor. The horse from the gate to the Siq entrance is officially included in your ticket (tip the handler 5 JOD). For longer rides, choose a quieter operator deeper inside the site. Better still: walk.
05
The "back door route" starts at Little Petra and descends 5 km through Wadi al-Mu'aysra to arrive at the Monastery from above. A licensed guide is required (~$50). Much quieter, dramatic descent. Plan to exit Petra through the front the same day.
06
The Basin Restaurant is the only sit-down option inside Petra - reasonable buffet, near the Colonnaded Street. The Bedouin tea stalls along the way sell mint tea and grilled flatbreads for a few dinars. Cheaper, better, and they fund the families who live here.
How it works
Three things, in 30 seconds.
01
Any tomb, theme, or vibe. "Monastery climb", "Petra by Night", "Nabataean engineering". iWander writes you the walk in 30 seconds.
02
The Nabataean caravans, the Roman annexation, the rediscovery by Burckhardt in 1812, the Bdoul Bedouin. Stories whispered as you cross the canyon.
03
What's carved here? Why pink stone? How did they get water? Point your camera, ask out loud, or type. Your guide answers in seconds.
Works offline · 9 voiced languages · 30 free minutes on signup
How to visit
Tickets, timings, transport - the practical stuff most pages bury.
TICKETS
One-day 50 JOD, two-day 55 JOD, three-day 60 JOD if you're sleeping at least one night in Jordan. Day-trippers from Israel or Egypt pay 90 JOD. Free under-15. Buy the Jordan Pass (70-80 JOD) before arrival to bundle the visa waiver + 40+ sites.
HOURS
Open daily. Last entry is at the closing time, but you'll need 2 hours from the gate to walk the Siq, see the Treasury, and walk back. Plan to be at the gate at 06:00 for the empty Siq, or 14:00 for the warm sandstone glow.
GETTING THERE
The Desert Highway from Amman is fastest. The King's Highway via Madaba, Mt Nebo and Kerak is longer but scenic. From Aqaba (Red Sea) or Wadi Rum, 2 hours by taxi/bus. JETT bus from Amman Abdali is the cheapest scheduled service: 12 JOD, daily.
BY NIGHT
Petra by Night runs three evenings a week. 90 minutes - a candlelit walk through the Siq to the Treasury, where Bedouin musicians play and tea is served. Buy the ticket at the Visitor Centre the morning of - it sells out same-day in summer.
SHOES
The Siq is gravel and uneven. The Monastery climb is 800 stone stairs, polished smooth in places. Trail runners or hiking shoes; sandals are a liability. Bring a hat, sunscreen, and 2 litres of water. Cash for the Bedouin stalls and for tea.
BUNDLE
Petra + Wadi Rum is the classic two-stop Jordan trip. Wadi Rum is 1.5-2 hours south. Spend a night in a Bedouin desert camp under the stars, then drive on to Aqaba (Red Sea, 1 hr) or fly out of Amman (4 hrs).
Questions
Practical info
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Updated 18 May 2026 by the iWander local team · Curated for accuracy