Petra Tour: Luxury Hotels and the Rose-Red City

Spring and autumn are perfect for walking. Summer days are hot, so start at opening time, around 6 a.m., and rest in the afternoon. Winter is cool and quiet, with crisp, clear days and the occasional rainstorm. Petra sits at about 3,000 feet, so evenings can be cold.

Royal Jordanian flies nonstop to Queen Alia International Airport (AMM) from New York JFK, Chicago, Detroit, Washington Dulles and, since May 2026, Dallas Fort Worth, in roughly 11 to 13 hours. Gulf and European carriers add one-stop options from almost every US city. From Amman it is about three hours by the Desert Highway, or longer by the scenic Kings' Highway. Aqaba's airport, two hours south, works well for those combining Petra with the Red Sea, and helicopter transfers can be arranged; see helicopter transfers.

Hire a licensed private guide for the first morning: they bring the stones to life and know the quieter trails. Walk the Siq early, before the tour groups arrive, then continue to the Monastery in the late morning. On a second day, take the High Place of Sacrifice trail for views over the whole city, or the back trail from Little Petra, which arrives at the Monastery from above. Petra by Night, when the Siq and Treasury are lit by candles, runs several evenings a week.

Horses, carriages and donkeys are offered at various points, though walking is the best way to see it. Pack good shoes, a hat and plenty of water. Our pages on UNESCO World Heritage sites and Bedouin heritage add background.

Little Petra, or Siq al-Barid, is a smaller Nabataean site 15 minutes north. The Dana Biosphere Reserve and its ecolodges are about an hour away. Most travelers continue south to the desert of Wadi Rum, 90 minutes away, and then to the Red Sea at Aqaba. See also our page on desert camps and lodges.