Petra - Jordan - page 334

The Ancient City
The ancient city of Petra is strewn over a vast area of mountains and wadis, but there's
just the one main access point. Be careful not to underestimate the amount of time it takes
to walk between sights, nor the uphill return journey when you're tired. See the boxed text
( Click here ) for details of walking times.
Petra is open every day unless it rains heavily - rare but disappointing occasions if you
only allow one day for your visit in winter. Sturdy footwear, a hat, sunscreen and water
are essential at any time of year and a warm coat is needed in winter. Take spare batteries
and memory cards with you as supplies are limited beyond the Siq.
Start your visit to Petra at the visitor centre plaza in Wadi Musa, across from the
Mövenpick Hotel. This is where you can buy tickets, get leaflets and a map, and use the
toilets (although there are now several sets of loos inside the ancient city).
FINDING YOUR OWN PACE IN PETRA
Instead of trying to tick off all the top spots (the quickest way to 'monument fatigue'), make Petra your own by
sparing time to amble among unnamed tombs, have a picnic in the shade of a flowering oleander or sip tea at a stall
on the valley floor and watch everyone else toiling to 'see it all'.
The following suggestions combine some of the obvious highlights with some off-the-beaten-track exploration.
See the boxed text ( Click here ) for tips about distances and best times to visit.
» » Half Day (five hours) Amble through the Siq, absorbing its special atmosphere and savouring the moment of
revelation at the Treasury. Resist the temptation to head for the Theatre; instead, climb the steps to the High Place of
Sacrifice. Pause for tea by the Obelisk and take the path into Wadi Farasa, enjoying wildflowers and the Garden
Tomb en route. The path reaches the Colonnaded Street via a paintbox of rock formations. If there's time remaining,
visit the Royal Tombs then return to the valley floor for a chat with Bedouin stallholders and a hunt for the perfect
sand bottle.
» » One Day (eight hours) Spend the morning completing the half-day itinerary, but pack a picnic. After visiting the
Royal Tombs, walk along to Qasr al-Bint and hike along the broad wadi that leads to Jebel Haroun as far as Snake
Monument - an ideal perch for a snack and a snooze. Return to Qasr al-Bint and slip into the nearby Nabataean Mu-
seum to find out more about the snake you shared lunch with. Save some energy for the climb to the Monastery, a
fitting finale for any visit to Petra.
» » Two Days Spend a second day scrambling through exciting Wadi Muthlim and restore your energies over a bar-
becue in the Basin Restaurant. Walk off lunch exploring the hidden beauty of Wadi Siyagh with its pools of water
before strolling back along the Street of Facades. Sit near the Theatre to watch the sun go down on the Royal Tombs
opposite - the best spectacle in Petra.