Fun & Adventure

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FUN & ADVENTURE

The entire area around the site of Petra offers dramatic and varied landscapes. The canyons and high places are a maze of wind-sculptured rocks, tiny meandering tracks and secluded valleys, where the only sound is the tinkling of goat bells or the reedy notes of a shepherd’s flute. It is, in effect, an adventurer’s playground. This is a great place for walking, trekking, horseback riding and off-road cycling.

Although some activities are not permitted within the site itself, there are plenty of really great locations in the area. If you’ve explored all there is to see in Petra itself and you still have energy for more, head down the wadi to Little Petra. It may not be as quite as monumental as the main site but it was an important suburb of Petra and there is still much to see here.

Petra by Night

Petra by Night.

To visit Petra during daylight is awe-inspiring; to experience it at night by the light of 1,800 candles is truly out-of-this-world! Walk through the Siq to the Khazneh following a candle-lit path and enjoy the haunting music of the Bedouins at the Treasury. Tours start at 8.30pm and finish at 10.00pm every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Tickets can be purchased from the Petra Site Office at the entrance to the site. Allow yourself plenty of time to walk through the Siq - you don't want to miss the show!

Trekking

Aaron's Tomb, the highest point in Petra.

If you have the time and the energy to face the inclination, climb up to the shrine of the prophet Aaron, 1,350m (4,429 ft.) above sea level. It is the highest point in Petra, and you will be rewarded by spectacular views of the entire region. The climb takes about 2-3 hours, so be sure to wear a good pair of walking shoes and take plenty of water.

The Ammarin Bedouin Camp

If you want an alternative to the ordinary, spend a night at the Ammarin Bedouin Camp. The Ammarin are a local tribe that settled near Petra, in Beidha, during the early 19^th century. With an objective to nurture the local Bedouin culture while raising awareness on the surrounding environment, the Ammarin Bedouin Camp promises to be a magnificent experience filled with entertainment that includes authentic Bedouin music, dance, and delicious local cuisine.

A musician at the Ammarin Bedouin Camp.

The tents are furnished with Bedouin-style mattresses and rugs to accommodate guests, while the campsite itself has a large common area that can host up to 350 guests and has modern facilities such as showers with running hot water housed in a Bedouin tent.

Visitors to the Ammarin Bedouin Camp are constantly reminded by their surroundings of the rich and magical history of the lost city of Petra. Whether you fancy a day of hiking and trekking or an afternoon of camel riding throughout Beidha and Petra, the Ammarin Bedouin Camp is well worth a stopover.

For more information please contact Ammarin Bedouin Camp at + 962-79-566-7771 or visit their website at www.BedouinCamp.net

Accommodation

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Entrance Fees

The Treasury at Petra was used in the final sequence of the film, "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."

The Petra by Night tour, which begins at the Petra Visitors' Centre at around 8:30 p.m.(1630 GMT) on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, takes visitors through the Siq to the Khazneh along a candle-lit path leading to the centre of the historic city. Enjoy the haunting music of the Bedouins at the Treasury.

Petra is sometimes called the ‘Lost City’. In spite of its being such an important city in antiquity, after the 14^th century AD, Petra was completely lost to the western world. It was rediscovered in 1812 by the Swiss traveller, Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, who tricked his way into the fiercely guarded site by pretending to be an Arab from India wishing to make a sacrifice at the tomb of the Prophet Aaron.

In 1985, Petra was officially listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

For more about UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Jordan, Click here >>