Petra is the main attraction of Jordan. You may not know where this country is, may know nothing about other sights, but you have definitely seen Petra on photos and in movies.
Here famous movies Indiana Jones and Transformers 2 were filmed. After the first one Petra became world famous.
What is Petra? It is an ancient city that had developed through the land trade. It is often referred to as "the Nabatean city". Nabateans are the local residents who had lived here from II century BC to 106 AD, until their state and capital Petra were annexed to the Roman Empire.
The main attractions of Petra, in addition to the Treasury and the canyon are tombs cut in the rock. They are also impressive and some of them have gigantic proportions.
When visiting Petra it is important to understand that its territory is huge. Not surprisingly, the tickets are sold for 1, 2 or even 3 days. By the way, they are quite expensive, the price starts from $70. And for those who come for a tour from Egypt or Israel even from $100 (if there's no overnight stay in Jordan).
Decide in advance how much time you want to spend in Petra. We were there for about 4 hours and walked for about 10 kilometers, half in the Siq canyon and another half under the sun. If you plan to see all beauty of Petra, it makes sense to spend the night in Wadi Musa and visit it early in the morning (cash desks work from 6 am) or in the evening at sunset. Our route was standard.
We got to the Basin restaurant and then turned back. If you have enough strength, you can continue to the Ad Deir monastery (in the upper left corner on the map). This is the second most important place in Petra after the Treasury. But note that you need to pass over 1000 steps.
Near the tourist center you will see a lot of guides. We didn't plan to hire a guide, and I think we did the right thing. Judging by what we've seen, the main task of the guide was to run as fast as possible along its route and return to the next customer.
"Donkey taxis" can be found throughout the entire area of Petra. For 3-5-10 dinars they will take you wherever you want. We certainly did not even think of tormenting the poor animal.
Getting there: People usually get to Petra (Wadi Musa) from three locations: Amman, Aqaba and Wadi Rum. There is no public transport to Petra from the Dead Sea, only taxis or tours.
Travel agencies such as JETT or Alpha Daily Tours organize daily trips from Amman. Here is, for example, the bus schedule of JETT. From Amman (Abdali) the bus goes to Petra at 6:30 am. I think this is the best option. Taxi from Amman there and back starts from $130 and maybe more. One-way taxi from Amman will cost $70-80.
In Aqaba buses that go to Petra can be found around the central square. However, the main problem is that they don't go regularly and you should wait until they are full. A taxi costs $40-50 one way and $60-70 there and back.
The same situation is in Wadi Rum, there is no regular connection. Prices are the same as from Aqaba.
Be careful at the bus station as taxi drivers and cashiers can say, for example, that the bus will not go and you have to take a taxi. Always ask several people, for example, guards and drivers of other buses. It would be nice to browse the net for actual ticket prices for your trip, as the cashiers can sell tickets at a higher price. A ticket for a regular bus Amman - Petra (Wadi Musa) or back should not cost more than $12.
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