A First Timer's Glimpse at the Petra Complex in Jordan 🇯🇴

It would be criminal to visit Jordan and not venture down to Petra. Known for being one of the most recognizable "New Wonders of the World", the Petra complex is a stunning reminder of what once was in modern-day Jordan, not unlike the country's capital, Amman.

I stayed at the Movenpick Petra hotel thanks to Accor points. I can't recommend this place enough. You're literally across the street from Petra and can easily walk anywhere you'd need to be.

The walk in Petra is by no means long, but it's not short. If I remember correctly, it's about a 20+ minute walk to the Treasury from the entrace. Definitely some auxiliary side trails you can do, as well as plenty of beautiful scenery to look at on the way.

The most famous part of Petra, known as the Treasury, is below. I think most people typically consider this "Petra", while it's really just a small part. The walk through the canyons to see the Treasury for the first time is absolutely amazing. I had a 2-day pass for Petra and arrived in the evening on my first day. I decided to still make the trek to the Treasury as it's really the first stop in the much larger Petra complex. The Treasury is definitely worth experiencing twice.

As I said, I visited the Treasury twice. First, in the evening, and there were way fewer people than I thought. Figured the complex as a whole would be packed the next day when I started in the morning. Was a little surprised that that still wasn't the case. I thought a place as popular as Petra could be relatively insulated from the effects of the war in Palestine, but it wasn't. Such a small number of visitors, even in beautiful weather.

Turning around the treasury you'll see more ruins. I'm not going to pretend to remember what purpose these served, but since the adjacent Treasury was a bank, I'd assume something fiscal or at the very least a marketplace, which now that I think about it, sounds about right.

After the short walk around the Treasury and its adjacent structures is really where the Petra complex starts to open up. You really begin to get the sense you're in an old city when you see the Palace Tombs.

There's a lot to see in this section of Petra. A few different paths you can hike up as well. I knew the hike up to the Monastery was tough, so I opted to give the tombs section a more cursory look. You can see most of what they offer without doing the full hikes up.

The Roman coliseum in Amman was fascinating to me, and the one here in Petra was no exception. While not as big as the arena in Amman, still interesting to imagine the things that used to happen here.

I had a goal that most able-bodied people have on their main day in Petra, get up to the Monastery. Located in the northwest corner of the Petra complex, the Monastery is perhaps the largest and most fascinating part of Petra.

The hike up to the monastery is strenuous, but a must-do if you're able. You'll pass more of ancient Petra on the way there, including Qasr al-Bint temple. I believe this is one of the oldest standing structures in Petra. Something about the way it was built has kept its structure upright.

The reveal of the Monastery when you finally reach the top is both cathartic and overall stunning. Again, it's by no means easy or close to the entrance, but in my opinion, the hike up to the Monastery is an absolute must.

I'm glad something like the Treasury is so close to Petra's entrance so people of all age and ability get to experience it, but if you're able, the Monastery is even more impressive in my opinion.

I really do feel lucky to have experienced Petra, and really Jordan as a whole. It's a shame that the Israeli government acts the way they do and I hope that the Jordanian people continue to reap the benefits of tourism in the future. If you have the opportunity, go see not just Petra, but Jordan as a whole.

BONUS: The King's Highway drive back to AMM

I drove the quick and popular route south from Amman when I headed to Petra. Nothing spectacular, just mostly desert. There is a longer, more scenic route that is longer but runs on the west side of Jordan called the King's Highway (Hwy 35), which is much more geographically diverse. Highly recommend this route at least one way between Amman and southern Jordan.

I stopped at Kerak Castle on the way up. It seemed like a nice spot to check out on the way, and it was, but the castle and surrounding town were just completely devoid of tourists, it was sad, honestly. I was the only person I saw there the entire time.

I want to go back to Jordan. It's a fascinating place with great people, and a middle eastern culture uniquely it's own. I think sadly the adjacent wars are just scaring people away. I never felt unsafe the entire time, and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone thinking about visiting in the future.