The Ancient Charms of Petra Jordan
And I’m officially off on Round the World #5! First stop, Jordan.
After 2 last-minute flight changes, I was lucky to escape Atlanta before the snow started to fall. My Delta flight from JFK to Amman could not have been better. Empty seat next to me = double the fluffy pillows and duvets = lots of sleep!
We land in Amman 12 hours later. It’s 4pm on Friday and my first hurdle is getting a visa on arrival. It turns out to be the simplest process ever – it takes less than 5 minutes and costs about $15 US.
Next up, to find a taxi and get to the hotel. Finding a taxi is easy, getting to the hotel proves more difficult.
I hop in a cab and within 10 minutes we have the misfortune to become car #4 in a 5-car pile-up on the highway, yikes! My driver manages to swerve the car into the shoulder to avoid a direct hit on the car in front of us so we’re in better shape than the other cars involved.
Instantly, all of the drivers jump out of their cars – arms flailing, Arabic expletives flying – to survey the damage.
At this point I’m thinking, oh great, we’re going to be stuck here on the highway while we wait for the police. But no! Apparently that’s not how they do things in Jordan.
All of the drivers circle their vehicles reclaiming any loose items like hubcaps and tail lights, get right back in their cars and drive off! Not so much as an exchange of contact info. All in all, a 5-minute delay.
Note: This post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to book through these links, I receive a small commission, which I will undoubtedly blow on more flights (it’s a vicious cycle). All of this internet voodoo takes place at no additional cost to you.
Welcome to Jordan!
Where to Stay in Amman
With that adventure behind me, I finally arrive at the hotel, the Sheraton Amman. I chose this property mainly because of its excellent location in the city center.
It’s a beautiful hotel but its most impressive feature is definitely the service. From the security guards running the metal detector at the front door to the front desk agents and housekeepers, everyone calls me by name and takes great interest in ensuring that I’m enjoying my stay and seeing everything I want to see while in Jordan.
Once I settle into my room, the next step is to line up a trip to Petra Jordan for tomorrow. With two full days to explore, Petra is at the top of my list.
The best day trips to Petra
To visit Petra from Amman, you can book an organized day trip or take a DIY approach. If you go with an organized tour, many also include visits to the Dead Sea and Wadi Rum. Here are the top-rated trips to book:
- From Amman: Private full day Petra and Wadi rum
- 2-Day Tour: Petra, Wadi Rum, and Dead Sea from Amman
- From Amman : Full Day Petra Tour
After a helpful visit to the concierge desk, I decide to go the DIY route and book myself a ticket on the JETT bus to Petra. With a 6:30am departure tomorrow morning and a 5am wake-up call looming, I head for bed.
A Day Trip to Petra on the JETT Bus
After a good night’s sleep I’m at the bus stop at 5:45am, ready to go.
The bus to Petra (operated by JETT) costs about $26 US roundtrip and is a steal considering the trip is 3 hours each way. The bus is a nice air-conditioned motor coach and I’m happy to see we only have 12 passengers on the ride down so there is plenty of room to spread out.
During the ride, I get to talking to some the people sitting around me.
I first meet Rebecca and Marcus from Sweden. Rebecca is a nurse living in Amman while studying Arabic so she can work as a nurse in the Middle East. Marcus is visiting her from Sweden for the week so they’re making the trip down to Petra to do some sightseeing.
Also with them is Yousef, a Jordanian friend of Rebecca’s who turns out to be our tour guide for the day. I also meet Lucy, an America from Minnesota living and studying in Damascus, Syria. She is on her way back from the States for the holidays and stopped over in Jordan to see the sights for a few days.
After chatting most of the drive down, we decide to band together for the day to explore Petra.
The history of Petra
Though Jordan is a country steeped in history, Petra is by far its most famous attraction.
Aptly-named, Petra means “stone” in Greek. Dating back as early as the 5th century BC, this city on the edge of the Wadi Araba was quite literally carved into the sandstone of a deep canyon.
Originally created by the Nabateans, a group of Arab-speaking Semitics who moved into Southern Jordan two thousand years ago, Petra was in control of trade routes stretching from Africa to India and China.
The Romans later conquered the area and it was eventually abandoned and forgotten until a Swiss explorer rediscovered it in 1812.
After a bit of sticker shock at the ticket counter (the entrance fee has recently skyrocketed to almost $70 US), we enter a narrow gorge called “the Siq” which creates the almost mile-long dramatic opening act to Petra’s wonders.
First stop, the Treasury
We wind our way through the astonishing geological formations, colorful rocks and water channels, and are rewarded with our first glimpse of the famous Treasury. As we emerge from the Siq, I am blown away by the sight of the Treasury.
Tourists snapping pictures and local Bedouins hawking camel rides through the site add to the chaos surrounding Petra’s first treasure.
Featured in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, the Treasury was painstakingly chiseled from sand and stone by the ancient Nabateans. It is truly stunning.
Next, we dodge the persistent camel jockeys and make straight for our ultimate destination, the Monastery.
A climb to the Monastery
Located several miles into the site, we know that if we want enough time to make the challenging hike to the top we’ll need to start there first. Our bus arrived around nine and we need to be back on it by 4pm.
The twisting climb through a narrow gorge to the Monastery consists of 800 steps with seemingly endless uphill slopes in between. It takes us a little more than 2 hours to make the climb with a couple of breaks along the way.
Many people opt to ride one of the readily available “air-conditioned” donkeys (or so their owners claimed) to the top, but we tough out the climb.
Well, except for Marcus who makes it halfway before flagging down the first available donkey. We find him sipping a cold beverage when the rest of us finally make it to the top.
The climb is well worth it, though.
When we finally got our first look at the Monastery, we are all in awe. It is amazingly beautiful and the hike to Petra’s magnificent Monastery still ranks as one of my Top 30 most extraordinary travel experiences around the world.
Here are 29 more if you’re curious: Around the World in 30 Extraordinary Travel Experiences
A lunch break at Petra
Since we are exhausted and it’s now past lunch time, we decide to find a shady spot and have lunch. It is at this point that I am immensely grateful I made friends on the bus.
Though there is a small stand selling drinks at the top, there is no food for sale anywhere.
Thankfully, Rebecca brought enough sandwiches for everyone and I gratefully accept when she offers me one. Lucy also brought food and snacks so we have a lovely lunch on a large rock with a killer view.
After lunch and several photo ops, we realize we better start the climb down since it will take us almost 2 hours to make the hike back to the bus. It takes even longer with a little more sightseeing on the way back and we just barely make it to the bus by 4pm.
The sun sets quickly once we begin the drive back and post-hike exhaustion lulls most of us to sleep for the ride. By 8pm we’re back in Amman and I can’t wait to get back to the hotel for a shower and some dinner.
Slept like a champ that night.
Exploring Amman
Woke up today feeling like I ran a marathon yesterday.
Uphill.
O-U-C-H.
I sleep in a little and then meet up with Yousef from the Petra trip yesterday for a tour of the city of Amman. Yousef is Jordanian and lives in Amman and graciously offers to give me a walking tour of the city for my last day in Jordan.
Our first stop is the King Abdullah Mosque.
The King Abdullah Mosque
Built between 1982 and 1989, the mosque is a memorial to the assassinated King Abdullah I and is capped by an enormous blue mosaic dome. I’m especially happy to have Yousef with me at the mosque to determine which entrance to use and where I need to go to obtain a hijab, which women must wear to enter.
We take off our shoes and make our way inside.
It’s still almost an hour before the next call to prayer so the mosque is empty as we enter. The interior is bright and colorful with an extravagant chandelier and intricate stained glass and mosaics. I am always impressed with the beauty of the interior of the mosques I’ve visited.
It’s very different from the inside of a church but equally ornate and beautiful.
Our next stop is the Roman Theater where we also visit both the Museum of Popular Traditions and the Museum of Folklore. Yousef is an excellent tour guide explaining the local customs and traditions to me as we go. He should seriously consider a career change to tour guide.
The Amman Citadel
Our last stop and the place I’m most excited to visit is the Amman Citadel.
Towering above the city, the Citadel is the site of the ancient city of Rabbath-Ammon. The National Archaeological Museum here contains the earliest known biblical texts ever discovered, the Dead Sea Scrolls.
The scrolls were written sometime around 50 BC and were later discovered stored in caves on the West Bank of the River Jordan. Though the scrolls tell of a treasure hidden somewhere on the West Bank, nothing has ever been found.
After leaving the Museum, we stroll around the Citadel taking in the sweeping view of the hills of downtown Amman. It’s a beautiful city from above and the views are incredible on such a magnificent day.
My tour of Amman complete, I thank Yousef profusely, say goodbye and head back to my hotel.
Wrapping up a great visit to Jordan
Bordered by Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Israel, Jordan is an oasis in an otherwise turbulent and troubled region. I was impressed by the quality of the tourism infrastructure here, from the hotels to the preservation of ancient wonders like Petra.
But mostly I will remember the friendliness of the people and the warm welcome I received from everyone I encountered here.
Jordan is a safe and modern destination and the opportunity to immerse myself in the ancient history of the region was an experience I will not soon forget.
Next stop, the Seychelles!