Two days in Petra – Full Itinerary step by step

If you are visiting Jordan, Petra will be for sure the cherry on top of your trip, and your favorite destination. And, a well-planned trip, will help you to enjoy the most of it. I was in Petra for two days and here I will write all my suggestions and what I wish I had known in advance. Considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Petra is a breathtaking destination.

Best time to visit Petra:

The best time to visit Petra is spring (March-May) and autumn (September-November). The best thing about visiting Petra during these months is that the temperatures will be perfect. The disadvantage of visiting Petra these months is that this is the high season, and the site will be very very crowded. So, my first tip is to visit Petra in early March/September and late May/November to avoid the crowd as much as you can.

How to reach Petra:

There is a tourist bus departing from Amman, Aqaba, and Wadi Rum and arriving in Wadi Musa (Petra’s nearest town). Depending on your departure point, the bus will arrive in Petra from midday to early afternoon. My second tip is to not visit the site that same day. I suggest spending two nights in Wadi Musa, if possible booking the closest hotel to the main entrance.
The second way to reach Petra is by renting a car. I rented a car in Amman and traveled all around the country.

Tip: Be careful where you park your car during the night, as it can be a reserved spot. The best way is to find private parking, the police are very polite and ready to help you anytime you ask for help, so you can easily check if you are in the right place to park the car or not.

Handy tips before spending two days at the Lost City of Petra:

Prepare to hike a lot, so wear comfortable shoes.

Don’t overload yourself by bringing too much water. You can buy water literally everywhere inside the protected area, a little bit expensive but with that long hike, it’s worth it.

You will find a bathroom in the restaurant in front of The Treasury. Ask there for the key.

You will find yourself constantly harassed to ride donkeys and camels. Don’t do it. You can explore the park and any viewpoint by walking and also protect the animals from mistreatment.

You will find yourself harassed to pay the Bedouins to visit the Instagram viewpoint, note that this is their only way to make an income, and they used to live there for years, so if you want to visit any of these viewpoints you have to pay the Bedouins an extra fee. 

Most people book a one-entrance ticket to Petra. I encourage you to book a two-entrance ticket in Petra or the so-called “explorers pass”. The protected area is much more than only the treasury, you will need more than one day to explore it properly.

Tip: Don’t try to reach the viewpoints for free, instead negotiate with Bedouins for a better price. Believe me, there is always a better price than the one you are told first.

Tip: If you are visiting Jordan, you probably have the Jordan pass (For two days in Petra: the explorers pass.). This is the most convenient way to visit Jordan. The Jordan pass includes your visa, the entrance fee to Wadi Rum, the entrance fee to Petra, and most of the other tourist attractions in Jordan, excluding The Baptism Site of Jesu Christ. You can also add it to the Jordan pass by paying an extra 8 JDs instead of 12 JDs while purchasing the pass online or at the site.

Day 1

The Treasury

Start your day at 5:30 AM and make sure to be at the main entrance at 5:45 AM, I know is too early, but you will not be the first one in the line anyway. At the main entrance, you can show your Jordan Pass and print the ticket or just buy the ticket you need. There you will find park maps for free, be sure to grab one.
The gate opens at 6 AM and hurry up to be among the first to visit The Treasury. They have to walk for 30 minutes to reach the site. The crowds start around 7:30 so take your time to take pictures and enjoy the site.

INFORMATION: For sure you have already met the Bedouins trying to take you to the most Instagrammable spots to enjoy better and different views of The Treasury. There are 3 viewpoints, the lower one, the middle one, and, the higher one. Don’t be scammed, you can visit the third one by yourself 1-hour hike, and the first two viewpoints ONLY by paying the Bedouins to accompany you. I suggest you not to enter without permission in the path opened by Bedouins.
Start negotiating and find a deal with Bedouins to permit you to visit the spots you want if you want to. I chose the first viewpoint (the lower one) and I did the hike by myself for the highest one.
I highly suggest you hire a local guide for the day. The history of Petra is amazing and believe me explained by a Bedouin it will be even more mindblowing. You can hire a guide for the first day and explore by yourself on the second day. That’s a great combination.

Climb an easy-to-reach viewpoint

Enjoy the tea at the viewpoint you chose to visit. You know the perfect time to take pictures with The Treasury in the bedground is at 6:30 AM, immediately after opening, because of the crowds but the perfect sunlight is around 10 AM. So take your time to rest and take some pictures at the viewpoint.

Lunch with Bedouins

Take a midday break at the Bedouin cave on the left of The Treasury. They will cook something for you for a good price. Usually kebab, a traditional food. The best part of having lunch with Bedouins is the story you will hear of which one of them. That lunch around the fire, with a view from the rose-color ruins of Petra is for sure not a luxury one, but it will fill your soul with history and lifetime memories. I highly suggest lunch with Bedouins.

The Monastery

After lunch hike to the Monastery.
This is the most difficult hike in Petra. It takes about 1 max 1.5 hours of uphill hiking. You will pass through amazing views, handmade products shops, and Bedouin-style tea houses. You can take some pictures around and wait here for the sunset. For 4JD you can have a sandwich at the bar in front of the site, and eat dinner with the view from the Monastery.

Tip: The Bedouins will try to scam you saying that the hike is so difficult, you can’t do it by walking, you need a camel or donkey, but don’t get scammed. The hike is doable if you have minimal experience of hiking, and it’s worth doing by walking because of the views along the way. Take your time, enjoy the views, and take pictures.

After that is time to go home and finish the first day in Petra. Sleep early because tomorrow will be a very early morning.

Day 2

The Treasury

Start your day at 5:30 to have one more chance to enjoy one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Spend some time admiring The treasury and taking pictures and then start your second day in Petra.

Khombta Trail

Hike the Khombta Trail to reach the highest viewpoint of The treasury. This trail is marked with green on your park map. It is less than 1 hour hiking and the trail is so beautiful. You will see amazing views over the ancient city of Petra. On the way, there are several shops with traditional products and locals you can stop and ask if you need anything. The Jordan people are the friendliest. The hike is free of charge but at the viewpoint is a Bedouin tea house which if you don’t enter to drink something you can’t see anything, it blocks all the view. So you have to pay for tea or coffee, but at this point, after a long hike, you’ll probably need one.

Ancient city of Petra

Explore the ancient city of Petra. There are a lot of things to explore besides The treasury and The monastery as the Royal Tombs, the Theatre, the Obelisk Tomb, the Byzantine Church, the Palace Tomb, the Urn Tomb, The Colonnaded Street, the Great Temple, etc. You may have seen some of them on your way to The monastery, but today you can explore more without haste and see all the sights you might have missed the day before.

High Point of Sacrifice

Hike to High Point of Sacrifice for the Sunset. There is one more hike left to complete your hiking season in Petra (lol). This is one of the most popular hikes and you can easily take it by following the stairs and checking the location on maps. This is the best way to enjoy the last sunset in Petra. You can get out of the park from the main entrance and get one last look at The Treasury by the night.

Tip: There is a light show in Petra. It takes place every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The ticket cost 17JD and can purchase it at the entrance but also inside the park. Petra by Night experience goes from 8:30 pm until 10:30 pm. I don’t suggest staying for the show because it’s very crowded and not peaceful. If you want that Instagram picture, I suggest you buy the ticket inside the park, without leaving the site, and wait for the show to start. This way you will have the site not crowded for a few minutes to take pictures.

Tip: If you have one more day in Wadi Musa there are two more sites worth visiting (You only need half a day for both.):

1. Visit Petra Museum. Right at the entrance of Petra Archeologic Park, you will find the Petra Museum. The entrance fee is included in Jordan Pass, and for all who love history, the museum is worth visiting.

2. Visit Little Petra. Another interesting site in Wadi Musa is Little Petra. There is not a bus from Petra to Little Petra so you must book a taxi or Uber, or better if you have a rented car. (It is also beautiful if you visit it at sunset time.)