The ancient city of Petra is positioned between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea. In a remote location, surrounded by mountains full of passages and gorges, Petra is carved into the rock. Named one of the New 7 Wonders of the Modern World, featured in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and sometimes referred to as The Pink City, the beauty of Petra is best experienced and can only be truly appreciated first-hand.

The city of Petra has been inhabited since prehistoric times, though it was lost to all but the local Bedouin tribes for centuries after a devastating earthquake. The city was “rediscovered” by a Swiss explorer in the 19th century after he disguised himself as a Muslim holy man. The wake of this discovery brought an onslaught of explorers, fortune hunters, and curious travelers while simultaneously establishing Petra as one of the world’s most important archaeological sites. Petra is somewhat out of the way but is absolutely worth it and there is enough to see to justify a two day visit if you want to spend time at each of the many sites. If you are on a time crunch or, like me, want to see, do, and experience as much as possible in the shortest amount of time, Petra can be done in one full day. 

Petra is accessed by an easy, slightly downhill walk through the Siq, a narrow canyon surrounded by vertical cliff walls. The morning sunlight breaks through the narrow rifts creating dancing shades of red, orange, and gold. It’s worth a few moments to appreciate the wind eroded landscape, original channels cut to bring water to Petra, and carvings along the way. The walls seem to meet overhead just before a blaze of golden orange opens in the path, anticipation builds as the glare of the sunlight subsides and the Treasury slides into focus. This is why you visit Petra and why you will fall in love with her. Don’t be bashful, retrace your steps and experience this revelation again because, I promise, it will be just as breathtakingly incredible the second time. 

Commonly referred to as the Treasury, this façade was carved out of the iron-laden sandstone as a tomb for the Nabataean King Aretas III. The legend of an Egyptian pharaoh hiding his treasure here while pursuing the Israelites gave the façade its familiar name. The Treasury is most photogenic in the morning when the sun fully illuminates the façade. Entry into the tomb is not permitted but it is worth walking the length of the base to appreciate the scale and detailed craftsmanship. There will be a hoard of locals offering you camel rides for “Instagram photos”; participate if you like but haggle with them. Be prepared for the camel to jump up before you are completely comfortable in the saddle … you are not his first passenger and he knows the drill. Hold on tight and be sure to lean into it both when the camel stands up and lays back down. The ride is very similar to riding a horse just with a bit more motion. Those physically fit to climb steep and uneven stairs can hike up to the high place across from the Treasury for another perspective and more gorgeous photographs. Be careful hiking up to and down from the high place as there are no hand rails or safety guards here. 

Choose either to hike around the High Place of Sacrifice or the Royal Tombs; both offer nice views of the 2,000+ year old theatre. We hiked the Royal Tombs and entered Petra City Centre via the Colonnaded Street. Roughly mid-point between the Treasury and the Monastery, Petra City Centre offers toilets and restaurants. We used the facilities, grabbed a quick bite of lunch, and rested for a few minutes before continuing. Even in early March, the arid heat can be stifling. Another hoard of locals encircle the City Centre to aggressively peddle donkey rides to the Monastery. Here is my piece of unsolicited advice: keep walking and do not take a donkey ride to the Monastery. 

Simply put, it is much safer to hike on foot than to ride a donkey up or down. I won’t lie and say the hike up the 800+ steps is easy. In fact, it is a rather challenging hour long hike and we stopped for numerous breaks along the way. We set our pace and pushed one another but the breaks allowed us to take in views along the old processional route we would have otherwise missed. There are some Bedouin street/stall vendors selling their wares along the way, a few options for freshly squeezed fruit juice and bottled water, and a couple places where it felt like we walked through air conditioning. I was initially confused when we summitted, hot and out of breath, because the first thing I saw was a large outdoor tea shop. Then I turned around to see the massive Monastery. The design is similar to the Treasury but on a much larger scale and worth all 800 steps to see it. We opted to sit at the tea shop for a while to appreciate the view and to rest. 

The downside to hiking to the Monastery is the hike back down and out of Petra. I stand by my advice to not take a donkey ride down from the Monastery either. The descent is best made at a steady and cautious pace. A local child was running a donkey down the steps and both the child and the donkey nearly toppled over the edge of the cliff. It took a while but we finally made it back to the car; exhausted, exhilarated, and in one piece. 

The drive back to Amman takes about three hours and, since we were late getting back, we opted to go to McDonald’s for dinner. I was probably the most nervous about this meal because McDonald’s generally does not agree with me. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised with my experience. We ordered using the self-serve kiosks, took our number stand, and found a table. The restaurant was clean, even the toilet areas. Staff brought our food to the table after a short wait. McDonald’s food in the US looks like it was smashed together and put in a hot holding pan for three hours before being served. The Amman McDonald’s was the polar opposite. I ordered a meal with a cheeseburger and fries. The food was made-to-order, hot, and it looked appetizing. It also tasted better. The fries were salty but not overly so and I could actually taste beef and cheese on the cheeseburger. Everything tasted and felt less greasy than I am accustomed to which is likely due to it being made fresh. I also did not have any of the usual unpleasantness after eating it, thankfully. While this one experience has not turned me into a raving McDonald’s fan, I would eat at the Amman restaurant again, especially if it meant I was returning from a visit to Petra.