48 Hours In Petra: Exploring Jordan’s Rose Gold Ancient City

While the Kingdom of Jordan has many treasures and stunning landscapes, if you ask me personally, the real jewel in their crown is Petra. Home to an ancient lost city that became popular nearly 200 years post its discovery and a land that traces back to a civilization as old as time. The rose-coloured cliffs that seem like a regular mountain range when you first see it, is actually home to a hidden city inhabited by the ancient Nabateans nearly 2000 years ago. I spent nearly a week exploring the Kingdom of Jordan and can safely say I wish I spent more time enjoying the hidden wonders of Petra.

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Day 1 - The Siq and The Treasury

If you watched Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, you’ll be familiar with Petra’s iconic Treasury ( Al Khazneh). A tall structure carved out of a mountain with majestic pillars and a roof making it not only a UNESCO World Heritage Site but also one of the 7 Wonders of the world. To get to the treasury however, is not as straightforward as it may seem. To enter the old city, one walks first through the Petra visitor centre where you can buy your ticket and also souvenirs from one of the many shops. Then the journey to the old city begins with a walk through the Siq (Al Siq) – a 2 kilometre long walk that snakes through a canyon with bends and turns treating you to some incredible views of the valley. A good tour guide (and I highly recommend you get on for this) will stop along the way to show you ancient carvings, remains of sculptors and even petroglyphs from the Nabateans showcasing how they lived here. The Siq is so narrow with twists and turns and the mountain meandering into narrow pathways making it impossible for any foreign army to invade with their full force and hence leaving the ancient city hidden for so many years.

As you walk through the canyon, sunlight streams down the narrow passage lighting it up at every turn with different colours and hues of this deep red sandstone presenting picture perfect stops at every corner. It’s what the kids call an “instagramable spot’ and it’s so beautiful it really does warrant your time and effort into making memories with many photographs.As the pathway comes to an end suddenly through the cliffs, you’ll catch your first real glimmer of the Treasury (Al Khazneh) which is a moment you will never forget. For anyone dreaming of visiting Petra the first initial glimpse of the Treasury makes your heart skip a beat. As you walk up further the canyon moves aside to reveal the Treasury in all her glory. Standing tall through the test of time, this unique structure has been filmed in numerous times but nothing really prepares you for when you see it with your own eyes.

The façade is intricately designed with Corinthian columns, remains of statues and figures and perched on the very top is an urn or challis which is possibly what gave it its name. Surprisingly while the façade makes it seems regal and royal the inside is barren with nothing but empty stone. The folklore is that it once possibly housed treasure and you can even see bullet marks in the wall of the outer façade from attempts to enter hoping to find treasure. There has been no documentation of anything ever been found but the folklore remains strong adding to its aura. There are small shops around, camel owners waiting to woo you for a ride and you can spend as much time as you like simply marvelling at this ancient wonder. At this point you can walk back another 2 kilometres through the Siq (this time it’s an uphill walk so be prepared for it to be longer) and take a short rest at the visitor centre or grab a meal with some lovely local Jordanian food (try the Mansaf – Jordan’s national dish) and rest before re visiting to experience Petra by Night.

Petra by Night is a unique chance to be in the lost city after sunset. The entire pathway from the visitor centre right through the siq till the Treasury is lit up with candles. Walk through the illuminated pathway to reach the Treasury for a beautiful sound and light show where a projector lights up the Treasury talking about the history and legends of the lost city. The show is about an hour long and while it is tiring to walk back and forth, it's an experience worth doing to be in the lost city at night under the stars with candles lit all over.

Day 2 – Beyond The Treasury to The Royal Tombs

While the Treasury is the popular attraction in Petra, the real treasures lie far beyond. Spend your second day in Petra going back to the ancient city and this time venturing further to discover the rest of Petra. Since you’ve already explored your way walking through the Siq and the treasury you can opt to ride horseback or even sit in one of the golf carts (for a fee) that will ferry you to the Treasury and back (only before 5pm) This might help preserve your energy for what lies beyond.

There’s no golf cart beyond the Treasury so walk up the trail to the first iconic structure which is the Petra Theatre. It once held thousands of spectators and was later modified by the Romans after they annexed the Nabataean kingdom. Plenty of shops along the way in case you’d like to break for coffee or buy some souvenirs. Make your way towards the impressive Royal Tombs, these elaborate burial chambers are another striking feature in Petra. The old city is sprawling and hidden among steep rocks and mountain tops so be prepared for long and slightly tiring walks. Even if you can’t make it to the end of each trail, a good guide will show you hidden secrets along the way to give you a better understanding of the Nabateans and how they lived here untouched for several years.

Stop at one of the small cafes along the way by mid-afternoon for a quick bite ( or better yet carry a packed lunch ) before you can carry on your trek towards the Monastery. The walk is tiring but the reward is spectacular. A steep 800 steps climb up a hill to the Monastery which arguably is the most fascinating structure in all of Petra. For most who are unfamiliar with the secrets of Petra the Monastery and the Treasury look oddly familiar but the former is the tallest facade in Petra and built in the first half of the first century AD before the Romans discovered the Nabatean Kingdom.

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After a day full of hiking walking and innumerable photo sessions make your way back to the Treasury and find yourself a golf cart to ferry you back to the visitor centre. Before leaving, spend some time at the Museum of Petra right next to the visitor centre (close to the parking lot) to better understand and actually see old artifacts discovered in Petra. The royal tombs, monastery and treasury are all empty except for their facade but the museum is a treasure trove of incredible finds from several archaeological digs and excavations in the region and the entry to the museum is free.

If you’ve still got any energy left, end the day by popping by the Cave Bar after the museum, (all a stone’s throw away from each other) and stay for a drink or quick bite. It’s a popular spot with tourists as it’s a bar inside an old Nabatean tomb and honestly a great way to end your time in Petra before you head back to your hotel for some much-deserved rest.

How to get there

• Fly via Royal Jordanian to Amman directly from Mumbai and Delhi and drive down 3 hours to Petra.

• Make sure to dress well with good walking shoes as there is a lot of hiking and walking to be done to explore Petra and the Lost City.

• You can book a Hot air balloon ride over Petra to experience an aerial view of the lost city.

• Make sure you carry money for tips specially for camel/ donkey/ horse rides and anyone you might take a picture with. Tipping is big across Jordan.

• Avoid travelling in extreme temperatures so skip the winter and summer as both are brutal making walking around Petra difficult.

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