Rania Qasem · April 27, 2026 · 5 min read
Most itineraries give Petra a single day trip from Amman or the Dead Sea. That's enough time to see the Treasury and regret not seeing more — the site is enormous, and the light changes everything twice a day.
Staying in Wadi Musa, the town at Petra's entrance, means you can enter at opening — before 7 a.m., when the Siq is nearly empty and the Treasury catches the first direct sunlight of the day. Petra by Night, held several times a week, lights the walk to the Treasury with candles alone; it's worth timing a two-night stay around it rather than treating it as optional.
Mövenpick Resort Petra sits closest to the entrance and is built around desert-adventure amenities for travelers combining Petra with Wadi Rum. The Old Village Resort takes the opposite approach — low stone architecture built into the Shahara Mountains, traditional furnishings, and a restaurant terrace that's arguably the best sunset view in Wadi Musa that doesn't require a hike.
Wear real hiking shoes, not sandals — the Siq's stone floor is smooth and often uneven, and the climb to the Monastery (900 steps, roughly 45 minutes) is a serious hike, not a stroll. Bring more water than feels necessary; there's shade in the Siq but almost none once you're inside the main site.
Combine Petra with two nights in Wadi Rum afterward if the schedule allows — it's a two-hour drive south, and the shift from Nabataean ruins to open desert is one of the more dramatic changes of scenery in the region.
