Overview
** PETRA, JORDAN TOURS **
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If you go to Israel, you should 100% book a tour to Petra even if just for a day, as was my case. I spent 5 days in Israel and made sure to book a tour going to Jordan as all you need to do is cross the border. I honestly felt a day was all that was needed. The architecture and everything is something you would have to see to believe. I booked the tour with Tourist Israel and the price which included bus, and dinner was about $300 USD. I will say that while it was a great tour I wish it was not so rushed. I wanted time to take more pictures etc. so one thing to keep in mind is set your intentions with your tour guide. Let them know if you want to pause and catch up later etc. this is something I wish I did but the experience was amazing. There are also several different tours that can get you here.
This place has to be on my top 3 list of places I’ve been to. The scenery is unreal you’ll see some incredible history. Depending on what time of the year you visit just prepare for the heat.
You’ll walk a lot while here so prepare yourself for that.
I actually stayed in Amman and we got a driver to take us around which we booked through our hotel. the drive to Petra was about 3 hours the driver cost about $100 a day which to me was worth it because he will wait for you and the car has WiFi as well. With the language barrier to me this was a good option tho you can prob find cheaper options.
We didn’t get a tour guide because we don’t like to be rushed and they have WiFi there so you can google a lot of the facts that you want to learn.
Fun fact about about Petra is that a lot of movies were filmed in the area movies like transformers and the mummy returns.
I loved Petra, there was a lot to see and do. I walked in one day more than 22km. I used google maps to guide myself inside of the lost city. No guide is required and be careful because there will be plenty of people trying to sell their service to you. But I prefer exploring the place on y own. I went all the way up to the monastery and then to the great view point. You could do using a short cut to the great view but you have to pay and it does not give you the same experience of hiking in an unique place. I was invited by a Bedouin to watch the sunset from his tent for free. It was one of the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. He offered me and my friend tea and shared his way pod thinking with us. He was very respectful despite the fact we were only two black girls. I was fascinated by the shapes and colour of the rocks, the feeling of freedom. I went there in December during winter and temperature was mild. I would not recommend going there during summer, as temperature reaches more than 40 degrees.
Found a luxury gem, the PETRA BUBBLE LUXOHOTEL, simply by searching #petra on Instagram and booked it on booking.com. There are 2 or 3 Bubble hotels in Jordan but this is the only luxury one in Petra. This was the second hotel towards the end of the trip. Petra is so beautiful and what way to enjoy it by resorting on top of a mountain overlooking the Bedouin camps, wadi hills, and sleeping under the stars.
This hotel provides every catering need. From breakfast, lunch, & dinner in bed, to the free mini bar, jacuzzi on deck, to the Bedouin tent with traditional entertainment, tea and shisha! This is a 5 star experience I recommend to anyone looking for something a bit different.
Jordan was nothing short of amazing. I spent 5 days in Jordan and visited Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea. There is SO much to do in Jordan but you HAVE to be ready to walk in the hot sun for hours.
Petra ( The City of Mysteries): I flew to Queen Alia International Airport where my group and I were greeted by our tour guide and driver for the trip. We drove 3.5 hours to arrive to Petra (our first stop). The first day was a day of relaxation as we settled into our hotel at Hyatt Zaman Hotel. Day 2 was our first day of exploring the city of Petra. This involved us walking through the Siq (a canyon) to visit the Lost City. For those who were unable to walk, they had donkeys and carriages available for a fee to bring you through. A lot of people did not opt for this service because the animals appeared to be overworked in the 90+ degree weather. The walk through the Siq was very fascinating and my knowledgeable tour guide added an extra layer of interest as we learned about some of the meanings of the carvings on the walls and ruins. When you arrive to the Ad Deir, it ‘s also a “rest stop” where you can sit, get food, water, use the restroom, take memorable photos and etc. The one thing that was annoying during the walk is the poop from the animals. Although, there were staff actively cleaning up the mess, when it was fresh, the smell was obviously not pleasing and would linger in the heat. Some people would end their journey in the Ad Deir but our group continued further. Our tour guide gave us the disclaimer that it would be a 5-6 hour hike prior to arrival. We moved on walking through the desert and hills where there were many Jordanian’s set up with their shops ready to sell. There were a lot of women who made unique jewelry which some of us purchased from but you have to BARGAIN BARGAIN BARGAIN or they’ll take you for everything you’ve got. Sometimes it had to come to point where I had to walk away and call it a loss but if they want the business, 9 times of of 10, they settled for my offer. Day 3 consisted of a hike on the higher level coming from another side of the Siq. This too was fascinating seeing it from a different view.
Wadi Rum: Next, we drove to Wadi Rum from Petra. This took approximately 2 hours. On our drive here, we made a detour to different parts of the desert. We climbed and slid down a sand mountain (one hell of an experience haha) In Wadi Rum, we stayed at the Rainbow Camp which was a camp in the desert. The majority of the tents had 2 twin bed and there were also family tents with 4 twin beds. At this particular camp, we climbed a mini mountain to watch the sunset and the view was outstanding. Surrounding us, we saw other camps throughout the desert from the mountain. That evening we ate dinner which they prepared in an underground sand stove and the food was DELICIOUS. The restrooms were communal but very well maintained. At night, there was no power but during the day they had solar lamps that they’d sit in the sun so at night you would be able to use it to make your way to the restroom if need be. There was wifi but not at night. This I actually appreciated because I was actually able to enjoy my experience and capture the moments rather than being distracted by whatever may be going on in my phone.
Dead Sea: On day 5, we stayed at the Holiday Inn Dead Sea Resort which was approximately 4 hours away from Wadi Rum. The resort was huge! It took us 10 minutes just to walk to the dead sea from our room. The beach was right behind the resort with a trail that lead us there. For those who aren’t swimmers, they shouldn’t fear the dead sea because it is impossible to drown. The water is so salty that you will automatically float once you relax your body. You have to be EXTREMELY cautious though because if you have any open wounds, it will burn you. I would suggest not to shave at least 2 days prior to visiting the dead sea! Also, do not touch your eyes because the aftermath is no fun. There’s also mud at the sea so you can give your body a scrub and rinse off in the sea. It left my skin feeling and looking smoother than I’ve ever seen it.
All in all, Jordanian people do not treat you any different if you’re black. There’s Jordanian people who look white, indian, and black so they accepted us as their own. People will always give “warnings” to countries but if you listen to people giving their opinions from 15-20 years ago, you’ll always miss out on great opportunities.
Jordan is definitely a country I will highly recommend. If you are the adventurous type, there’s a lot to do from climbing mountains in Petra to discovering the movie set of Lawrence of Arabia in wadi rum. If you’ll rather chill and relax, the movenpick resort at the Dead Sea is the place for you. On arriving to Jordan, we were picked up by our driver who drove us off to jerrash & Amman Citadel where we explored the ancient civilization from the Roman Empire in the Middle East.
Day 2- on our way to Petra, we stopped by Mountain Nebo, Madaba to visit the site where Moses looked over to the promised land ( a must see for the religious ones). On arriving to Petra, it was like going back in time with the donkey rides and caves. It felt like a scene with Khaleesi for the game of thrones fans. Petra is a world of its own, If you are a black woman, be prepared to be called “brown sugar” by the locals trying to get your attention as they attempt to sell you stuff. The Jordanian currency is quite strong, so things are quite expensive. It cost 10 us dollars to ride the camel for 2mins. Make sure you bargain, never go with the first price. Everyone will try to get money from you. Do go with your cormfortable shoes as there is a lot mountain climbing and walking, Petra is Huge if you are interested in exploring it all. On day 3, we headed down to wadi rum where I experienced life on Mars, stayed in a overnight Martian like experience hotel. The hotel organized a safari desert trip where the tour guide takes you to the perfect location to get the most amazing desert pictures. On the last day we spent our day on the beach at the Dead Sea, the Dead Sea mud is the truth. It left my skin feeling like butter, I definitely couldn’t resist buying some Dead Sea products at the factory. The trip was definitely one that I’ll always remember, the jourdanians and their hospitality will definitely be unforgettable.
Getting to Petra:
We arrived at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman around 7pm. Thankfully we contracted a private driver to transport us the 3.5 hour journey to Petra from the airport, so within 10 minutes of getting through customs we were already on our way. It was our first time in the Middle East, so one would imagine that we would be uneasy traveling through the desert with a stranger during the night, however we both felt safe (even enough to doze off). Traveling through Jordan by taxi or private car is NOT cheap. We were on a very specific schedule that didn’t allow us to take advantage of the tour companies that offer complete packages that include transportation. Instead we had to arrange all of our transportation and tours ad hoc. However touristy it may seem, I would recommend using a tour company if you want the best bang for your buck.
Accommodations:
We stayed at Petra Sella Hotel. If you are looking for a place with all the bells and whistles, this is not it. However, if you are looking for a place that is affordable, extremely hospitable, and run by kind locals – this is your place. The rooms were clean, working ac/heat, great WiFi, and television.
Petra Word Heritage site:
Visiting here was the highlight of our trip. Even though it is overrun with tourists (what place isn’t nowadays?), it was still awe-inspiring. We hired a tour guide for 50JD at the ticket center. We only did this because they strategically “ran out” of English maps and paper guides. If I had service on my phone, or thought to have brought my own informational print outs, we would have never needed a guide. Being a lover of history, I am typically a person who always loves to hire an expert to take me around and share all the knowledge. It is simply not needed here – at least not with the guides provided by the ticket center. Walking through The Siq (especially if you get there right when it opens) is magical. And at the tail-end when you see the Treasury through the slither of an opening between rock walls, it’s a moment you’ll never forget. There is a plethora of sites to see after the treasury and it would take me forever to write about so I’ll leave it at this: by the end of the day we had hiked 9 miles. If you have the mental and physical stamina, you could see Petra in a day. There are a lot of the local Bedouin there wanting to sell you anything and everything for as much money as possible; and they are very persistent, so fair warning. If you like a challenge, I recommend hiring one if the Bedouin to take you up to the view of the treasury on the left (if you’re facing the treasury). It’s a pretty challenging hike, but worth it. From there we hiked the back way to the High Place of Worship. What amazing views. Once back on the main trail we stopped at all the ruins marked on the map and then started out trek back out through the Siq. In conclusion, no matter what you do once there, it’s highly doubtful you will leave feeling unfulfilled.
P.s. please refrain from riding the donkeys. It is unclear how humanely they are being treated.
Being a BLACK female that is traveling solo my biggest priority is safety. Jordan is less desirable to travel to because it shares border lines with Syria, Iraq, and Israel. In fact, being in America as a black person is more dangerous than staying in Jordan. DO not let these high travel alerts on these government websites deter you from traveling here.
Petra is absolutely breath taking. No wonder why 100 million people back in 2007 voted it to be one of the 7 Wonders of the World. I accidentally booked the trip during Ramadan, but it worked in my favor. During high season 5000 people visit the heritage site per day. When I went there were barely any people around. The morning is the best time to go if you want to capture pictures with no one else in it.
Jordan certainly has the adventure category on lock, mainly in the form of exploring the lost city of Petra. The locations both beautiful and unreal, not to mention vast. If you go, make sure to bring your comfortable walking shoes and if you don’t have a fear of heights, do yourself a favor and take the long hike up some of the scenic cliffs where you’ll be greeted with some of the most amazing views in the world.
I just came back from a trip to Jordan with my sister and hands down this is probably one of my favorite trips I’ve ever done. We only had 3 days in Jordan and while we could’ve used a couple extra days, we did a lot in the time we had.
We landed in Amman at around 9:20am. We organized a pickup with a driver through a company that works with the hotel we were staying at for the night. The drive from Amman to Petra is about 3 hours but it’s pretty scenic and honestly our driver was so cool and entertaining I almost wish we had an extra hour to talk to him and learn more about the country. We took a few pit stops along the way and he showed us the world’s smallest hotel – it was hilarious. It’s literally a bed in a car on the side of the road. We stayed at Movenpick Petra which honestly is the only place you should stay if you’re trying to visit Petra because it’s literally right across the street from the entrance of the visit center. We were advised not to go outside between 12-3pm because those are the city’s hottest hours during the summer. We did a guided tour at around 4pm and walked through the Siq, saw the Treasury, and the Roman ruins. For all my fellow Arabs out there, they do a really bad job advertising this small detail but if you show your passport or ID proving you’re Arab at the stand where you book your tour guide it’s literally only 1 JD which is the equivalent of $1.41!! Otherwise you’ll end up paying $60+ like my sister and I did because we didn’t know about the discount until it was too late. They DO NOT do refunds. We tried..
We decided to stay the morning and go back to explore Petra again before leaving for our next adventure. We left our hotel room at around 9am for our hike to the Monastery. When the map tells you it’s about a 2-3 hour hike and is rated hard they’re not kidding. You must walk through the Siq, Treasury and Roman ruins again in order to begin the climb uphill to the Monastery. That’s about 2.5 miles I believe and then you have another 800 steps up mountains to get to your destination. Bring water because in the Jordan heat it’s not a joke and there’s like one place to stop with a little bit of shade along the way. But in all honesty the Monastery is unreal. I did not regret it whatsoever and there’s a small cafe at the top where you can get food and water and relax in a big tent in the shade.
If you have more time in Jordan I would highly recommend making the most of your time and checking out Wadi Rum where scenes of “The Martian” took place, the Dead Sea, and Jerash.
The absolute best time to visit Petra is very early in the morning to avoid the crowds & get awesome pictures! The locals will bombard you and try to sell you things on your way in so be prepared. You can purchase a tour right outside the visiting center however I did not think i would need one. Whenever I got inside the views were absolutely amazing. I road the camels and got a picture infront of the treasury for 7USD (deff worth it!!) Many bedouin men approached me insisting to take me on a tour to the “hidden viewpoint.” I hesitated because i thought i would be able to do it myself but trust me you want their help!! The climb is very dangerous! You can bargain prices as well! My tour was 20 USD. He took me to the hidden view point, took tons of pictures for me, offered me food and drink, and then helped me return to the treasury. They will also insist you do a Mule ride to the monestery (i declined however they kept going lower and lower with their prices). Make sure you wear comfortable shoes, have a few bottles of water, and have cash on you as there are no ATMs in Petra. Overall it was an amazing experience! The sites were all wonderful.
First, let me tell you, I was whisked away for my 40th birthday by bae, after spending an amazing time in Egypt and Dubai, the second to last stop (yes that is right, I also went to India after.. my bae rocks), we stopped in Jordan for some physically draining but amazing adventures (Bring comfortable walking shoes.. flip flops don’t work!!) We flew into Amman, Jordan, rented a car (Cost approx. $200, booked on Expedia, includes insurance) and drove up to Petra. Along the way, we stopped at the Crown Plaza Jordan Dead Sea Resort & Spa. There we paid for the night (approx. $250) to spend a day at the resort. This didn’t include anything except the room and beach. The Dead Sea is AMAZING. You get in that water which is super salty. It is so salty that you just float in the water. You get in and just float. You literally cannot sink. The water is warm but deep. There they have dug up an area that has Dead Sea mud, you can put all over your body and let it dry (Hair included), once you dry get in the water and scrub scrub….. Your skin comes out super soft and your hair (if curly, the curls bounce like they never have before).After your dip, you can hit up the adult pool for snacks and drinks or the family friendly pool. Adult pool you can get alcohol enjoy the infinity pool. A can of coke is approx. $5; a beer is around $10. It’s pricey… Food is also pricey – lunch was $25 pp and dinner was approx. $50 – 75 pp. Food was OK, not the best but good. This area is “resort area”; there are several other hotels, Holiday Inn, Hilton and several others. It’s a quiet area good for relaxation. Take note: the hotels serve alcohol. A lot of local places do not.
After our night at the spa, we drove around 3 hrs to Petra. I cannot talk about the drive, you see Bedouin villages and rolling hills of rock (Kinda like the Grand Canyon) but bigger…… the quiet when you stop at some look at points is unreal. It is so quiet it’s strange. You don’t see any animals (Well dogs but nothing else, not even insects). It’s very hot during the day and cold at night so bring both types of clothing. Convertible pants work wonders…When we got to Petra, it’s a great small town but has a lot of hotels and lots of tourists. There are several places to eat and drink. There is a lot of night life if you can handle it after walking 34 kms in the hot sun.
Now the good part….. The reason anyone really goes to Petra…. The Treasury, one of the “new” 7 Wonders of the World. I cannot express what it likes to see this in person and imagine this was built without any modern machinery. The night of our arrival we did “Petra by Night) was the first time we got to see this wonder which is light by the moon and some candles… take a walk to thru the utterly still of the night and dark to sit and have tea while the Bedouins (Bdoul Tribe) tell you about the life and still living at this amazing site. When they are done with the local music and story telling you let you sit for a bit in the quiet and night just to observe this wonder. It was just such a beautiful moment.
The Treasury consists of several temples including a Monastery (This walk!! GULP!!). You can do this on your own (just pay the entrance fee and go explore) or take the route we did which was with a guide. I have to be honest, the guide explains all about the area and about the inhabitants. We left at 6am right before sunrise… Hikes about 5 kms to the top to look down at the Treasury as the sun rose. It was magical…. The way the sun hit the structure is incredible. Note: all this hiking I uphill… it’s hard but man its fun. We then hit another area called the Royal Place which you can look way up and see the area of the Monastery. We made our way while the guide told us about the ancient peoples and how they lived, showed us homes and caves. Finally making it to the base of the hike, you do have an option to walk or take a donkey or camel up. We opted to walk… ….. And walk we did, up and up, and up, then up, then up and then up some more. I even had to rest… it’s a long long long far walk. Along the way, there are local vendors, to buy local things (Ladies get a scarf, they wrap it around your hair and it keep you cool, men get a Keffiyeh they are all for sale there and yes it will cost you a little but it’s worth it). After the long walk – we made it to the wonders of the Monastery. Which overlooks canyons as far as the eye can see. There are places you can get snacks, tea (Get mint tea… delicious) and water. You can marvel in the quiet and beauty of the structures and nature. Then it’s time to go back down… Much easier but still… it’s a walk. Finally back the beginning at 430pm… 34 kiss and 10.5 hrs later, we made it, we loved it and we needed rest after it! LMAO
At the entrance there is a really nice bar called The Cave – it’s literally a bae imbedded in the rocks. It’s nice and cool, I had THE BEST hummus I have ever tasted and we smoked some hookah and relaxed before retired for the night (We did have plans to go out but it was over after the day)
This place will, I will hold near and dear to my heart. It was something I never expected to see… My honey gets 2 thumbs up for the surprise. We left the following day back onto the next adventure we took the highway back which ended up being at 2 hrs driver opposed to 3hr thru the country side.
Note: The Jordanian Dinar is higher than the USD ($1 JOD = $1.41 USD) – everything is quiet pricey.
Spent two full days here. Hiked all the way to Petra. Spent the night at one amazing hotels on the hill, but could not really go out of that hotel because of its location. Prices were just a little high. But thankfully we had a Turkish bath in the hotel had amazing experience.
Jordan is one of the most amazing place I’ve ever visited. Its rich in history, the people are kind, and lifestyle is easy. We arrived in Amman late in the evening and checked into the Sheraton Amman Al Nabil Hotel. After a good night’s rest we got up early in the morning and started our tour of the city. We didn’t hire a tour guided but instead depended on local transportation and our curious minds. We spent the day roaming Roman theatre, the citadel, the Umayyad Palace, and the Archaeological. We made the trip in March and it was a bit cold I had to buy extra scarfs. After visiting the historic sites we then roamed the city of Amann and found local restaurants and tried their a delicious food. Afterwards we asked around and found Sam the Man who drove us to out to Dead Sea, Petra, Wadi rum for the 3 days. Next morning we woke up early and headed to Dead Sea, and floated around! it was def a great experience. We rubbed down in healing mud and washed it off in the sea. Although rest of Jordan was cold because Dead Sea is located below sea level it was extremely warm. After that we headed to Mount Nebo where Moses was granted to see the promise land and died. It was a def a surreal spiritual moment standing on top of the mount and viewing the rest of Jordan and the promise land. After we drove Madaba another historic city just 19 miles from Aman, were Byzantine-era mosaic map of the Holy Land is. We explored the small town and the beautiful church with gorgeous mosaic art along the walls and floor. From there we headed to Petra once we arrived, we had dinner and checked into our hotel. After the long drive we just wanted to sleep and get ready for the next day. Petra was amazing! we bought our tickets at the door and stared our walk. Located in the desert Petra are churches built into the rocks of surrounding the dusty paths. You can also find honeycomb like holes where to this day nomad still live. You can rent a camel if you are too tired to walk, but we opted for the exercise. We walked about 2/3 of the way visiting the churches and various caves along the way and then we were struck by hail HUGE hail. While locals where praising Allah, they had been suffering a drought, we froze! hahah we found a shop and waited it out until the hail stopped and headed back to our hotel. That evening we got a turkish bath, massage, and relaxed. Next morning woke up early and headed to Wadi Rum, a GORGEOUS desert filled with various hues of pink, red, orange! we spent our morning there enjoyed time with local nomads ate a wonderful meal and started our drive back to Amann to catch our flight out! Jordan is def a place I’d want to revisit!