Petra · Two Days
Petra in Two Days
Two days is the visit we recommend to most travelers, and the one we design for our guests. It lets you climb to both the Monastery and the High Place of Sacrifice, walk the quiet back valleys, visit Little Petra, and be in the right place at the right hour for the light — all at a pace that leaves you able to enjoy it. Here is the plan.
Why two days works
The difference is pace and light
In one day you see the highlights; in two you understand the city. The extra day lets you separate the two big climbs onto different mornings, walk the Back Trail instead of rushing up the steps, descend through the quiet Wadi Farasa valley, and make the short drive out to Little Petra. You also photograph the east-facing Treasury in morning light and the west-facing Royal Tombs in afternoon light — impossible in a single day.
Day 1 — The main trail & the Monastery
Enter at opening
Walk the Siq in silence to the Treasury for the best light and fewest people.
Treasury & Street of Facades
Study the Treasury in morning sun, then continue through the cemetery street and the Theatre.
Royal Tombs & colonnaded street
Climb to the Urn Tomb forecourt for the view, then walk the civic heart to Qasr al-Bint.
Monastery via the Back Trail
Take Wadi al-Khayl up — gentler and quieter — to the Monastery. Photograph the facade and the desert panorama.
Descend & lunch
Come down the classic 800 steps (easier on the lungs) and rest over lunch at the Basin cafe.
Royal Tombs in golden light
End day one at the west-facing tombs as the low sun brings out the sandstone banding, then walk out.
Day 2 — The High Place, Wadi Farasa & Little Petra
A later start
Day two does not need the dawn start — the morning monuments are done. Enter around 8:00.
High Place of Sacrifice
Climb the ~170 steps to the clifftop altar for the finest panorama over the whole city.
Descend via Wadi Farasa
Come down through the quiet back valley: the Garden Temple, the Roman Soldier Tomb and the triclinium.
Lunch in Wadi Musa
Exit for a proper lunch in town and a rest — you have earned it.
Little Petra (Siq al-Barid)
Drive 9 km north to the satellite site: carved rooms, banquet halls and the rare painted ceiling.
Petra by Night (if running)
If your visit coincides with a candlelit night, return for a completely different, atmospheric Treasury.
Two-day essentials
- Ticket
- 2-day pass (only slightly more than 1-day)
- Walking per day
- Roughly 8–12 km — comfortable, not extreme
- Climbs
- Monastery (day 1) + High Place (day 2)
- Little Petra
- 9 km drive north — half a day on day 2
- Pacing
- Choose the start time that suits your group
- Rest
- Midday rest both days — essential in heat
Making it work
A few notes from experience
Pace it like a local, not a tourist
The temptation on day one is to power through everything. Resist it. The plan above builds in a midday rest and a gentle afternoon precisely because the heat between noon and 2:00 PM is the part that catches people out. Sit in the shade, drink water, and let the day breathe.
Use the Back Trail on day one
Going up to the Monastery via the Back Trail and down the main steps is the most efficient and pleasant way to do the climb. You get the quiet ascent, the classic descent, and you avoid climbing the steep steps in either direction.
Save Little Petra for day two
Little Petra is a separate site a short drive away, and it is the perfect gentle afternoon for day two after the morning’s climb. Do not try to squeeze it into a one-day visit — it needs its own half-day, and it deserves it. The painted ceiling there is unique in Petra. When you are ready to turn this plan into a journey, our Petra tours are built around it.
See Petra through local eyes
Tell us your dates and travel style and we will craft a private Petra journey — with a guide who knows the city’s quiet corners.