Petra Back-Road Trail and Hike

Petra’s main entrance is famous for a reason, but the real fun is earning your way in. This Petra back-road trail and hike takes you past Little Petra first, then works you toward the big monuments through canyons, viewpoints, and a big Nabataean day in one go.

I like two things a lot. First, you get that first taste of Petra at Little Petra and Al-Beidha, where the rock cut details feel calmer and more personal. Second, the day is paced so that the Treasury lands as a true crescendo at the end, not the moment you’re already tired.

One thing to consider: this is a long day, and you do serious walking. The route suits moderate physical fitness, and the climb to the Monastery is known for serious step counts.

Quick take on the Petra back-road hike

• Little Petra first, including Siq al-Barid (the cold canyon) and the Neolithic Village of Beidha
• Al Dayr (the Monastery), a huge Nabataean tomb with Byzantine-era crosses and a rock-cut route with more than 800 steps
• Scenic hike segments via Siq Ghorab and an old village area called Shamasah, plus a panoramic viewpoint over Wadi Araba
• Classic Petra highlights after the Monastery, like the Colonnaded Street, Street of Facades, and Royal Tombs
• Two timing-heavy monuments where entry may not be included, the Treasury and the Royal Tombs

The back door idea: why this Petra route feels different

The big change here is order. You start in Little Petra, which means you get warm up time among rock cut sites before the crowds and the main corridor take over later.

Then the route keeps turning, so your day is not just a straight line to one photo spot. You hike through canyon approach areas, reach viewpoints over Wadi Araba, and eventually arrive at the Monastery, one of Petra’s largest monuments. That matters because you see Petra at different “zoom levels,” close-up carvings early, big architecture later.

The best part for many people is the payoff. The hike style builds energy, then you reach the main Al Khazna (Treasury) when you are ready to really focus. One of the standout reactions I’ve seen to this kind of routing is how the Treasury feels like the final big moment rather than a stop on a list.

Morning start, pickup options, and a group capped at 6

The day starts at 9:00 am and typically runs 8 to 9 hours. That timing is important because Petra is hot and light changes quickly, especially in open canyon stretches.

Pickup is offered, or you can meet at Little Petra. If you’re staying outside the main area, pickup can save you stress. If you like control and you’re comfortable getting yourself to the trailhead, meeting at Little Petra can be simpler.

Group size is capped at 6, so you are not being pushed along in a huge crowd. That usually means fewer bottlenecks at narrow areas and more chance for your guide to keep the route moving with context.

You’ll also use a mobile ticket, so have your phone ready and charged.

Little Petra and Siq al-Barid: the quieter rock cut warm up

You begin in Little Petra, also known as Siq al-Barid, literally the cold canyon. Even though it’s connected in theme to Petra’s main Siq, this one is far shorter, so you spend less time in the long corridor and more time exploring side sections.

Expect carved figures and rock cut features in pockets where the passage widens. You may also see temples cut into the rock and painted house remains. It’s a smart warm up because it gets your eyes trained before you hit the bigger, busier highlights.

From there you continue to the Neolithic Village of Beidha. This is one of Jordan’s older settlements, and it gives you a different time scale for Petra. Instead of only thinking Nabataean and Roman, you get that earlier human layer, when people lived seasonally as hunters and gatherers.

Timing is about 2 hours 30 minutes with admission included. If you’re trying to avoid feeling rushed, start your day calmly here. This section is where you can slow down and really look at rock shapes and human marks.

Hike route toward Shamasah and the big canyon approach

After the early sites, the hike route shifts into a more dramatic mode. You head toward an old village called Shamasah, and you access it through a large canyon noted as Siq Ghorab.

This segment is part of why the back-road style works. You’re not only walking between monuments. You’re also moving through Petra’s terrain, and that changes how the next big stop hits.

As you continue, you reach a panoramic viewpoint over Wadi Araba and the west bank mountains. Even if the viewpoint is short, take it seriously. Pause, let your eyes adjust, and check the light direction. Petra’s colors shift a lot from morning to late morning.

This whole middle stretch is a good moment to hydrate and get your breathing under control. If you go out too fast, you’ll feel it later when the Monastery route starts demanding energy.

Al Dayr (Monastery): huge scale, Byzantine clues, and a serious stair route

Then comes the monument that sets the tone for the whole day, Al Dayr, the Monastery. It’s one of Petra’s most dramatic structures, described as a Nabataean tomb dating to the third century BCE.

What makes it special is both scale and clues about later use. It follows a similar design model to the Treasury, but it’s larger, with measurements around 50 meters wide and 45 meters high. Inside, you’ll see crosses carved into the walls. Those carvings are a key reason it’s linked to a Byzantine period, when the site functioned as a church.

The access route is also part of the story. From the Basin Restaurant area, there’s a rock-cut path with more than 800 steps on the way up. So yes, this is where your “moderate fitness” needs to be real.

Admission is included here, and the stop time is about 2 hours. That length is helpful. You don’t just rush the exterior. You have time to look up at the mass of the building, then check inside for the Byzantine-era details.

Colonnaded Street and the triple gate feeling

After Al Dayr, you work back toward the main old city through major central corridors. One of the highlights is the Colonnaded Street, an old Nabataean construction later renovated in Roman times.

A detail I think you’ll appreciate: it was restored with a 6 meter width in 106 BC. That tells you this wasn’t only an ancient walk. It was a civic space that got upgraded as empires shifted.

You’ll also pass toward the area where the triple gate opens to the Qasr Al-Bint shrine. Even if you only see part of that setup, it helps to connect what you’re seeing to how people moved through Petra’s core.

This stop is around 1 hour, with admission included. Keep your camera handy, but also keep your head up. The street design is the kind of thing you can miss if you only look at the ground.

Street of Facades: tomb details without too much stress

Next is the Street of Facades, a tomb area that’s described as easily accessible compared to many other Petra tombs. That matters on a hike day, because you don’t want every stop to demand another big climb.

Here, you can examine tombs cut into the rock along the sides of the facade street. One tomb called tomb number 67 is noted for an upper story funeral chamber. In plain terms, that means you can spot the structure changes more clearly than at sites where everything blends into similar facades.

This is a shorter stop, about 30 minutes, with admission included. Use the time for close looking. If you read the architecture like a puzzle, it gets more interesting than a photo stop.

Royal Tombs and the Urn Tomb staircase

The Royal Tombs sit above the center of Petra on the western slope of the Jabal al-Khubtha rock massif, rising like a skyline above the main area. The hike to reach them includes a staircase that leads to the Urn Tomb, which served as a place of devotion during the Byzantine Empire.

From there the route continues to other tombs in the same cluster. You may see the Silk Tomb, noted as a tiny tomb next to the Urn Tomb. The name is tied to the deep shade of the sandstone. After that, you’ll pass by additional tombs, including the Palace Tomb, Corinthian Tomb, and Tomb of Sesto Fiorentino.

Important practical note: admission for this stop is not included. So if you’re building your day budget, plan for the possibility that you’ll need additional entry time or ticket coverage here.

Stop time is around 1 hour. This is also one of those sections where pacing matters. If you rush up and rush down, you’ll miss the way these facades layer into the hillside.

Treasury moment: what to look for at Al Khazna

Finally, you arrive at Al Khazna, also called the Treasury, and this is the reason so many people plan their Petra day around this single view.

The Treasury is around 40 meters high and known for exquisite exterior carving, including Corinthian capitals, friezes, and many sculpted figures. A funeral urn sits on top, and local folklore says it holds a pharaoh’s treasure. The more grounded interpretation is different: the urn is believed to have served as a memorial for royalty, not literal treasure storage.

The structure is described as two stories with widths around 25.30 meters and a total height around 39.1 meters. It also has three main chambers in the facade, one centered and two on the sides. If you slow down, you can actually trace those sections and see the engineering logic in the way the carving moves around the facade.

Admission for the Treasury is not included. Stop time is around 1 hour 30 minutes. That’s a good amount of time because you will likely want moments for overview shots, close detail looks, and a chance to step back and re-check the full facade once the crowd rhythm shifts.

This is where the back-door hike concept often feels worth it. You don’t reach the Treasury after a quick shuffle. You reach it after work, so you notice more.

After the big finale: Nymphaeum and the Byzantine Church

When the Treasury time is done, the day isn’t finished with only the classic facade drama. You also visit the Nymphaeum, a public fountain along the Colonnaded Street.

Today, only foundations remain, but they’re still set in shade, including the kind of tree shadow that can make a hot afternoon feel less punishing. This stop is short, about 10 minutes, with admission included.

Then there’s the Byzantine Church of Petra, also known as the Church of Petra. Its ruins date to the sixth or eighth century, and it was discovered in the 1990s. The interesting architectural point is that parts of the church used materials that had already been used during Nabataean and Roman periods, including western windows and doors and relief elements.

This stop is also about 10 minutes, with admission included. It’s a quick reminder that Petra was not frozen in one era. It kept being repurposed as different communities came through.

How long, how hard, and what your body needs to handle

This is an 8 to 9 hour outing, starting at 9:00 am. The pace should be active all day, not museum-slow. You’re moving between distinct zones of Petra, plus you have at least one big stair effort on the route to Al Dayr with more than 800 steps.

The operator notes moderate physical fitness. I’d treat that as: you should be comfortable walking for hours on uneven ground, and you should handle big stair climbs without thinking it’s a casual stroll.

If you have knee issues, bring that reality into your planning. The Monastery route is the one most likely to test you. The reward is worth it for many people, especially when the day is organized so that your energy is ready when the Treasury view comes.

Price and value for $380 per group up to 6

The price is $380.00 per group, up to 6 people. That sounds like a lot until you do the simple math. If you fill the group, it comes out to about $63 per person. If you don’t fill it, your per-person cost can rise quickly.

So the value question depends on group size. This tour does look designed for small groups, which can be a plus if you’re traveling with friends or family and want a guided route without bus crowds.

One more value factor: some key sites have admission included, while the Royal Tombs and the Treasury are marked as admission not included. That means you should budget for additional entry there. If you plan for that up front, the total day cost becomes clearer and less stressful.

When you compare it to the cost of buying tickets and navigating alone, the big win is guide context plus a route that builds to the Treasury at the end.

Practical tips to make your Petra back-road day smoother

Here’s how to set yourself up for a better day, based on what this route involves.

Wear shoes you trust on rock and stairs. This is not flat walking, and the Monastery route includes a massive steps count. Bring sun protection, plus water, and plan for hot stretches between points.

Use a phone-friendly setup for the mobile ticket. If your battery dies, you’ll feel it fast in a day built on scheduled stops.

Because the tour requires good weather, watch the forecast. If rain hits, Petra becomes slippery and the canyon approach areas can feel harder.

If you want the most from the day, take short breaks strategically. Aim for a pause right before the big climb to Al Dayr, not after you’re already struggling.

Should you book this Petra back-road trail?

I’d book this if you want a Petra day that feels active and structured, not just a quick line of stops. The big reason is the route logic, starting with Little Petra and building toward the Treasury crescendo after you’ve hiked through canyons, old village areas, and major monuments.

I’d think twice if you want an easy pace, or if you’re not comfortable with long walking and big stair climbs. Also, make sure your plan accounts for admission not included for the Royal Tombs and the Treasury, so you do not get surprised mid-day.

If you’re the type who likes architecture details, the mix of Nabataean carving and Byzantine-era clues is a strong match. You end with a more complete Petra picture than a single monument checklist.

In short: this is a guided hike for people who want Petra to feel earned, not delivered on a platter.

FAQ

What does the Petra Back-door Trail and Route Hike cost?

The price is $380.00 per group, for up to 6 people.

How long is the tour and when does it start?

It starts at 9:00 am and runs about 8 to 9 hours.

Is pickup included, or do I meet at Little Petra?

Pickup is offered, and you can also meet at Little Petra.

Are admission tickets included for every stop?

Admission is included for Al-Beidha, Monastery (Al Dayr), the Colonnaded Street, the Street of Facades, the Nymphaeum, and the Byzantine Church. Admission is not included for the Royal Tombs and the Treasury.

Is this tour suitable for everyone?

The tour notes moderate physical fitness. It is best if you are comfortable with a long day of walking and stairs, including a route to the Monastery with more than 800 steps.

What happens if the weather is poor?

The experience requires good weather. If it is canceled due to poor weather, you will be offered a different date or a full refund.