TRIPS AND TRICKS!

Many of you, when looking at the prices for entering to Petra, get headache.

1 EUR = 0,8 JOD, so if we have a look at entry for one person for one day (50 JOD - the price only for overnight staying in Jordan - 62 EUR), then we start of thinking if we can do this cheaper.

We don't encourage you to do this, but we don't believe that the money really goes to the preservation of Petra. We see from their site, that majority of the money goes to Ministry of Finance. And consider that for Jordanians it is 1 JOD to get to Petra. So, it means that Jordanian government overcharges you fifty times!!!

When you look at the price of other new 7 wonders you see that Petra is definitely the most expensive from them.

Macchu Picchu (Peru), Christ Redeemer (Brasil), Great Wall of China (China), Chichen Itza (Mexico), Roman Colloseum (Italy), Taj Mahal (India) - nothing costs so much like Petra.

Please consider then getting to Petra for free :) Petra is huge area and it is impossible to protect it totally by the guards.

So, this is the plan for Route 1:

1. Stay for the night in Wadi Musa city. Usually the cheapest option are the farest from the entrance to Petra, so take such hotels. It can be up to 2 km to get to Petra area, so prepare for long walk in the morning.

2. Wake up early, Petra opens at 6 am, so it would be best if you wake up at 4.30 am and be next to Petra area at least 5.20 am.

3. When you approach MovenPick resort, turn right, pass the big car park and turn left into Crown Plaza Resort

4. In front of the entrance, turn right, and go next to the fence, all the way until it is turning left. Follow it.

5. In front of you, you have rocky area, with few canyons, be careful, this is dangerous place.

6. Go towards west and choose the one of 2 last small canyons, you have to be careful again to get into them, they are a little bit deep. 

7. Continue walking for around 1 km, sometimes it is very narrow and after rain there can be some water (but this is the desert, so it doesn't rain so often). Occasionally the guards can build some obstacles there, but it is not difficult to pass it. Whole action should take around 1 hour. Wear good shoes, not sandals. 

8. At the end of the canyon there can be local's camp sometimes, there some some sheeps or goats wondering around... the best time to be there is around 6.30 AM.

9. Then you are almost there. When you look left (west), you see the wide Petra area. You have to follow the path for few hundreds metres, then you see Urn Tomb on the left. It is good to be there with other tourists, who came by official road, so none of the guard is surprised what you are doing there so early (allow other tourists at least 30 minutes to get into that place).

10. You are IN! You can continue visiting the place for free! There is Treasury, Reinessance Tomb, Monastery, Nabatean Theatre and much more waiting for you. You have just saved 62 euro. We encourage you generously donate then guys selling different stuff in Petra, but it is up to you.

11. After visiting Petra, you can easily use official exit to leave this fantastic place.

Anothe option to get to Petra is Route 2:

1. In Wadi Musa, after passing MovenPick resort, turn right and continue walking/taxi/donkey for about 2 kms.

2. You get to the small village, when shephards, Petra's workers, sellers live.

3. The village is on the top, if you look down the rock towards south-west, then you see Petra valley. There are multiple paths towards the Petra, but you can meet there some guards on the way.

4. The advice to this route - try to look like the local, travel on donkey, etc. ;)

You can also approach Petra from west-south direction (Route 3), but it can require more walking.

For all options, we recommend you to wear good shoes, take water and generally be rather young and fit.

We hope this guide will be helpful for you!