Product Overview
Explore the ancient city of Petra, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, on our 1-day tour. Petra is Jordan’s most popular travel and tourist destination, and for good reason. The immensity, beauty, and history of this archaeological treasure ruins make it one of the world’s most renowned archaeological sites. Enjoy Jordan’s incomparable city of Petra, directly carved into the mountains—a mute monument to the powerful civilization that thrived almost 2,000 years ago in this remote desert locale, surrounded by rocky mountains, gorges, and cliffs. While the city of Petra earned its fame as an exotic backdrop sight, the real history behind it is an incredible story. Many new stories are still waiting to be told because archaeologists have only explored about 15 per cent of the sprawling site.
What's Included
- Ferry boat from Taba Heights to Aqaba and back
- Transfers by A/C buses
- Lunch
- Professional licensed English-speaking guide
- Entrance fees in Petra
- Pick up services from your hotel & return
- Visa to Jordan
What to Expect
Pick-up Service from your hotel
- At around 02:00 am depending on your Hotel location, a comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle will arrive at your hotel to pick you up.
- Enjoy the nature of the Sinai desert and the mountains of AL Aqaba golf while driving to Taba port.
Ferry Trip to Jordan
- You will take the ferry at around 5:30 am to sail across the Aqaba Gulf and reach Jordan at around 8:45 am. After that, it will be a 2-hour drive to get to Petra, where you will begin your adventure with your English-speaking guide. The tour takes you north along the desert highway, passing through the unique scenery of Wadi Rum, where Lawrence of Arabia once roamed.
Tour to the Treasury
- In Petra, our guide will be waiting for you at the arrival hall to start your journey.
- Petra Tour allows you to enjoy the opulent display of wealth from the past through its arts and architecture. This is nowhere more evident than in the elaborate buildings, such as the Treasury, which were carved directly into the soft sandstone cliffs. The Nabataean capital was also a remarkable feat of urban planning. Some 30,000 people once lived in this desert, quenching their thirst through a channel and cistern system that harvested and stored winter rains for future use. The system worked well enough to accommodate many gardens.
Walk through the Canyon of Siq
- The first walk you should take in Petra is through the Canyon of Siq. This natural geological feature is formed from a deep split in the sandstone rocks and serves as a waterway flowing into Wadi Mosses. The Canyon is one of the main reasons why Petra was such an amazingly attractive site for the Nabateans, as it is behind a narrow and easily defensible canyon known as the Siq.
Discover Al Khazneh
- During your next visit, be sure to explore the magnificent treasury of the Pharaoh, known as Al Khazneh. This impressive structure is one of the most intricate buildings in the ancient Jordanian city of Petra. Carved out of a sandstone rock face, it features classical Greek-influenced architecture. It is believed to have been constructed between 100 BC and AD 200. The name "Treasury" comes from a legend that suggests bandits or pirates once hid their treasure in a stone urn located high on the second level. Another legend states that it served as the treasury of the Egyptian Pharaoh during the time of Moses (Khaznet Far’oun).
Discover the Roman Theater in Petra
- The Roman Theater is followed by a period in which the dominant civilization combines Greek, Egyptian, and Syrian elements, indicating the influence of the Ptolemies. Towards the end of the 2nd century BC, when the Ptolemaic and Seleucid kingdoms were both in decline, the Nabataean kingdom rose to prominence. Under Aretas III Philhellene (c. 85–60 BC), royal coins began to be minted. The theatre was likely excavated during this time, and Petra began to take on the appearance of a Hellenistic city. The Nabateans, known for their excellent engineering skills, built water conservation and irrigation systems and carved their homes, temples, graves, and tombs directly into the rocks.
- Next, we'll head to the city centre for lunch at an amazing restaurant.
Enjoy a Great View of the Entire Central Petra Basin
- After lunch, before we head back to the port, you'll have the opportunity to visit Al-Habis Fort. From the top of Al-Habis, you'll enjoy a great view of the entire central Petra basin, where the Al-Habis Crusader Fortress is situated. This fortress was designed and strategically located to control the communication route within the Petra basin, and it was not visible from Al-Wu’eira Fortress.
- By the end of the day, you will drive back to Aqaba port, take a ferry back to Taba, and then drive back to your hotel.