Petra is a historical and archaeological city in the southern Jordanian governorate of Ma'an that is famous for its rock-cut architecture and water conduit system. Another name for Petra is the Rose City due to the color of the stone out of which it is carved.
Established possibly as early as 312 BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans, it is a symbol of Jordan, as well as Jordan's most-visited tourist attraction. It lies on the slope of Jebel al-Madhbah (identified by some as the biblical Mount Hor) in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah (Wadi Araba), the large valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. Petra has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985.
The site remained unknown to the Western world until 1812, when it was introduced by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. It was described as "a rose-red city half as old as time" in a Newdigate Prize-winning poem by John William Burgon. UNESCO has described it as "one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage". See:UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists. Petra was chosen by the Smithsonian Magazine as one of the "28 Places to See Before You Die".
The first major excavations of the site were in 1929 after the forming of Trans-Jordan. Since that time, Petra has become by far Jordan's largest tourist attraction. The site was included in the Steven Spielberg movie, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in 1989 and was chosen in July 2007 as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
Entry Ticket to Petra costs 127 USD for those tourists staying in Israel or Egypt who will spend the day in Petra and return without spending the night in Jordan.
70 USD for overnight and cruise visitors for 1 day's access to Petra.
Students have to pay the full price, unless they have a valid Jordanian University ID; then the entry fee is 1 JD.
The archeological site of Petra is not surrounded by any physical barrier and there is a separate non-guarded entrance for the locals not far from the center of the archeological site, but you'll need a car or to know someone to access it.
Best Time to visit Petra, Jordan:
The very best time to visit Petra is April. Other practical months are March to May and September to November.
Transportation System:
By bus
By minibus
Public minibus from Wadi Musa (Petra) to Ma'an is 0.55 JD and from there to Aqaba 1.50 JD (April 2012). The main route from Wadi Musa to Aqaba is overpriced for tourists! The same for the route from Amman to Wadi Musa. With the stop over in Ma'an you should be able to pay the normal price for the public minibus.
By taxi
For 75 JD or less you may be able to get a private taxi from Amman to Petra and back, including the driver waiting around for 6 hours. In December 2012 the pay was 60 JD from Petra to Amman. Official rate said to be 70JD.
Once you arrive at the Treasury and throughout Petra, there will be many camel and donkey owners jockeying for your business. Be prepared to do some bargaining and don't pay more than 10 JD, a more reasonable price is around 3 JD a person.
