Petra By Night Review: What to Expect & Is It Worth Doing?
If you’re wondering whether Petra By Night is worth doing, you’re in the right place!
Petra By Night (also referred to as Petra at night) is an absolutely memorable experience. For this Jordan must-do attraction, you’ll be under the stars at night, walking along a luminary-lit path that feels anything but ordinary.
Making your way along huge bouldering rock formations, you’ll pass through the Siq until you reach the famous Treasury of Petra. Let me explain why we highly recommend that you arrange your trip to Petra according to the Petra By Night schedule.
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Petra By Night Review
Petra By Night is simply amazing. I’ll go into detail about our experience, what to expect, and lots of tips. But, simply put, it is something you should absolutely make the effort to see.
We’ve seen a lot of amazing sites while traveling around the globe worldschooling our kids, and we can vouch that seeing Petra at night is one of those memories you will never forget!
What to Expect at Petra By Night
Once you have your Petra By Night tickets, you can enter the site at 20:00 (8:00 pm). In our experience, there was a line qued already by 8:00 pm, but by the time we walked up to the entrance five minutes later, we handed over our night ticket and walked right in.
I should note that we had read that Petra By Night doesn’t open until 8:30, but in our experience, they opened the gates closer to 8:00 pm.
From there, everything was a pretty surreal experience. For us, it was extra cool that we had no idea exactly what we were walking into because we hadn’t yet been to Petra during the day.
The stars were glowing in the sky above us and the walking path towards The Treasury was lit by luminaries. We were surrounded by huge, magnificent rocks in incredible formations. It was dark and romantic and really quite special!
Tip: We highly recommend bringing a flashlight when you tour Petra at night. While we didn’t use the flashlight the whole time (it takes away from the experience in my opinion), we definitely needed it at times when the path had cobblestones and we wanted to be sure not to trip!
Your experience will begin by walking for around 40 minutes to get to The Treasury. The Treasury is the main iconic landmark in Petra. While it is an easy walk, it can be a bit rocky with large cobblestones on parts of the path.
Note for families with young children: The path is definitely doable with a good stroller but I have always found it easy to use a baby carrier.
When the path ends at The Treasury, you will have one of those wow moments. It is simply breathtaking at night.
Once you arrive at The Treasury, there will be people ushering you to stools, which they set up for a music/light show. Luminaries and lanterns will light the area around you. The Treasury is a grand sight at the focal point.
During the light show, a few staff members will likely come around to pass out free hot tea, which is really nice on a chilly evening. (And Petra can be chilly depending on the time of year you visit).
We went to Petra in March, and it was chilly at night. Bring layers or a jacket for warmth if you visit Petra at Night during a cooler month!
Note: There were a couple of vendors set up along the start of the path if you wanted to purchase trinkets or water/snacks.
Then the night show at Petra begins. Jordanian live music starts and Petra is lit up with changing colored lights. Live music plays for about 30 minutes while you sip your tea and sit back to enjoy.
After the 30-minute light night show, everyone walks back on the same route that you arrived.
However, I recommend staying a bit longer at The Treasury to avoid the crowds. This gives you some time to take some photos and sit back and enjoy the moment under the stars.
From start to finish, you can plan to tour Petra at night in approximately two hours.
Tip: If you’re visiting Petra with kids, we recommend watching the National Geographic documentary about Petra (on Disney+) before you go. Our entire family enjoyed it, and it really made the kids not only excited to visit Petra but also really into exploring every monument that they saw in the documentary.
Is Petra By Night Worth It?
Not only is Petra By Night worth it, but this experience should also be on the top of your list of things to do in Jordan. It’s one of those magical moments in life where you are in nature, surrounded by historical magnificence!
We also really enjoyed visiting Petra during the month of March, as the crowds aren’t really in full swing yet and you get to enjoy the essence of Petra with smaller crowds.
When Does Petra By Night Run?
This question is important. Petra By Night only runs 3 nights per week, on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Plan accordingly! I recommend arriving just before 20:00 (8:00 pm), as in our experience, the gates open at 8:00 pm and the night show began around 9:00 pm.
(Remember, it takes approximately 40 minutes to walk from the entrance/gates to The Treasury, where the night show takes place.)
Note that the Petra night show can be canceled due to high winds or weather.
Petra By Night Show Tickets
Petra night show tickets can be purchased directly at the Visitor’s Center located outside of the gates to Petra.
Entrance Fee
In order to visit Petra at night, you need to first have a day ticket to Petra or the Jordan Pass. The night show is NOT included in the Jordan Pass though, so you need a separate ticket.
When we visited, we actually didn’t do Petra at night on the same day that we visited Petra during the day. We used one of our Jordan Pass days to purchase the Petra By Night tickets and then used the Jordan Pass again the following day to visit Petra during the daytime.
Again, the Jordan Pass only covers Petra during the day, but you need a day ticket in order to then purchase the Petra By Night add-on.
Once you have your Jordan Pass or day ticket for Petra, you can purchase the Petra By Night ticket for 17JD. This is equivalent to approximately USD $25. Children under 10 years old are admitted for free.
Where to Buy Tickets
You can purchase Petra night tickets at the Visitor’s Center, just around the corner from the main gates into Petra. You can also look into purchasing them through your hotel.
How to Get to Petra By Night
Petra By Night is located in Petra (Wadi Musa), at The Treasury. You can either arrange transportation through your hotel, take a taxi or drive to Petra.
We had a rental car, since we did a self-drive of Jordan. It is quite easy to drive around Jordan and to drive right up to the main entrance of Petra.
It was actually a bit shocking how unassuming the Petra entrance is. There is a free parking lot just over the tiny bridge to the left of the entrance to Petra (if you are looking at the entrance straight on).
From the parking lot, it’s less than a 5-minute walk to the entrance of the attraction. From the entrance gates, you’ll walk 40 minutes to The Treasury, where the night show takes place.
Where to Stay Near Petra
I definitely recommend staying in Petra for a couple of nights to not only see Petra at night, but also to explore Petra during the day. There is a lot to see in Petra!
You can consider staying at one of the very convenient hotels close to Petra’s entrance. Check out the Movenpick Petra, located directly across the street from the entrance to the Visitor’s Center and to Petra. Or check out Petra Guest House Hotel, located right at the gate entrance to Petra.
For a more budget-friendly hotel or apartment in Petra, check out The Crystal House, located about a 5-10 minute drive from the entrance to Petra. This is a nice option for families, as they have two-bedroom suites with large family rooms and a kitchen.
The owner of The Crystal House is really accommodating and friendly. He even arranged for his wife to cook dinner, which we took advantage of each night to enjoy local home-cooked Jordan meals.
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Other Ways to See Petra
There are day tours into Petra from Amman, as well as from Aqaba. During cruise season, day bus tours heavily flood the area, and Petra can see an extra 15,000 people per day, according to the owner of the hotel we stayed at.
Petra Night Tours can also be arranged if you prefer to go with a group.
Tips for Photography at Petra By Night
Petra at night was actually easier to capture by photo than we anticipated.
Here are some tips for photography at the Petra night show:
- Use a tripod; as with any night photos, a steady camera is key.
- Use a self-timer.
- Find some light to stand near to illuminate your subject (or use your flashlight) if you are trying to take photos of people.
Secret Tips for Petra By Night Photos:
- Wait around a few minutes after the show when everyone rushes out. Take those moments to capture Petra at night without the crowds before they turn off the lights.
- Choose a seat on the sides rather than in the middle. The middle is where the crowds tend to gather. The side areas make for a nice spot to capture Petra by camera without having a bunch of people in your photos.
FAQs: Petra At Night
Here are a few commonly asked questions you might be wondering.
How long does Petra at night last?
The Petra By Night show lasts approximately 30 minutes and includes live music and a light show. It takes approximately 40 minutes each way to walk the path from the entrance, through the Siq, and to The Treasury (where Petra night show takes place).
Plan to be at Petra for a total of two hours, for the walk to & from, live music and light show.
How difficult is the walk to Petra?
The walk to Petra is quite easy. It’s flat with no hills. However, there are cobblestones and uneven areas. While you want to enjoy the ambiance of the dark candle-lit paths, it is advisable to have a small flashlight on you if you need to navigate parts of the terrain.
It was easy enough for our kids to enjoy the walk and to carry a baby in the baby carrier!
How long is the walk into Petra?
The walk to Petra By Night is about 40 minutes each way. During the day, this Main Trail (Ad Deir Trail) is the same walk you can easily take to get to The Treasury (the iconic monument of Petra).
However, during the day, there are many other walking hikes and options to explore Petra. You could spend all day exploring and still not see everything!
Is 1 night in Petra enough?
Yes, one night in Petra is enough, if you plan accordingly to visit the Petra By Night tour on either Monday, Wednesday or Thursday and then the following day (or same day) visit Petra during the day!
However, you could spend multiple days at Petra and not see everything. There are so many hikes and monuments to explore!
Can you stay the night in Petra?
Absolutely. There are many options for hotels or apartments to stay the night in the Petra area of Wadi Musa. However, you can’t actually spend the night inside the park where the monuments are located.
What does it cost for children at Petra By Night?
Children under 10 years old are free. Anyone 10 and over will pay 17JD (approximately USD$25) to visit Petra By Night (in addition to having either a day ticket or Jordan Pass).
Is Petra By Night included in the Jordan Pass?
Petra By Night is NOT included in the Jordan Pass, no matter which pass you purchase. However, the Jordan Pass can count as your day ticket so that you can then purchase a Petra By Night ticket.
Wrap-Up: Petra By Night Review
In conclusion, we rearranged our original Jordan itinerary to visit Petra By Night in order to see the night show, and we are so glad we did. We weren’t sure what to expect but it far exceeded all of our expectations.
The silence of the night combined with walking under the stars along the candlelit paths to the ancient city lit up and adorned with live music is nothing short of surreal. Absolutely an activity that I would recommend on your trip to Jordan!
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