Jordan Tours, Petra & Wadi Rum

Petra is Jordan’s most celebrated archaeological treasure and one of the most extraordinary ancient cities in the Middle East. Carved directly into rose-coloured sandstone cliffs by the Nabataeans more than 2,000 years ago, Petra developed into an important junction on the trade routes that connected Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome.

Although much has been written about Petra, the experience of seeing it in person is difficult to prepare for. The city is approached through the Siq, a narrow gorge more than a kilometre long, bordered by soaring rock walls whose colours and formations change as you walk deeper into the site.

At the end of the Siq, Al-Khazneh — the Treasury — suddenly appears between the cliffs. Its monumental façade was carved directly from the pink sandstone and remains one of Petra’s most recognisable sights. Beyond the Treasury, the ancient city continues across a vast landscape of tombs, temples, rock-cut façades and paths that reveal the scale and engineering skill of the Nabataeans.

Petra is much more than a single monument. Its setting, history and craftsmanship make it a place that rewards time and exploration, from the dramatic approach through the Siq to the wider valleys and mountain paths beyond the main archaeological area.