How do I get around Petra?

There is no way around this. Petra is an 8-to-12-km walking day on loose sand, ancient stone, and gravel that shifts underfoot. The Siq, the narrow slot canyon that serves as the main entrance, runs 1.2 km between walls that rise 80 metres on either side. The light shifts from hot white to cool amber as you go deeper, and the temperature drops 5-8°C in the shade of the rock. From the Siq's mouth at Al Khazneh, you still have 2 km to the colonnaded street and Qasr al-Bint, then a 45-minute climb up roughly 800 uneven steps to Ad Deir. Most visitors log 20,000-25,000 steps on a single-day visit. Trail runners or sturdy hiking sandals with ankle support are the right footwear. Flip-flops will cost you blisters and a twisted ankle by noon.

Horses, donkeys, and camels operate inside the park, and you will be offered all three within 30 seconds of entering. The horse ride from the Visitor Centre gate to the Siq entrance, about 700 metres, is technically included in your ticket price, though the handlers expect a tip of 5-10 JOD. Horse-drawn carriages run through the Siq to Al Khazneh for around 20 JOD one-way, negotiable. Donkeys carry visitors up to Ad Deir for 10-25 JOD depending on your bargaining and the time of day. That said, animal welfare has been a persistent concern at Petra. The Jordanian government and the Brooke charity introduced welfare stations in 2019, and conditions have improved, but some handlers still push tired animals in the summer heat. If the donkey looks exhausted, it probably is. Walking tends to be slower but kinder, and the route to Ad Deir has better views on foot anyway.

Wadi Musa, the town at Petra's doorstep, stretches along a single steep road for about 3 km. Hotels at the top of town near the Mövenpick and Petra Guest House sit within a 5-minute walk of the Visitor Centre. Hotels lower down the hill, where rates drop to 25-40 JOD per night, are a 15-20 minute uphill slog that feels longer at 6:30 AM when you are still half-asleep and the cool morning air smells like dust and jasmine. Local taxis charge 2-3 JOD from lower Wadi Musa to the gate. There is no meter. Agree on the price before you get in. For Little Petra, the smaller Nabataean site at Siq al-Barid 9 km north, a taxi runs 10-15 JOD round trip with a 30-minute wait built in. No ridehail apps work reliably here. Careem has some presence in Amman and Aqaba, but Wadi Musa is too small to sustain on-demand drivers. Save the phone battery for photos.

Timing matters more than transport in Petra. The park opens at 6:00 AM in summer, and the first 90 minutes are the best walking conditions. The sandstone radiates stored heat by 10 AM, and by midday in June the ground near Al Khazneh likely reaches 45°C. You can feel the warmth through thick soles. The smart move is to walk the Siq to Al Khazneh at opening, climb to Ad Deir before 9 AM while the monastery steps are still in shadow, then work your way back down through the Royal Tombs and the Street of Facades during the hotter hours when those carved rock faces offer shade. Carry at least 3 litres of water. The Nabataean tent restaurant near Qasr al-Bint sells cold water for 1.5 JOD and sweet black tea for 1 JOD, but there is nothing between the Siq entrance and that point. Petra by Night currently runs on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings for 17 JOD, but that is a sitting-and-candles experience at Al Khazneh, not a walking tour.