What's a good 3-day itinerary for Petra?

Day 1 belongs to the main trail from the Visitor Centre gate to Qasr al-Bint. Get through the gate at 6 AM, when the June air still sits around 22°C and the Siq's sandstone walls hold the night's coolness. The 1.2-kilometre slot canyon narrows to 3 metres in places. The silence is complete apart from your footsteps and the odd horse carriage rattling past. Al Khazneh appears at the canyon's end around 7 AM, and at that hour you might have 5 minutes alone with the 40-metre facade before the first tour buses arrive from Amman. Spend 30 minutes here, then continue south along the Street of Facades to the Royal Tombs. The Urn Tomb's interior still holds traces of the Byzantine-era apse painted over the Nabataean rock. By 10 AM, follow the Colonnaded Street to Qasr al-Bint, the only freestanding structure in Petra that still reaches its original height. Lunch at the Basin Restaurant runs 8-12 JOD for a buffet. Head back through the Siq by 1 PM. The return walk is 3 km, and June afternoon heat can reach 37°C in the exposed basin.

Day 2 belongs to Ad Deir and the high ground. Start at 5:30 AM because the 850 rock-cut steps to the Monastery are punishing after the sun clears the canyon rim around 8. The walk from the gate to the base of the staircase takes about 45 minutes along the main trail. The steps are rough-hewn sandstone, worn smooth by 2,000 years of traffic, and the climb takes 30-40 minutes at a steady pace. Ad Deir is larger than Al Khazneh. It stands 47 metres wide and 48 metres tall, carved around 100 AD. A tea stall at the top sells mint tea for 2 JOD with a view across the Wadi Araba toward the Negev. Descend by 9 AM and walk to the High Place of Sacrifice, the best viewpoint in Petra. The altar platform sits at 1,035 metres. Descend via the Wadi Farasa trail past the Lion Fountain and the Garden Temple. Exit by noon. Book the 5 PM session at Petra Kitchen in Wadi Musa for a Jordanian cooking class, 35 JOD per person.

Day 3 moves north to Little Petra and Beidha. Hire a taxi from Wadi Musa for 10-15 JOD round trip. The drive takes 15 minutes. Siq al-Barid, the Cold Canyon, is a 350-metre gorge with Nabataean dining rooms carved into the cliff face and faded frescoes on the ceiling of the Painted Biclinium that date to the 1st century AD. Entry is free. You can walk the full site in about an hour. From the north end, a marked trail leads 600 metres to Beidha, one of the oldest farming settlements on earth, dating to roughly 7500 BC. A dozen circular stone foundations are still visible, and you'll likely have Beidha to yourself at 8:30 AM. Return to the main Petra site by 10 AM for a final walk through the Siq or a revisit to the Royal Tombs in mid-morning light. If heading to Wadi Rum afterward, the drive south takes 90 minutes. Amman is 3.5 hours on the Desert Highway or 4 hours on the prettier King's Highway through Karak and Madaba.

Buy the 80 JOD Jordan Pass online before you fly. The Expert tier covers 3 days of Petra entry plus the 40 JOD visa fee, which makes it cheaper than buying both separately. Wear hiking shoes with ankle support for the 850-step Monastery climb. The Siq floor is loose gravel and the steps are slick with centuries of polish. Carry 3 litres of water per person per day in June. Refill stations exist at the Basin Restaurant and near the Monastery staircase, but nothing along the 1.2-km Siq. June temperatures in the basin reach 37°C by early afternoon. Humidity tends to hover around 30%, so sweat evaporates before you feel it and dehydration sneaks up fast. Most hotels in Wadi Musa sit along the road between the town centre and the Visitor Centre. Stay within 1 km of the gate to avoid needing a taxi at 5:30 AM. The Movenpick sits 50 metres from the entrance and tends to book out 2-3 weeks ahead in summer.