Sightseeing in Petra, Shobak and Udhruh
Travel advisory, 31 October 2026. The wider 2026 regional conflict involving Iran affects Jordan. At the time of writing the US State Department rates the whole country Level 3, Reconsider Travel, and Level 4, Do Not Travel, for the Syria and Iraq borders and a few named areas. It has also named Ma’an city and parts of Ma’an Governorate separately. The UK FCDO advises against travel only within 3 km of the Syrian border and lists no warning for Petra or Wadi Rum. Petra and Wadi Musa are open and operating, though flights can be disrupted and conditions can change at short notice. Read the US State Department advisory and the UK FCDO advice before you book and again before you fly. The rest of this page is written for a normal visit.
The Siq and the Treasury
The Siq is a gorge about 1.2 km long that leads into Petra, and it ends at Al-Khazneh, the Treasury. This is a royal tomb facade about 40 m tall and 25 m wide, and entry inside is prohibited, so you admire it from the plaza. A small payment may be asked at viewpoints opposite the Treasury. The established high viewpoint is the Al-Khubtha trail, and you should not scramble up unmarked ledges.
The Monastery
Ad-Deir, the Monastery, is roughly 45 to 50 m wide and sits at the top of 800 to 850 steps. It is a strenuous climb of 45 to 60 minutes from the Basin area.
The city centre
Beyond the Treasury, the Street of Facades leads past the Royal Tombs, the Theatre, the Colonnaded Street and Qasr al-Bint.
Little Petra and Beidha
Little Petra is a Nabataean suburb about 8 km north of Wadi Musa. Its Painted Biclinium has vine, bird and erote frescoes and is the best-preserved painted Nabataean interior. Beidha, close by, is a Pre-Pottery Neolithic B village about 9,000 years old. Entry to both is free.
Shobak Castle
Montreal, now called Shobak Castle, was a Crusader castle founded in 1115 by Baldwin I of Jerusalem and later held by Saladin and the Mamluks. It stands on a hilltop at about 1,300 m and is on Jordan’s UNESCO Tentative List. Entry is 1 JD for foreign visitors.
Udhruh and Ma’an city
Udhruh, about 15 km east of Petra, is a Roman legionary fortress covering 4.7 ha, rebuilt in AD 303 to 304 by Legio VI Ferrata and described by Leiden University researchers as among the best preserved. In Ma’an city, the Ma’an Palace began as the 1904 Hejaz Railway station. Prince Abdullah, later Abdullah I, arrived there on 21 November 1920 and set up his National Defense Headquarters in the building. It appears on the back of the 5-dinar note. Treat both as short exterior stops.
Practical tips
Petra opens around 6:00 to 6:30 AM and closes between 4 and 6 PM. Start early for the light and the cooler air. Admission is 50 JD for 1 day, 55 JD for 2 days or 60 JD for 3 days for visitors who sleep at least one night in Jordan. Do not enter the Siq in or after heavy rain, since flash floods are real.
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