Excursions in Jordan Petra
Going on excursions is probably a must in Jordan and Petra, which is one of Jordan's national treasures, is perhaps at the top of the list. Petra has been on UNESCO's World Heritage List since 1985. In 2007, the site was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. For over 200 years, this outstanding ancient city has been on travelers' must-see wish lists. One of Petra's buildings "The Treasury" seen in the final scene of the movie "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" and is one of many archaeological wonders to be explored here.
Petra is undoubtedly Jordan's most valuable treasure and biggest tourist attraction. A large, unique city, carved directly from the mountain walls by the Nabataeans. This was an industrious Arab people who settled here more than 2 years ago and made Petra an important hub for silk, spices and trade routes linking China, India and southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome.
The entrance to the city is through the Siq, a narrow gorge of over 1 km which is surrounded on both sides by 80 m high cliffs. Just walking through the Siq is an experience in itself, the colors and rock formations are dazzling. At the end of the chasm you are greeted by Al-Khazneh (Treasury) glimmering before you. This is an impressive experience. With its massive facade, 30m wide and 43m high, carved out of the great, dark pink rock wall, it outshines everything else in its vicinity. It was carved at the beginning of the first century, as the tomb of an important Nabatean king.
Book a guide!
A visit to Petra is a must and to get the most out of it, we recommend booking a guide. We help you book both guide and transfer. You will be picked up at the hotel by a driver and guide who will take you to Petra's entrance 2 hours away by car. During a 2-hour walking tour, the guide will tell you stories about this interesting city. After a couple of hours, you get to explore the city further on your own, perhaps riding a horse or camel if you need to rest your feet for a while. The guide then meets you at the entrance. If you wish, you can also extend your time with the guide directly on site.
If you do not want a guide, we can only book a driver to take you back and forth to Petra. There you can explore this wonder on your own, but we recommend a guide to start with. There is an option to stay one night at a hotel outside Petra.
Although there is much written about Petra that you can read about and learn, this is a place that you have to see with your own eyes to understand how amazingly exciting it really is. Because it doesn't exist liveaboard in Jordan and the diving often feels adequate with four to five days of diving, these shore excursions in Jordan with Petra and other places are something that will make your dives here much more complete and memorable