Yesterday I told you about the history of Petra, the Nabataeans and my experience. Now, I’m going to give you my tips and tricks for getting the most of your time in Petra and doing it properly.

First things first, do what I say and not what I do and do not visit in 40° heat. Even if you are a sun worshipper like me, the Middle Eastern sun hits different and there are vast expanses of Petra with absolutely no sun shade whatsoever. I would recommend visiting in the cooler months of the year, so February-April and September-November. Petra is breathtaking but not worth sunstroke or severe dehydration.

Whilst you can see most of Petra in one day, if you’re coming from Amman, that’s a 6 hour round trip which cuts out a big chunk of your day and is based on that journey being with a driver. I would really advise doing a 2-day stint. It’s only 5JOD more in terms of the ticket, (~£6), and you will be able to properly take everything in. There are hotels in Wadi Musa, some right on the doorstep of Petra’s visitor centre, (like the Nomad’s Hostel or The Mövenpick), and I think this would be a far more enriching way to visit.

The two ‘must see’ parts of Petra are the Treasury and the Monastery. The Monastery is some 850 steps up and you’ll end up having to come back down on yourself. If I got the opportunity to visit again, I would go the back way, starting at Little Petra. As the name suggests, Little Petra is the same as the grand Rose City carved of stone by the Nabataeans but I guess it can be thought of as the suburb to the city of Petra. Here you can do the ‘Back Door Trail’ which is 7km and leads to the Monastery. Then you head down the stairs from the Monastery and into main Petra. If you were doing a day trip, I would say it makes the most sense to head to the vistors centre and take the free shuttle to Little Petra, then make your way backward to the visitors centre. If you’re doing the recommended 2 day stint, I would probably do Little Petra to the Monastery on my first day and then the classic ‘Big Petra’ trail on my second.

This is a potentially controversial one, and don’t get me wrong, I don’t fancy animals but I do take issue with tourists using the donkeys/mules that are pitched to you in places like these. There is a lot of walking to be done in Petra – when people talk about visiting Petra, they refer to it as a ‘hike’ or a ‘trail’. It is physically taxing so if you don’t feel like you are up to doing that, Little Petra could be your best option or spend some time in the Museum getting a feel for the place. I’ll leave it at that.

Finally, some practical stuff:

• If you’re doing a multi-day stint from Amman, you can probably get the bus to keep costs down. This leaves Amman at 6.30am and makes its return at 5pm. If you’re doing a day trip, I think a private driver would be your best option. I booked my trip here but our driver Anas was happy for us to share his number directly so comment below for his details. It’s spennier than the bus obviously, (we paid about ~£70), but worth it as we could arrange times directly with Anas.

• If you’re visiting Jordan and you have Petra on the agenda, I would recommend the Jordan Pass. It’s essentially your visa with entry to popular tourist attractions, like Petra, Jerash and Wadi Rum, thrown in. It works out at really good value and takes the hassle out of having to buy entry tickets, etc.

• Wear comfortable shoes, take plenty of water, carry some dinars in cash and please please please make time to visit the museum. It will put Petra as a whole into context – you will learn so much without having to pay for a guide.

If you have any more tips and tricks do comment them below. I really hope I have the opportunity to visit this awe-inspiring place again so I’ll be learning the best way to do it from you all!