Vsiting Petra, Jordon via Aqaba.

[Not Rod Stewart]

Has anyone any tips on visiting Petra from the Port of Aqaba please? Thanks.:)

[cruisemom42]

Best place to look for info (and ask for help) is the Africa and Middle East Discussion Forum, located under the Ports of Call section.

[Keith1010]

You might want to post this on the Middle East Board.

 

With that said we have visited the Lost City Of Petra Twice.

 

We did this via private tours twice but through our cruise line.

 

You do want to make arrangements ahead of time.

 

The drive is 90 minutes each way.

 

Once we entered Petra than we had another guide take us through there.

 

You can't see everything in one trip but if you are a good walker you can see quite a bit in five or so hours.

 

We took a box lunch with us from the ship so as not to waste time eating off the ship but if you prefer to eat off the ship there are many restaurant right in the town of Petra before you go into the lost city.

 

I would try to avoid doing it as a group tour because it's nice when you are on your own and you have the full attention of a tour guide.

 

See if people have recommendation on the ports of call board for guides plus you might be able to find recommendations on Trip Advisor.

 

Although we have been there twice I want to go back again.

 

Even the type of day sunny versus cloudy changes up the experience including the colors you will see.

 

It ranks up there in my top 10 or so of the most interesting places I have been to.

 

Keith

Edited December 7, 2015 by Keith1010

[John Bull]

It's about a two hour drive.

You need to fix it up in advance, either ship's tour or private tour or private transportation, because taxis aren't permitted in the port & many of the drivers at the port gate or in the town don't speak good English or don't want the long trip.

If there are four or more of you, a private transfer will be cheaper and more comfortable - mebbe check prices and look for sharers via your cruise's Roll Call.

If you can't navigate your way on Cruise Critic to your RollCall. post your ship and sailing date (or the sailing date of the appropriate segment if it's a world cruise) and some kind soul will post a link.

Be aware that the cost of admission to Petra rose steeply a couple of years back, so check the admission price & whether its included in quotes.

 

Petra is in the high desert, it can be surprisingly cold at the wrong time of year, including snow at times. Take warm clothing, decide when you arrive whether to wear or leave in your coach or car.

 

It's quite a hike down the siq (ravine). Probably more than a mile from the ticket booth to the Treasury, the first part (quarter mile??) on level ground & the rest down the siq.

There are two-wheel buggies plying up & down the siq. You will probably be approached for a ride down - they mainly go down empty & make their money bringing people back up, so don't offer more than a pound or two apiece for a ride down.

The siq isn't desperately steep and the surface is smooth tarmac, but coming up it does seem to go on forever because it's so narrow, steep-sided & twisty. Price of the buggies coming up is negotiable, it varies wildly according to supply & demand but broadly they're over-priced. And you certainly want to walk at least one way.

 

At the bottom, from the Treasury onwards, it's quite a wide valley, the ground is very very stony & uneven but no significant gradient.

Strong shoes with decent soles rather than thin-soled trainers & certainly no flip-flops.

Well worth the effort to walk past the amphitheatre & as far as the colonnaded shops, though many less-mobile folk are very happy even if they stray no further than the Treasury.

There are horses at the bottom if you want to explore further. There are also camels, but they're for the experience rather than worthwhile transportation. And don't accept any offer to sit on the camel or even take a photo "free-of-charge" - despite their assurances to the contrary, the handlers will want money.

 

Dollars, euros and sterling (including one/two-euro and one-pound coins) are all accepted by vendors at Petra. So remember to pack some £1 coins for your cruise. If you're asked by a vendor to trade coins for notes (eg ten pound coins for a ten-pound note) it's not a con. They can't exchange coins at a bank, so help them out if you can.

Everything is "cheap as chips" or "Asda price" or whatever the latest catch-phrase. ;)

 

If you go down the private transportation route, ask about the viability (time-wise) & cost of going off-route for a peek at Wadi Rum and Lawrence of Arabia's Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Adds 16 miles each way, and will cost you a total of 60 to 90 minutes.

 

JB :)

Edited December 7, 2015 by John Bull

[John Bull]

Ooooops.

Double-post :o

 

JB :)

Edited December 7, 2015 by John Bull

[Keith1010]

I just wanted to note that I went back to my notes and JB is right. Petra is a 2 hour drive each way.

 

Here are a few photos.

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A9KYk3Drl18/S6uSkijLe5I/AAAAAAAAFkk/sKhvaHaPMHM/s1600/P1030373.jpg

 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A9KYk3Drl18/S6uRqO0410I/AAAAAAAAFkM/qIAc_3H-1eI/s1600/P1030351.jpg

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A9KYk3Drl18/S6uRXM358XI/AAAAAAAAFj0/Dd1NHyB6QFw/s1600/P1030341.jpg

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A9KYk3Drl18/S6uQhDCFPBI/AAAAAAAAFjc/9CHfz4DbwZE/s1600/P1030332.jpg

 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_A9KYk3Drl18/S6uQIIOESiI/AAAAAAAAFjE/-H0ptuITgrg/s1600/P1030326.jpg

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A9KYk3Drl18/S6uPr_M6V2I/AAAAAAAAFi0/O-TxOoZrgHw/s1600/P1030324.jpg

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_A9KYk3Drl18/S6uNq7TKo0I/AAAAAAAAFh0/2hlYDVVRzp4/s1600/P1030296.jpg

 

Our driver and tour guide on the way with one of the tour guides you can hire at Pretra.

 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_A9KYk3Drl18/S6uNG33X7qI/AAAAAAAAFhs/_22CVWyIjR4/s1600/P1030295.jpg

 

Weather can really vary. First time I was there it was hot and I mean hot, hot, hot. Second time it was overcast and cool. Went same time but different years.

 

It's really a great experience.

 

Again I would do it privately either by yourselves or with say two other people if you can.

 

Keith

[SuiteTraveler]

I remember having just been to Petra and then seeing this scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and seeing the scene where Indiana and his dad rode horses into Petra, just like I had done!

Riding into Petra:

And of course, the ending scene:

 

It is so cool when you have actually been somewhere and recognize it in a movie!

 

This is a great documentary on the sight:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIEqw6C4O5A