Visiting Petra? Here's how to do it responsibly

25.06.2024 - 21:03 / lonelyplanet.com

Jun 25, 2024 • 6 min read

Painstakingly hand carved from the rose-colored sandstone cliffs, the magical timeworn city of Petra is Jordan’s most-loved attraction and a bucket-list checkbox for travelers the world over.

However, in a sad touch of irony, this fragile site, once a tightly held Bedouin secret whose whereabouts were lost to Western knowledge for well over 1000 years, has suffered from overtourism. Nearly loved to death, Petra is regularly included on the World Monument Fund’s list of the most endangered sites in the world. The biggest threat is increased tourism, as annual visitor numbers reached over 1 million in 2019 and have climbed to around 900,000 per year in the post-pandemic period.

Preserving Petra must be at the forefront of travelers’ minds so we don't let it crumble away below our feet and before our eyes. Here’s how to visit the site responsibly.

Petra has two high seasons – March and April and September and October – when the site can draw around 4000 people a day. If you want that seemingly impossible moment of encountering the Treasury without the crowds or a silent walk through the Siq, plan your trip for winter, from December to February. You’ll have to bundle up, but you could be uncovering Petra’s secrets on your own. If your vacation dates are already set in stone, beat the crowds by arriving early in the morning; the site is open from 6:30am year round. Visiting during a less-busy period is beneficial for both the management of the site and your overall experience of it.

The picture-perfect image of camels resting in front of the Treasury has driven countless travelers to meander down the Siq, the 1.2km-long (0.75-mile) narrow winding gorge at the site’s main entrance, in search of the iconic shot. However, some return on this route with a less-than-rosy outlook after seeing the treatment of the camels, horses and donkeys in Petra.

Collaboration between the local Bedouin and the Jordanian government has seen the plight of the working animals improve, but there is much work to be done. Although many owners care for their animals, incidents of mistreatment still happen, from child handlers delivering overzealous commands to the Street of Facades becoming something of a racetrack as the lumbering "Bedouin Ferraris" are hastily shuttled back and forth to cater to visitor demand.

Understand that the ancient city of Petra is a vast site – 264 sq km – so don’t try to cover the entire place in a single session, even if you’re only here for the day. Know your limit and pace yourself, especially if you’re planning to tackle the 850 delicate steps up to the Monastery , worn down and rutted by the increase in donkey traffic. If you decide to take a ride, seek out an adult