The Rose-red City of Petra

No photograph can prepare you for the impact of first seeing the Treasury of Petra (right) as you approach the ancient city along the famous 'Siq', a narrow winding defile through the amazing rose-coloured mountains. Petra is undoubtedly one of the world's great destinations, an entire city carved out of the living rock in Biblical times. Built by the Nabateans, Petra dominated the great caravan routes of the Middle East until it was mysteriously abandoned and forgotten for centuries. It was only in 1812 that Petra was rediscovered - by the Swiss explorer John Burckhart. Your guide will be with you all morning to show you the lower city. You may return to the hotel for lunch or stay on in Petra to explore further. The two most popular visits are to the wonderful Monastery (El Deir) or to the High Place of Sacrifice, both involving some steep ascents but well worth the effort.

HORSE RIDE - Entrance fees to Petra (first visit only) include a mandatory charge for a short horse ride from close to the ticket office to the entrance to the Siq. The operators of the horse ride, however, do not carry liability insurance and neither World Discovery nor our ground handlers have any involvement in executing the horse ride. We therefore recommend that clients do not take this ride. Should a client opt to take this ride, then neither we nor our ground handlers will have any liability to you if you suffer any injury as a result of the ride.  There is no refund for not taking the ride.