Petra, Jordan and the Ultimate Monastery Shortcut
A local riding past the Monastery, also known as Ad Deir. Can you spot the secret donkey?
The most surreal thing about Petra, the ancient Nabataean city famous for its rose-tinted sandstone cliffs and its intricately carved facades, is that modern humans have only scratched the tiniest of surfaces in this once-sprawling metropolis. Built sometime around 400 B.C., the city was a thriving trading hub, changing hands over thousands of years after it was invaded by the Romans in 106 A.D. and eventually governed by the Byzantines for another few centuries. Now it’s an archaeological wonder, mostly sustained by the throngs of tourists who come to gaze upon the mausoleums and palatial ruins that have remained surprisingly intact over the past couple millennia.
Despite its massive footprint in the Jordanian desert, though, Petra remains only 15% uncovered, with the vast majority of it still underground in the form of monuments, cisterns, and hidden aqueducts. It’s a complicated duality for a city that once functioned as an imperial capitol—new sites and structures are “discovered” every few years, all while the Bedouin people who have called the valley home for thousands of years have been forcefully displaced to make room for Petra’s rebirth as a mecca for history buffs, archaeologists, and wide-eyed wanderers. There is no real right answer here—there is no way to reverse the tides of tourism, nor would that help an area that is purely reliant on its hospitality industry. But as a visitor, there are things you can do to mitigate your footprint: stay in nearby Wadi Musa if your schedule allows it, infuse money into the local economy, hire local Bedouin guides, buy handmade goods, and have an appreciation for the truly wonderous opportunity you have to soak in one of the most stunning places in the world.
Of the myriad of wonders you can see in Petra, one of the most well-preserved but also most inconvenient to access is the Monastery, also known as Ad Deir. Unlike the vast majority of the sites which are clustered along the “Main Trail,” which is a ~5 mile roundtrip trek from the Visitor’s Center, the Monastery tacks on another 1.6 miles roundtrip, with the added fun of 800 steps. Fortunately there are places to rest along the way, with nice views to boot, but it still makes for a long journey if you’re trying to see everything in one day. There are also a variety of back door routes which take you from Little Petra, another archaeological site north of Petra. You can either grab a cab or hop on a bus shuttle from the Petra Visitor’s Center. From there, you can either hike to the Monastery directly and back out to the main Visitor’s Center (~7.5 miles total), or shorten the trip by hiring a 4x4 to drop you off closer to the Monastery.
I may have… borrowed a stray puppy that was playing in the cafe. Don’t worry— he was well-handled and well-loved!
There’s also a third option, which few seem to know about, which gets you to the Monastery in one hour if you’re strapped for time. This is a great option for people who’ve already seen everything on the Main Trail or have made other plans to explore that area like with a local guide, and either don’t have time for Little Petra or don’t want the hassle of juggling the extra hours of transit. You do still have to scramble up 800 steps, but depending on what time of day you go, you can leave most of the crowds behind and have plenty of time to relax once you’re at the top.
At the edge of a little town called Uum Sayhoun, which has a couple of guesthouses and hostels but is mostly occupied by locals, is a small cul-de-sac (Google pin here). There’s a guard station that will check your Petra entrance ticket (be sure to get one at the Visitor’s Center even if you have the Jordan Pass) and then usher you on your way. This is the primary entrance into Petra used by locals headed to their shops and cafes for the day. It leads you down a paved road past the Turkemanian Tomb (stop by to see the intact Nabatean inscriptions above the door) and basically to the terminus of the Main Trail. From there, it's a straight-forward hop up to the Monastery and back, if you have a rental car, or back out to the Visitor’s Center if you grabbed a cab.
Despite the popularity of the Monastery, you’ll find that you’ll mostly have the place to yourself. The inconvenience of getting there means fewer people make the trek, and those who do make the hike there tend to show up later because of the time required. If you need to sit and stretch your legs, there’s a wonderful café right in front of the Monastery where you can purchase snacks and beverages, including a cozy cup of lightly-spiced tea. For those who still have more leg strength in them, there are multiple overlooks you can hike up to, each with their own cafes you’ll be expected to buy a tea at for the privilege of resting there. In every instance, it’s worth it.
For those who have multiple days to explore Petra, it makes sense to use the Little Petra route instead, as there’s much to see on the way in. But for those with only half a day to spare, this is by far the fastest way to get to the Monastery, which shouldn’t be missed if you have the means to see it. Since we were hoping to get to Wadi Rum by the early afternoon, this fit our needs perfectly. The cul-de-sac is fairly small, but even arriving after 9am, we were still able to secure a parking spot.
As an added bonus? There are plenty of unmarked ruins along the way to look at, and occasionally peer inside. There’s not much inside—most of the structures are carved on the outside only, but it is fun to imagine what life may have been like 2,500 years ago.
Extra Notes
Overlooking the Treasury. The cliff edges are a little nerve-wracking, but the view is hard to beat.
Our first day in Petra, we chose to hire a guide to take us up a shortcut to one of the vantage points overlooking the Treasury. We chose Lost in Petra, an individual-operated tour run by a Bedouin named Ahmad who offers a variety of itineraries, including a multi-day horseback trek to Wadi Rum. He was lively and kind, and made sure we had a camera roll full of expertly-staged photos by the end of it. It let us avoid all the day-trip crowds, and we got an unforgettable view of the Treasury. He also included a pit stop at a local’s home, who served us a potent and delicious cup of Bedouin tea—black tea steeped with sage and sugar.
Afterward, we meandered down to the Main Trail where we enjoyed more of the ruins, including the incredible row of well-preserved royal tombs. For a nice sunset view of the valley, make the trek up Ak-Khubtha trail, which involves more stairs, but also has a smattering of cafes along the way if you need a break. Just be aware that if you stay for the sunset, you’ll be heading back to the Visitor’s Center in the dark. It’s not a short walk, but being able to see some of the sites in the dark more than make up for it, as well as being able to say you’re the last tourist left in Petra.
