Planning to visit Little Petra, the beautiful but lesser-known Nabataean site a short drive from the real deal? Good idea - our guide’s got everything you need to know to plan your time.

Updated January 2024

Just nine kilometres from Wadi Musa - the gateway town to the most famous place in Jordan - lies Petra’s northern suburb of Siq al-Barid.

Known colloquially as Little Petra, the pale rock-cut buildings which line the 350-metre long Siq al-Barid (directly translated as ‘cold canyon’ due to the high buildings which all but prevent the sun’s warming rays from entering) are thought to date back to the 1st century AD, when this once lush agricultural area was an important base for the long-distance trade, acting as a resupply post for the many caravans that visited Petra.

For travellers however, it offers a chance to walk between carved Nabataean temples and ancient caves in relative stillness, cloaked in a level of calm which is rare to experience in ‘big’ Petra’s central areas.

This of course isn’t to say that Little Petra is a suitable replacement for a day or two getting lost between the pink sandstone behemoths at Petra itself. You will always visit both, rather than omit the other, and offering too many direct comparisons between the two isn’t sensible or worthwhile.

They do however complement each other very well, with Little Petra serving as a delicious entrée or digestif to your main meal: it’s a worthy add-on to any Jordan itinerary.

As the start point for the increasingly popular Petra backdoor hike, it also serves a practical purpose for those looking to take the long way in to the Monastery.

Whether you’ve got a spare couple of hours after Petra and are wondering what to do, or arrive into Wadi Musa knowing you’d like to explore Little Petra, this guide will provide everything you need to know to plan your time in this hidden away Nabeatean Siq.

We’ve shared all the important information and inspiration, including how to get there, when to go, how long you need to explore Little Petra, how to hire a guide and the things not to miss!

Little Petra essentials

Cost / Free to enter
Where / 15 minutes from Wadi Musa
Duration / Allow at least 1.5 hours for visit
Know / Start of Petra backdoor hike to Monastery
Alternative / Consider visiting Little Petra on this 4WD tour
Stay / In Wadi Musa, or a nearby hotel like Seven Wonders Luxury Camp

What not to miss in Little Petra

From the car park and entrance, you’ll pass several snack and souvenir stalls on each side, and you essentially just walk at your own straight to the end. This will take you past the various temples, caves, and carvings, and you’ll have the option to go up to a selection of viewpoints if you choose (these won’t be possible for travellers with limited mobility).

You then walk back along the same narrow path to the car park, so have the chance to see everything twice.

Take your time to savour the following places.

The Temples

Tomb façade 846 | Before entering the narrow Siq, on your right you will pass a vast, classic rock-cut tomb created at some time between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD. The inside was never finished, but it’s still pretty damn impressive.

Temple Above the Cave Rooms | Upon entering the Siq, you’ll soon spot the vast sandstone temple on the left hand side. Held seemingly aloft by two remarkably well-reserved columns, the chamber within is inaccessible but you are able to enter the three cave dwellings on the ground floor.

the painted house

Located within the ‘biclinium’ (that’s the ‘dining area’) is what many experts consider to be one of Petra’s greatest treasures - a collection of remarkably intact, 2,000-year-old Hellenistic-style wall paintings. Hidden by years of soot, smoke and even graffiti, a painstaking restoration project completed in 2010 revealed the largest example of Nebataean mural paint that has survived in situ, and what many consider to be even better than the Roman paintings at Herculaneum that were inspired by Hellenistic art.

You’ll find this around halfway along the Siq, on the left hand side and reached by stone steps.

The Viewpoint

Heading deep into the Siq, you’ll eventually reach a steep, stone staircase going up. Follow this - being careful as the steps are particularly smooth and slippy - and you’ll reach a small carpeted shop, coffee stall and an incredible view out over a shallow rocky wadi.

This stall is run by a Ahmed and his Bedouin family (he was being helped by his precocious younger brother, Saad, on the day we visited), and whilst it’s not obligatory to buy anything to drink, we highly recommend taking a seat, ordering a thick, dark Turkish coffee and having a chat. They’re friendly guys, and a 1JD coffee supports the Bedouin community at a time when much of the tourism wealth goes elsewhere.

If you follow the stone stairs leading down from this viewpoint (descending into the wadi) and follow the path left, after approximately 500 metres you will reach a Neolithic village - Al Beidha - which it’s possible to explore.

There are actually a few viewpoints accessible throughout Little Petra, usually noted with a sign. As with Petra proper, these may require a couple of JD to a local Bedouin guide in order access, or, at the very least a cup of tea or coffee bought at the top. We didn’t seek out any of these other viewpoints, so if you do and can recommend any, we’d love to hear from you in the comments.

The Little Petra Hike to the Monastery

Often referred to as the backdoor trail to Petra, this approximately 8-kilometre hike from Little Petra via Ad-Deir to the old city takes you across red rocks, desert plains and along exposed cliff edges, ending at the hugely impressive Monastery.

Popular amongst a certain subset of travellers for years, hiking it has a number of benefits:

· it’s much quieter and a nice break from the crowds found elsewhere.

· it would be a hell of a way to have your first glimpse of the stunning Monastery.

· it saves you having to climb the 900 steps up to the Monastery.

· if you choose to use this route to then explore the rest of Petra, you won’t have to go back on yourself - one of Emily’s pet-peeves when it comes to hiking trails!

This route was unfortunately closed during our visit, which is the reason we are unable to offer our personal opinion, but others that have completed it speak highly of the experience. Indeed, it was one of the most recommended experiences from our Instagram followers when we were planning our trip!

A guide is not obligatory on this trail but, as it can be difficult to find the correct path at various points along the way, they are highly recommended.

Guides cost approximately 50-60JD, for groups of up to five people. Guides can be hired in Wadi Musa - via the visitor’s centre or your accommodation - or at one of the several Bedouin Camps you will pass on the drive to Little Petra (such as Seven Wonders Luxury Camp near Little Petra or the Rocky Mountain Hotel).

Alternatively, you may be able to find a guide outside the entry point of the site, although these cannot be guaranteed as many of them just offer their services to those wanting to see Little Petra.

We prioritise doing independent hikes when possible and legal, but in this instance we think the responsible traveller act is to get a guide, invest some money into the local economy, and have a different experience, rather than trying to do it alone.

From the start fo the trail (to the left of the car park, just behind the souvenir shops), it should take someone of reasonable fitness 1.5 to 2 hours to reach the Monastery, and an additional two hours to reach the Visitor’s Centre with no stops along the way. However, the sensible thing to do is start early, bring plenty water, rest up at the cafes by the Monastery, then continue to explore Petra at your own pace for the rest of the day.

Due to this, we don’t recommend a ‘spontaneous’ decision to do the Petra backdoor hike - do the necessary planning ahead of time and know what you need to do, where you need to go, and how you’re going to do it before arriving at Little Petra.

An important point to note is that in order to hike the backdoor route to the Monastery, you need a valid ticket for Petra proper, and you may be asked to show it.

Top Tip // If you’d like to enter Petra through the backdoor but don’t think you’re quite up to the hike, it’s also possible to take a 4WD part of the way. This should be arranged at the same time as booking your guide.

Little Petra Entry Tickets & Opening Times

Little Petra is open from 6am to 6pm every day.

It’s free to enter, and you don’t need the Jordan Pass (although most of you should have that for Petra). We have heard of a few people being asked for a ticket, but please note that this is a scam.

At the entrance to Little Petra you will encounter a number of local, male Bedouin guides offering to give you a tour. We declined to take one of these, but several others appeared happy to receive the extra information that one would provide. We do not know the official price, but were quoted 20JD - perhaps a tad high given that you’ll only be there for an hour, but not entirely out of sync with prices charged by other Bedouins for similar tours. If you’re keen to hire a guide to visit Little Petra we’d recommend a bit of polite haggling to get the price to a level you’re comfortable with, but one that is also respectful to him. Again, this is a positive way to spread your tourism spend in Jordan.

It’s also possible to hire a guide directly from the Petra Visitor Centre but with a fairly inflated standard fee of 50JD, we wouldn’t recommend it.

If you’re currently wondering how long you need for Little Petra, well the simple answer is it really depends how quickly you walk, whether you want to stay for a coffee at one of the little stalls and how long you stand there admiring the various viewpoints.

We spent around 2.5 hours there in total, but weren’t in a rush. If you were on a tight schedule, you could see the main highlights in an hour to an hour and half.

How to Get to Little Petra

You can find Little Petra here on Google Maps.

If you have your own car, Little Petra is easily accessible from the town of Wadi Musa (where you’ll spend the night when visiting Petra). Simply continue along Tourism Street and turn right just before the entrance to the Petra Visitor Centre, then follow the road for 8 km. There’s a turn off, but it’s well-signposted.

You’ll pass through a small Bedouin village on the way, and if you’ve got time we’d highly recommend stopping off at one of several of the local shops (or the bakery for their divine bread!) to spread a bit of tourism cash around - we did, but surprisingly most tourists drove straight through.

There is a good-sized carpark here (maps) but be aware of driving over big rocks if you don’t have a high-clearance vehicle. Additionally, there are a number of dogs that live here that can become slightly territorial - we’d recommend not going out of your way to make friends with them (we say this as dog lovers).

Travel Tip // If you time your drive back to Wadi Musa for golden hour, you won’t be disappointed as the view along the road and out over the mountains was nothing short of magical. Watch out for the goats though.

Alternatively, you can hire a private taxi in Wadi Musa at a cost of 10JD one-way and between 20JD and 25JD return (with one hour of waiting). Looking for a more exciting way of experiencing Little Petra? Consider joining this three-hour 4WD adventure.

From Amman | If you’re hoping to visit this area from Amman, then consider joining this full-day tour which includes Little Petra alongside ample time in Petra.

From Aqaba | For those of you basing yourself in Aqaba, the good news is that you’re a fair bit closer to Petra! It’s just a two-hour car ride between you and the two Nabataean wonders, so ideal if you’ve got your own rental car.

Alternatively, consider joining this popular private full-day tour.

Travel Tip // Renting a car and doing a Jordan road trip is a fantastic way to explore and experience the country, and it’s what we did for two weeks. Before booking anything though, we highly recommend having a read of this post: 17 Things To Know Before Driving in Jordan.

There are also a couple of highly-rated hideaway accommodation options close to Little Petra, which will offer a very different experience to staying in Wadi Musa. Best for those of you with you own wheels, they are: Seven Wonders Luxury Camp and Little Petra Bedouin Camp.