Petra: the Main Trail through the Siq to Qasr al-Bint

From the Visitor Centre car park, follow the Main Trail south past the Djinn Block tombs and down into the Siq, the cleft that is the way into Petra (البترا). It is just over 1.2 km long and in places only about 3 m wide, and at its far end the Treasury (Al-Khazneh) stands in front of you. Beyond it the valley opens out: the path runs on past the Street of Façades and the Theatre, with the Royal Tombs cut into the mountain to the north, to the Colonnaded Street and the Great Temple, and ends at Qasr al-Bint (قصر البنت), the temple at the head of the valley. Turn round there and come back the same way.

It is 8.2 km there and back with 195 m of ascent, nearly all of it on the slow climb back up the valley and through the Siq; allow about 2½ hours, a good deal more with stops. The authority gives 3.9 km one way and 1½ to 1¾ hours non-stop. The grade is Easy: a wide track of sand and packed stone, with a few steps and short slopes.

The Siq is a flood channel, and a dam and tunnel at its entrance were built to control flash floods: keep out of it when rain is forecast in the hills, and note the UK government's warning of flash floods from November to March. There is little shade on the open ground beyond the Treasury, so carry plenty of water, a hat and sun cream. In the authority's winter hours, from 2 October 2026 to 1 March 2027, the site closes at 17:00, and the UK government warns that visitors have been locked in overnight.

A one-day ticket is 50 JD if you spend at least a night in Jordan and 90 JD on a day trip, bought at the Visitor Center with your passport; the Jordan Pass includes Petra. The Main Trail needs no guide, though the authority sells guide tickets for it, at 50 JD.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.