Petra Magic Hour: When to Visit for the Most Stunning Views in 2025

After exploring Amman surroundings with Jerash Ancient City being the crown of our tour so far, Petra was yet to astonish us with its impressive heritage. So after a 3 hour drive and 230 km covered we reached our place for the night. Left our luggage and parked our car at the hotel and then headed to The Visitor Center 5 mins walking to reach the opening at 10 AM.

Daytime Session in The Nabataean City

At the gate having our Jordan Passes with us, we received an entrance ticket along with the map of the site which turned out to be extremely useful. Once inside, we were welcomed by donkeys and camels owned by the locals, offering rides along the path. The crowd level was low, and the weather was magnificent, so choosing this time of year to visit is definitely a winner. Nabataean Kingdom is vast, full of history and interesting stories, so it’s recommended to have more than a day here to fully enjoy all the sites and hidden corners. After about 1.5km, we made our way through the Al-Siq, an 80-meter-high canyon that ended at Al-Khazneh, or The Treasury, the most well-known and photographed structure carved out of a sandstone rock face.

Being the main attraction you have plenty of spots to take pictures from different heights, buy souvenirs or just enjoy a drink from one of the taverns.

From this point on, the path opens widely with multiple paths to take and dozens of structures carved in stone to explore. Some of them really stand out from the crowd: the Nabatean Theatre, Palace Tomb, Nymphaeum, or The Monastery, which rivals The Treasury and can be found at the end of the track after a fairly challenging climb.

As mentioned before, along your way, you’ll find plenty of places to find shade, grab a drink, or use a restroom. However, be prepared with some sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, and of course, a power bank for your phone after taking so many beautiful pictures.

After 4 hours, we reached the top, i mean the end of the classical path where besides the humans the all mighty cat was resting as well. Our way back was faster and easier, but we had hard feelings about leaving this wonderful place, so we decided to book a Night Tour as well to enjoy one last dance Bedouin Style. At the exit, after taking a spin to the museum and checking the souvenir shops nearby, we headed back to our hotel for a little rest and refreshment before our second round.

Petra Monastery Trail:

DISTANCE

12 km return

ESTIMATED TIME

5 h return

ELEVATION GAIN

500 m

DIFFICULTY

Moderate

Embracing the Glow of Evening

Even though we knew it was December, the night hit us hard, and by around 5:30 PM, it was pitch black. So, until the Night Tour started, we had some time to enjoy a meal and relax a bit. With a few options on our table, we decided to go with The CaveBar, right near the site entrance.

The queue line started to build rapidly, so we joined it and waited for the gates to open. After getting in, our path was lined with thousands of candles that lit our way to the concert, in front of The Treasury. Once there, besides the candles, the moon also lent a hand in lighting up the tremendous facade of Al-Khazneh. While waiting for the others to join, we soaked in the authentic atmosphere with Bedouin music softly playing in the background. The main event featured local artists playing numerous instruments, accompanied by a captivating light show projected onto the dominating carved structure. After applauding the performance, everyone was invited to mingle among the candles and capture some shots in the enchanting decor. Even if the music wasn’t what I expected (meaning this :)), the whole experience was fantastic and completed the full picture for us exploring Petra Day & Night. It’s called one of the New Seven Wonders for a reason.

Where and When to Take Photos

For the Treasury, is important to know where the sun is to get the perfect shot, so it depends when during the year you are traveling,
Most people are staying on the path, but if you like to climb and hike, you’ll reach some higher grounds to get splendid photos, especially in the main valley across the Theater,
The Monastery ends the standard trail, in the evening you’ll probably get the best colors.