Private Petra by Night Tour from Amman

Petra by Night: the candlelit Siq

After dark, the path from the visitor centre and the whole length of the Siq are lined with candles in paper lanterns, and visitors walk in near silence between the towering walls. With only the flicker of the flames and the stars above the narrow strip of sky, the gorge feels very different from the daytime crowds. The walk takes about 30 to 40 minutes at an easy pace.

Petra by Night runs on set evenings each week, traditionally Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, starting around 8:30 pm and lasting about two hours. Is Petra by Night worth it? For many travellers it is the most atmospheric memory of Jordan, especially when combined with a daylight visit that shows the colours and scale of the city.

The Treasury after dark

At the end of the Siq the Treasury, or Al-Khazneh, appears in front of a sea of candles. Guests sit on mats in the square while Bedouin musicians play traditional instruments and sweet tea is served, then the facade, carved around 40 metres high in the first century AD, is lit up in changing colours.

The evening light show at the Treasury adds projections and music that tell the story of the Nabataeans on the rock itself. Our team confirms which evening programme runs on your date when you book. Bring a light jacket, as the valley cools quickly after sunset, and a phone or camera that handles low light.

Petra by day: the Siq, the Treasury and the Street of Facades

In the default option you arrive in the early afternoon and first explore Petra in daylight. The Siq, about 1.2 kilometres long with walls up to 80 metres high, opens onto the Treasury in full colour, and beyond it the valley widens into the Street of Facades, rows of rock-cut tombs leading to the great Theatre.

Petra was the capital of the Nabataean Arabs, who grew rich on the incense and spice trade and carved their city from rose-coloured sandstone. It came under Roman rule in AD 106 and is today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Seeing the Treasury by day and again by candlelight is the real reward of this private Petra tour.

The Royal Tombs and the Colonnaded Street

Across from the Theatre, the Royal Tombs rise from the cliff in a row: the Urn Tomb with its arched terrace, the striped Silk Tomb, the Corinthian Tomb and the Palace Tomb. The late afternoon sun lights their facades directly, the best time of day for photographs. From here the Colonnaded Street leads past the Great Temple to Qasr al-Bint.

The Monastery, or Ad-Deir, lies a climb of about 45 minutes beyond, and with the night show still ahead most guests keep their energy for the evening. Petra opening hours for day visitors run from early morning until about sunset, so after the Royal Tombs you head back to Wadi Musa to rest before the show.

How to get to Petra from Amman for the night show

Petra lies beside the town of Wadi Musa, about three hours south of Amman by the Desert Highway. Because the night show ends late in the evening and there is no public transport back to the capital at that hour, a private driver is the simplest way to see it without changing hotels.

With the default option you leave Amman between 7:30 and 10:00, spend the afternoon in Petra, have dinner and rest in Wadi Musa, and our driver brings you back to your hotel after the show, usually after midnight. The best time to go is spring or autumn, when the evenings are mild; in winter, dress warmly for the night.