Petra By Night Experience in Jordan

It was a cold night in Petra. We just arrived from a 4-hour road trip from Amman and we needed to get some shut-eye before our Petra by Night Tour in less than 2 hours. My wife took a nap but I was still awake. I was staring at the view of lighted houses on hills from our hotel window. It was something I didn’t see for quite some time because of living for 2 years in the flat-city that is Dubai.

Petra by Night Tour
Petra, Jordan

view from the hotel room window

Petra by Night experience

This was a 4-day trip in Jordan and we needed to be in Petra during the first day because this was the only time the Petra by Night tour was available, among other days of the week. I didn’t know what to expect except that the place was going to be filled with candles.

The Treasury at Night in Petra, Jordan

The Treasury (Al Khazneh), a well-known heritage site, isn’t even familiar to me. I’m the type of person who craves adventure more than history so this explains my lack of knowledge when it comes to historical places. But even for those who are not familiar wth its story, I would recommend this tour as it is a feast to the eyes.

starting our journey

cold but lovely night

We got up after an hour and prepared for the assembly time at the Visitor’s Center, a short 5-minute walk from our hotel (Petra Moon Hotel – Book Here). Thick jackets are a must especially at this time of the year (November) when the weather is transitioning to winter. One of the organizers mentioned that we should start walking towards the Siq to start our journey to the Treasury.

pathway to The Treasury

a tree

candles in the Siq

The sight of the mountains and the stars at night were very lovely. Candles adorn the pathways that lead to the endpoint, but at times you have to be careful because it’s still dark. Flashlight from our phones helped in seeing the ground as at times it was uneven.

The cold and silent night and the stars above were too much of a sight to just brush off. We took our time and walked at our own pace; many tourists went past us. I was transfixed at the stars and kept on adjusting my camera settings so I could capture the overall scenery. I’m thankful that my wife was very patient with me.

beautiful candles

the stars above

last walk, a peek at The Treasury

When we finally arrived at The Treasury, I saw a bedouin telling a story to people sitting on the ground. I never got to know the story but I didn’t really mind. Go there early if you wish to experience everything.

At times there were people who got too noisy, and others would shush them. There were plenty of us who booked the tour that night, but we were glad that it didn’t seem crowded.

the scene when we arrived

The Treasury – Petra By Night experience

After the talk, they gave us time to take a few more photos. Some of us stayed longer as we wanted to admire the view before they were to put the candles out.

plenty of candles at night

couple selfie at night

Photos of our Night Tour in Petra

The Treasury is a popular tourist attraction in Petra. I have seen photos of this place from other travel blogs, but only during the day. We would visit this site the next morning.

candles at the Treasury

candle

our turn for a photo ;p

Here are other photos during our night tour in Petra. Please be advised that the pathway to the Treasury is dimly lit but are bright in the photos. This is due to maximizing the settings of my camera. It may vary in reality. Even so, trekking the pathways and the view of the stars above is surely a great experience.

The Siq in Petra, Jordan

Petra, Jordan

Stars above The Treasury

Camera Used: Fujifilm X-E1 , 18-55mm f2.8
Don’t forget a tripod if you want to capture the stars and the candle-lit pathways.

Cost of the Petra by Night Tour: 17 JOD per person (24 USD per person)
Timings: 8:30pm to 10:30pm

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Petra is about a 4-hour drive from Amman airport. We hired a driver/tour guide that took us to different places in Jordan. Our driver’s name is Mohamad – You can check out his Facebook Page North Jordan Tour, call him at 00962796475086 or send an email to Mohammadbaninaser866@yahoo.com