The Lost City of Petra- An Honest Review

The Lost City of Petra is a UNESCO World Heritage site located in Jordan. The ancient city is 264 km² and filled with unique fortresses, tombs and temples cut into the rock face. The Treasury and Monastery have been made famous by films such as Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade and Arabian Nights.

The Treasury is the first image that comes to mind when you think about Jordan. Millions of tourists flock down the Siq to get a glimpse of the famous sites.

But is it worth it?

Well, for me, no.

Now before you go off on how ridiculous of a claim that is, hear me out. The tombs and temples are magnificent and the sheer size of them is outstanding. There is no denying that. They were beautiful and massive, but I’m glad I only spent half a day there instead of the recommended two. To be honest, looking back at it, I should have just skipped the entire thing.

Social Media Lies

I’ve mentioned before in a post that travel is romanticized. Pictures of Petra are all over social media. We’ve all seen the photos: A woman in red flowy dress, posing in front of the tombs, showcasing her desirable silhouette, wealth and pride. It looks dreamy and alluring doesn’t it?

What they they don’t show is the poverty and the aggressive merchants trying to bribe you to enter their tent in hopes of you purchasing their crafts. They don’t show the malnourished horses and donkeys that line the streets. Or the children trying to convince you that you dropped an item, and demand payment when they return “said item”.

I understand and acknowledge the importance of tourism in under developed countries. I have been to my share where people’s livelihoods depend on it. I am all for supporting local communities. But sometimes, the people in general can be way too intrusive and pushy for me.

No Means No

I dreaded this day. I wanted to cancel but I knew I would get criticized if I went all the way to Jordan and didn’t see the Lost City of Petra. It’s one of the highlights right? I tend to avoid the highlights, as they are often tourist traps: filled with pushy sales people. As a solo female, I am the always the main target.

My local guide was surprised I didn’t want to spend 2 days there, but I didn’t have the heart to tell him the truth. I came to Jordan to hike. The past few days were AMAZING and now I was filled with dread.

I bought my ticket at the entrance and grabbed myself a map. My plan was to hit all the main sites and return shortly after lunch. Past the entry gate, you must walk down a sandy walkway, around 1km to the start of the Siq (a 1.2km gorge walk to the Treasury).

Men on horses and carriages offer rides to tourists, if they don’t want to make the trek down. It’s included in the ticket price (minus the tip of course) and they claim to be able to take you on some secret routes. That’s all fun and dandy until they literally walk side by side trying to convince you to join them.

I caught the eye of one individual. He was pleasant but I wasn’t looking to ride in his carriage. I politely declined once and went on my way. But that didn’t seem to be enough. Eight times. I had to refuse eight times from the same person! I honestly just wanted to walk. I like walking. Why can’t I walk?

It was early in the morning and the tourists had not yet made their way into the city. When I entered the gorge, it was a quiet, calm slice of heaven. In total I hiked around 10km that day and that 1km gorge was the only peace I could enjoy. Every other kilometer was filled with merchants yelling at me, even from across the road to come into their shops.

It’s mentally and physically exhausting to constantly tell people, “No thank you, sorry”. I don’t want to be a total bitch and ignore them. I understand their need to get tourists to buy in their shops, but I cannot support the hundreds of shops stalls.

The merchants on the main road were spread out but still present. I went off the main road and headed towards the famous Monastery. The 850 steps were scattered with shops. I can understand why people avoid it. Yes, the Monastery is beautiful but the voyage there is not worth it. The stairs are tough but it’s manageable, but the ladies screaming at you for not buying in their shops is a hard pill to swallow.

Now not every shop owner is pushy. I stopped off at a shop selling fresh pressed juice. He didn’t attack, harass or push me into buying anything. I tipped him accordingly because he let me sit in his shop in peace while I tried to calm my nerves.

For lunch I stopped off at another place for snacks. To be honest I wasn’t planning on stopping but he said he had WIFI (which was hard to come by) and I wanted to connect with my husband and daughter. I went in, bought some ice cream and relaxed for a few minutes.

While sitting in his shop, other merchants and camel riders were trying to convince me to take a ride. Like…. can’t a girl just sit in peace for a few minutes? I am wrong for saying that? I feel awful, but it’s the truth.

Sales Tactics

Bartering is a way of life in some nations. Some people love it. They love the ideal of haggling over a piece of tin and feel so proud when they pay $1 for something that is clearly handmade and worth 100X more.

To be frank, I hate it. I hate everything about it. It sends my husband into a nervous breakdown. On one side you don’t want to offend the person with a low offer, but at the same time you have no idea how much it’s really worth.

Why can’t we just play nice and pay the face value price? Everyone wins. The merchant wins and their hard work is appreciated. You are supporting a good cause and you get to walk away without having to deal with the anxiety of haggling.

As a Canadian, the idea of haggling is absurd and I get absolutely no joy from it. I will avoid it at all costs, even if that means missing out on popular tourist areas.

Underrated or Overrated?

Was Petra underrated or overrated? Neither. The temples were amazing however the constant exhaustion from telling people no a thousand times made it a very unpleasant experience. I could handle the heat, the pain in my feet from previous days, walking on sand and having no shade.

Being harassed non stop for 9km is taxing and even fills me with dread just thinking about it again. I think maybe had I gone with a large group, I would not have been targeted as much as I was.

Bottom line, Petra was not for me, however that doesn’t mean it’s not meant for others. I hope to shed light on the truths at this tourist site and not paint a fake picture. After all, I don’t own red flowy dress.

Check out more details on my other adventures through Jordan.