Petra One Day Tour from Eilat

After an early departure from Eilat and crossing into Jordan we travel 2 – 3 hours along the scenic mountain route, the desert way, to Petra, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, briefly stopping for an overview.

After passing the Obelisks in front of the cave tomb we enter the narrow, 1,200 meter long canyon, the Siq, with an option to ride for the first few hundred meters. As we walk through the gorge with the towering red stone on either side we marvel at the incredible sites carved into the red mountain.

The magnificent façade of the treasury with its Corinthian columns is particularly well-preserved as it is deeply carved into the rock and protected by rock overhang. To give you an idea of the height, the funeral urn alone, tucked away up in the heart of the façade is eleven feet high.

The colossal Deir (temple, monastery) which dwarfs us is over forty meters high, its columns reaching more than two storeys. At the Roman theatre we can but wonder who filled the seats. We marvel at the numerous tombs, each uniquely designed, and the sacrificial altar.

After a late lunch we return to Aqaba where, time permitting, we will do a short tour prior to crossing to Eilat.