Petra by Night, a Monumental Tourist Trap

Before delving into detail, let’s start with the most important questions.

Is Petra worth it?

Oh yes.

Is Petra by Night worth it?

Short answer - No.

Long answer - Keep reading.

The reality is that Petra by Night is a poorly constructed event, objectively speaking.

Is it worth it though? There are really only 2 reasons that could make this heavily overrated experience worthwhile. To help you decide on whether to go for it or give it a miss, ask yourself the following questions.

We all know that photo of the Treasury at night illuminated by candlelights. But it’s important to also know that even though the full experience lasts around 2 hours, there is a window of 5-10 minutes at most to admire that iconic view as it is. Do you want to see this for yourself? Do you want to take that photo that everyone else wants to take? And are you willing to queue early and able to rush through the canyon so you don’t miss it entirely?

Having already seen the Treasury multiple times by day, is it worth paying an additional amount, the equivalent of 24$ per person, purely to indulge your curiosity? I found the whole experience to be exceptionally bad, but in a way it was so bad it’s good. I sometimes do enjoy a tourist trap and I might walk into it willingly, because it provides entertainment in the form of unintentional comedy and gives a good story to tell. This is definitely one of those experiences.

If you’re not resonating with any of the above arguments, then Petra by Night is not for you. Save yourself money, time and effort. Go and you will witness a monumental disappointment.

When it happens

The Petra by Night show takes place only 3 times a week - on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday (a very random selection of dates if you ask me). The event is advertised as starting at 20:30, but that includes the walk to the treasury, and the doors open slightly earlier (20:15).

Many people spend 2-3 nights in Petra, so there is a fairly good chance that there will be at least one Petra by Night show happening during your stay. Otherwise, you’d need to time your visit accordingly - though I really would not go out of my way for that.

I believe there might be less people at Wednesday and Thursday events, as the show takes place on consecutive days and crowds would split more or less. Monday, on the other hand, gathers visitors covering the entire period from Friday to Tuesday. That is when we went, as it was our only option. It was beyond crowded, in a time when Petra isn’t as crowded as it used to be, pre-pandemic.

Tickets

The entrance fee to the Petra complex during the day is 50/55/60 JOD for a 1/2/3 day pass, and is included in the Jordan Pass. The Petra by Night experience is an entirely separate event - it is not included in the Petra day ticket or Jordan Pass, and you don’t need a pass for that day to see the show at night. The cost for the show is 17 JOD, and tickets can be purchased from the visitor centre as well as hotels.

It is not possible to book Petra by Night in advance, and there is no need to. An unlimited number of tickets are available, so you are guaranteed a spot.

The Walk

Here’s how to make the most of a bad experience.

It’s good to be in line around 19:30 or so - that will ensure you are one of the first ones in. Doors open around 20:15 and at that point there will be people behind you as far as the eye can see. The crowds will start cramming towards the entrance, so it’s very likely you will temporarily lose your place in the “queue”, but no need to worry, as you can overtake them immediately after.

There is a long walk from the visitor centre to the Treasury, about 20min at an alert pace. The entire way is lined with the same kind of candlelights as those in front of the Treasury, which is a nice touch. The area around the Djinn Blocks and the Obelisk Tomb is particularly well decorated and illuminated, we spent some time there on the way back.

I really recommend sprinting through the canyon because the best part of Petra by Night is at the very start, before the majority of people arrives and ruins everything for everyone - which is before the actual show starts.

Once you reach the end of the Siq (the narrow canyon leading into Petra), you will see the Treasury softly lit by hundreds of candles - a sight to behold. Knowing we were one of the first to pass the gates and cross the Siq, I was a bit surprised to see more people than I expected already at the Treasury - I can only assume they either lingered after sunset and got in for free (unlikely though) or somehow paid for early entry through third parties. But in any case, there was plenty of seating available still.

Rows of carpets line up the perimeter around the candles, and the first row provides that unobstructed view that everyone is looking for. If you followed my advice so far, you should have no problem finding a good spot here. Don’t worry too much about saving the perfect spot, because all spots will become bad spots very soon. If you are here for the view, sit down and take it all in before it’s too late. If you are here for the photo, have your setup ready and find your favourite angle. I would recommend choosing something either central or on the side and nearer the Treasury - these areas are likely to remain unobstructed for longer.

The majority of people won’t bother arriving early at the visitor centre and will walk through the canyon at normal pace. If you arrived early, this gives you a head start and a window of 5-10min to enjoy that beautiful view of the Treasury.

The Shot

Everyone has seen a variation of this photo of Petra illuminated by candles at night-time. You’d think this must be the most magical way to experience Petra, right? Unfortunately, it is anything but.

The first thing to note is that while the candles are there, the lighting of the Treasury is not as impressive in reality. It’s very dimly lit, whereas the photos benefit from the long exposure. It’s still a very nice view, just not as spectacular as you might expect.

Taking a good photo of the Treasury at night is perhaps a little bit more challenging than the average night-time photo, due to very low lighting and the time pressure. But if you put in the effort to come in early specifically for this, you probably already know what to do. Here’s some advice though:

• If you use a camera, a tripod is essential.

• It’s best to have your tripod setup ready by the time you arrive at the Treasury.

• You might have to rely on manual focus on the Treasury.

• If you use a phone, night mode should do a surprisingly good job, and provide much better results than the average tourist’s immediate go-to for night-time photography, the fricking *FLASH*, with the added benefit of not ruining other people’s photos and experience.

• Remember, you might have very limited time to snap a good photo.

• Most importantly, be considerate of others around you!

There is the occasional person that walks into everyone’s frame and line of sight only to snap a photo of themselves with the treasury and candles, but these moments tend to be rare and short-lived. I definitely expected this, but I did not expect what was about to happen. The vast majority of photos found online as well as those used in official travel brochures paint a false picture of reality.

Expectation

Reality (5 minutes later)

The Turning Point

There aren’t any seats left on the carpets, and someone decides they don’t really want to sit at the back even though they arrived later than others. They gather enough courage to step in and sit down right in the middle of the candles, in front of everyone. Those in the front row are outraged, and for good reason - you come in early, you put in the effort, but someone coming in late decides to create their own front row. A little dispute commences, which the guard just laughs at - “You will see!”.

He was right. Everything just goes downhill from there.

Along comes another, and another, and another. Before you know it, the entire place fills up. You can barely see any candles anymore and your front row has suddenly become a 10th row. Once enough people are sat there, any new arrivals won’t even realise that they’re contributing to a problem, and would just think they somehow managed to bag a good seat. This all happens over the course of a few minutes.

And so, those people that were being selfish and wanted to get a better spot than everyone else, managed to ruin the experience for everyone, especially themselves - at least those who arrived early had their moment earlier on.

At this point, can it get any worse? Yes, it can.

The Show

Behind the many rows of people, you definitely can’t see much, but you can’t hear much either. One big problem with this show is the sound. The setup is not fit for playing any kind of music - no mic, no speakers, nothing. With so many people around, all you can hear is others talking or shushing, and the occasional screaming baby. Any singing that happens during the show is very faint and most of the talking involved is unintelligible. You’d think some of the revenue could go into improving the acoustics, but no.

The show starts and there isn’t really any context given around what you are listening to.

The first act was some Bedouin ballad, and the actual singing was just not good, it sounded like an uninspired audition tape for Jordan’s Got Talent. The poor acoustics might be a good thing after all.

The second act was a flute melody, which was already an improvement due to it being instrumental only, however it felt very long and repetitive. At that point, I couldn’t help but wonder how many people might be in that canyon. Several hundreds for sure, maybe even a thousand? Multiply that by the entrance fee, that gives a total of well over $20,000… for… THIS?

The show continued with a piece of storytelling, half of which was about the impact of Covid-19 on Petra and Jordan, while the other half no one could hear enough of anyway.

If you’re lucky enough, you might be offered one or two rounds of free tea, so at least there’s that.

The show ends with a light display of sorts - basically the treasury is illuminated in various vibrant colours, one after another, at an uncomfortably fast pace. I think this is meant to be the wow element, the big reveal, but it’s a pinnacle of kitsch - something I’d expect to see at the local disco in Wadi Musa, and not projected onto the facade of a new world wonder. I’m not sure if these tacky lights remain in operation after the show ends, but I wasn’t willing to find out. Probably best to take your photos before the show, just in case.

Could it be better?

Yes.

A few simple measures would help turn things around, and transform this nocturnal fiasco into the magical experience that it wants to be.

• Ticket numbers should be limited. The area around the treasury can’t accommodate an unlimited number of people. Tickets are expensive enough to still generate huge profit, even in smaller numbers. Alternatively, the show could take place on more than just 3 nights per week, when demand is high.

• Don’t allow people to sit among the candles, because they are part of the show. Petra by Night is currently the equivalent of going to the theatre and having late arrivals seated on the stage.

• The show as it stands feels very amateurish. Provide some context to the musical numbers, make them better, and make them audible. Some basic audio equipment to amplify the sound would go a long way. Ditch the disco lighting effects altogether, and keep it more natural.

The Alternative

If I managed to convince you that this event really isn’t worth it, here is my take of Petra by Night DIY.

Stay for sunset anywhere that is far enough away that it gives you a long walk back to the visitor centre. The Monastery is one such place, and early evening is possibly the best time to visit that part of Petra. Make your way back after sundown, and by the time you arrive at the treasury it will be dark. And there you have it - the treasury, very dimly illuminated by the moonlight, complete silence, not another soul in sight. No candles, but also no people. Truly magical.

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