Petra by Night is the most discussed evening attraction in Jordan and probably the one most likely to produce wildly different reactions from different visitors. Some people find it one of the most magical experiences of their travels; others leave feeling slightly underwhelmed. The difference is almost entirely about expectation management. This guide tells you exactly what Petra by Night is, what it is not, who it works for, and the practical details you need to make a decision.
What Petra by Night actually is
Petra by Night operates on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings only. The experience begins at the Petra Visitor Centre at 8:30pm. You walk through the Siq — the 1.2 km slot canyon that leads to Petra’s main entrance — in near-total darkness, guided by approximately 1,500 candles in small paper bags placed along both sides of the canyon floor and walls. The candles provide just enough light to walk safely without a torch; the effect on the sandstone walls of the Siq is genuinely beautiful.
The walk takes approximately 20–25 minutes at a slow pace. You emerge from the Siq into the space before the Treasury (Al-Khazneh), which is also lit by candles — hundreds of them spread across the ground in front of the facade. You sit on the ground in front of the Treasury (cushions are sometimes provided, sometimes not).
A musician then plays traditional Bedouin music — typically oud (Arabic lute) and/or rababa (a one-stringed Bedouin fiddle) — while tea is served. The performance lasts approximately 30–40 minutes. There is also usually a narrative, delivered in Arabic and then translated, about the history of Petra and the Nabataean civilisation.
The total duration is around 2 hours from meeting at the Visitor Centre to arriving back.
That is the experience. Nothing more, nothing less.
What Petra by Night is NOT
This is the most important section for expectation management.
It is not a son-et-lumière show. There are no light projections on the Treasury facade, no theatrical light effects, no elaborate performance. Some visitors arrive expecting the kind of dramatic light-and-sound show found at Karnak Temple in Luxor or the Acropolis in Athens and leave disappointed.
The Treasury is not illuminated dramatically. By daylight, the Treasury’s rose sandstone facade is extraordinary. By candlelight, the lower portion of the facade glows — but the upper portions are in deep shadow. The candlelit view of the Treasury is beautiful in a quiet, atmospheric way, not in a dramatic revealing-the-monument way.
The music is not a performance you actively watch. The musician plays while you sit in the dark. The experience is more meditative than entertaining in a concert sense.
Photography in the dark is difficult. The candlelit Siq and Treasury create conditions where standard phone photography produces grainy, underexposed images. A camera with good low-light capability and a tripod produces much better results. Do not plan Petra by Night as your primary photography opportunity.
Who Petra by Night works for
The experience suits people who:
- Have already visited Petra during the day and want to experience the same landscape under radically different conditions
- Are interested in atmosphere and the sense of place rather than content or education
- Value quiet and contemplation
- Find the idea of candlelit silence in an ancient canyon appealing rather than insufficient
- Are not primarily motivated by photography
It particularly suits couples or small groups who enjoy sharing a quiet experience together. It is less suited to families with young children who may become restless during the 40-minute music session in the dark, or to visitors who have not yet visited Petra during the day and may be left confused about what they are looking at.
Tickets and pricing
Price: 17 JOD (approximately USD 24 / EUR 22) per person.
Jordan Pass holders: Petra by Night is included in the Jordan Pass — you pay nothing beyond the Pass cost. This significantly changes the value calculation. If you have a Jordan Pass (which is recommended for anyone staying more than 3 nights in Jordan), Petra by Night is effectively free and the decision is just about time.
Booking: Tickets are sold at the Petra Visitor Centre on the day of the event. There is no advance online booking for the standard experience. Arriving early in the evening to secure tickets is advisable, particularly in the peak season months of March–May and September–November.
Without Jordan Pass: 17 JOD is not unreasonable for a 2-hour experience in one of the world’s great archaeological sites. Whether it represents good value depends on your expectations and how much the daytime Petra experience has satisfied your visual and cultural appetite for the site.
Petra by Night: show tickets and hotel pick-upThe GYG listing for Petra by Night includes hotel pickup from Wadi Musa, which eliminates the minor logistics of getting yourself to the Visitor Centre at 8:30pm after a full day of walking.
The logistics
Meeting point: Petra Visitor Centre, 8:30pm sharp. Do not be late — the group walks together through the Siq and there is no catch-up once the walk has begun.
Walk difficulty: The Siq is 1.2 km of flat to slightly uneven path. In good footwear, it is entirely manageable. In flip-flops or heeled shoes, it is uncomfortable on the uneven ground. Wear the same shoes you would wear during the day visit.
Photography: Bring a tripod or accept that phone photos will be poor. A long exposure on a phone camera is possible if you can stabilise the device against a rock or the ground.
Dress code: There is no formal dress code but the evenings in Wadi Musa can be cool, particularly outside the summer months. Bring a layer — even in March, the temperature can drop to 10–12°C after sunset, which is a significant change from an afternoon at 25°C+.
After the experience: The return walk through the Siq is also candlelit. Most visitors return to Wadi Musa for dinner after the experience, arriving back around 10:30–11pm. Restaurants in Wadi Musa stay open late specifically to accommodate Petra visitors.
Combining with the day visit
The question of whether to combine Petra by Night with your daytime Petra visit on the same day depends on your energy. The daytime visit typically involves 10–15 km of walking; arriving at the Visitor Centre again at 8:30pm requires either a rest during the afternoon or significant stamina.
The most common approach: arrive in Petra the day before and do Petra by Night on your first evening, before the main Petra day visit. This means you see the Siq first by candlelight and then again in full light the following morning — a completely different experience both times, and genuinely interesting as a comparison.
Alternatively: Petra by Night is on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Plan your days in Petra so that the by-night experience falls on one of these evenings.
The Bdoul musicians
The musicians who perform at Petra by Night are from the Bdoul Bedouin community — the people who lived within the Petra site until their relocation to Umm Sayhoun in 1985. The performance of traditional music at the site their families were removed from has a significance that many visitors do not know and that the formal presentation of the experience does not always make clear.
The rababa — the one-stringed fiddle played by Bedouin musicians throughout the Levant and Arabia — produces a sound that is deliberately microtonal and expressive. It does not sound like Western music. The initial response from some visitors (confusion, slightly restless attention) can give way to genuine engagement when you stop trying to analyse it and simply listen.
The Siq by candlelight: what it actually looks like
The Siq — the 1.2 km slot canyon entrance to Petra — is extraordinary at any time of day, but the candlelit version has a specific visual character worth understanding before you experience it.
The canyon walls of the Siq are made from Nubian sandstone streaked with minerals that produce swirls of red, pink, orange, and purple. In daylight, these colours are vivid and the scale of the walls (up to 80m high in the narrowest sections) is immediately apparent. By candlelight, the experience is different: the scale disappears into darkness above you; the wall surfaces glow in a narrow band of warm amber light; and the specific textures and mineral patterns in the stone — invisible in the diffuse light of day — are picked out in dramatic relief.
The floor of the Siq is paved with Nabataean and Roman stonework. The candle bags are placed along both sides of the path at approximately 1-metre intervals. The total volume of light is just enough to see clearly; it is not so bright that the stars above are obscured. If you look up through the narrow opening above the canyon walls on a clear night, the stars are visible in a narrow ribbon of sky.
The procession of visitors through the Siq by candlelight — sometimes 300 people moving slowly through the same narrow space — produces a visual effect that is part of the experience rather than a distraction from it. The shadows of people ahead of you on the canyon walls, the sound of footsteps on stone, the occasional echo of the guide’s voice — these elements combine into something that is genuinely more than the sum of its parts.
Honesty about the limitations
The experience has a few genuine weaknesses:
Crowds: In peak season, 300–400 people may be doing Petra by Night simultaneously. The “intimate candlelit walk” becomes a procession. Arriving at the front of the group (get to the Visitor Centre at 8:15) helps, but cannot entirely eliminate the sense of being part of a crowd.
Sitting on the ground for 40 minutes: Some visitors, particularly older ones or those with back or knee issues, find the extended sitting uncomfortable. Cushions are not always provided.
The narrative translation: The Arabic-to-English translation of the historical narration is sometimes unclear or rushed. This is a minor issue but worth knowing.
Not a substitute for the daytime experience: Nothing that happens at Petra by Night replaces the visual experience of the Treasury in full daylight or the walk to the Monastery. Anyone visiting Petra for the first time who can only do one experience should do the day visit without hesitation.
FAQ
Which days does Petra by Night operate?
Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings only.
What time does Petra by Night start?
8:30pm. Arrive at the Petra Visitor Centre at least 15 minutes early to get tickets (if you do not have a Jordan Pass) and position yourself well for the walk.
Is Petra by Night suitable for children?
It depends on the child’s age and temperament. The walk through the Siq is entirely manageable for children 5 and above. The sitting phase (40 minutes of music in the dark) is the challenge for younger or more active children. Older children and teenagers who are genuinely curious about Petra often enjoy the experience considerably.
Can I take a camera with tripod?
Yes. Tripods are not prohibited. They produce dramatically better results than handheld photography in the candlelit darkness. Setting up a tripod in a space where 300 people are also sitting requires courtesy — do not obstruct other visitors’ view for the sake of a photo.
How do I get to the Petra Visitor Centre in the evening?
From Wadi Musa, the Visitor Centre is a short drive or a 15–20 minute walk. Taxis from the town centre are inexpensive (1–2 JOD). Most hotels in Wadi Musa offer a drop-off service. The GYG tour option includes pickup from your hotel.
Is the Siq path fully lit by candles or do I need a torch?
The candles provide sufficient light to walk without a torch under normal conditions. The path is uneven but not technical; standard walking shoes with grip are adequate. In the event of wind or rain, some candles may be extinguished, but the path remains walkable.
What happens if it rains?
Petra by Night is occasionally cancelled due to rain, which is rare but possible in winter months (December–February). Check with the Visitor Centre if weather is uncertain. The event typically goes ahead in light wind.
Can I photograph the Treasury at night?
Yes, but managing expectations is important. The Treasury facade is lit from below by candles spread across the ground — approximately 1,500 of them. The lower third to half of the facade is warmly lit in amber tones; the upper portions are in shadow. Standard phone photography will produce underexposed or grainy images. A camera with good low-light performance (Sony, newer iPhones, Google Pixel) can capture the scene but requires a stable surface or tripod. Long exposures on a tripod produce the most dramatic results: the candlelight on the sandstone, the stars if the exposure is long enough, and the silhouettes of the crowd in the foreground.
The best photograph of the evening is typically of the Siq rather than the Treasury — the canyon walls lit from below by candle bags, the way the light amplifies the patterns in the sandstone, and the procession of figures moving through. This is more accessible to phone cameras because the light source is closer to your level.
Does Petra by Night replace or add to the Jordan Pass entry?
If you have a Jordan Pass, Petra by Night is included. You do not pay separately. Without a Jordan Pass, you need both a daytime entry ticket and a Petra by Night ticket — they are separate admissions.