The Best Hike to Reach the Monastery at Petra

My first day in Petra, I have decided to divide my time at two places. They happen to be at either end of this enormous and ancient city. I spent the early morning making my way from the visitor’s centre to the Treasury. Now its late morning, the air is a little warmer and I’ll carry on. The best hike to reach the Monastery at Petra is nothing short of incredible.

The Al-Dayr Trail

After walking through the Basin, the central part of Petra, I begin the Al-Dayr Trail. The first portion is actually not too bad. Yes, its all uphill but fairly gradual is the climb. Along the way, don’t miss the Lion Triclinium down a little gorge to the right.

Lion Triclinium

This fascinating structure was used for rituals and banquets to honour the deities. It gained its name because flaking the door, are the carved frescoes of two lions. That odd shape of the door is a result of weather than has eroded a once circular window above the original arch entrance.

Just below each corner of the triangular roof shape, you can see a face. That is Medusa! Getting up to the actual door was a challenge for me. Its quite a sheer and tall rock face to climb. I was able to get up myself. Luckily a gent from Florida and his partner from Turkey came by and they helped me get down.

Al-Dayr Trail Con’t

Keep in mind, you have already been walking for two hours to reach the start of this hike from the entrance. If your navigational skills are less than stellar…like mine, you may be comforted to know there is little chance of getting lost. One can simply follow the stairs or stair like rock formations.

All along the route, hikers will encounter Bedouin tents. Here you will be plied with souvenirs to purchase and can also find water, local tea made over an open fire, and even freshly squeezed fruit juice.

Another constant is the Bedouins asking if you want a donkey ride. You will frequently be reminded that this is 1000 steps you must climb and its very difficult. A friendly ‘la shukran’ and they usually carry on. Some visitors do wish to partake of a donkey ride, but to me that looked scarier than the hike itself.

Views

Stop often and look back for photographs. The scenery while hiking these gorgeous canyons is breathtaking. Its amazing how quickly you gain altitude, and seeing where you have come from is uplifting.

Towards the end, the Bedouins will now start to cheer you on. Its completely adorable. Things like ‘you made it!’ ‘Almost there queen’ and the like, will give you such a mental boost and also help you realize that this gruelling hike has an end in sight.

The Monastery

This treasure you don’t see right away. At least I didn’t. As I entered the wide open space and didn’t see anything immediately in front of me, I knew the structure must be to my right. I purposely did not peek until I had walked on, towards the back of the bare land.

Then I turned around.

And once again burst into tears. This building is enormous! Much larger than the Treasury, it measures a whopping 47 meters by 48 meters. With the afternoon sun now fully shining down, the warm hues create a glow that is almost mystical.

The second most visited structure in Petra is the Monastery. And I think that’s only because of the difficulty reaching it. Perched in the mountains at the far side, the arrival is profound.

Al-Dayr

Al Dayr (the Monastery) is the largest building in Petra and its thought it was used for larger religious gatherings because of the man-made flat area out front.

See that urn on top? I took a photo of an old black and white from my hotel lobby. Have a look at the size comparison to the terrified human who is clinging on for dear life.

When asked by a Bedouin if I wanted to climb to the urn, I answered no because of that photo. Its actually illegal to do that but the locals tell me, sometimes at night, after the park closes, they will go up there to watch the sunset.

The Viewpoints

After I had stopped sobbing, a young Bedouin approached me and asked if I wanted him to take photos of me. I actually had been hoping to do this, so we settled on a price. His name is Audi and he took me to two separate viewpoints.

One is easily reached, and just up from where the small restaurant and shop is. Inside a natural cave, there is an opening that looks out at the Monastery. Visitors could quite easily come here themselves without assistance.

The next viewpoint is a further hike upwards. By this point, my legs were squawking at me but I pushed on with the encouragement from Audi. ‘You can do this my queen’.

Once the top is reached, there is a large Bedouin tent here, a very pretty set up. Inside one can purchase drinks if desired. Audi led me to the back where the opening is, to see the Monastery. Here he tied my scarf around my head and took a plethora of photos and videos.

Afterwards, I was led safely back down to the flat area. Here I found a raised rock platform over to the left and ate my humble lunch of a piece of cake, a bite of halva, and a single dry biscuit. I simply had no appetite, in awe was I.

Back Door

There is a ‘back door’ to Petra and also a free shuttle. Entering through the back door will bring you as close as you can get to the Monastery without that long hike. Those with physical limitations or difficulty walking will have the best chance of seeing the Monastery this way.

I’m told the shuttle goes once every hour from the visitors’ centre. While I chose not to use this service, its helpful to know it exists. Especially for the return, if you find yourself weary.

Now comes the long walk back to the entrance. I have at least two to three hours in front of me, but at least its downhill. I have chosen to do this slowly and with ease, taking in every single ounce of this magnificent site as I can. My heart is full, my brain is overjoyed, I am simply soaring on adrenaline.