Amman Travel Forum

Hello VTers,
I will be visiting Petra next month. I'm recovering from tendinitis on one foot and will still be hobbling around. Is walking around in Petra doable for me? (We will be staying in a hotel at the entrance of Petra, so very convenient.)
Please advise.
franceonisland

It is a long walk in to the start of the site. Ordinarily I would say that it is a must to walk in. However, in your case I think that you should go by a horse-drawn cart/carriage. Make sure that you also reserve it for the return trip out. As for going around the site itself, to my knowledge, the only way to do it is on foot. If you take the carriage in (btw, you can take a horse or donkey but I wouldn't recommend that) then if you take it gently and slowly, then you will be able to do it on foot. Perhaps take along one of those folding stool things.

Unfortunately I think this visit is going to be pretty difficult for you. Petra involves a LOT of walking. There are some parts that you can hire animal transport for (horse cart to get from the gate to the beginning of the site, donkey or camel from there to the main part, and another donkey to get to one or two of the outlying temple sites). But to see the place really requires you to walk a lot--Petra is enormous, a huge area that is well worth hiking around (there are literally days' worth of hikes). It would be a real shame to have to confine yourself to just the stuff right in the center where all the people are. Some of the coolest areas are located a considerable hike from there.

thanks for the suggestion!

Wow -- it looks like I will need to get some strong painkillers from my foot doc so I can do this. I don't want to miss what you are describing. Thank you for the info!
FL

Absolutely agree with the previous poster. One not to be missed part is the rremains of the old church up above the site. Some absolutely fabulous mosaics.

Petra means *rock*. To have a idea of the size of Petra, look on the Yahoo site: "You Tube Petra, Jordan" and you will find there lots of videos. It is so beautiful, each time I look at them, tears come to my eyes. When I was there, I walked a lot, hiked a lot, and was riding horses as well.

I really can't walk very well right now so I would like to ask 1) do you get the cart at the site and can it be reserved in advance 2) how do I arrange for a donkey from the beginning ot the site to the main area 3)how do I arrange for the pick-up and transportation back to the hotel.

Thanks. I will be there in late January.

At the entrance to the site you can easily find a donkey to take you down to the Treasury. That is as far as the transport goes. You can also, instead of a donkey, or horse, hire a cart. NB, arrange for a return trip and take the details of the transport, so that you can have it waiting for your return. Otherwise, you will have to walk out or pay an exhoribtant fee. If you are staying at a hotel right by the entrance, you will be able to get there without a taxi, if the hotel is indeed right by the entrance.

I'm going to Petra in April and I have a knee problem. I saw your question about walking around Petra and would like to know how you managed. I don't think I could walk in through the siq, then walk around the various sites and walk out again. Did you use the cart, or take a donkey or camel ride? I would be really interested to know.

I'm very interested in any responses to the the post above because I also have a knee problem. Would a walker that has a place to sit be sufficient while trying to navigate the city once you got there? Also, I just travelled with a woman in a motorized wheelchair. Would the path and terrain be suitable for her chair or is it sandy?

On the motorized wheelchair, I am sorry to say that I would definitely recommend against it. There are really no smooth paths anywhere in the whole site--it's either sandy or quite bumpy with pebbles and stones. It doesn't seem like there is any thought about wheelchair accessibility at all, sadly.

For someone with limited mobility of any kind, Petra would be quite tough. It is just really big and requires a lot of walking. Maybe if you brought one of those fold-up three-legged stools and could sit down en route, you'd be OK, but you will have to judge that for yourself.