Petra by Night: The Ancient City Under Candlelight

The Setup

Petra by Night runs on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings. Tickets (purchased at the main Petra visitor centre) cover entry to the Siq and the Treasury area for approximately two hours. Gates open at 8:30pm; the walk begins around 9pm.

The Walk Through the Siq

The Siq is Petra's natural entrance gorge — 1.2 kilometres of narrow, winding canyon, the walls rising up to 200 metres on either side. In daylight, it is impressive. At night, lined with hundreds of small paper bag candles, it becomes genuinely otherworldly. The silence is absolute — no vehicle noise, no generators, just the sound of feet on stone and the distant suggestion of music ahead.

The Treasury Illuminated

Al-Khazneh, the Treasury, is one of the architectural wonders of the ancient world: a 40-metre-high facade carved directly from rose-red sandstone, its columns, urns, and figures in perfect relief. By daylight it is remarkable. By candlelight — hundreds of candles arranged across the forecourt, the facade lit by their combined glow, the sky above visible through a crack in the cliff walls — it is genuinely transcendent.

A Bedouin musician plays oud and traditional flute. A guide gives a brief presentation on the Nabataean civilisation. Then there is just the quiet and the stone and the light.

Practical Matters

The walk to the Treasury and back covers approximately 2.5 kilometres. The terrain is uneven rock — proper shoes are necessary. Take a torch (phone light is sufficient) for the walk back once the candles have been snuffed. Bring warm layers: the canyon temperature drops significantly after dark even in summer.

Verdict

Petra by Night risks being described as a tourist production — which it technically is — but the setting is so extraordinary that the experience transcends the mechanism. The Treasury by candlelight is something I will not forget.

Best for: All visitors to Petra; particularly those who have already visited by day Price: Approximately 17 JD (£17) per person Tip: Arrive early and walk the Siq slowly — the candlelit approach is as memorable as the destination.