Hiking to the Monastery via the Petra Back Entrance

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If you’re planning a visit to Petra, chances are doing the Petra Monastery hike is at the top of your to-do list. While there’s nothing quite like emerging from the Siq and seeing the famous Treasury for the first time, trust me when I say you’re going to be equally awestruck when you stand before the Monastery in person.

The Monastery tends to get far fewer visitors than the Treasury due to its location at the end of the main Petra trail and up 800 steps to the top of a hill. But while this somewhat grueling Monastery (Ed-Deir) Trail used to be the only way to reach this ancient wonder, you can now access the Monastery via the “back entrance” to Petra!

You might also want to check out: Guide to Visiting Petra: Tips & Tricks from My 2025 Visit

So, you have two ways to tackle the Petra Monastery hike:

1. The Monastery (Ed-Deir) Trail

The most popular way to reach the Monastery Trail (Ed-Deir Trail) is by walking from the Visitors Center entrance, through the Siq, past the Treasury, and continuing along the Street of Facades and Colonnaded Street until you reach the base of the Ed-Deir Trail. From there, you’ll ascend the trail’s infamous 800 stairs to reach the Monastery.

After you’ve had your Monastery fix, you’ll then need to retrace your steps all the way back down the stairs and back to the Visitors Center. All in all, the route takes roughly 2 hours each way. But if you don’t want to have to spend your time retracing your steps through the entire Petra trail, there is a second option!

2. The Petra Back Entrance Trail

After doing a bit more research about the Petra Monastery hike, I found out about the back entrance or “back door” to Petra. From what I read, this was not only a way to avoid the 800 steps, but it would allow me to see a completely different side of Petra while still being able to see the Monastery before descending the 800 stairs of the main Monastery (Ed-Deir) Trail and making my way along the main Petra trail to the Visitors Center.

To me this sounded like a win-win because I would get to see more in the same amount of time, and I wouldn’t have to retrace my steps.

So, if you want to reach the Monastery via the Petra back entrance, here’s everything you need to know.

How to Get to the Petra Back Entrance from Wadi Musa

First, if you don’t have a Jordan Pass, you’ll want to purchase your Petra entry ticket at the Visitors Center before you go to Little Petra. Because I had a Jordan Pass, I do not know whether or not you can purchase Petra tickets in Little Petra. So it’s best to do your own research or play it safe and just purchase your Petra ticket at the Visitors Center first. If you have a Jordan Pass, make sure to bring it with you.

To reach the back entrance to Petra from Wadi Musa, you can hop on one of the free shuttles in the parking lot behind the Visitors Center and the Petra Museum. These shuttles run from 7 am to 3 pm and leave every 30 minutes or when full (always double-check bus times, as they do change). From here, you’ll drive for 15 minutes until you reach Little Petra.

Once you arrive in Little Petra, there will be plenty of people trying to sell you tours and rides to the back entrance. But if you want to play it safe and hop in the official 4×4 truck to reach the start of the Petra back entrance steps, then you’ll want to go to the second window of the first shack to the left of the entrance to Little Petra (the first office sells guided tours, which you don’t necessarily need). You’ll go to the window below the yellow Little Petra (Beidha) Entry Tickets Kiosk sign.

The ticket office opens at 8 am and tickets for the 4×4 truck cost JD 5. The 4×4 journey to the start of the back entrance trail steps takes roughly 30 minutes, but you will have to wait until it fills up. I waited for about 20-30 minutes.

Hold on tight because the terrain is very hilly, which is why you need a 4×4 vehicle to take you! Bring your Jordan Pass or Petra ticket because they will check tickets at a check point on your way to the back entrance to Petra.

Once you reach the start of the trail (aka the “back entrance steps”), there will be a handful of men with horses that will offer to take you to the Monastery for a fee. That being said, if you feel the horses are mistreated or in bad health, I would avoid doing this. I’m generally not a fan of riding animals abroad.

Taking a Guided Back Entrance Tour

If you prefer to take a guided tour through the Petra’s Back Door, this Private Petra Back Entrance Tour with Viator has a full 5 stars and gets rave reviews. Your guide will take you along the entire route I outlined above so you won’t have to worry about doing any planning.

Plus, this tour is private so your guide can help you with anything that’s on your wish list, including entering the back entrance as early as possible and even seeing the Monastery at sunset. (The logistics of this is a bit tough to do on your own, since Little Petra doesn’t open until 7 am). You’ll also have someone to take endless photos of you and your crew. Plus, the guide has 18+ years of experience offering tours in Petra, so you’ll learn tons about this ancient archaeological site!

A few things to know about back door Petra Monastery hike

The Back Door Petra Monastery Trail is moderate, not easy: From everything I had read, the Back Door Trail was going to be far easier than hiking the 800 stairs of the main Monastery Trail. And it was.

But no one mentioned that the beginning of the Back Door Trail has plenty of steps up a steep mountain. The hike is fairly easy, but it will be somewhat strenuous. With the heat, I want to say it was a bit grueling for the first 30 minutes, but things leveled out and it was scenic, flat, and easy after that. But do expect a fair share of steep stairs!

There are a few shacks selling trinkets and drinks: When I hiked this trail in May, things were already heating up. It didn’t help that I did the hike during the hottest part of the day! Luckily, there were at least four shacks along the way selling coffee and cold drinks. Plus, the mountain views from these places were unreal. You can even see Palestine in the distance!

There are few hikers on the trail: We only saw a dozen or so other hikers during the hike from the back entrance to the Monastery, which was pretty amazing. The trail got confusing at times but we inevitably found our way. The local people were always happy to point us in the right direction during our entire visit to Petra!

This is a great trail for mountain and landscape views: The vistas from the Back Door Trail were amazing. But unlike a lot of other trails in Petra, this one isn’t dotted with archaeological ruins. Personally, I loved seeing a very different side of Petra going this route. It was wild and rugged!

Take advantage of the photo ops and cafe: Once you reach the Monastery (it appears out of nowhere!), you’ll notice a couple different viewpoints where you can get some killer photos. There’s an elevated viewpoint up a set of stairs and another inside a rock, which makes for a cool photo op. There’s also a very convenient cave cafe with incredible Monastery views. We were exhausted and hot, so we decided to grab some cold drinks and enjoy the view from the cave cafe!

After we were done marveling at the Monastery, we went down the 800 steps of the Ed-Deir Trail. From there, it’s possible to see all of the main attractions along the main trail including the Royal Tombs, the Theater, the Street of Facades, the Treasury, and the Siq, before exiting at the Visitors Center.

If you only have one day in Petra, I would suggest also tacking on a hike along the Al-Khubtha Trail to see the Treasury from above or hiking through Wadi al Farasa to the High Place of Sacrifice Trail. Choosing one of these trails will still allow you to see all the highlights in one day and then some!

Hotels Near the Back Entrance/Little Petra

If you only have one day in Petra and want to get your day started early through the back entrance before ticking off the Monastery and all the other Petra highlights, you might want to base yourself near Little Petra in order to get an early start. There are a few cool hotel options out here:

Seven Wonders Luxury Camp: If you’ve got your heart set on glamping, Seven Wonders Luxury Camp might just be the perfect pick. The luxe domes are outfitted with comfy beds, panoramic windows, sky-high ceilings, and private balconies for endless stargazing.

Petra Seasons Luxury Resort: For a unique resort-style glamping experience within walking distance of Little Petra, Petra Seasons Luxury Resort offers both glamping domes and modern bungalows with all the creature comforts of a modern hotel. You’ll also love having access to the hotel’s pool and on-site international restaurant. The friendly staff will also organize your trip to the back door entrance for you, so you won’t have anything to worry about!

Hotels Near the Visitors Center in Wadi Musa

Most visitors opt to stay in the small town of Wadi Musa during their trip to Petra. Wadi Musa is located at the entrance to Petra. But because the town is very hilly, it’s best to stay in one of the hotels right outside of the Visitors Center. This is especially true if you want to get an early start.

Here are a few options:

Esperanza Petra: I stayed at the Esperanza Petra, which was an easy 5-minute walk from the Visitors Center. I stayed in the Deluxe Double Balcony Room for USD $63 per night through Booking.com. The room had a fridge, smart TV, and lovely balcony. There’s also a complimentary breakfast buffet and they’ll even prepare breakfast for you super early if you want to enter Petra at 6 am.

Petra Moon Hotel: Petra Moon Hotel is just 150 meters from the Visitors Center. The modern rooms here start around USD $130 per night and have flat-screen TVs, mini-fridges, coffee-making facilities, and private balconies. But the real perk of staying here is the rooftop pool and hot tub! There’s also a lavish buffet breakfast each morning.

Mövenpick Resort Petra: Mövenpick Resort Petra is your best bet if you’re looking for a 5-star stay. You’ll be right across from the Visitors Center and you’ll be spoiled with a beautifully decorated room with a private balcony, an outdoor pool, a spa and wellness center, and an excellent on-site bar and restaurant. This is easily the best hotel in town. (Rooms start at USD $155)

Do you have any questions about tackling the Petra Monastery hike via the back eEntrance to Petra? Let me know in the comments!