What to Wear in Petra

What to Wear
Petra sits in genuine desert with very little shade across most of the site, and you’ll be walking further than you expect — just reaching the Treasury means over a kilometre through the Siq, and seeing the wider site properly adds several kilometres more. Sun protection isn’t optional here: a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses and high-SPF sunscreen are essential, whatever the season.

Lightweight long sleeves and trousers will protect you from the sun better than minimal clothing, even in the heat — standard desert-travel wisdom that applies just as much here as anywhere. Stick to light colours, which reflect heat better than dark ones.

Your footwear genuinely matters given the terrain — uneven ancient stone paths, sections of loose gravel, and for anyone tackling the Monastery or the High Place of Sacrifice, real stepped climbs. Proper closed walking shoes or light hiking shoes are a must; sandals are one of the most common regrets local guides hear about, especially on the Monastery climb.

No strict religious dress code for visiting Petra itself, but Jordan generally leans modest in public, so shoulders and knees covered is a sensible default — on top of the practical sun-protection reasons already covered.