Temple / Colonnaded Triclinium

Little Petra (Siq al-Bared) – November 2023 Group: Family of 4, children ages 3 & 5 🌄 Experience Summary We stopped at Little Petra right after completing the Petra Back Trail, spending around 20 minutes exploring the site. It was a calm and easy visit, but it very clearly felt like a supporting stop rather than a destination on its own — especially after experiencing Petra itself. The narrow siq, small rock-cut facades, and open spaces offer a glimpse into Nabataean architecture on a much smaller scale. While interesting, the site lacks the scale and wow-factor of Petra, making it best suited as a short add-on rather than a highlight. ⭐ Highlights • Compact and easy to explore — ideal when energy levels are low. • Narrow canyon and carved facades provide a quick historical snapshot. 📝 Tips for Visitors (Families with kids) • Plan this as a short stop — 20–30 minutes is usually enough. Be mindful of opening times – in winter it closes early (4:30 PM). • Flat, easy terrain makes it suitable for young children to walk independently. • Parking is right next to the site, so it’s very low effort logistically. • Works well as a stop after the Petra Back Trail, but not worth a detour on its own. ⚠️ Observations • If you’ve already visited Petra, Little Petra can feel underwhelming — expectations should be kept modest. • Best seen as a bonus stop rather than a must-see attraction; easy to skip if time is tight.

The carved rocks and quiet paths create a special, almost magical atmosphere. It’s the perfect spot for those who want to enjoy the beauty of the desert in a peaceful and authentic setting. Definitely worth a visit!

Little Petra is worth a visit. 15min drive from Wadi Musa. A good start at your arrival day before entering the big city the next day. Entrance is free. From here you can hike to the Monastry at Petra from the back side and avoid 800 steps. But you need to invest 90-120min of hiking ;)

Little Petra is one of the hidden gems when exploring the ancient city of Petra. It is located in the Bayda village around 9 KMs north of the Petra Visitor’s Center. It is considered one of three official entrances into the ancient rose city. It is said that this place was the “industrial” part of the Nabatean civilization where white wine and currency were made. The place consists of a small Siq and a small Treasury. The walking path is straight, and is 1 KM long. The place consists mainly of chambers on the ground floor and a lower floor, as well as stairs to go up. Most of the stairs on the right/left side are wiped, and it is recommended not to climb most of them. You pass through many chambers, pass through a souvenir tent, then climb stairs up to another tent. This second tent; another souvenir store, is the end of this walking trail. If you are into hiking, Little Petra has a hiking trail that leads to the Monastery. The trail starts by riding a 4x4 (for a fee) to go to the start of this trail. Then, you walk for around 4 KMs before you arrive at the Monastery. The trail involves stairs and muddy terrain, and walking close to cliff edges; thus caution is recommended (mainly if you are hiking with kids). Once you arrive at the Monastery, you either return back to the drop-off point, or you continue to Qasr Albint in the Petra ancient city (another 3-3.5 KM). If you decide to return back to the drop-off point, ask about the timings of the 4x4 car so that it takes you back to Little Petra. The hiking trail is quite clear either through stairs, or through a drawn path (using rocks). Thus, having a guide isn’t necessary. The walking trail is served with small kiosks that sell drinks and snacks. Some folks sell souvenirs, and you may bump into folks who offer donkey rides for a fee. Make sure you have cash on you to pay as most don’t accept credit cards. Entering Little Petra is free, but riding the 4x4 car to the start of the hiking trail comes with a fee. You can also buy tickets for the Petra ancient city here, and they accept cash or card payment.

Little Petra is a fantastic interlude before visiting the Petra site. Amazing scenes.

No more worries... Just walk through the ancient nabateans time... Imagining an ancient world. No entry tickets.. 30 min trail..

Amazing experience! To reach the Little Petra, you can take for free the small bus but for a return you have to walk 6Km. The bus finishes its route until 14 p.m so if you are not on time, you have to walk to go back 6Km. This is what i did and it really worth! If you have 3 consecutive days to visit Petra, you have plenty of time to visit small Petra. The route going back is nice and in my opinion it is advisable to use the small bus and for a return to walk back.

This is little Petra, also known as baby Petra to me😂. I like it here as it was near empty so not many getting in the way of us enjoying the space and take all the isolation pics as we wanted. We took a 4x4 from here to the back entrance and hiked all the way to the front and saw everything in between. For our group of hikers we thought it was much easier than expected and we are not young.