At what time of the year is Petra less crowded?

Old May 29th, 2013, 02:35 AM
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At what time of the year is Petra less crowded?

At what time of the year is Petra less crowded? How are Feb-March? I dont think I'll be able to travel before this December,so how do Jan,Feb and March fare? Which is the best of the 3 months? Is march crowded?
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Old May 29th, 2013, 02:44 AM
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We were in Petra this past March 11. We were told that was the start of peak season. While there were plenty of people I wouldn't say it was crowded, especially before lunch.
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Old May 29th, 2013, 03:09 AM
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We were there in late January (2008) and there weren't many people - in fact when we were up at the Monastery, for about 15 minutes we were the only people (other than workers) then another couple arrived. It was cool though and the day before had been very rainy, if weather is a consideration for you.
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Old May 30th, 2013, 04:17 AM
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Thanks for the replies..so does it rain frequently in Petra in Jan-Feb? colduphere , how was it early in the morning,or evening? Not bad,right? And did you go for snorkeling anywhere closeby,were the temperatures comfortable enough?
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Old May 30th, 2013, 05:52 AM
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It had rained quite a bit the week before we arrived (we were told). Morning and evening temperatures were ideal for touring - about 17/63 early in the morning and mid-20s/high 70s late in the day. We don't snorkel but the air temperature would have been great. I can't speak to the water temperature.

People were telling us that early March is an ideal time to visit. One reason is that there has usually been sufficient rain by that point for the flowers to bloom. If you are in to flowers.
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Old May 31st, 2013, 08:42 AM
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I would think March is perfect as Jan and Feb there is a much greater risk of rain(and flooding). It's just the beginning of tourist season and nothing is too crowded.
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Old May 31st, 2013, 09:14 AM
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We were there during the 2nd week in February, 2010. The weather was ideal for touring and no rain.
Not too crowded until the afternoon when a large group from a cruise ship arrived. Fortunately, we were leaving at that time.
Quite frankly, if you encounter such a large group when you are there, your entire experience and visit will not be enjoyable.
Good luck and happy travels.
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Old May 31st, 2013, 09:38 AM
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"Quite frankly, if you encounter such a large group when you are there, your entire experience and visit will not be enjoyable."

Large groups are unlikely to head up to the High Place of Sacrifice, the trail above the Royal Tombs, Little Petra, and quite possibly even the Monastery. There is a great deal more to Petra than the Sanctuary and the main street, but you have to walk a bit to find it.
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Old Jun 4th, 2013, 05:23 AM
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Thanks for the replies,looks like Feb-end,early march is the way to go..
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Old Jun 7th, 2013, 07:29 PM
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thursdaysd-you helped us so much in planning our SE Asia trip. Now, we need to consult re: Petra. Specifically, about taking my 90 yo mother-in-law who is quite fit (uses cane to please us). Do you think we could do this? She has been to Israel 15+ times, but never to Petra (nor have we).
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Old Jun 7th, 2013, 08:34 PM
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Hi virginia - well, there are the horse carts. They didn't look very comfortable, and you'd probably want to get them to slow down, but they will save her walking in (LP says its 2 km from the entrance to the Treasury, which sounds about right). Once you get to the Treasury (that's the building you see in all the photos) there are flat paths past the Royal Tombs, the Roman theater, and the church. I doubt she could make it to the High Place of Sacrifice or the Monastery. Apparently you can go up on a donkey, don't know how she would feel about trying that.

I do highly recomend Petra (for photos see http://kwilhelm.smugmug.com/Travel/C...ast-2009/Petra ). Petra by night would probably also be an option. I didn't make it to Little Petra, but you might consider that too.
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