Petra rewards a second day more than almost any site in the region. The difference is not more ruins, it is a different kind of visit.
The standard Petra day covers the Siq, the Treasury, the Street of Facades and the Royal Tombs, then turns back. It is a genuinely great day, and it is also about a fifth of the site.
Given two days, the second one changes character completely. The crowds thin as you go further in, and the walking becomes the point rather than the obstacle.
Day one: the approach
Enter early, before the coaches. The walk down the Siq takes around twenty minutes, and the first sight of the Treasury through the final crack in the rock is worth arriving in the dark for.
From there the valley opens out: the Street of Facades, the theatre carved into the hillside, and the Royal Tombs along the eastern cliff, which catch the light best in the late afternoon.
Day two: the climbs
The Monastery is the reason to stay. It is around eight hundred rock-cut steps up from the valley floor, an hour at a steady pace, and the facade at the top is larger than the Treasury and almost always quieter.
The High Place of Sacrifice is the other climb, shorter and steeper, with a view back down over the whole basin. Doing both in one day is possible but not enjoyable, which is the practical argument for two days.
Petra by Night
Three evenings a week the Siq is lit with candles in paper bags and the Treasury forecourt is set with them. It is quiet, slow, and completely different from the daytime walk. It runs separately from the day ticket.
Little Petra
Eight kilometres north, Siq al-Barid is a miniature version of the main site, and it takes about an hour. It is a good use of a second afternoon, particularly if the legs have had enough of steps.
One practical note: the Jordan Pass covers Petra entry for multiple days and the visa fee, and it needs to be bought before you arrive in Jordan.
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