Best Places to View the Moon in Petra
Petra sits at around 900 metres elevation in the Sharah Mountains of southern Jordan, carved from rose-red sandstone by the Nabataeans from the 4th century BC. The moon rises from the east over the surrounding desert plateau and arcs across a sky with near-zero light pollution — one of the darkest clear skies of any site on this page. The Siq canyon walls rise 80 metres on either side of the entrance gorge, and monuments like the 39-metre Treasury facade and the 45-metre Monastery catch the full moon's light in a way that no modern skyline can replicate.
Petra by Night – The Siq & Treasury by Candlelight
The only authorised nighttime access to Petra. Over 1,500 candles illuminate the 1.2-km Siq canyon and the Treasury facade while Bedouin music plays at the end of the gorge. The full moon above the canyon walls, the candlelight below, and near-total silence on the walk back make this one of the most atmospheric lunar experiences anywhere. Runs Sunday–Thursday, starts 8:30 PM; tickets 30 JOD, sold separately from day entry. A daytime Petra ticket or Jordan Pass is required to purchase.
High Place of Sacrifice – Jebel al-Madhbah Ridge
The most accessible high viewpoint in Petra, reached via a steep 40–60 minute climb from the Street of Facades. At 170 metres above the surrounding terrain, the ridge looks east over the full breadth of the Petra valley — an ideal spot to watch the moon rise over the desert mountains with the Royal Tombs and ancient city below. Visit in late afternoon to be descending as the moon climbs. The altar platform is 15 metres long, carved from living rock.
Ad Deir – The Monastery Terrace
The Monastery facade — 50 metres wide, 45 metres tall — is reached by climbing 800 rock-cut steps from the main valley, roughly 45 minutes from the colonnaded street. The open terrace facing the facade looks west; the moon rises behind you over the eastern desert, casting long shadows across the facade as it climbs. Best visited in the last two hours before the site closes. The cave café opposite offers shade and drinks while you wait for the light to shift.
Al-Khubtha Trail – Treasury Overlook
A signed trail beginning near the Royal Tombs leads up the Al-Khubtha ridge to a high viewpoint looking directly down into the canyon containing the Treasury — one of the most reproduced images of Petra. The moon rising over the eastern desert plateau from this elevation, with the Treasury 200 metres below, is the closest Petra comes to a conventional moonrise foreground shot. Allow 20–30 minutes climbing from the Royal Tombs; visit in the last 2 hours before closing.
Royal Tombs Terrace – Street of Facades
The broad terrace in front of the Urn Tomb, Silk Tomb, Corinthian Tomb, and Palace Tomb faces west across the main Petra valley. The moon rises from behind the ridge to the east and floods the carved sandstone facades in silver light as it climbs — the colour shift of the rose-red stone under lunar illumination is remarkable and only visible to those still inside the site at dusk. Access included in site entry; face the valley and let the moon come up behind you.
Wadi Musa Town – Hotel Rooftops & Hillside Terraces
The town of Wadi Musa sits on the hills immediately above the Petra entrance, with unobstructed views east over the desert plateau where the moon rises. Hotel rooftop terraces — including those of the Movenpick Resort and several mid-range properties along the main road — provide legal, accessible moonrise viewpoints after the site has closed for the day. No ticket required. The full moon rising over the Petra mountains from a rooftop in Wadi Musa, with mansaf on the table, is an experience entirely its own.
Best Times for Moon Photography
Quick Photography Tips
The moon phase today in Petra, Jordan is shown in detail above — complete with exact illumination percentage, moonrise/set times, and the best local spots to see it. For the moon phase today in any other city or location worldwide, visit our Dynamic Moon Phase Calculator on the home page.
What the Experience Actually Feels Like
There is a point, on the walk back through the Siq after Petra by Night, when the candles behind you begin to go out and the canyon ahead is lit only by the moon. The walls rise eighty metres on either side. The silence is total. The sandstone glows in colours — rust, amber, rose — that no artificial light produces quite the same way. This is not a conventional moonrise experience. There is no rooftop, no city skyline, no cocktail. There is only you, the rock, and a sky above the canyon walls that has not changed since the Nabataeans walked this same corridor two thousand years ago.
Petra rewards a different kind of attention than the other cities on this site. The moon does not rise above a recognisable silhouette — it rises above a desert plateau and pours down into a city of tombs. On the High Place of Sacrifice, 170 metres above the valley floor, it rises behind you over the eastern rim and slowly illuminates the sandstone facades below. The colour shift in the rock as moonlight replaces the last of the day is one of the more extraordinary things a traveller with a tripod and some patience can witness. Unlike a sunset, which anyone can stumble into, a moonrise at Petra requires planning — the phase, the time, the viewpoint, and a working knowledge of exactly when the site closes. The people who make it to the right ridge at the right moment have earned what they see.
The Nabataeans chose this place deliberately — water in an arid land, trade routes converging, and a mountain landscape that was, by any reckoning, sacred. Standing on a ridge above the ancient city at dusk, watching the moon come up over the desert, you are inside a place that has been considered worth protecting for two thousand years. UNESCO agreed in 1985. The New Seven Wonders poll agreed in 2007. Neither designation quite captures what it feels like to be here when the light goes out and the moon takes over. That you have to find out for yourself.
"On the walk back through the Siq after Petra by Night, the candles go out and the canyon is lit only by the moon. The walls rise eighty metres on either side. The silence is total. This is not a conventional moonrise. There is only you, the rock, and a sky that has not changed in two thousand years."
Your Petra Moon Chase Checklist
Before You Go
- Check the moon phase and moonrise time on this page for each night of your stay
- Petra by Night runs Sunday–Thursday only — plan your visit dates around both the moon phase and the show schedule
- Petra by Night tickets cost 30 JOD per person and require a daytime Petra ticket or Jordan Pass — both can be purchased at the Petra Visitor Centre; advance online booking is available
- Book accommodation in Wadi Musa — the town sits directly above the Petra entrance and hotel rooftop terraces provide free moonrise views after the site closes
- Download PhotoPills or Stellarium set to Petra — the desert horizon is flat to the east and moonrise calculations are very clean
- Target March–May or September–November for the best combination of mild temperatures and clear skies
What to Bring
- Compact tripod or gorilla-pod — the Siq is narrow and crowded during Petra by Night; a full-size tripod will cause problems
- A wide-angle lens (16–35mm) for the Treasury and Siq at night; a 100–200mm lens for the ridge viewpoints during the day
- Comfortable closed-toe walking shoes — the Siq floor is uneven sandstone; the High Place trail involves steep rock-cut steps
- Warm layers for evenings even in spring and summer — the canyon holds cold air after dark and desert temperatures drop sharply at sunset
- Cash in Jordanian Dinar — the on-site vendors and café at the Monastery do not always accept cards
On the Night
- Arrive at the Petra Visitor Centre by 8:00 PM for the 8:30 PM start — the walk through the Siq to the Treasury takes 20–30 minutes
- For the best Treasury photographs at Petra by Night, stay behind the crowd and be among the last to arrive at the Treasury — moving people ruin long exposures
- Flash photography is actively discouraged and disrupts the atmosphere — shoot at ISO 800–3200 with a wide aperture and a 5–30 second exposure
- On the walk back, stop frequently — the Siq by moonlight with the candles extinguished is quieter and more photographically interesting than the event itself
- For daytime ridge viewpoints, aim to be descending by 30 minutes before site closure — rangers begin clearing the high trails first