"Touristyness" of Petra

Using a donkey to reach the Monastery is not a good idea at all except if you like rodeo… It will be the same impression…

Michel

I'm hoping its a bit quieter due to the war in Syria and Iraq :-) But I'm also planning to start as soon as Petra opens.

Buffybot_in_beirut gave excellent information. 90% of tourists walk from the entrance of the site to the Monastery and that's it. As long as you're on your own, you can see amazing things with nearly no tourists around. I'd suggest reading the Lonely Planet and following what they say. There are plenty of amazing places if you're ready to climb up stairs that take you uphill - the high place of sacrifice, the top of the opposite mountain from which you can have a bird's eye on the Khazneh, etc. - and to follow small paths taking you to smaller but amazingly beautiful tombs, which only individual travelers see.

I also second Buffybot_in_beirut's suggestion of staying in the site after sunset. This way you will have more time to explore with no tourists around, and you can walk back after dark (take a torch with you and don't hesitate to ask Bedouins to guide you.) The police does not mind individual travellers staying later. Also try to enter the site as soon as it opens, most tourists come later.

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