Horses, Camels and Donkeys in Petra

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When visiting Petra you have to be prepared for walking to be able to experience one of the great site in the world. For the ones who are less active, there are some possibilities to limit your efforts. First of all, the entrance ticket Petra includes a short horse ride from the Visitor Centre to the entrance of the Siq, the canyon. It is about 700 meters and the horse boy walks beside you, so don’t expect a canter. Important, the horse boys demand a tip.

Horse Ride in Petra

Horse carriage in Petra

There are also 10 horse drawn carriages in Petra, first and foremost for elderly and handicapped visitors. These carriages take maximum 2 passengers and operate from the Petra Visitor Centre to the Treasury and back. Keep in mind the Petra terrain is uneven, so it is a bumpy ride. The price is 20 JOD per carriage. Handicapped clients can also obtain a permission to go with the carriage deeper inside Petra, but an advance reservation is to recommend due to the limited numbers of carriages.

Inside Petra one can hire a camel or a donkey, price is a matter of negotiation with the owner and depends on the distance. There had been complaints about the maltreatment of animals in Petra. It is not a coincidence that the welfare animal organization, The Brooke, had a till 2010 a clinic here, now in the authority of the Ministry of Agriculture. So, by hiring one of the animals make sure it is in good condition and even don’t hesitate to criticize the handler when being cruel. The people live from the work of these animals and have to get the message, badly treated animal means no clients, so no income. Especially donkeys have a low status.

Camels as a transport in Petra

Donkeys in Petra

As we had over the years complaints about missing transport possibilities in Petra like motorized vehicles or – I read a while ago – even cable cars, a short remark. Keep in mind, Petra is a unique site, an amazing heritage, which has to be preserved for the generations to come, that is to say the fabulous, thousands of years old fusion nature and architecture shall not be destroyed for the sake of laziness.