Trip Date: September 24, 2025
2025 JORDAN ADVENTURE VACATION
Petra Madhbah High Place Trail Loop
Jabal al Madhbah / Madhbah Mountain
The High Place of Sacrifice
The Lion Fountain
The Garden Hall
The Roman Soldier’s Tomb
The Renaissance Tomb
The Petra Siq
Trip Report Summary
Region: Jordan
Sub-Region: Central Jordanian Highlands
Starting & Ending Point: Petra entry gate & visitors center in town of Wadi Musa (Elev. 3350 feet / 1020 meters)
Way Points: The Djin Blocks & Al Madras Trailhead & Al Madras Viewpoint & The Obelisks & The High Place of Sacrifice / Madhbah Mountain summit & The Garden Hall & The Roman Soldier’s Tomb & The Painted Triclinium & The Renaissance Tomb & Petra main street junction & The Theatre & The Treasury & The Dam & The Djin Blocks & Petra entry gate (trail hike & trail scramble & road walk)
High Point: Madhbah Mountain summit / High Place altar (Elev. 3500 feet / 1065 meters)
Low Point: Main street in Petra Village (Elev. 2930 feet / 890 meters)
Executive Guiding Service & Guides: Adventures Beyond; Brooke Brisbine & James Slaton
Regional Guiding Service & Guide: Experience Jordan Adventures; Mahmoud Bdoul
Approximate Loop Stats: 5.3 miles / 8.5 kilometers traveled on foot; 1150 feet / 350 meters gained & lost; 6.0 hours elapsed.
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Full Trip Report
One day after we completed a three-day traverse from Jhair to Petra on the Jordan Trail, Eileen and I headed back into Petra with our trekking group for a loop hike over Jabal al Madhbah, or Madhbah Mountain. This sandstone dome stands on the southern side of Petra’s main canyon. Our 15-person group included executive guides Brooke and James of Adventures Beyond (provisional name); regional guide Mahmoud of Experience Jordan Adventures; and ten other clients: Barbara, Brian, Courtney, Edwin, Elizabeth, Josh, Laura, Melissa, Stephen, and Storm. This day hike was selected by Brooke, James, and Mahmoud in order to showcase some of the lesser-viewed monuments within the Petra reserve.
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Starting at the Petra entry gate in Wadi Musa, Mahmoud led us down the access road past the Djin Blocks. Shortly before reaching The Dam, we veered off to the left on the inconspicuous Al Madras Trail. This scenic trail wanders uphill via a series of slabs, stairways, slots, and ledges, passing several viewpoints (and a police outpost!) along the way.
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Our trail topped out on the summit of Madhbah Mountain (2.1 hr + 2.25 mi / 3.6 km + 600 ft / 180 m from entry gate). This summit bears two stone obelisks and an ancient feature called The High Place of Sacrifice, which consists of a large rectangular pit and small altar carved into the bedrock. It is believed that the Nabatean inhabitants sacrificed goats here as part of a religious ritual.
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Towering a full 600 feet / 180 meters above street level, Madhbah’s summit provides an outstanding view of the Petra valley. Directly below are The Royal Tombs and associated monuments, which we had visited yesterday.
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To continue our loop, we descended the Wadi Farasah Trail, which starts with numerous stone stairways. This trail dropped us into the invert of Wadi Farasah, or Farasah Canyon, and took us past some marvelous Nabatean monuments. These included The Lion Fountain, The Garden Hall, The Roman Soldier’s Tomb, and The Renaissance Tomb.
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A bit farther downhill, we ducked into a relatively ordinary-looking (by Petra standards) cave that displayed some fantastic natural colors and textures within the sandstone bedrock. The tiger-stripes, swirls, and fans seen here are called liesegang banding and are caused by various minerals being carried through the rock by groundwater. In particular, manganese, iron, and sulfur result in distinctive black, red, and yellow bands, respectively.
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After losing more elevation, we were treated to a fabulous vantage of Jebel Khabtah, or Khabtha Mountain, directly across the valley. The entire flank of this mountain has been carved into a mind-boggling array of facades, tombs, and monuments. Those ancient Nabatean inhabitants were incredibly industrious!
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Our trail eventually brought us down to Petra’s busy village area. We turned right and followed the main road back through The Siq (a deep slot canyon), past The Treasury, and eventually to our starting point at the entry gate (6.0 hr + 5.3 mi / 8.5 km + 1150 ft / 350 m round trip).
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This marvelous loop hike concluded our trekking group’s visit to Petra. We were then headed to Wadi Rum for more spectacular Jordanian scenery and adventure!
Route Map & Profile
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Photo Gallery
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