I visited Petra during Christmas holiday in 2014. We drove all of Jordan. During our trip we really could see that the political situation in the area is keeping visitors away as at many places the amount of tourist was not much. Also in Petra we did not feel that it was busy. The site is spectacular. Most people know the treasury view as "Petra" but its so much more. We walked one day all the way to the monastery. and the second day to the high alter. For us this was enough to see the most important things. A must do of course. For photo's kindly see the website.