It probably goes without saying that Petra is an incredible site - one of the best in the world. I had high expectations before arriving and my visit exceeded them!

I spent about 10 hours at the site over just one day. I arrived with a tour group at about 6am and we toured around the main sights together until about 11am. Then I had another five hours on my own.

My first recommendation would be to get there early. It was magical arriving really early in the morning before other tourists arrived. Having the walk through the canyon without the crowds and then seeing the treasury (and being able to take photos) with nobody in front of me was incredible. I won't forget it soon!

There's a main path through Petra that you can follow and you'll see many of the main landmarks in the central area.

There are two other hikes you can do that I would recommend with one day. The first is the hike up to the Monastery - it's just as spectacular as The Treasury and the setting is special in a different way. The other hike is up to the viewpoint high above the Treasury, coming the back way from near the Royal Tombs. The view is beautiful and there are some nice cafes to take a rest.

If it helps anyone, I've put together a map and instructions on my blog with these tips of how to visit Petra in one day.