Hegra vs Petra – Is Saudi Arabia’s Hidden City Worth It?

Hegra: Is It Worth It?

So, having visited Hegra, how did it contrast with our experience at the World Wonder of Petra?

Well, there are several things to consider when comparing the sites, so here are a few pros and cons of Hegra (when compared to Petra) to help you decide:

The Positives vs Petra

+ The carvings at Hegra’s archaeological site are unique. At Petra, the Treasury (al Khazneh) and Monastery (Ad Deir) are really intricate and elborate – like, epic levels of extraordinary. However, some of the perfectly symmetric carvings and tombs at Hegra were just mind-blowing – often less intricate, but the rocky outcrops and decorative facades are far better preserved than Petra. Plus, the vast, scorched desert background gives some of them a little more gravitas. They just appear to erupt from the ground in some cases.

+ Hegra has inscriptions on many of the tombs in Aramaic (a precursor to Arabic) with intimidating messages to protect the inhabitants:

“may the lord of the world curse upon anyone who disturb this tomb or open it”

These kind of inscriptions are rare at Petra.

+ Hegra has significantly less crowds than Petra. Petra can be overwhelmingly busy, which, at times, really made my experience there a little miserable. At each stop on the Hegra tour, generally there was one guide and a few tourists from the bus. It was often silent; and it was rare that you had to stand with, or listen to, other people talk. This experience can also be had at Petra too, but you’d have to hike off far off the main trail.

+ There is no animal cruelty at Hegra. Petra is known for having extremely lax policies when it comes to the welfare of the donkeys, camels and horses and we absolutely hated seeing this during our visit.

+ There are no vendors along the Hegra tour, only a smart little gift store at the waiting area where you can buy your souvenirs (I bought postcards with camels on). At Petra, there were aggressive, quite physical, sometimes even intoxicated vendors everywhere who I refused to buy anything from.

+ Hegra had no resident children around; contrastingly, the child labour situation at Petra was abysmal. There were small children under ten years old driving horse drawn carriages, others begging or offering tours.

The Negatives vs Petra

– Although the archaeological site at Hegra covers a pretty large area, there is only a small zone that you have access to explore. Petra, on the other hand, is absolutely enormous.

– On the topic of exploring: you can’t really explore at Hegra at all. Each stop basically just allows you to walk around a large rock with a guide ensuring you don’t go out of bounds.

– There is no hiking at Hegra, at all. There are no trails and strict boundaries on where you can walk. This is a huge negative when comparing to the hiking trails at Petra.

– Accommodation is far more expensive around Hegra and Al Ula than Petra and Wadi Musa in Jordan.

– Hegra is in a really remote part of Saudi Arabia and is harder to get to than Wadi Musa, for Petra. However, there are buses and an international airport at Al Ula, so this isn’t exactly a big deal.

– There’s nothing at Hegra that compares to the walk through the narrow Siq at Petra, waiting for your first view of the Treasury. It’s a pure, unadulterated magical travel experience that you cannot compare to anything else.

– On the topic of the Treasury at Petra, it’s one of the most Googled film locations of all time (think Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade), and nothing that Hegra has to offer can get that much hype up!

– Hegra has very little shade when compared to Petra. Although, you’re not likely to be out in the sun for so long.

Mixed/Subjective

+/- Petra is expensive, really expensive. Even when included in the Jordan Pass, it’s still eye-watering. However, Hegra is also reasonably expensive for the lesser time (2-3 hours) spent at the site. I’d say that on cost, both Petra and Hegra are equal.

+/- The scenery between the sites is too varied to decide whether one site is objectively better than another. The desert expanse around the tombs at Hegra was visually impacting and really made the carvings stand out. The mountains and hills around Petra, covered in small rock-hewn residences, is also astonishing. I can’t decide which had the better scenery!

+/- Hegra is far better for people with limited physical mobility; Petra is strenuous and great for hikers. It’s subjective as to which is better.