I travelled to one of the most famous places on earth and it was completely empty

I'm at a UNESCO World Heritage site, yet my gaze is firmly fixed on the gorge floor. This isn't an overt sign of humility; our guide, Zuhair Zuriqat, is hyping us up about the ancient site we're about to see for the very first time.

"After I count to three, I need you to look up my friends", says Zuhair. "So one, two and three..." As I lift my head, I'm met with the astonishing view of the Treasury, the most elaborate rock-cut tomb in Petra, Jordan’s crown jewel and one of the new Seven Wonders of the World.

A legacy of the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled in southern Jordan more than 2,000 years ago, Petra, Zuhair explains, is "the biggest tourist attraction that we have here in Jordan," and visitors flock here from around the world.

Only, as I look around the Treasury (Al-Khazneh), there's one thing that shocks me. There's no one here. Normally, Petra attracts close to 1 million tourists annually, but thanks to "noisy neighbours", it's now eerily deserted.

"At this time of year, it should be the peak," laments Zuhair. "Two years ago, there were certain days when we had over 10,000 visitors."

So why are there only a handful of visitors at this magnificent site right now? Zuhair tactfully explains that since the conflict between Hamas and Israel erupted in October 2023, tourism here has plummeted dramatically.

Because Jordan shares a border with Israel, the current conflict has hit its tourism industry hard. Many would-be visitors see the region on the news and assume it all blurs into one unsafe zone.

In reality, the Middle Eastern kingdom of Jordan has consistently stayed out of military action, but perception can be more powerful than fact when people are booking holidays.

"With the current political situation in the region, we're victims of misperception, and so there's less tourism coming in," says Tourism Consultant Malia Asfour, who was the Former Managing Director of Jordan Tourism Board North America.

She’s keen to stress that the country is very much open and eager for visitors, including small tour groups like ours. Tourism sustains many local families, and when visitor numbers drop, the impact is immediate. “By having you here, you’re giving people a lift,” she says. “You’re giving them life and support.”

The irony is striking. Not long ago, Jordan was grappling with overtourism at its most famous sites. Now it faces the opposite challenge: persuading the world that it is safe, stable and very much ready to welcome people back.

The impact is most obvious where I'm standing. I've seen photos of Petra on social media, and it's usually rammed with selfie-taking tourists scrambling to get the best shot of this archaeological wonder, so it's surreal to have the famed 'Rose City' almost to myself.

Thought to be over 2,300 years old, the exact date of Petra’s construction remains unknown. By the first century BC, it had become the capital of the Nabataean Empire, whose wealth was built on the trade in frankincense, myrrh, and spices.

Today, it's an Archaeological Park covering an area of 264,000 square meters within Wadi Musa, with a visitor centre and various Bedouin shops selling coffee, snacks, and souvenirs.

An entrance ticket costs 50 JOD (around £51). You begin in the Siq, a narrow gorge that slices through rose-red rock. The walls tower above you, sometimes only a few metres apart, streaked with pinks, russets and buttery gold where centuries of wind and flash floods have polished the stone smooth and wave-like.

It is cool and echoey in places, and if you visit with a guide, they'll likely point out remains of ancient water channels carved neatly into the rock, proof that the Nabataeans were not just good at dramatic architecture but also superb engineers.

Then, with exquisite timing, the Siq opens just enough to perfectly frame Al Khazneh, the Treasury. Carved straight into the sandstone cliff in the first century AD, its façade rises about 40 metres high, all Corinthian columns, ornate capitals and theatrical flourishes.

Our guide tells me that Petra was the capital of the Nabataean Kingdom from around the 4th century BC. These were Arab traders who amassed fortunes by controlling caravan routes for incense, spices, and other luxuries moving between Arabia, Egypt, and the Mediterranean.

They turned this desert stronghold into a thriving city, complete with temples, tombs, and a theatre carved into the hillside that could seat thousands.

Fast forward, and Rome eventually annexed the city (blimey, they really got everywhere, didn't they?), and it continued to prosper until a major earthquake in AD 363 devastated much of it.

The damage, combined with shifting trade routes, accelerated Petra’s decline. In time, it was abandoned and came to be known only to local Bedouin communities.

Petra popped back onto the Western radar on 22 August 1812, thanks to a Swiss explorer with a flair for adventure, Johann Ludwig Burckhardt.

Travelling under the name Ibrahim Ibn Abdallah and passing himself off as an Arab scholar, he persuaded his Bedouin guides to lead him to a fabled hidden city in Jordan’s Wadi Musa.

What he found was a 12th-century marvel that reportedly was largely unknown beyond the local region. Quite the detour to add to the travel diary, considering Johann was actually searching for the source of the Niger River.

Since then, Petra has become world famous, especially after it served as a cinematic backdrop in the 1989 film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, significantly boosting tourism to the site.

As a devoted film fan (obsessive, according to my husband), I was thrilled to be treading in Indy’s footsteps. I also very nearly wore out our guide by peppering him with questions about what else had been filmed there. Apparently, I was not the first person to quote sections of The Last Crusade to him.

In an attempt to steer me away from yapping on about films, Zuhair explained that there is more to Petra than the Treasury.

Wander around, and you'll see a theatre that may date to the early first century AD, the Petra Church Complex, the Pharaoh's Column, and Qasr Bint Far’un (Palace of the Pharaoh’s Daughter).

More importantly, as you walk past the Treasury, you'll start to spot a few cafes and shops run by Bedouins, where you can try Arabic eyeliner, buy souvenirs, and try pomegranate juice.

Even though the government relocated the Bedouins to nearby Wadi Musa, they’ve kept their shops alive inside Petra and in the 2,000-year-old caves they’ve called home for centuries. The doors are open. The shelves are stocked. What's missing are the visitors.

This is the moment to buy your souvenirs, not just because the scarves are gorgeous, but because tourism is chronically slow, and these families really rely on tourism dollars.

Every trinket, every cup of juice or coffee, every little purchase isn’t just a memory for you; it’s a direct way to support local communities.

“Today is good because we see tourists,” says Rosa, who sells sand art bottles, jewellery, trinkets and bright woven textiles. “Normally, there is no one.”

As she speaks, she steadies my face and traces a line of dark kohl around my eyes, a Bedouin tradition used for centuries for both beauty and protection.

“Very beautiful,” Rosa declares. In a moment of pure vanity, I agree and buy the kohl, fully aware that I will never recreate this smoky desert goddess look at home. Still, it feels like a small act of solidarity. It's hard to walk past those colourful treasure troves and see them so quiet.

After sampling freshly squeezed pomegranate juice, fussing over the resident cats, and panic-buying more souvenirs, our time in Petra was drawing to a close, and we were shepherded to a waiting bus.

The visit felt far too brief. I would happily return to this jaw-dropping wonder and see it buzzing with visitors again, even if that means sacrificing my smug Instagram photos of an almost-empty Treasury.

Until the crowds find their way back, this is an unusually good moment to visit Jordan. Petra, the red sands of Wadi Rum and even the Jordanian side of the Dead Sea can feel astonishingly peaceful. It is a rare chance to experience these places without having to fight through hordes of selfie-stick-wielding tourists.

If you are nervous about travelling here independently, group trips are an easy and fun option. Companies such as G Adventures, Explore Worldwide and Wild Frontiers offer a range of itineraries in Jordan, where you can witness these wonders with experienced local guides.

Honestly, I also think it's worth spending your hard-earned money somewhere people are genuinely pleased to see you, rather than somewhere that treats tourists as moving targets for water pistols (I'm looking at you, Spain).  

I will almost certainly be returning to this gracious and hospitable country. Next time, I may even manage to take a decent selfie with other humans in the background. I hope to see you there.