If you think luxury travel is a bunch of infinity pools and Michelin dinners, we don’t think so. Welcome to 2025, where experiential luxury is the new flex–and nothing says ‘exclusive adventure’ like exploring the ancient city of Petra, Jordan, at night. 

Petra is not another bucket list item. As the trends of luxury travel have evolved recently, your destination now has the chance of providing travellers with personal, unique, and secret (100% Instagrammable) experiences.

Are you keen to know why Petra by Night is the latest venture in luxury travel? Let’s go.

First, a Little Petra 101 (Because History is Hot)

Built in the 5th century BC by the Nabataeans–an incredibly advanced society—Petra is a city carved entirely from desert stone. Think towering temples, royal tombs, and elaborate carvings… all hidden within Jordan’s desert canyons.

It’s so beautiful it is called the “Rose City” because the rocks glow pink at sunrise or sunset. It is also one of the New Seven Wonders of the World… no big deal.

Normally, you walk around Petra on a hot desert day surrounded by hundreds (if not thousands) of other tourists, but Petra After Hours? It is totally different… like really different.

Petra By Night: The New Luxury Travel Gold Standard

Suppose you are strolling along the most renowned canyon in the world, the Siq – a narrow winding canyon – and that there are only 1,500 flickering candles to light your path. There are no tour groups. No selfie sticks. Just you, and towering ancient stone walls on every side, and the satisfying crunch of gravel with every step you take.

After a while, you come to the Treasury. But, this is not your standard method of entry into one of the globe’s most well-known archaeological sites! There is a candle-lit courtyard, dramatic moonlight shining on the facade, with traditional Bedouin music playing in your ears.

This is not a mere sightseeing excursion; this is a spiritual sense of purpose. In the current world of luxury travel, that’s the currency.

Why Experiential Luxury Is The New Black

Forget about designer bags and five-star hotel rooms (well not really)—the real flex is all about exclusive experiences.

The boom in experiential luxury is driven by a few factors:

• Personalisation> Price: people are after stories, not just souvenirs.
• Scarcity = Status: if you had an experience that only a few people have had, you have bragging rights.
• Culturally connected: there’s nothing like a real, rooted moment with rooted culture – it beats another spa treatment any day.
• Eco-friendly vibe: more travellers are choosing to spend their money on experiences that respect the communities and environment they are visiting.
• And, Petra After Hours? It has the above features and looks like it came straight from a folktale.
• Petra By Night = Influencer Magnet
• Let’s be honest: part of the draw is the unreal photo opportunities.

Underneath the light of 1,500 candles, Petra is like a dream playground: perfect for those “catch flights, not feelings” Instagram captions. But it’s not just about the Gram. It’s about feeling like you’re walking into a different universe, as if you were let through your own personal door to antiquity.

Some travellers now even book private Petra by Night excursions, with luxury tour operators organising:

• Curated music experiences 
• Gourmet Bedouin feasts underneath the stars 
• Professional photographers for effortless content creation 
• Champagne toasts in front of the Treasury (Yes, this really is a thing)

Experiential flex? Activated.

How Petra is Taking Luxury to the Next Level

• Jordan’s tourism sector gets it. They are all-in on experiential, sustainable tourism and offer:
• Boutique hotels and desert resorts (like the unbelievable Bubble Luxotel).
• Exclusive glamping opportunities under one million stars.
• Private archaeological tours conducted by professional historians (where’s my Indiana Jones hat?).
• Helicopter tours of Petra and Wadi Rum allow you to experience the magic in the air.

This is no longer mass tourism – this is customised adventure with a tasteful combination of cultural authenticity and ultra-luxury.

• Quality Insider: How to Spend the Night at Petra and have a blast.
• Planning: Petra by Night can only be booked one week in three days (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday), therefore, there is no need to wait to make a reservation because it sells very quickly.
• Be close: Book a stay in Wadi Musa, where other paying tourists are staying or if you’re luxurious, a bubble camp in the desert! 
• Dress Smart: Desert nights are cold! Layers are everything.
• Respect the Sights: It is a sacred, historic place – not just a cool place to take photos. 
• Elevate the Experience: More and more private tours are offering extras like a private guide, a catered dinner, or a meditation in hidden caves.

The Future of Experiential Luxury Travel? Petra’s Just the Beginning

Petra After Hours is evidence that the future of luxury travel will lie not in what you see – but HOW you experience it. Authenticity, storytelling, and scarcity are the three things driving what travellers want in 2026 and beyond. 

And Jordan is crushing it! Beyond Petra, you have:

• Floating away in the Dead Sea
• Stargazing in Wadi Rum’s skies
• Visiting ancient Roman cities such as Jerash.

Luxury travellers of the present want to feel something better than they could by scrolling. They want moments, not just a snapshot. And when it comes to experiential luxury: Petra After Hours? It’s the ultimate vibe.

Final Thoughts: Is Petra After Hours Worth It?

Short answer? A million times YES.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of tourist traps and cookie-cutter vacations, but Petra After Hours is one of the few access points to the authentic, the ancient and the irreplaceable. This is an experience you will remember long after the last candle has flickered out. In a luxury space that is solely dependent on experiences, Jordan’s ancient wonder reminds us that some of the best experiences can’t be bought; you must simply arrive, take it in and live it, all under the stars.