Built over 2,000 years ago, the iconic desert city continues ... cliffs throughout Petra. Photograph by Rafael Heygster, Agentur Focus/Redux A mule-drawn carriage at the entrance into Petra.

In 1812, Swiss scholar Johann Ludwig Burckhardt found himself standing at the entrance ... Petra, he realized, with growing excitement, that he might be near the “lost” city itself.

From grabbing drinks at the Cave Bar to sky-high balloon rides, there's no shortage of things to do in the Rose City ... a three-day entrance ticket Children under 12 can visit Petra for free.