May in Petra averages highs of 28 °C (83 °F) and lows of 17 °C (63 °F), with almost no rainy days and 13 h 40 min of daylight.
May weather in Petra at a glance
average high to low each dot ≈ 3 rainy days
Is May a good time to visit Petra?
Good time to go: hot and fairly dry. May is usually shoulder season in Petra: fewer crowds than peak months, with prices often a little lower.
Our rule: a month scores 2 points for comfortable average highs of 18–28 °C (1 point for 14–18 or 28–32 °C) and 2 points for 5 or fewer rainy days (1 point for 6–10). Average highs above 35 °C or below 8 °C make it a tough month whatever the rain. A rainy day here means 2 mm of rain or more. 4 points = great, 3 = good, 2 = mixed, 0–1 = tough.
Holidays and events in May 2026
- Labour Day (1 May) and Independence Day (25 May) public holiday
- Eid al-Adha, around 27 May 2026 (approximate): a public holiday of several days public holiday
Banks and many shops close on public holidays, and museums may change their hours, so check before you go.
Things to do in Petra in May
May's weather suits a mix of outdoor sights and museums, so the open-air ones come first.
- The Siq and the Treasury — enter at 6am for an empty Siq outdoors
- The Monastery (Ad Deir) — about 850 steps outdoors
- High Place of Sacrifice — views over the city outdoors
- Royal Tombs — best in afternoon light outdoors
- Petra by Night — candlelit Treasury on selected evenings outdoors
- Little Petra — free, 15 minutes north outdoors
Where to stay: Wadi Musa, the town at the gate, so you can enter at opening time.
What to pack for Petra in May
- Summer clothes, sunglasses and sunscreen.
- Clothes that cover shoulders and knees for mosques and temples.
- Comfortable walking shoes.
What a day in Petra costs
| Budget traveller | Mid-range | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical total per person, per day | €50–110 | €140–280 |
Excluding flights. May is usually shoulder season in Petra: fewer crowds than peak months, with prices often a little lower.
May in nearby cities
| City | High / low | Rainy days | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cairo | 34° / 19° | 0 | Mixed weather |
| Santorini | 22° / 17° | 2 | Great time to go |
| Istanbul | 21° / 13° | 7 | Good time to go |
Plan your Petra trip
Want the whole trip planned? Join the Journey waitlist: tell it where, when and your budget, and it plans every day hour by hour.
FAQ
Is May a good time to visit Petra?
By the numbers, May is a good time to go: hot and fairly dry, with average highs of 28 °C (83 °F) and almost no rainy days. May is usually shoulder season in Petra: fewer crowds than peak months, with prices often a little lower. The best months for weather are March, April, October, November.
How warm is Petra in May?
Average highs are 28 °C (83 °F) and lows 17 °C (63 °F) (2015–2024 averages).
Does it rain a lot in Petra in May?
Expect about 0 days with 2 mm of rain or more, about 6 mm in total. It is the 5th driest month of the year in Petra.
Sources: climate averages from Open-Meteo historical weather (ERA5 reanalysis, 2015–2024); sea temperatures from the Open-Meteo marine API (2023–2024); public holidays from Nager.Date. Daylight is calculated for the 15th of the month. Averages are a guide, not a forecast. Costs are typical ranges per person per day, excluding flights.