Hegra and the Nabataeans: Mada'in Salih to Petra

Hegra, also called Mada'in Salih, sits in the Al-'Ula area of Saudi Arabia. In the 1st century AD, under King Aretas IV, it became the Nabataean kingdom's second capital after Petra. Its sandstone outcrops hold rock-cut tombs; the largest is called al-Farid. A narrow corridor reminiscent of the Siq in Petra leads to the Diwan at Jabal Ithlib, a religious area believed to be dedicated to the god Dushara. In 2008 UNESCO made it Saudi Arabia's first World Heritage Site.

Visitor guidance: Visits to the Hegra archaeological site are organised through AlUla; check current access before you plan.

Humeima (Humayma) lies in the Jordanian desert between Petra and the Gulf of Aqaba. Aretas III founded it as a stop on the trade route from Petra to the Gulf of Aqaba, and the settlement was occupied from about 90 BC. Under the Romans it was called Auara. The remains include a Roman bath and fort and five Byzantine churches, so it shows how caravan traffic kept the Nabataean network connected.

Visitor guidance: An open archaeological site in southern Jordan; bring water and expect little shade.

Little Petra is entered through a narrow canyon, Siq al-Barid, about 8 km north of Wadi Musa. It is mostly Nabataean buildings, carved dwellings and four large triclinia that archaeologists think were used to entertain visiting merchants. In the Painted Room, a small biclinium, rare Nabataean paintings survive on the rear wall. At the west end, steps lead to the top of the rock, and a lightly used foot trail runs 6 km to Ad Deir.

Visitor guidance: Free to wander from the car park; the Painted Room is on the south side of the second open area.

The Treasury is Petra's best-known facade, possibly the mausoleum of the Nabataean king Aretas IV and built in the 1st century AD. Bedouins named it Al-Khazneh, 'the Treasury', in the early 19th century, believing the urn held treasure. Castor and Pollux flank the entrance, and the interior is a plain main chamber with three antechambers. In 106 AD Nabataea fell to Rome, which annexed it as Arabia Petraea.

Visitor guidance: Reached through the Siq gorge at the heart of Petra; the facade is viewed from outside.

Ad Deir, the Monastery, is a rock-cut facade 47 m high and 48 m wide, likely built in the mid-1st century CE. Its purpose cannot be assessed with certainty. From the Basin, a nearly 800-step path takes about 40 minutes on foot. From the top you can view the valleys of Wadi Araba and the gorges around Petra.

Visitor guidance: A steep climb of nearly 800 steps; go early and carry water.

Avdat is a Nabataean town in the Negev. It continued to prosper as a major station along the Petra-Gaza road after the Roman annexation of Nabataea in 106 CE, and the Nabataeans lived there until an earthquake destroyed it in the early 8th century CE. Later Byzantine builders added a citadel and a monastery with two churches on its acropolis.

Visitor guidance: Part of a national park in the Negev; wear a hat, there is little cover.