Desert Castles & Azraq Oasis
Umayyad palaces in the eastern desert
- 7–8 hours
- Azraq Oasis, Desert Castles, Umm al-Jimal
- Duration
- 7–8 hours
- Start
- Pick-up 8:30
- Group
- Private
- Guide languages
- English, Arabic, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Russian
Highlights
- Frescoes of Qusayr Amra
- Qasr Kharana
- Qasr al-Azraq
- Azraq Wetland Reserve boardwalk
About this experience
East of Amman the land flattens into the Badia, the stony desert crossed for centuries by caravans. The Umayyads built their retreats here: Qasr Kharana with its two storeys of rooms around a courtyard, and Qusayr Amra, a bathhouse painted with hunters, musicians and the night sky.
At Azraq, the black-basalt castle was Lawrence of Arabia's winter headquarters, and the wetland reserve shows how the oasis once looked. Lunch is in Azraq, known for its Druze and Chechen communities' home cooking.
Itinerary
-
08:30
Pick-up in Amman
-
09:30
Qasr Kharana
-
10:30
Qusayr Amra
Frescoes and the zodiac dome.
-
11:45
Qasr al-Azraq
The stone door and Lawrence's room.
-
12:45
Lunch in Azraq
-
14:00
Wetland reserve
Boardwalk and bird hide.
-
16:00
Back in Amman
Times are a guide – on a private tour you can change the pace and the order.
What's included
- Private air-conditioned vehicle for your group only
- Professional English- or Arabic-speaking driver
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off
- Licensed local guide at the main site
- Bottled water and Wi-Fi in the vehicle
- Fuel, parking and road tolls
- Entrance fees (free with the Jordan Pass – see notes)
- Lunch and drinks (add lunch when booking)
- Tips for driver and guide (optional)
- Personal expenses and travel insurance
What to bring
- Passport or ID (needed at checkpoints and some sites)
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Hat, sunglasses and sunscreen
- A light jacket from November to March
- Cash in Jordanian dinars for small purchases and tips
Good to know
- Buy the Jordan Pass online before you travel: it covers Petra, Wadi Rum, Jerash and 40+ sites, and waives the tourist visa fee if you stay at least 3 nights.
- This is a private tour: the time at each stop is flexible and you can change the order on the day.
Places you visit
Questions travellers ask
Is the price per person or per group?
Per person. The more travellers in your group, the lower the price per person – the total updates live as you choose your group size.
Can I change the pick-up time?
Yes. We suggest a time that avoids the heat and the crowds, and you can adjust it after booking by message or WhatsApp.
How do I pay?
Choose your payment method at checkout. You will receive an instant booking email, and our team confirms the driver and guide details within a few hours.
Cancellation policy
Free cancellation up to 48 hours before the start of your tour. Cancellations within 48 hours are charged 50%, and no-shows are charged in full. Multi-day packages: free cancellation up to 14 days before arrival.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.