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Jordan's Desert Castles: Explore Historical Umayyad Sites on a Full-Day Private Tour from Amman

4.8

20 Ratings

Azraq

Embark on a full-day private tour from Amman and explore the historical Umayyad desert castles in Jordan. Visit UNESCO-listed Qusayr Amra, Qasr Kharana, Qasr al-Azraq, Qasr al-Hallabat, and Umm el-Jimal with their unique features and rich history.

Duration: 8 hours

Cancellation: 1 day learn more

Highlights

Quseir Amra - Qusayr Amra was built in the 8th Century by the Umayyads as a fortress and place of residence. After construction was complete, it quickly became famous for being a pleasure palace with nightly parties. The castle also contained a Hamman and was adorned in non-religious wall paintings that reflected early Islamic life.
Qasr Al-Harranah - Qasr Kharana, sometimes Qasr al-Harrana, Qasr al-Kharanah, Kharaneh, or Hraneh, is one of the best-known desert castles located in present-day eastern Jordan, about 60 kilometers east of Amman and relatively close to the border with Saudi Arabia.
Qsar Al-Azraq - Qasr al-Azraq is a large fortress located in present-day eastern Jordan. It is one of the desert castles, located on the outskirts of present-day Azraq, roughly 100 km east of Amman. Its strategic value came from the nearby oasis, the only water source in a vast desert region.
Umm Al Jimal - Umm el-Jimal, also known as Umm ej JemÄl, Umm al-Jimal, or Umm adj-Djimal, is a village in Northern Jordan approximately 17 kilometers east of Mafraq.
Qasr Al-Hallabat - Qasr al-Hallabat, a Palace with a square floorplan and four towers, and a mosque nearby. Built on the site of a former Roman fort. Greek inscriptions on 160 basalt blocks.

What's Included

Modern, air-conditioned private transportation
One small/medium-sized bag allowance per tourist
English-speaking driver throughout the trip
Complimentary Wi-Fi and mineral water onboard

What's Not Included

Entry fees are not included
Supplement for Pick-up or drop off at other areas
DRIVER GRATUITIES HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Additional Information

Discover 5 of Jordan’s famous desert castles on this 7-hour private tour from Amman (supplements for Pickup or drop off at other areas) learn about these fabled castles, built by Umayyad rulers during the 7th and 8th centuries as you visit each one in the desert plains of eastern Jordan. Explore UNESCO-listed Qusayr Amra, famous for its 8th-century frescoes of hedonistic scenes, before continuing to the atmospheric Qasr Kharana and Qasr al-Azraq castles, the latter used as a military base by TE Lawrence, known as Lawrence of Arabia, during World War I. Qasr al-Hallabat the Palace with a square floorplan four towers, and a mosque nearby. Built on the site of a former Roman fort. Greek inscriptions on 160 basalt blocks. Umm el-Jimal, was known by this name because of its commercial location in the desert. It used camels in the process of trade to transport goods, and it was an oasis for those commercial caravans that traveled from the Hijaz to Damascus. Raised by this type of stone.

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Location

Quseir Amra

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

4.8

(20 Ratings)

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1 star

Irena_h

Apr 15, 2024

Trip to the desert castles with Raed - Very comfortable car, Raed was very polite and informative about everything we have seen along the way to the castles.Highly recommend trip and service

Review provided by Viator

347ged

Nov 14, 2023

Pleasant experience - On a whim, we reserved the desert castle trip, and we're glad we did. Throughout the trip, the driver kept us informed on the area and drove with professionalism. He also came on schedule. The desert castles have incredible histories and are incredibly well-preserved. Like other journeys in Jordan, the full-day excursion involves a good deal of driving, but nothing extremely taxing, and we have a delicious lunch at a nearby restaurant. If you don't mind reading them yourself, the visitor plaques at the locations include important information, and our tour guide also gave us an explanation while we were exploring the monuments. Typically, each location has a tea tent where you may purchase mementos.