Because it’s difficult and time-consuming to reach the ruins at Umm Qais (also written Umm Qays) by public transportation, most visitors either drive themselves or opt for an organized tour. Some day tours from Amman combine Umm Qais with the Roman ruins at Jerash. Full-day Umm Qais tours often include visits to the site’s small museum. Few visitors will be interested in the modern town, although hiking, biking, and even foraging are possible in the countryside.
Though it’s not as well known as Jerash, Gadara is a must for history buffs.
Umm Qais is close to both Syria and Israel, so check your government’s travel advice before booking a tour.
At the Gadara site, the Umm Qais Resthouse offers not only sweeping views over the ruins and the Middle East but excellent seasonal cuisine.
It takes at least four hours and four vehicles to reach Umm Qais from Amman by public transport, so most visitors opt to drive, hire a driver, or join a tour with round-trip transfers. The 78-mile (125-kilometer) drive north from Amman takes around two hours in a private vehicle.
The beauty of Umm Qais’ location is best appreciated in spring (roughly mid-March to mid-May), when the hills are lush and green. April is the optimal time to see wildflowers flourishing in the hills and among the ruins of Gadara. The site is rarely crowded so there’s no need for an early start to your Umm Qais tour.
According to the Bible, it was at Gadara that Jesus exorcised demons from two possessed men and cast the evil spirits into a herd of pigs, which then ran down the hill into a lake. During its heyday 2,000-odd years ago, Gadara was an intellectual hub known for its writers, artists, philosophers, and academics.