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Private Tour of Desert Castles Eastern Jordan with optional Azraq Wetland Visit
Amman, Jordan
From $83.34
Price varies by group size
Select Date and Travelers
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
- 4 hours
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Discover three of Jordan’s famous desert castles on this 4-hour private tour from Amman. With an informative private driver, 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.
- Half-day desert castles tour of Jordan from Amman with a private driver
- Travel deep into the sweeping desert landscapes of eastern Jordan
- Hear about the Umayyad dynasty, Roman history and Lawrence of Arabia
- Visit UNESCO-listed Qusayr Amra as well as Qasr Kharana and Qasr al-Azraq
- Enjoy a flexible itinerary and tailor the experience to your preferences
What's Included
- Hotel pick up and drop off
- Private Transfer by air-conditioned leisure new vehicle according number of participants
- English-Speaking Driver
- All type of meals, unless option with lunch selected (Vegetarian meal by request)
- All type of beverages
- All type of gratuities (Tips to the Driver) – Recommended
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Start time
09:00 AM
What To Expect
After pickup from your central Amman by private, air-conditioned minibus, relax as you journey out of the city and into the desert plains of eastern Jordan.
Drive with your friendly informative driver to experience the fascinating desert castles. The region is speckled with 7th and 8th-century castles — many within a 15-minute drive of each other — that were originally built by the caliphs of the Umayyad dynasty as rural retreats and hunting lodges.
Hear tales about this powerful dynasty, the first Muslim rulers of the Arab kingdom, including fascinating snippets about their extravagance and debauchery.
As you travel, feel free to tell your driver if there’s a castle you want to see more of or another castle you’d like to visit, at your own expense. Your tour is private, so the itinerary can be tailored to suit your interests.
After about 1 hour on the road, pull up at UNESCO-listed Qusayr Amra, one of east Jordan’s most famous castles. Once a hunting palace of the Umayyads, this splendidly restored edifice is graced with 8th-century frescoes showing decadent scenes of nude women, wine and parties.
When you feel peckish, get tips from your driver as to local restaurants, and take a break for lunch (own expense), before traveling onward to Qasr Kharana, an imperious 2-level fortress standing in a huge plain.
Thought to have been built on Roman foundations, this evocative castle exudes intrigue and displays a rich array of Mesopotamian, Arabic and Greek architectural influences.
Finally, head for Qasr al-Azraq, originally an Umayyad hunting retreat and once used as a headquarters by TE Lawrence, the 20th-century British soldier and Arab Revolt leader perhaps more famously known as ‘Lawrence of Arabia.’
Wander around the sun-burnished courtyards, towers and mosque and learn how Lawrence based his operations here during 1917 to 1918.
After exploring here, relax on your ride back to Amman where your experience finishes with a hotel drop-off.
Drive with your friendly informative driver to experience the fascinating desert castles. The region is speckled with 7th and 8th-century castles — many within a 15-minute drive of each other — that were originally built by the caliphs of the Umayyad dynasty as rural retreats and hunting lodges.
Hear tales about this powerful dynasty, the first Muslim rulers of the Arab kingdom, including fascinating snippets about their extravagance and debauchery.
As you travel, feel free to tell your driver if there’s a castle you want to see more of or another castle you’d like to visit, at your own expense. Your tour is private, so the itinerary can be tailored to suit your interests.
After about 1 hour on the road, pull up at UNESCO-listed Qusayr Amra, one of east Jordan’s most famous castles. Once a hunting palace of the Umayyads, this splendidly restored edifice is graced with 8th-century frescoes showing decadent scenes of nude women, wine and parties.
When you feel peckish, get tips from your driver as to local restaurants, and take a break for lunch (own expense), before traveling onward to Qasr Kharana, an imperious 2-level fortress standing in a huge plain.
Thought to have been built on Roman foundations, this evocative castle exudes intrigue and displays a rich array of Mesopotamian, Arabic and Greek architectural influences.
Finally, head for Qasr al-Azraq, originally an Umayyad hunting retreat and once used as a headquarters by TE Lawrence, the 20th-century British soldier and Arab Revolt leader perhaps more famously known as ‘Lawrence of Arabia.’
Wander around the sun-burnished courtyards, towers and mosque and learn how Lawrence based his operations here during 1917 to 1918.
After exploring here, relax on your ride back to Amman where your experience finishes with a hotel drop-off.
Amman (Pass By)
Quseir Amra
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Qasr al-Kharrana
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Qsar Al-Azraq
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
Azraq Wetland Reserve
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- Tour activity is provided in English. For other languages by request.
- Clients with mobility issues, please contact us.
- Strollers and car seats for infants, please contact us.
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Traveler Photos
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Reviews
4.0
19 reviews
Rebecca_T, Apr 2024
Basel was an amazing driver full of information we wouldn't have found !elsewhere. He was entirely flexible and atune to our needs adding and deleting things as we requested! We enjoyed his company so much, we joined him for a second day!
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you for your comments and for sharing your experience with us. The nicest complement that our team can get is your desire to return to Jordan with us. We are truly happy to learn that you enjoyed your holiday with us and even, it was difficult to leave. What a complement indeed! Looking forward to your next visit.
Dennis_M, Mar 2024
Hassan Alqurnih from Zaid Tours was an enthusiastic tour guide. Not only was he knowledgeable about the three sites but he wanted to make sure we saw every nook and cranny. The long drive to the sites from Amman provided a constant commentary about everything we asked. Considering it was Ramadan and he couldn't drink anything, we were impressed with his endurance and his great sense of humor.
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Thank you. Looking forward to having you, your family, and friends with us again.
Rhiannon_G, Jan 2024
Amazing sites and the driver was great - punctual, friendly, and helpful when we needed it but otherwise let us explore on our own (we booked the non-guided option because we already knew a lot about the sites).
Response from Host, Jan 2024
Thank you for choosing ZTT and for this wonderful review of your stay. Our aim is always to provide a first-class service, and our professional and dedicated team go the extra mile to ensure our travelers have a memorable stay. It is rewarding to know that our efforts at continuous improvement, are being recognized. We look forward to welcoming you back with us in Jordan for many unforgettable moments to you, your friends, and family. I appreciate the time and effort in sharing your experience.
Kent_B, Jan 2024
For an additional charge, I was picked up at my hotel in Madaba rather than from Amman, which was nice. The driver (Amer?) was friendly and interesting to talk with, but frankly not a great (i.e. attentive) driver by Western standards. Anyway, the sites, particular Qusayr 'Amra with its amazing frescoes, were interesting. I did not hire a guide at Qasr al-Azraq, which was a mistake as there is no information available at the site and I had to find out about it online afterwards. Recommended if you want less than a full day tour (I was back before 2 PM) and have already seen Jerash and Umm Qais.
Response from Host, Jan 2024
Thank you. Looking forward to having you, your family, and friends with us again.
Kindly note that this tour is a 4-hours duration as published and it was operated successfully by our driver Amer.
Cynthia A, Apr 2018
If I knew earlier, I would have booked all of my tours through Zaid Tours. Hasan was an excellent driver/tour buddy.
SHARONDIAN_L, Dec 2017
Some of the information was wrong. He did not seem interested in the tour.
cynthiabrown1, Oct 2017
I added a City Tour to this Desert Castle Tour and was glad I did. Upon getting picked up by the driver, I informed him I had to be back at the hotel by 3:15 or at the latest 3:30 I had obtained a late checkout approval from the hotel until 4:30 in order to shower and prepare for my flight home.. It would have been helpful for the driver to inform me/us of the amount of time he suggested at each stop in order to meet that limitation because by the end of the tours we didn't return to the hotel until 4:15! Additionally, the driver had car problems engine died twice en route. Although stressful at the end of the tours, I did really like the Citadel, Roman Amphitheater, and the three castles, particularly the castles.
Steve B, Apr 2017
The tour started 1 1/2 hours late. The driver had zero information to pass on to us. There wasn't much info at the sights either. We were offered a lunch since the tour got off to a late start but by then it was 2:30 and we had to return to our hotel due to previous plans. They also had planned to take us to a gift shop which was not part of the original plan. We felt like we were hostages. The staff in the office were very apologetic and tried to make the best of a bad situation.
adrian w, Jan 2017
The desert sites are well worth the visit. The driver speaks good English and is a good driver, safe and stable driving. Unlike the promotion on the website, the driver is not really a guide, with only limited knowledge of the history of the castles. However, he is flexible if one wants to adjust the tour to include other sites, but possibly with some cost adjustments.
It is a half day tour to hit 3 sites, so a 8:30am departure would allow sufficient time to tour all 3 sites and then back to Amman for lunch at say 1-2pm
Allyson W, Oct 2015
Once again my driver was Shadi. I was the only one on the tour and the only one visiting, nice for me I got great pictures. Had Jordan to myself. On the way to the first castle, we drove pass one of the refugee camps in Jordan. It was hugh, very interesting. Lots of security surrounding the camps. High recommend this tour. Bring water. About a 2 hour drive thru the desert. Air conditioned van. Thanks again Shadi.
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Private Tour of Desert Castles Eastern Jordan with optional Azraq Wetland Visit
19
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