Jerash, Ajloun & Um Qais tour from Amman: Roman ruins and castle
Walk through a Greco-Roman city, then climb a medieval fortress in the same day
A guided tour from Amman to Jerash, Ajloun Castle and Um Qais covers three distinct periods of Jordan's past in a single day. You're picked up from your hotel, driven north through forests and mountain valleys, and guided through each site with entry included in some options. A local meal at an off-the-beaten-track restaurant breaks up the day, and the return to Amman takes about an hour.
Options for this experience
4 optionsStep-by-step itinerary
Tour Jerash, Ajloun, and Um Qais
- Pick up from Amman accommodation
- Drive to Ajloun Castle
- Visit Ajloun Castle fortress
- Drive to Jerash
- Explore ancient Roman city Jerash
- Drive to Umm Qais
- Visit West Theatre in Umm Qais
- Enjoy view of Tabaria lake
- Drive back to Amman
- Amman 2h
- Ajloun Castle 1h
- Jerash 2h
- Amman 1h
What’s included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Amman.
- private or shared transport with an English-speaking driver.
- bottled water and WiFi on board.
- an authentic meal at a local restaurant.
- entry tickets to Jerash, Ajloun Castle and Um Qais (included in the group option and private option with tickets, optional on other options).
- Every day 07:00 07:30 08:00 08:30
Information
Tour from Amman to three northern sites: the Roman city of Jerash, Ajloun Castle built by Saladin.
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The experience
The drive north from Amman to Jerash takes you through changing landscape. The city gives way to forest and valleys as you approach one of the Middle East's best-preserved Greco-Roman cities. Jerash sits 30 miles from the capital and rewards a full walk: the scale of the ancient streets, the theatre, and the temples make it clear why this was a major trading hub. Your guide walks you through the site and explains what you're standing in, so the ruins connect to the people who built and lived there rather than remaining a collection of stones.
Ajloun Castle comes next: a fortress Saladin built to protect Jerusalem, now set in forests high enough that the views reach across the Jordan Valley. The black basalt walls are distinctive and heavy. The castle is compact enough to explore in a couple of hours without feeling rushed. If you've chosen the private option with entry tickets included, this stop is part of your day. If you've booked transport only, you can add it at checkout or skip it entirely.
Um Qais sits on the northern edge of the country, and the West Theatre (built from the same black basalt and restored enough to still show its shape) faces the Sea of Galilee across the border. The theatre's acoustics are intact, and the view across the water is the most expansive moment of the day. You'll spend about two hours here before the drive back to Amman, which takes roughly an hour and covers the same northern route in reverse.
The tour includes an authentic meal at a local restaurant off the main tourist routes, so you eat where Jordanians do rather than at a site café. WiFi and bottled water travel with you. The driver speaks English and handles all the navigation. You choose between a group departure (shared transport with other travelers, entry tickets included) or private transport with or without entry tickets. The structure lets you control both the company and the cost.
Top questions
What is Jerash like when you get there?
Jerash is a Greco-Roman city 30 miles north of Amman, one of the best-preserved ancient sites in the Middle East. The scale is substantial: temples, theatres, and colonnaded streets that once connected the city to trade routes across the region. Your guide walks you through the site and explains the layout and the history, so you understand what you're looking at rather than wandering among unfamiliar ruins.
Can I visit Ajloun Castle on this tour?
Ajloun Castle is an optional stop on the tour. It's included in the private option with entry tickets, and you can add it to the group or transport-only options at checkout. The fortress sits in forests north of Jerash and takes about two hours to explore. It was built by Saladin in the 12th century to defend Jerusalem and offers views across the Jordan Valley.
What does the tour include?
Hotel pickup and drop-off in Amman, private or shared transport, an English-speaking driver, bottled water, and WiFi on board are included in all options. Entry tickets to Jerash, Ajloun Castle and Um Qais are included in the group tour and the private option with tickets. The transport-only option lets you skip the tickets and pay at each site if you prefer. An authentic meal at a local restaurant is part of the day.
How long is the full day?
The tour runs 9 to 10 hours from pickup at your hotel to drop-off. That includes the drive north, time at each of the three sites, the meal, and the return to Amman, which takes about an hour on its own.
Is this tour private or shared?
You choose at checkout: the group option shares transport with other travelers and includes entry tickets. The private options give you a dedicated vehicle and driver, with entry tickets included in one option and transport-only in the other. All options include hotel pickup and an English-speaking driver.
What is Um Qais?
Um Qais is an ancient site on Jordan's northern border with views across the Sea of Galilee. The West Theatre, built from black basalt and restored, faces the water and has exceptional acoustics. You can stand in it and hear clearly from any seat. You'll spend about two hours here, and it's the final stop before the drive back to Amman.
Operated by Alamal Travel &Tourism. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated yesterday
Jerash, Ajloun & Um Qais tour from Amman: Roman ruins and castle
9h–10h · at your hotel
from US$ 85 per person
Next, you choose your date and number of travelers and see the final price.