Umm Qais, Jerash & Ajloun Castle Day Tour from Amman

Three centuries of empires in one day: Decapolis, Islamic fortress, and Roman provincial city

A private day tour from Amman to three major archaeological sites in northern Jordan (Umm Qais, Ajloun Castle and Jerash) with hotel pickup, an English-speaking driver, and the option to add entrance fees and a local guide at Jerash. The tour covers roughly seven to eight hours of travel and exploration, starting at 8am from your hotel and returning by late afternoon.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Umm Qais1h
2. Ajloun Castle1h
3. Jerash2h

Explore North Jordan's Historic Sites

• Hotel pickup in Amman at 08:00
• Drive two hours north of Jordan
• Visit Umm Qais and view Jordan Valley
• Explore Ajloun Castle
• Tour Jerash Roman city ruins
• Drive back to Amman hotel

The experience

Your driver meets you in the hotel lobby at 8am and drives two hours north into the Jordanian highlands. Umm Qais (ancient Gadara) sits on a hilltop where you stand between three countries: the Jordan Valley spreads below, the Golan Heights rise to the east, and the Sea of Galilee glints in the distance. The site itself belonged to the Decapolis, a confederation of ten cities founded by Alexander the Great, and its ruins (theatre, mausoleum and colonnaded streets) anchor that Hellenistic past into the landscape.

From there the route turns to Ajloun Castle, a 12th-century fortress built around 1184–85 by Salah al-Din as a military stronghold commanding three major passages into northwest Jordan. The hilltop position and medieval Arab-Islamic architecture make it a stark contrast to the Greco-Roman remains you just left. Then comes Jerash, the best-preserved Roman provincial city in the Middle East: the Forum, the colonnaded streets, the Nymphaeum and the Temple of Artemis all stand intact enough to read the city's layout and scale. If you choose the Jerash guide option, a local expert walks you through these monuments. Otherwise you explore at your own pace. After roughly an hour there, the driver takes you back to Amman, arriving by late afternoon.

The tour runs as a private booking, so the pace and stops are yours to set within the day's framework. WiFi and mineral water travel with you in the air-conditioned vehicle. Entrance fees and a guide at Jerash are optional add-ons you select at checkout. The other two sites are free to enter.

What’s included

• Private air-conditioned vehicle with English-speaking driver.
• hotel pickup and drop-off in Amman.
• WiFi and mineral water on board.
• entrance fees and a local guide at Jerash (if you select that option at checkout).

Options for this experience

2 options

Transfers OnlyGuide in English · 08:00Private transfers, with pickup included

Entrance fees and a guide for JerashGuide in English · 08:00Includes entrance fees and a Jerash guide; pickup is included

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to2d before

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsNo refund if you cancel.

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Is this one for you?Book this private tour if you want to cover three historical periods (Hellenistic, Islamic, and Roman) in one day with a driver who adjusts stops to your pace, and the early start reaches Umm Qais before midday heat peaks on the hilltop.

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Top questions

What can I actually see and do at Umm Qais?

Umm Qais holds the ruins of an ancient Decapolis city, including a theatre and mausoleum you can walk through. The main draw is the overlook itself, from the hilltop you see the Jordan Valley, the Golan Heights and the Sea of Galilee all at once, which is why the site was strategically important for two thousand years.

Is Ajloun Castle worth the stop, or is it just another ruin?

Ajloun Castle is a 12th-century Islamic fortress, not a Roman ruin, so it reads very differently from the other two sites. Built by Salah al-Din, it sits on a hilltop and was designed as a military stronghold to control the passages into northwest Jordan. The medieval Arab-Islamic architecture and the defensive layout are distinct from anything Greco-Roman.

How much time do I spend at Jerash?

Jerash gets roughly an hour of the day. That is enough to walk the Forum, see the Temple of Artemis and the Nymphaeum, and get a sense of the Roman city's scale and layout. If you add the local guide option, the guide focuses your time on the most important monuments.

Do I have to book the entrance fees and Jerash guide now, or can I decide later?

You choose at checkout whether to add entrance fees and a local guide at Jerash, or book transfers only. The other two sites (Umm Qais and Ajloun Castle) have no entrance fee either way.

What is the actual driving time, and when do I get back to Amman?

The driver takes two hours to reach Umm Qais from your hotel, then roughly one hour between each site, and one hour back to Amman at the end. The full day runs seven to eight hours from pickup to drop-off, so you are back by late afternoon.