Desert Castles from Amman: Kharana, Amra and Azraq in One Day

For most visitors, the Desert Castles tour from Amman is the simplest way to see all three castles. It takes 4 to 6 hours; the only extras are an optional guide and an optional walk in the Azraq wetland reserve. Of the four tours compared here it has the most reviews by a wide margin. Take one of the others only if you want a wetland walk, a 4x4 trip into a wadi or a religious site on top.

Tour	Duration	From	Reviews	What it adds
Desert Castles of Eastern Jordan	4–6 hours	€84.15	4.8 from 56 reviews	The castles only, private
Desert Castles and Wadi al-Dahik, shared or private	5–9 hours	€51.22	Reviews so far: 1	3 hours in a wadi by 4x4
Azraq Wetland Reserve and Desert Castles	9 hours	€64.11	Reviews so far: 4	The wetland reserve
Desert Castles and the Cave of the Seven Sleepers	4–10 hours	€44.64	Reviews so far: 0	A religious site

What you are going to see

Qusayr Amra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to UNESCO, the murals in its bath building and reception hall are unique for Umayyad architecture. The wetland tour’s page describes Qasr Kharana as a well-preserved two-storey building whose purpose is still debated, probably a caravanserai or a meeting hall, and Azraq Castle as a fortress of black basalt that served as the headquarters of T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) during the Arab Revolt. The first tour’s page also promises a visit to Lawrence’s headquarters. The booking pages describe the castles as 7th- and 8th-century buildings; sources disagree on who built which one, so this guide names no builder.

How long you actually stay

The castles are short stops. The page of the Wadi al-Dahik tour lists a drive of about 1.5 hours east to Kharana, then about 45 minutes there and 30 minutes each at Amra and Azraq. It warns that the desert has little shade and that the order of stops can change with traffic. The 9-hour tour gives Azraq Castle one hour, Qusayr Amra 30 minutes and the wetland reserve one hour.

Guide, driver and what is included

On the first tour the English-speaking driver doubles as your guide, and a separate guide is an optional upgrade. On the Wadi al-Dahik tour the local guide comes only for the wadi: the page says there is no guide at the castles, nor in Amman with the city option. That page also lists children under 12, pregnant women and people with a low level of fitness as groups it is not suitable for. The first tour’s page asks guests with mobility issues to get in touch before booking.

Entry fees: who pays what

Check this before you pay. The Jordan Tourism Board’s fee page lists the desert castles at 3 JD for foreign visitors, and all three castles are on the Jordan Pass list of attractions. The first tour lists the castle entrances in the price and asks Jordan Pass holders to tell the operator so that the fees are reimbursed on site. The Wadi al-Dahik page says entrance fees are not included: pay on site, or bring your Jordan Pass and passport. The wetland tour includes entry only “if option selected”. On the Seven Sleepers tour, ask the operator before you book whether the entrance fees are in the price. Our Jordan Pass guide explains how to check whether the pass is worth it.

Driving yourself

The tours above all start in Amman. If you would rather set your own pace, you can compare rental cars for Amman. Check the excess, the deposit and what the CDW covers with the rental company before booking.

Who should choose what

• Castles only: one half day, the lowest effort, the most reviews.
• Wadi al-Dahik: you want a longer day with real off-road time, and you are not in a group the page excludes.
• Wetland reserve: you like birdwatching and can spare 9 hours.
• Cave of the Seven Sleepers: the religious site is the reason you are going.

For the north of the country on a second day, read our Jerash, Ajloun and Umm Qais guide. More options: desert castle tours and private tours from Amman.

Our recommendation: the half-day Desert Castles tour; add the wadi only if you want the longer day.