Private Tour
Best of Desert Castles Private Full-Day Tour
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
This private tour offers a comfortable and in-depth exploration of Jordan’s remarkable Umayyad Desert Castles, far from the usual tourist routes. Travelling in a luxury vehicle from Amman, you will visit several of the most fascinating early Islamic monuments in a single day, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site Qusayr Amra, the mysterious desert fortress Qasr Kharana, and the historic oasis stronghold of Qasr Azraq.
Unlike standard group tours, this experience is fully private and flexible, allowing you to explore each site at your own pace while learning about the fascinating history, architecture, and desert culture of the Umayyad period. With personalised attention, comfortable transport, and thoughtfully planned stops, the tour offers a deeper and more relaxed way to discover one of Jordan’s most intriguing historical landscapes.
Additional Info
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
Amman Governorate
Your tour begins with pickup from your hotel or residence in Amman, where we will have a brief introduction and tour overview. If you wish, we can make a quick stop at Starbucks to pick up your favourite coffee before leaving the city. We then begin our journey into Jordan’s eastern desert in a comfortable luxury vehicle equipped with Wi-Fi and phone chargers. Relax during the drive while enjoying your coffee and selected snacks. Complimentary bottled water and soft drinks are also provided throughout the tour.
Our first stop is the remarkable Qasr Al‑Mushatta, one of the largest and most ambitious palaces built during the Umayyad period. Dating to the 8th century, the palace is famous for its extraordinary decorative stone façade, which combines Byzantine, Persian, and classical influences. Intricate carvings of vines, acanthus leaves, animals, and geometric patterns reveal the impressive craftsmanship of Umayyad artisans. Although the palace was never fully completed, its monumental scale suggests it was intended to host large gatherings of the Umayyad court.
What‘s Included
Bottled water, soft drinks, snacks
Entrance fees
Coffee/tea (on request)
WiFi, Phone charger
Private luxury transfer
Professional on-site (local) guide, if avaliable. The price for their services usually $5 - $15
Personal expenses
Lunch
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Options
Best of Desert Castles Private Full-Day Tour
Pickup included
Reviews
4 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Our guide, Alex, was great!
Neil P,Nov 24, 2022
- Review from Viator
5.00Alex, our guide was extremely pleasant, knowledgeable, and professional. His knowledge of where we visited was everything one could expect. We would recommend him to all.
Best private tour
chengtac2016,Oct 27, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I have been joining private tours in many travels. Alex Tour is the first one I want to leave a review. Alex is doing this tour not for business but out of "sharing". He has done good research on the history. He will walk with you in every site and explain the backgrounds. Great tour, really enjoy it.
Fantastic Experience With Alex!
mhS1697CL,Jul 4, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00I highly recommend hiring Alex as a guide! I went on two tours with him—the desert castles tour and the Qasr-Al-Abd tour—and both were fantastic. I have been on a number of other tours in Jordan and can tell you that the level of service Alex provides is truly exceptional compared to other operators. If I ever find my way back to Jordan, I will be sure to hire Alex again.
We loved it!
FloydO8312TK,Apr 21, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We went on this tour to see Desert Castles and Alex was very kind to show us around and explain the history of each castle (actually not all of them are castles, some are baths, other hotels and so on) and showed us the most interesting futures which we wouldn’t notice otherwise :) Qasr Amra was our favourite due to the very interesting frescoes and Qasr Hallabat has very interesting wall-writings from the Roman and Islamic Periods. We were happy the snacks were included as well as cold water! Lunch was fantastic as well. I highly recommend this tour with Alex.
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