Private Tour
Desert Castles Day Tour from Amman
Overview
Mobile ticket
Discover Jordan’s rich history on this half-day tour to the Umayyad Desert. Visit these desert ‘castles’ that were once used as caravan stations, trade centers, outposts, and resort pavilions. Admire the beautiful Islamic art, mosaics, frescoes, and carvings that can be found inside and were inspired by Persian and Greco-Roman traditions. Spend about 45 minutes at each destination before heading back to Amman.
* Visit the Umayyad Desert’s ‘castles’ on this half-day tour from Amman.
* Learn the history behind these structures from your informative guide .
* Admire the Islamic art that can be found inside these desert structures .
* Enjoy complimentary round-trip transportation from your hotel in Amman.
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Specialized infant seats are available
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
Quseir Amra
. After about an hour on the road, pull up at UNESCO-listed “Quseir’ 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 fresco showing decadent scenes of nude women, wine, and parties.
Qasr Al-Harranah
Continue to “Qasr Al -Kharanah”, an imperious 2-level fortress standing in a huge plain. Thought to have been built on Roman foundations, this evocative castle exudes intrigue and dis plays a rich array of Mesopotamian, Arabic, and Greek architectural influences.
What‘s Included
WiFi on board
Bottled water
Air-conditioned vehicle
English speaking Driver
Personal expenses
Local guide at site
Entry/Admission - Quseir Amra
Entry/Admission - Qsar Al-azraq
Entry/Admission - Qsar Al-Kharaneh
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Options
Transportation Only
Pickup included
Reviews
2 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Outstanding
Mark K,,Sep 20, 2024
- Review from Viator
5.00Knowledgeable driver and great locations for the tour. Jordan remains my favorite location in the Middle East
Unearthing the rich history and culture of Jordan
Marc H,,Aug 7, 2022
- Review from Viator
5.00This was a nice adventure for us. The suggested start time for this activity was around 8:00 am although we were just arriving in Amman Jordan by air around 9:30. I had contacted the tour company to ask if we could start a bit later in the day. I realized the company also offered great prices for airport pick-ups from the Amman airport. My email/text exchanges with the company were very cordial and helpful. On the day of our tour we were picked up by Mansour at the airport as arranged, originally we had thought we would drop our bags at our Amman hotel then go in the tour starting around noon. Mansour suggested taking the tour straight from the airport to help beat the high mid-day temperatures (plus hotel check in wasn’t until 2or 3 o’clock anyway. So we stowed our luggage in the car and set off east of Amman to see two of the “desert castles.” We ended up deciding to visit Qasr Amra and Al-Kharaneh which were both located perhaps 40-45 km east of Amman. Both structures were well preserved with Qasr Amra dating from about 700 AD. Our daughter is a Middle East art historian and was blown away by the photos of Qasr Amra we later shared with her. There was another “castle” much further east out in the desert of Jordan but we felt the two places we visited gave us a great feel for at least some of the historical sites in that part of Jordan (separate tours on other days let us see interesting historical sites in the north and south of Jordan). Toward the end of our tour we stopped at a large souvenir shop so the driver could rest, have some coffee (and perhaps receive commissions for some of the items we bought). This was fine with us. Mansour spoke good English and was happy to share his life experiences with us. We eventually arrived at our hotel after spending around half a day with Mansour. We were completely satisfied with our tour (and airport pick-up) and would wholeheartedly recommend it to others interested in ancient historical sites. We had the Go Jordan pass for entry to dozens of sites throughout Jordan but I don’t believe anyone bothered to check our passes at the two sites we visited on this tour. A final comment covering all of our tours and experiences in Jordan: we found the people of Jordan to be some of the warmest, kindest, welcoming people across several dozen countries we have visited around the world. We strongly recommend intrepid tourists to find time to visit to Jordan!
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Operated by Taxi Go Jordan