Jerash + Ajloun + Umm Qais Tour
About This Tour
This is the definitive day in northern Jordan — three sites, three civilizations, and some of the most beautiful countryside in the Middle East. We start early at Jerash, walking under Hadrian's Arch into the best-preserved Roman provincial city outside Italy: the Oval Plaza, the mile-long Cardo, the Temple of Artemis and the South Theatre. Next comes Ajloun Castle, the 12th-century fortress of Saladin's general Izz al-Din Usama, whose ramparts survey the Jordan Valley from a forested hilltop.
The finale is the most dramatic: Umm Qais, ancient Gadara of the Decapolis, perched on a promontory at the far northwestern tip of Jordan. Its ruins are built of black basalt — a striking contrast to Jerash's honey-colored limestone — and include a haunting basalt theatre and a colonnaded terrace whose view is unforgettable: the Sea of Galilee, the Golan Heights and the Yarmouk gorge spread out below in three countries' worth of panorama. Gadara is also where the Gospels place the miracle of the Gadarene swine, adding a biblical layer to the Roman one. Lunch at the famous terrace restaurant overlooking the lake can be arranged. It is a long, rich day — and with a private driver, it is entirely yours.
Tour Highlights
- Roman Jerash
- Ajloun Castle
- Umm Qais & Sea of Galilee views
What's Included
- Private car with professional driver
Not Included
- Entrance fees (Jerash 10 JD, Ajloun 3 JD, Umm Qais 5 JD — or Jordan Pass)
- Licensed site guides (optional)
- Lunch
- Travel insurance
- Gratuities (optional)
Frequently Asked Questions
Roughly 4 hours total, split into comfortable segments: Amman–Jerash (50 min), Jerash–Ajloun (30 min), Ajloun–Umm Qais (1 hr) and Umm Qais–Amman (about 1.5 hr), all in a private air-conditioned car.
