Desert Castles Day Tour: Uncover Early Islamic Architecture in Jordan's Umayyad Castles
4.5
11 Ratings
Azraq
Uncover the beauty of Jordan's Umayyad desert castles on a private half-day tour. Explore early Islamic art and architecture and delve into the rich history of the region.
Duration: 7 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Quseir Amra - Al-Mshatta Palace is one of the desert castles built by the Umayyads. Situated nearly 32 km southeast of Amman, this palace was built by the Umayyad Caliph al-Walid bin Yazid in 744 AD, and is surrounded by a 144-meter-long square wall comprising of 25 circular towers.
    Named Al-Harrana Castle as it is positioned in the Al-Harrana Valley; the square fortress was resurrected during the reign of Al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik. The castle has been restored several times as a result of the constant invading empires. Located on the international road on the way to Azraq, visitors are encouraged to get medieval and explore inside the fortress walls.
    Built during the reign of the Umayyad caliph Yazid bin Abd al-Malik, who is considered to be the sixth caliph of the Umayyad successors, Qasr Amra is believed to have been a location to aid in hunting. With the preservation of castle carvings and fresco paintings the Qasr Amra is sure to be a castle experience unlike the others.
What's Included
  • Bottled water included
  • English-speaking driver
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Comfortable air-conditioned vehicle
  • On-board WiFi access
  • Fuel surcharge covered
What's Not Included
  • Meals, Gratuities, Local guide at site, Personal Expenses
  • Admission Fees
Additional Information

Umayyad desert castles in Jordan beautifully display the early Islamic art and architecture, speaking volumes about a mesmerising phase in Jordan’s abundant history. Enroll in a private tour for half a day and immerse yourself into Jordan’s past under the guidance of a seasoned and knowledgeable driver. Their towering appearance has awarded these structures the term ‘castles’. These desert establishments previously acted as caravan waypoints, centres for agriculture and trade, resort shelters and remote posts that assisted far-off rulers in maintaining relations with local Bedouins. The castles host a zeal of early Islamic art. The exquisite mosaics, frescoes and carvings in stone and stucco take inspiration from the finest of Persian and Greco-Roman traditions, narrating a plethora of tales about life in the 8th Century.

AZRAQ WETLAND RESERVE
This wetland came into existence around 250,000 years ago[3] due to being stocked by aquifers associated with geographical shifts.

Location
Quseir Amra
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.5
(11 Ratings)
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1 star
Denis_l
Oct 15, 2023
Our Guide Adnan Hamdan... - Our Guide Adnan Hamdan was very knowledgeable, he pointed all the best parts to see, gave insight of the places he brought us to see, we we're a group of 7. All enjoyed our day
Review provided by Viator
Spitcurl
Sep 6, 2023
Day trip into desert - Went with Ali into the desert to see the “castles” and Azraq Wetlands, nice experience, not much birds as its not the season
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stephaniekk6578hf
Aug 1, 2023
Desert Castles and Wetland Reserve Day Tour - Amazing day tour! My driver Younes was the very best! Prompt pick up, offered me delicious Turkish coffee, gave interesting facts about the history and local life in Jordan, explained the day’s schedule well, played Arabic music and took photos for me! The Desert Castles were a sight to see! The Wetland Reserve had nice trails that anybody can enjoy! It was great experiencing so much in a day. I really had the best time in Jordan with Younes and this company. Thank you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Paulina_f
May 26, 2023
Best transportation! - Best transportation service! Ramzi was the best driver. He was on time, kind and very helpful all the time! I definitely recommend this service!
Review provided by Viator
T136yppaulinaf
May 25, 2023
Best transportation service - The service was perfect! The driver arrived on time and he was very nice during the whole trip. I definitely recommend this service and I will take it the next time I’m in Amman.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Theteda
Mar 12, 2023
Wonderful day in the Eastern Desert - Alaa was a wonderful driver. Everything went smoothly and the car was very comfortable. He was very flexible and did the tour in reverse order for us. We started in the Wetlands which were beautiful.after driving through the desert it was amazing to arrive at a place filled with water and vegetation. You walk along a well maintained boardwalk and trail through the wetlands and there is a large comfortable hide to sit and view birds. It is a peaceful place filled with bird song. The entrance fee was 6JD. Next we visited three sites, which for some reason are called ‘The Castles’. The first Quasr Al Azraq was a large fort. Then we went to see the Frescos at the baths of Qusayr Amra, a World Heritage Site. The third Qasr Kharana (another World Heritage Site) was an enormous hunting lodge with stables, courtyard and 60 bedrooms. All three were on the Jordan pass. Alaa took us into each venue to make sure we were comfortable and that there were no problems. He was waiting to greet us when we were done. We had plenty of time at each site. It could not have been easier.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sudhir_sridharan
Dec 28, 2022
A Lovely Trip to the Desert Castles with Hassan Al Khateb - We visited the Desert Castles of Qasr Al Kharana, Qasr Al Azraq and Qasyr Amra with Hassan Al Khateb. It was an amazing experience. As always, Hassan arrived 10 minutes before time with his neat and clean Car. He explained to us what to expect out of the trip beforehand and detailed the route. He offered water bottles and Turkish Coffee as part of the welcome rituals and went an extra bit with his sweetness and kindness by giving chocolates to my 10 years old son. He patiently waited when we went around clicking pictures and took some extra time at each of the sites. The places we visited and the landscapes around them were breathtaking! Overall it was a good trip made better by Hassan Al Khateb! Thoroughly enjoyed it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Neil
Oct 23, 2019
An amazing environment - This tour is well worth doing not just to see the castles, which were fascinating, but to experience the Eastern Desert - a very strange environment. Our driver Mohammed was excellent company and the vehicle was comfortable. Well worthwhile.
Review provided by Viator
Rogene_s
Apr 14, 2024
Not a Tour - The information regarding this tour is misleading. It is not a tour, but rather it consists of a driver who transports you to the sites. He did not provide us w knowledge of the region or the sites. You would be better off simply hiring a driver that can be arranged by your hotel and is less costly.
Review provided by Viator
Mark_r
Nov 4, 2023
Driver only who didn’t know where he was going - Driver was nice and on time. However, he had never been to either the desert castles or the wetland reserve. In fact, he got lost and we were making circles in back streets in some small town off the highway. He had no water do he had to stop to buy some. And he offered no additional information on where we were going.
Review provided by Viator
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May 2024
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