Ajloun and Umm Qais travel guide

The green north

Drive an hour north of Amman and Jordan changes: pine and oak forests, terraced olive groves, red soil and stone villages. In spring the hills are covered with wildflowers. This is the Jordan of farm stays, nature trails and long lunches in the shade, and it holds three of the country's most rewarding historic sites within an hour of each other — Jerash, Ajloun Castle and Umm Qais.

It is also where the Jordan Trail begins: its first section runs from Umm Qais through the villages and forests to Ajloun.

Ajloun Castle

Crowning Jabal Auf above Ajloun town, the castle was built in 1184–85 by Izz al-Din Usama, a commander and nephew of Saladin, to control the region against the Crusaders and protect the iron mines nearby. The Mamluks enlarged it; earthquakes in 1837 and 1927 damaged it badly. Today you can explore its towers, vaulted halls and moat, and climb to the roof for views to the Jordan Valley. Allow about an hour. Our sister site has a dedicated page on Ajloun Castle.

From Jerash

≈ 25 km, 30 min

Time needed

≈ 1 h

Entry

Included in the Jordan Pass

Ajloun Forest Reserve

Run by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), this small reserve (about 12 km²) protects evergreen oak, pistachio, carob and strawberry-tree woodland. Marked trails range from an hour to a full day — the Soap House Trail leads to a village workshop making olive-oil soap — and RSCN cabins let you stay overnight. As of November 2026, the Jordan Tourism Board lists entry at JD 8 (plus 16 % tax) for foreigners.

Umm Qais (Gadara)

On a ridge at the northern tip of Jordan, Gadara was a Decapolis city famed for its poets and philosophers. Much of it was built in black basalt, which gives the ruins a distinctive look: a West Theatre with basalt seats, a colonnaded street, a basilica terrace and an Ottoman-era village of honey-stone houses now partly used as a museum and rest house. The New Testament story of the Gadarene swine is linked to the area.

The views are the reward: north over the Yarmouk gorge to the Golan Heights and west to the Sea of Galilee (Lake Tiberias). Our sister site Jerash.com covers Umm Qais in more detail.

Border note

Umm Qais lies a few kilometres from the Syrian border along the Yarmouk. As of November 2026 the UK FCDO advises against all travel within 3 km of the Jordan–Syria border; the archaeological site and village are visited normally, but do not drive further towards the border and follow any instructions at checkpoints.

Pella and the Jordan Valley

Below the hills, Pella (Tabaqat Fahl) has remains from the Bronze Age to the Islamic period, including a Byzantine church and Roman odeon, in a green valley. It is a quiet, rewarding stop between Umm Qais and Ajloun.

Tours and getting there

Combining Jerash, Ajloun and Umm Qais is easiest with a car, a driver or a tour, since public transport means changes in Irbid. See getting to Ajloun and Umm Qais.

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North Jordan

Private or shared Jerash, Ajloun Castle and Umm Qais day tour

≈ 9–10 h

All three northern highlights in one day from Amman, with a choice of private car or a shared group. 4.9/5 from about 270 reviews (as of November 2026).

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North Jordan

Day tour to Jerash, Ajloun and Umm Qais from Amman

≈ 9–10 h

Group or private day covering the three northern sites, with lunch stops in the hills.

Check availabilityBook via GetYourGuide

Private

Jerash, Ajloun Castle or Umm Qais private tour from Amman

≈ 7–9 h

Private driver-guide for the north: Roman Jerash plus Ajloun's Ayyubid castle or the Gadara ruins at Umm Qais above the Sea of Galilee.

Check availabilityBook via GetYourGuide

Tour listings are on GetYourGuide. Prices, times and cancellation terms are shown live on each listing and can change; JordanTravel.com may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

A day in the north

The classic route leaves Amman early for Jerash at opening time, continues 30 minutes west to Ajloun Castle, stops for lunch in the hills or a short walk in the forest reserve, and finishes at Umm Qais for the late-afternoon view over the Sea of Galilee before the two-hour drive back to Amman. With a night in a farm stay you can add Pella, longer forest trails or a day hike on the Jordan Trail.

Food in the north

The north is Jordan's orchard and olive country. Look for roadside stalls selling olive oil, pomegranates, figs and grapes in season, fresh taboon bread and musakhan. The restaurant at the Umm Qais rest house serves lunch on a terrace with one of the finest views in Jordan.

Entrance fees in the north

Who the north suits

The north is for travellers who want a softer, greener Jordan: walkers, families looking for picnic forests, food lovers who want home-cooked village meals and olive oil from the press, and history fans following the Decapolis from Jerash to Gadara and Pella. It is also the region most visitors skip, so even in spring you share Umm Qais with mainly Jordanian school groups and families. Travellers short on time can see the highlights in a long day from Amman; those who stay a night or two in a farm stay or RSCN cabin get the forest walks, the sunsets over the Jordan Valley and the slower pace that make the region special.

Getting around the north

The north is compact but hilly: Jerash, Ajloun Castle, Umm Qais and Pella form a loop of about 200 km from Amman that is easiest by car or with a driver. Roads are good but wind through villages, so allow more time than the distances suggest. Public transport works via Irbid and Ajloun town with minibus changes; it suits patient travellers with a full day for one or two sites. See getting to Ajloun and Umm Qais for times and steps.

Where to stay

Farm stays and guesthouses in the Ajloun hills, RSCN cabins in the forest reserve, or hotels in Jerash and Irbid.

Plan your visit to Ajloun & Umm Qais

• Things to doAjloun Castle, RSCN forest trails, soap and biscuit workshops, the ruins of Gadara,…
• ToursDay tours from Amman combining Jerash, Ajloun Castle and Umm Qais — private or shared.
• Getting thereDriving, taxis and minibuses from Amman, Jerash and Irbid to Ajloun and Umm Qais.
• Where to stayFarm stays and guesthouses in the Ajloun hills, RSCN forest cabins and Jerash hotels…
• When to goSpring wildflowers, mild summers in the hills, autumn olive harvest and cold, wet…