Where to stay in Ajloun and Umm Qais

Farm stays and guesthouses

Other bases

RSCN's forest lodge and cabins in the Ajloun Forest Reserve are booked through RSCN; Jerash has small hotels (Jerash); Irbid has city hotels.

Farm stays and RSCN cabins

The Ajloun hills are the place for a rural night: olive farms, family guesthouses and RSCN's cabins in the forest reserve, where you wake to birdsong and walk straight onto the trails. Facilities are simple; book ahead in spring and on weekends, when Amman families escape to the forest.

Irbid

Jordan's second-largest city is a lively university town with plenty of hotels and cheap food, and a practical base for Umm Qais and Pella if you are travelling by bus.

Tips for rural stays

• Book directly or on Booking.com a few days ahead; many places have only a handful of rooms.
• Ask whether dinner is offered — village restaurants close early.
• Bring a warm layer: nights in the hills are cool even in late spring.
• Mobile signal is good near towns but patchy in valleys.

Day trip from Amman instead?

If you prefer a single base, Amman works: Ajloun is about 1.5 hours away and Umm Qais about 2. But a night in the hills gives you the sunset from the castle area, a slower breakfast among olive trees and a quieter start to the next day.

Which stay suits whom?

What a farm stay is like

Farm stays in the Ajloun hills are small, family-run places among olive and fruit trees, often with a handful of rooms or cabins, a terrace for long breakfasts and dinners cooked by the family on request. Expect simple comforts, warm hospitality and quiet nights; the trade-off is that you need a car or arranged transfers, and village shops close early. Winter nights are cold and damp in the hills, so check heating from November to March.

Booking.com scores for the stays shown on this page are as of November 2026. Because places are small, book a few days ahead — especially for spring weekends, when Jordanian families escape Amman for the countryside.

Other well-reviewed bases in the north

Small hotels in Jerash, half an hour from Ajloun, make a practical base if you want the ruins at opening time and the castle in the afternoon.

Booking tips for the north

• Check whether the property is in Ajloun town, in the forest or in a village — distances on winding roads add up.
• Ask for directions or a pin before arrival; signs are few and many places are on unnamed lanes.
• Request heating in winter and confirm hot water.
• Let the hosts know your arrival time and whether you want dinner.
• Bring cash: some rural stays and village shops do not take cards.