The King's Highway road trip

An ancient route

The King's Highway is one of the oldest continuously used roads in the world. The Bible tells of Moses asking the king of Edom for passage along it (Numbers 20:17); Nabataean caravans carried incense along it; and Emperor Trajan paved it as the Via Nova Traiana (AD 111–114), linking Bostra in Syria with Aila on the Red Sea. Pilgrims, Crusaders and Ottoman officials followed. Today it is a quiet two-lane road through villages, olive groves and canyons — Jordan's best road trip.

King's Highway vs Desert Highway

The route, stop by stop

Highlights along the way

• Wadi Mujib descent: the road drops in hairpins to the Mujib Dam and climbs the other side — stop at the rim viewpoints.
• Karak: the Crusader castle's dark galleries and views to the Dead Sea; lunch in town.
• Dana: sunset over the canyon from the old village; stay the night.
• Shobak: the lonely Crusader castle on its hill, 40 minutes before Petra.

Practical tips

• Start early: aim to leave Madaba by 8 AM.
• Fuel up in Madaba, Karak and Tafileh; stations are sparse in between.
• Expect speed bumps in every village, school buses, trucks and animals.
• Keep your passport handy for police checkpoints.
• Do not drive after dark — arrive in Dana or Petra before sunset.
• Without a car: hire a driver for a King's Highway transfer between Amman/Madaba and Petra.

One day or two?

Driving straight through from Madaba to Petra with only short photo stops takes about six hours. Add Karak (1.5–2 hours) and Shobak (1 hour) and lunch, and you have a full day that ends at dusk. The better plan is two days: Madaba → Mujib → Karak → Dana (sleep), then a morning walk in Dana and on via Shobak to Petra. If you are coming from the Dead Sea, start at Mujib and climb to Karak via the steep road from the southern Dead Sea.

The King's Highway in one day: a timed plan

Who the King's Highway suits

Choose the King's Highway if you have a car or a private driver and at least one spare day between Amman and Petra. It turns a dull three-hour transfer on the Desert Highway into one of Jordan's great journeys: canyons, castles, mosaics, villages and constant views. It is less suitable without transport — buses run only between towns, not to the viewpoints — and for nervous drivers, because the road is narrow and winding, with speed bumps in every village, slow trucks and the occasional herd of goats. Families with young children may prefer to split it over two days with a night in Karak or Dana.

For a different experience, cyclists ride the King's Highway over several days, and the Jordan Trail runs roughly parallel to it on foot between Madaba, Karak and Dana.

Driving and safety notes

• Drive in daylight; the road is unlit and winding, and the UK FCDO advises extra care at night on Jordan's roads.
• Expect police checkpoints; keep your passport, licence and car papers handy.
• Snow can close the highlands around Shobak and Dana for a day or two in winter.
• After the October 2026 incident in Karak Governorate, follow current official advice and local instructions.
• Download offline maps; mobile signal is mostly good but patchy in the canyons.

Detours worth making

• Umm ar-Rasas: UNESCO-listed mosaics of the Church of St Stephen, a short drive east of Dhiban.
• Mukawir (Machaerus): Herod's hilltop fortress, west of the highway near Madaba, with Dead Sea views.
• Hammamat Ma'in: hot waterfalls in a canyon below Madaba.
• Wadi Hasa: the deep canyon between Karak and Tafileh, with hikes for experienced groups.
• Sila' and the Tafileh villages: stone heritage villages and the ancient fortress of Sela near Tafileh.
• Little Petra: free and quiet, just before Wadi Musa.

Two-day version

• Day 1 — Madaba to Karak or Dana: Mount Nebo early, Madaba's mosaics, a detour to Umm ar-Rasas or Mukawir, the Mujib canyon descent, and Karak Castle in the afternoon. Sleep in Karak, or push on 1.5 hours to Dana for sunset over the canyon.
• Day 2 — to Petra: Wadi Hasa and Tafileh in the morning (or a dawn walk on Dana's rim), the Dana viewpoint, Shobak Castle, Little Petra, and Wadi Musa by late afternoon — in time for the evening light on the Siq or Petra by Night on a Sunday to Thursday.

This pace gives you time for each castle, a proper lunch and no driving after dark, and it turns the transfer from the north to Petra into one of the best two days of a trip.

Driving north instead

The route works just as well northbound from Petra to Madaba or the Dead Sea, a good choice if you fly into Aqaba and out of Amman. Start early from Wadi Musa with Shobak in the morning light, have lunch in Karak, and reach Madaba or the Dead Sea by late afternoon. If you are heading to the Dead Sea, leave the King's Highway after Karak and descend the steep road to the southern shore, then drive north past Wadi Mujib.

Where to stay