Madaba, Mount Nebo and the Baptism Site

Why stay in Madaba

Madaba sits on the plateau south-west of Amman, a mostly Christian and Muslim town where church bells and the call to prayer mingle. It has been inhabited since the Bronze Age — the Bible mentions Medeba — but its golden age came in the Byzantine and early Islamic periods, when its churches and villas were paved with intricate mosaics. Many were rediscovered in the late 19th century when Christian families from Karak resettled the abandoned town and began building on the ruins.

Because it is so close to Queen Alia Airport, Madaba makes an easy, calmer alternative to Amman for your first or last night, and the start of the King's Highway road trip south.

The Madaba Map and other mosaics

In the floor of the Greek Orthodox Church of St George lies the Madaba Map, a mosaic made around AD 560–565 that shows the Holy Land from Lebanon to the Nile Delta. Its centrepiece is a detailed plan of Jerusalem with the Church of the Holy Sepulchre; it is the oldest surviving original map of the region. Only part of it survives, but it is still the size of a large rug.

Then walk to the Madaba Archaeological Park, where a Roman street and the remains of churches and the Burnt Palace display more mosaics, and to the Church of the Apostles with its personification of the sea. The Madaba Institute for Mosaic Art and Restoration trains craftspeople, and many workshops in town sell modern mosaics.

Mount Nebo

According to Deuteronomy, Moses looked out over the Promised Land from Mount Nebo before he died. On the summit of Siyagha, the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land looks after the Memorial Church of Moses, rebuilt over a 4th-century church and reopened in 2016 to protect its superb 6th-century mosaics. Outside, the bronze serpentine cross by Italian artist Giovanni Fantoni recalls the brazen serpent of Moses.

The viewpoint looks down on the Dead Sea and the Jordan Valley; on a clear day you can see Jericho and even the towers of Jerusalem. Pope John Paul II visited in 2000. There is a modest entry fee.

The Baptism Site (Bethany Beyond the Jordan)

Al-Maghtas, on the east bank of the Jordan River, is venerated as the place where John the Baptist baptised Jesus. UNESCO inscribed it in 2015, citing the remains of Roman and Byzantine churches, chapels, a monastery and baptismal pools around Tell Elias (Elijah's Hill) and the spring of Wadi al-Kharrar. Visits are by shuttle bus and guided walk from the visitor centre; at the river's edge you can touch the water, a few metres from the opposite bank.

Allow about 2 hours. It is hot from May to October — go early and carry water. Modest dress is expected.

Umm ar-Rasas and Ma'in

About 30 km south-east of Madaba, Umm ar-Rasas (Kastron Mefaa) is a UNESCO site since 2004 for the 8th-century mosaic floor of the Church of St Stephen, which shows the cities of the region, and for a solitary 15-metre stylite tower. The hot springs of Hammamat Ma'in lie in a gorge 30 km south-west of Madaba, on the way down to the Dead Sea.

Tours and getting there

Madaba is 40 minutes from Amman by taxi or minibus (South Bus Station or Raghadan); Mount Nebo is a 10-minute taxi ride from town. The Baptism Site is easiest by car or tour. Many day tours combine all three with a Dead Sea swim. See getting to Madaba.

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Faith & mosaics

Dead Sea, Mount Nebo, Madaba and Baptism Site tour

≈ 8–10 h

The holy-land day south-west of Amman: Madaba's mosaic map, the Moses view from Mount Nebo, the Baptism Site on the Jordan River and a swim in the Dead Sea.

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Private

Private day tour: Madaba, Mount Nebo and Baptism Site

≈ 6–8 h

A gentle private day of mosaics, Moses' viewpoint and the Jordan River site where John is believed to have baptised Jesus.

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4 sights

Amman day trip: Madaba, Mount Nebo, Baptism Site and Dead Sea

≈ 9–10 h

Four stops in one day from Amman, finishing with a float at a Dead Sea beach. 4.9/5 from about 115 reviews (as of November 2026).

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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 perfect Madaba day

Entrance fees

Fees for foreign visitors as listed by the Jordan Tourism Board and jordanpass.jo, November 2026.

Madaba Archaeological Park

JD 3 — includes the museum, the Church of the Apostles and the Burnt Palace

Mount Nebo

JD 3 (not in the Jordan Pass)

Baptism Site

JD 12; discounted add-on with the Jordan Pass

St George's Church

Small fee at the door

Umm ar-Rasas

Check on site

Who Madaba suits

Madaba is ideal for travellers who want a calm, walkable town rather than a capital: families, first-timers recovering from a late flight, pilgrims and anyone road-tripping the King's Highway. It has a mixed Christian and Muslim community, so churches and mosques stand side by side, and some restaurants serve alcohol. It is less suited to nightlife-seekers — evenings are quiet — and to travellers without a car who want to see many sites, since Mount Nebo, the Baptism Site and Umm ar-Rasas each need a taxi or tour.

Madaba's mosaic heritage today

Madaba's mosaics are not only in museums. Archaeologists have uncovered dozens of mosaic floors under houses, churches and streets across the town, and the Madaba Institute for Mosaic Art and Restoration trains craftspeople to conserve them. In the workshops along the main tourist streets, you can watch artisans cut and set tesserae by hand. If you want to buy a mosaic, ask for a certificate stating that it is a new work — exporting antiquities is illegal — and check how it will be packed for the flight.

Where to stay

Family-run hotels in the old centre, several with rooftop views of St George's, make Madaba one of Jordan's best-value bases.

Plan your visit to Madaba & Mount Nebo

• Things to doSt George's Church and the Madaba Map, the Archaeological Park, Mount Nebo, the Baptism…
• ToursPrivate and group day tours from Amman to Madaba, Mount Nebo and the Baptism Site, with…
• Getting thereAirport and Amman to Madaba by taxi or minibus, and how to reach Mount Nebo and the…
• Where to stayFamily-run hotels with rooftop views, small boutique stays and why Madaba is a smart…
• When to goSeasons on the Madaba plateau and in the hot Jordan Valley at the Baptism Site,…