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Desert Castles Tour From Dead Sea

Jordan
Excellent
Duration

09 Hours

Cancellation

Up to 6 days

Group Size

9 people

Languages

English, Other, عربي

Highlights

  • Desert Castle: Beautiful example of both early Islamic art and architecture, “the imposing stature” Desert castles.
  • Al-Kharana: Qasr al-Kharana is the only Umayyad desert palace that was built for defensive purposes.
  • Quseir Amra: A masterpiece of creative human genius, a unique testimony to a cultural tradition.
  • Al Azraq Castle: The headquarters used by Lawrence of Arabia in the desert during The Great Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire.

What you will do

Itenirary
Pickup
Pickup from your central hotel, settle into your private, air-conditioned vehicle with your private driver, who doubles as your guide on your journey.
Itenirary
Visit Qasr Kharana, Qasr Amra, Qasr Azraq.

60 kilometres East of Amman on highway 40 in an arid part of the Syrian-Jordanian desert.

Itenirary
Qasr Kharana,

Qasr Kharana, welcomes tourists as one of the Desert Castles in this region. It is square, with each side 35 metres long. This unit was often used as a module, being multiplied by two and sometimes by four for this kind of construction. Its plan is typical: a courtyard surrounded on two levels by rooms arranged as accommodation units, or bayt. In this case, they are of the type Creswell defines as “Syrian”, as opposed to “Persian”: four rooms laid out two by two around a central courtyard which provides the sole access. On the outside bricks are laid at an angle of 45° recalling the minaret of the Grand Mosque in Raqqa. The most striking decorative feature, however, is the stucco work over the entrance and on the upper floor. During this period carved or moulded stucco ornamentation was widespread from Afghanistan to Spain. Very popular with the Romans, it reappeared in Carolingian Europe – in Germigny and Cividale, for instance – at a time when there was very close contact between Orient and Occident.

Itenirary
Qasr Amra

Qasr Amra, situated 75km East of Amman on highway 40, is one of the best-preserved monuments and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its interior walls and ceilings are covered with lively frescoes, and two of the rooms are paved with colourful mosaics. The paintings include themes such as hunting, dancing, and musicians, bathing scenes, cupids, and personifications of history, philosophy and poetry. Most of the buildings are still standing and can be visited. The plan of the building consists of 3 main elements: a rectangular audience hall with a throne alcove in the middle of the south side, a bath complex which comprises 3 rooms corresponding to the frigidarium, tepidarium and calidarium, i.e. the cold, warm and hot rooms respectively and the hydraulic structures which include an elevated water-tank, a masonry-lined deep well, and the apparatus for drawing water from the well into the water tank. Two feeder pipes drained water from the elevated tank to the shallow pool or fountain in the audience hall into a plastered tank, which stood above the furnace. Recent excavations by the Spanish Archaeological Mission discovered the foundations of a smaller courtyard castle.

Itenirary
Qasr Azraq,

Qasr Azraq, along with Qasr Kharana and Qasr Amra, both east of the capital and reached via Highway 40. Visitors can explore most of the castle, both upstairs and downstairs, except for some sections closed off while the rock is shored up. Its strategic value came from the nearby oasis, the only water source in a vast desert region. The settlement was known in antiquity as Basie and the Romans were the first to make military use of the site, and later an early mosque was built in the middle. It did not assume its present form until an extensive renovation and expansion by the Ayyubids in the 13th century, using locally quarried basalt which makes the castle darker than most other buildings in the area. Later, it would be used by the Ottoman armies during that empire’s hegemony over the region. During the Arab Revolt, T.E. Lawrence based his operations here in 1917–18, an experience he wrote about in his book Seven Pillars of Wisdom. The connection to “Lawrence of Arabia” has been one of the castle’s major draws for tourists.

Itenirary
End the Journey
After completing your joyful tour, we would like to bid you farewell by our driver or representative to your hotel or residence.

Included/Excluded

  • Pick up and drop off from hotel.
  • Private Transfer by air-conditioned leisure vehicle, according number of participants with experienced assisting.
  • Dedicated English-Speaking Driver.
  • On board WI-FI.
  • Spot Local English-Speaking guide at the major sites visited.
  • All entrance fees to the sites and museums which listed in itinerary.
  • 1 small mineral water per person.
  • All Service charges & local taxes.
  • Support team available 24/7.
  • Any kind of Meals, drinks or beverages.
  • All type of gratuities (Tips to the Driver, and Guide) – Highly Recommended.
  • Personal Expenses.
  • Anything else not mentioned.
  • Pick up and drop off from Amman Queen Alia Airport available by request for lay over day tour.
  • Travel Insurance. Highly recommended.
  • Government licensed English speaking professional tour guides. is available upon your request.

Discount (by Amount)

Discount for adult
#Discount groupFrom adultTo adultValue
1From 3-4 adults discount per person34 $10
2From 5-6 adults discount per person56 $15
3From 7-9 adults discount per person79 $20

Overview

Desert Castles Tour From Dead Sea, Price and Availability

  • Private Transfer by air-conditioned leisure vehicle with WIFI, according number of participants with experienced assisting, dedicated English-Speaking Driver.
  • Minimum number of travelers must be (2 adults) to confirm the booking with these rates.
  • Prices above are per person in USD ($).
  • Solo Traveller available upon request. please check “Extras” field.
  • Rates are based on standard vehicle type.
  • Confirmation will be received at the time of booking, unless booked within 3 days of travel. In this case confirmation will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability.
  • The duration of transfers is approximate, as the exact duration will depend on the time of day and traffic conditions.

Looking to book in a group of 10 traveler or more?

Deals, savings and exclusive private touring options available plus if you need a different date or itinerary change we can create a custom trip. Contact us for more details.

You can also design your own package and service with a short visit to our Tailor made page.

For entry visa and passport requirements see our post Jordan Visa Information.

What to bring?

  • Comfortable shoes.
  • Sunscreen.
  • Sun hat.
  • Sunglasses.
  • Your medicine if you use.
  • Passport or ID card.

It is not allowed to bring drones or telescopes without permission into Jordan.

Terms and Conditions

Cancellation Policy

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 6 days before the experience’s start time.
  • We will charge a cancellation fee of 50% if booking is cancelled 3-5days before the event
  • If you cancel less than 72 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 72 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s Amman local time.
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Additional Information

  • You can check our General information.
  • Tour activity is provided in English. For other languages (Spanish, French, German,  and Portuguese) by request.
  • For more information or to make a booking, please send an . or you can contact us from your page account access.
  • For a quote based on alternative accommodation standards, or to tailor this itinerary, please Call us   or  WhatsApp or send an  .

Activity's On Map

Jordan

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the opening and closing hours for tourist sites?

Most sites open from 08:00 until 17:00 during summer time and from 08:00 until 16:00 during winter time, noting that these sites close earlier during Ramadan. On the other hand, Petra is open all year long from 6:00 till 18:00.

Shall I arrange travel insurance by myself?

We recommend the purchase of adequate travel insurance for all overseas travel. It is currently a prerequisite to have medical travel insurance.

What sort of transport do you use in Jordan?

Depending on the group size, you'll be travelling in an air-conditioned vehicle such as a mini van or coach (depending on group size). At the entrance to the Wadi Rum protected area you'll board well-used 4x4 vehicles to navigate the rolling orange sands. Six passengers get in each vehicle plus a local driver. It's the quickest and easiest way to get to our desert camp.

What is Jordan currency?

The local currency is the Jordanian Dinar, symbol JD, There are 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 JD notes. The dinar is divided into 100 piasters (pronounced “pee-asters”) of 1000 fils (“fills”). The fils is the unit most commonly used and you will usually see prices written as 4.750 (which is 4 JD and 750 fils). Currency can be exchanged at major banks, exchange booths and at most hotels. Street money-changers are best avoided. Exchange rates are set daily by the Jordanian Central Bank. Map Tours’ advises passengers to exchange any spending money before they commence their tour. Whilst on tour it may not be possible for the tour rep to arrange for a passenger to be specially taken to exchange money and not all places of interest will have ATM machines or accept credit/debit cards. We also advise our passengers to keep some cash JOD & USD or Euro.

Can i use credit card in Jordan?

Credit cards are widely accepted in Jordan at hotels, restaurants and shops, including American Express, Visa, Diners Club, and MasterCard. Please note that many smaller shops still prefer cash payment in the Jordanian currency, and it’s essential for shopping in the local souks.

How much shall I tip?

Although Tipping "gratuities" is not obligatory, but the people who are working in the tourism sector depend on tips as a major part of their income. Therefore, tipping is considered customary and widely expected in Jordan, while The amount depends on the situation. For example, In the restaurants, it is good to give 10% tip directly to the waiter even when there is service charge added to the bill as the service tax does not go to the waiters.

Is Wi-Fi readily available in Jordan?

Wi-Fi service is available in all hotels, cafes and restaurants, but do not expect it in Wadi Rum. In order to be able to stay online, we recommend that you purchase a local sim card upon your arrival.

Customer Reviews

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Desert Castles
Owen Asher
08/13/2023
We had such a great time there. Everything was fine. Our guide, was the best one. He was taking care of us. So nice and friendly. I would recommend this tour to everyone that goes to Jordan.
Desert Castles
Mickael Alexander
08/01/2023
Loved this trip to the Qasr Kharana, Qasr Amra, Qasr Azraq. at Jordan. Very different than any other tours to Jordan. Tawfiq was our guide and he provided excellent service. He recommended an amazing place lunch. Incredible food taste! Thanks map tour & travels and your staff for great care of us.
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Map-Tours Team

Member Since 2009

282 Reviews

Information Contact

Email

booking@map-tour.com

Phone

+962797312513

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