The Eastern Desert Getting there & around

Getting around

The four desert castles that most visitors see are Qasr al-Hallabat (with nearby Hammam as-Sarah), Qasr al-Azraq, Qusayr Amra and Qasr Kharana, in this order (ie clockwise from Amman) but they can, of course, be visited in the reverse order.

With hired transport you need a full day to visit all four, with lunch in Azraq and a possible visit to Azraq Wetland and/or Shaumari Wildlife reserves. If you start really early (and pay more), it's possible to fit in Umm al-Jimal. Qasr al-Mushatta is probably best visited from the airport or from the Desert Highway.

It is feasible to visit the four main castles in a single day using a combination of minibuses and hitching, though only the castles at Hallabat and Azraq are directly accessible by public transport. You could also base yourself in Azraq town, and use public transport, hitch or charter a vehicle from there.

If you have rented a car for a few days to tour around Jordan, consider renting it for an extra day for a jaunt around the castles and reserves. If driving from Amman, head east of Raghadan bus station towards Zarqa, and follow the signs to Azraq or the individual castles.

Tours

Jumping on an organised tour of the desert castles from Amman makes a lot of sense, and is one of the few times when an independent traveller on a tight budget will find it worthwhile to bite the bullet and pay for a tour.

Tours can be arranged at the Cliff, Farah and Palace Hotels in Amman, which charge about JD10 per person for a full-day trip. You're unlikely to get a better deal by negotiating directly with the driver of a service taxi or private taxi in Amman, and regular taxi drivers may not speak English or know the way.

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