Desert Highway vs Kings Highway
Replies: 5 - Last Post: May 8, 2012 3:12 AM Last Post By: Monja16
jump to
Desert Highway vs Kings Highway
Hi Everyone,We will be in Jordan for 4 days and spending 2 at Petra. Arrive May 13th 5am and depart May 16 in the evening. We are renting our own vehicle and I was thinking on our way to Petra we could stop at the dead sea. I am just wondering if the desert or kings highway would be the best one to take. We do not want to be driving in the dark so would hope to be at our hotel before the sun goes down.
14th/15th will be spent at Petra and 16th we head back to the airport.
I'm confusing myself with all the posts I've read. Information overload I guess.
Hopefully I've given enough information to get the answer I'm looking for.
Thanks in advance.
1
You'll want to take the King's Highway. The Desert Highway is the more direct, faster route, but it runs well east of the Dead Sea and is much less scenic.The King's Highway is closer to the Dead Sea and is more scenic.
As long as you don't spend too long at the Dead Sea you should have plenty of time.
Good luck.
2
May 13th with rent a car drive to Dead Sea/Amman Beach for a couple of hours.From Dead Sea head to Petra along the Kings Hwy the scenic you can have few stops along the route.Including Madaba,Mt Nebo.,Dana Reserve lookout,Kerak castle to finaly Wadi Musa/Petra for overnight.This route could take 5/6 hours including stops to take photos.
Return to Amman/airport via Desert Hwy that takes 2.3 hours direct drive.If you have time you can stop visit Amman downtown before heading to airport for departure.
Amman down town to airport takes 45 minutes via Alkuds street.(kind of Hwy)direct and no traffic jam
cheers
3
An alternate route would be to travel south along the Dead Sea Highway, then cut across to Karak and pick up the Kings' Highway there and head down to Petra. If I remember correctly, the spectacular vistas are south of Karak, heading in towards Wadi Musa (Petra). The desert highway is fast, except for the speed bumps, and probably one of the most boring trips on the planet (IMHO), except when you hit the Wadi Rum area or are able to look out over Aqaba.5
If you are driving yourself I presume you are planning to buy a map? When you look at the map the answer to your question will become obvious: there is no Desert Highway route via the Dead Sea, it's either the Kings' Highway or the Dead Sea highway.Which route you take depends on where you are coming from and where on the Dead Sea you want to stop for a swim- there isn't that much choice really. You will need a shower after 'swimming' in the Dead Sea or your skin will sting. So either the Amman beach (you need to pay to enter) or any big hotel beach (also for a fee) or the bit near Zara springs.
As far as the scenic aspects of the route are concerned I would recommend the road via Maan springs to get to the Dead Sea (a stop there is a must, although it's 15JD per person). To get back to the King's Highway you can go via Mukawir, as the bit of the Kings Highway between Madaba and turn off to Mukawir is not so scenic, just some modern villages and farmland.
But the route via Mount Nebo is good too, probably easier for a foreign driver.
There are parts of the Kings Highway that are simply unmissable: Wadi Mujib and Tafila monuntains. Also you must stop at Kerak castle- it's cool.
