Best of Umm Qais

Top itineraries and travel advice in and around Umm Qais
Umm Qais has a dramatic vantage point from its lofty setting above the Jordan Valley. Views of Jordan, Syria, Israel and the Palestinian Territories stretch out beneath the city, along with the sparkling Sea of Galilee, visible on clear days. The strategic location was well noted by ancient people, and the 2300-year-old ruins of a Hellenistic city known as Gadara are among Umm Qais' main attractions. Umm Qais was once the home for several classical poets and philosophers, including Theodorus.

It’s easy to feel as though you’ve stepped back in time while wandering an impressive collonaded street and the ruins of two theatres in a once thriving place that was part of the Decapolis (ten great cities in the Middle East). Umm Qais is also a great place to experience community tourism. You can get insight into beekeeping, by helping to harvest the honey (beekeeper suit provided), or learn how to prepare classic dishes followed by a farm-to-table feast in the home of a local family. You can also take a guided bike tour through the surrounding farmlands or go on hikes along country trails just outside of town. 
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Camels await their passengers in the Wadi Rum
Self-Drive Jordan: Amman to the Dead Sea - 9 Days

Get off the beaten path on this 9-day road trip through Jordan's cultural highlights and natural wonders. Striking out from the capital of Amman, you'll explore the Roman ruins of Jerash, hike through the breathtaking nature reserves of Aljoun and Dana, and admire the rock-cut temples of Petra. After an unforgettable night of desert camping in the Wadi Rum, end your trip floating in the healing waters of the Dead Sea.

Biblical Jordan
Map of Biblical Jordan:  Amman, Petra, Wadi Rum, and the Dead Sea - 10 Days
Biblical Jordan: Amman, Petra, Wadi Rum, and the Dead Sea - 10 Days

Travel back to Biblical times with this 10-day tour of Jordan that includes the country's most ancient and sacred sites. You'll visit the place where Jesus was baptized, see the ruins of the hilltop fortress where John the Baptist was imprisoned and executed, follow the steps of the Israels through Wadi Mujib, and even visit Lot's Cave.

Catch a sunset over the Dana Biosphere Reserve from the Feynan Ecolodge
Map of Holy Land Off the Beaten Path: Israel & Jordan - 10 Days
Holy Land Off the Beaten Path: Israel & Jordan - 10 Days

Go off the beaten path on this 10-day itinerary covering Israel and Jordan's Holy Land. Explore the eclectic artist's colony of Old Jaffa in Tel Aviv, discover the remains of an ancient Roman stronghold in Umm Qais, and stay the night at the Feynan Ecolodge in the remote mountains of the Dana Biosphere Reserve. You'll also experience popular attractions of the region, including the Dead Sea, both "Little Petra" and Petra, and Wadi Rum.

Other popular travel destinations in Jordan
Petra · Amman · Wadi Rum · The Dead Sea · Aqaba · Dana · Madaba · Feynan · Ajloun · Little Petra