Azraq Castle (Qasr al-Azraq) Tours

Discover Jordan’s rich history on this half-day tour to the Umayyad Desert. Visit these desert ‘castles’ that were once used as caravan stations, trade centers, outposts, and resort pavilions. Admire the beautiful Islamic art, mosaics, frescoes, and carvings that can be found inside and were inspired by Persian and Greco-Roman traditions. Spend about 45 minutes at each destination before heading back to Amman.

Discover three of Jordan’s famous desert castles on this 4-hour private tour from Amman. With an informative private driver, learn about these fabled castles, built by Umayyad rulers during the 7th and 8th centuries as you visit each one in the desert plains of eastern Jordan. Explore UNESCO-listed Qusayr Amra, famous for its 8th-century frescoes of hedonistic scenes, before continuing to the atmospheric Qasr Kharana and Qasr al-Azraq castles, the latter used as a military base by TE Lawrence, known as ‘Lawrence of Arabia,’ during World War I.

Look beyond Jordan’s most celebrated attractions to see some lesser-known historical treasures on this private Islamic desert castle day trip from Amman. Head east to Al-Azraq, a castle that ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ once used as a headquarters, and then explore the fresco-painted masterpiece of Amra and Kharaneh castles. Finish at Aljoun, a hilltop medieval fortress built to defend against the Crusaders. Your tour includes private transport, hotel pickup and drop-off, and entrance fees.

Jordan's Umayyad desert castles are beautiful examples of early Islamic art and architecture and stand testament to a fascinating era in the country's rich history. Take a private half-day tour and delve deep into the history of Jordan under the expertise of a professional and knowledgeable driver. The structures are called castles because of their imposing stature. The desert complexes once served various purposes as caravan stations, agriculture and trade centers, resort pavilions, and outposts that helped distant rulers forge ties with local Bedouins. Inside the castles, early Islamic art can be found. The fine mosaics, frescoes, stone and stucco carvings are inspired by the best in Persian and Greco-Roman traditions and reveal to us countless stories of the life as it was during the 8th Century. Spend around 30-45 minutes visiting each site.

Delve deep into Jordan’s history as you visit 3 of Jordan’s remarkable desert castles.These are beautiful examples of early-Islamic buildings scattered around the eastern desert. Their fine frescoes, mosaics & carvings, portray life during the 7th & 8th centuries. Called castles due to their imposing nature, however they served several purposes such as caravan stations, resort pavilions, trade & agriculture centres. They stand testament to a rich era in history; namely the flourishing beginnings of Islamic-Arab civilisations. Explore UNESCO-listed Qusayr Amra, known for its 8th-century frescoes of hedonistic scenes, Qasr al-Azraq, and Qasr al-Kharrana Visit the Caves of Seven Sleepers. The legend of the ‘seven sleepers’ involves seven Christian boys who were persecuted, then escaped to a cave and slept there for 309 years. Enrich your stay in Jordan and trek through the desert as you visit these castles. Get off the beaten track as you visit the Cave of the Seven Sleepers.

Spend a full day immersed in the Islamic architecture and art of the Eastern Desert castles. With a private guide and driver, visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Qasr Amra, Qasr al-Asraq, and Qasr Kharana. Tours are available at each site (own expense). Entrance fees and round-trip transportation from Dead Sea area hotels are included.