Region

King's Highway

Drive it south in one day with three stops, or split it over two nights at Madaba and Dana.

Not field-verified

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Field checked: Someone checked it on the ground, with the date shown.
Plan calculated: Worked out by Voykit from its own data (times, distances, budgets). A calculation, not a measurement.

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Key facts · Jordan

Best months: Apr–May, Sep–Oct
Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: Jordanian dinar (JOD, JD)
Language: Arabic
Plugs: C · D · F · G · J · 230 V
Time zone: UTC+3 all year

Month by month hereIn detail ↓

Rules in force · 4

Jordan ↗Get the visa or the Jordan Pass only on official channels; lookalike sites charge extra.
Jordan ↗Yellow taxis must use the meter; if the driver refuses, use a ride-hailing app instead.
Jordan ↗In Ramadan, eating, drinking or smoking in public in daylight is not accepted; hotels and tourist restaurants serve.
Jordan ↗Do not pack a drone: import without a prior permit is refused and the drone is held at the border.

The King's Highway is the old caravan road running south from Madaba through Kerak and Dana to Petra. It is slower than the Desert Highway but the stops are the point: mosaics at Madaba, a Crusader castle at Kerak, the Wadi Mujib canyon and the Dana reserve. Drive it in one long day, or break it with a night at Madaba and a night at Dana.

Where to sleep

3 places in this region

Sleep base

MadabaCity guide
Mosaics, Mount Nebo, start of the highway.
Best Mar–May, Sep–Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Madaba →
DanaGuide: planned
Canyon views and eco-lodges; the best overnight on the route.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.

Also here

KerakCity guide
Crusader castle and lunch; a possible overnight.
Best Mar–May, Sep–Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Kerak →

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

1 nights: Madaba early, Kerak by midday, Dana viewpoint, Petra by evening
2 nights: Night 1 Madaba, night 2 Dana, Petra on day three

Do not attempt Madaba to Petra with every stop in one day if you also want to enter Petra the same afternoon.
The Wadi Mujib gorge walk is seasonal and can close after rain; check before you rely on it.
Fuel and food are sparse between Kerak and Dana; fill up in Madaba or Kerak.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Mount Nebo	Madaba	20 min	unknown	Short drive west of Madaba; combine with the mosaics.
Wadi Mujib	Kerak	45 min	unknown	Canyon viewpoint from the road; the river gorge walk is a separate, seasonal activity.
Um er-Rasas	Madaba	45 min	unknown	Desert mosaic site east of the highway; needs your own vehicle.

Bags between cities

No luggage forwarding on this route; you carry your bags between stops.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Madaba	×	×	go	go	go	ok	×	×	go	go	go	×
Kerak	×	×	go	go	go	ok	×	×	go	go	go	×
Jordan (country-wide)	ok	ok	go	go	go	ok	ok	ok	go	go	go	ok

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month

Zone	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Highland highwayMadaba to Kerak to Dana	cool	cool	ok	best	best	hot	hot	hot	best	best	ok	cool

best: dry, mildok: workablecool: jacket, greyhot: short walking windows

Highland highway: Spring and autumn are the comfortable months; summer afternoons on the exposed stretches run hot, and winter nights at Dana are cold.

April brings wildflowers along the roadside; summer midday driving is best avoided.

Getting in and passes

Arrival times and regional passes

Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes2 partsGet in · Passes

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
Amman	Madaba	Car or taxi on the highway	~45 min	Madaba is the usual start; most travellers overnight here first.
Queen Alia International Airport (AMM)	Madaba	Car or taxi	~25 min	Madaba is closer to the airport than Amman is.
Petra / Wadi Musa	Kerak	Car on the King's Highway	~2 h 30	Driving north to south is the common direction; the reverse works too.

Regional passes

Verdict first

Jordan Pass

buy

Covers Petra and most highway sites if bought online before arrival; check current site list.

JETT and local buses

skip

No scheduled bus follows the full King's Highway; buses run Amman to Petra on the Desert Highway instead.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next

Regional food

Where and when it works

Dish	Where	Timing / trap
Mansaf	Kerak and Madaba restaurants	Lamb in yoghurt sauce over rice; often a Friday dish, lunch portions are large.
Falafel and hummus	Madaba	Cheap and quick before the drive south.
Roadside fruit and tea	Villages between Kerak and Tafila	Small stalls; carry cash in small notes.

Go next

Petra

King's Highway south via Tafila, ~3 h from Kerak

The highway's southern end; give Petra two nights.

Wadi Rum

From Petra, ~1 h 30 by car

Desert camp night after Petra.

Dead Sea

planned

West from Madaba, ~45 min

Easy add-on before or after the highway.

Amman

Highway north, ~45 min from Madaba

Base for the northern sites.

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids2 partsIn numbers · Going in…

Region in numbers

Not yet checked

Where to sleep: 2 bases
Day trips: 3, 20 min to 45 min
Nights suggested: 1–2 nights
Ways in: 3 listed
Best months: Apr, May, Sep, Oct

Going in…

Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.

Pick a month.

Open Jordan Up to Jordan

Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources

Sources

officialJordan Tourism Board
secondaryWikivoyage: King's Highway, revision 5305277 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Ask about King's Highway

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