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Draft data. Times, fares and step counts are desk estimates awaiting field checks. Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify

Major city · Jordan

Kerakالكرك

Stop for the Crusader castle on the King's Highway: 2–3 hours plus lunch, or one night if you are driving south to Petra.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
JOD
Best months
Mar–May, Sep–Nov
avoid Jul–Aug (hot, dry), Dec–Feb (cold nights, rain)
Airport
AMM
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
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.

Kerak is a hill town on the King's Highway, 124 km south of Amman, built around a Crusader castle that Saladin took in 1188. Almost everyone comes for the castle and the view over the valley, then moves on. One night is enough unless you add Wadi Bin Hammad or El-Lejjun. It sits between Madaba and Petra, so it fits a southbound drive rather than a base.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Kerak, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or tea in the old city1–2 JD
  • Sit-down mealSit-down lunch, mezze and grill8–15 JD
  • Street or quick mealFalafel or shawarma sandwich1.5–3 JD
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week8–15 JD
  • Museum or sight ticketCitadel of Kerak entrycheck1 JD (free with Jordan Pass)
  • Budget bedGuesthouse or hostel bed, a night, per personJOD 10
  • Mid-range bedDouble room, mid-range hotel, a night, per roomJOD 40
  • High-end bedDouble room, mid-range hotel, a night, per roomJOD 70

A day, not counting the bed: Budget JOD 25 · Mid JOD 45 · High JOD 80

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Citadel of Kerak (Qasr)Crusader castle tunnelsKing's Highway stopWadi Bin Hammad
Airports
AMM Queen Alia International (Amman) (About 2 h by car south on the Desert Highway or King's Highway; no direct bus to Kerak.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Kerak: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

12°C

3°C

9 rd

Feb

13°C

4°C

8 rd

Mar

17°C

6°C

6 rd

Apr

22°C

10°C

3 rd

May

27°C

14°C

1 rd

Jun

30°C

17°C

0 rd

Jul

32°C

19°C

0 rd

Aug

32°C

19°C

0 rd

Sep

30°C

17°C

0 rd

Oct

26°C

14°C

2 rd

Nov

20°C

9°C

5 rd

Dec

14°C

5°C

8 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The old city is compact and steep: walk between the castle, the souq and the cafés. Shared taxis cover the 5 km between the old city and the King's Highway for about 2 JD. If you drive, park where you find space and walk up; many streets are one-way and narrow.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Wadi Bin Hammad

go

Door to door: About 1 h each way

Taxi or car, 31 km northwest of Kerak; not on the highway

Wade the stream for about 2 h past waterfalls and hot springs. Do not enter if rain is forecast: flash floods.

El-Lejjun (Lajjun)

caution

Door to door: About 40 min each way

Car or taxi, 20 km east of Kerak

Roman legionary fort of Betthorus, later wrecked by an earthquake. Ruins only; no facilities.

Mu'tah

caution

Door to door: About 25 min each way

Car or taxi, 15 km south on the highway

Site of the 629 AD battle; the shrines are the main draw, not the battlefield.

Madabago

Door to door: About 1.5–2 h

Minibus or car north on the King's Highway

Mosaic map at St George's and a good overnight stop before Kerak.

Petraovernight

Door to door: About 2.5–3 h

Minibus or car south via Ma'an

Too far for a return day with the castle; sleep in Wadi Musa.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Old city / castle area

Walk to the castle gate in minutes; cafés and the souq on the same hill. Best for one night without a car.

King's Highway strip

Hotels and the main bus station; 5 km from the old city, so you need a taxi or a car.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
25–40 JD excl. bed
Mid
40–70 JD excl. bed
High
70 JD+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Double room, mid-range hotel1 × 1 night × JOD 40JOD 40
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × JOD 45JOD 90
Citadel of Kerak entry2 × JOD 1 · Free with the Jordan Pass; check current hoursJOD 2
Shared taxi, old city to King's Highway2 × JOD 2 · checkJOD 4
eSIM, about a week of data2 × JOD 10JOD 20
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeJOD 16
Trip total≈ JOD 86 per person per day, bed includedJOD 172

2026 estimate in Jordanian dinars; flights and the Jordan Pass excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or tea in the old city1–2 JD
Falafel or shawarma sandwich1.5–3 JD
Sit-down lunch, mezze and grill8–15 JD
Citadel of Kerak entrycheck1 JD (free with Jordan Pass)
Minibus Amman → Kerakcheck2.25 JD
Minibus Kerak → Aqabacheck1.75 JD
eSIM or data SIM, about a week8–15 JD

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Kerak is a small, calm town and the castle area is fine by day. The real risks are steep unlit castle stairs, fast driving on the King's Highway, and summer heat; women report some staring in the souq, not aggression.
  • Three bus stations serve different directions: ask locally which one goes to Madaba, Petra or Aqaba before you buy a ticket.
  • Minibuses leave when full, not on a timetable; morning departures are more reliable.
  • Castle tunnels and stairways are uneven and unlit in places: bring a torch and wear grippy shoes.
  • Summer afternoons are hot and there is little shade on the castle hill.

Emergency numbers

Police, ambulance and fire
911

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Kerakالكرك

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

إلى هذا العنوان لو سمحتTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, ambulance and fire911

Embassy

No embassies in Kerak; they are in Amman. Register your trip with your embassy before travelling south.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Minibus Amman (South Bus Station) → Kerak: about 2.25 JD, 2 h, leaves when full (check)
  • Minibus Kerak → Aqaba: about 1.75 JD, roughly hourly, passes Madaba and Ma'an (check)
  • Taxi, bus station → castle: about 2 JD

Say or show

  • مرحبا — Hello (marhaba)
  • شكرا — Thank you (shukran)
  • قديش؟ — How much is it? (qaddesh)
  • القلعة لو سمحت — The castle, please (al-qal'a law samaht)
  • وين المحطة؟ — Where is the bus station? (wen al-mahatta)
  • لا شكرا — No, thank you (la shukran)

Carry small notes: 1 JD and 5 JD are what you need for the castle, taxis and snacks.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Kerak. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Mar–May, Sep–Nov · avoid Jul–Aug (hot, dry), Dec–Feb (cold nights, rain) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 2 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Castle gate page: opening hours, ticket and Jordan Pass rule, tunnel route and exit, checked against the official source.
  2. Bus-station page: which station serves Madaba, Petra and Aqaba, first departures and realistic fill-up times.
  3. Eat pages for the old city with posted-price checks and last orders.
  4. Wadi Bin Hammad flood-risk fixture so the day-trip card can show a red or green state.

Meanwhile

Back to Jordan

Sources