King's Highway
Cities
Other destinations
Dana Nature ReserveStay in a village little changed since the 15th century, enjoy unforgettable hiking in an offshoot of the Great Rift.
Dead SeaThe lowest point on earth and the most saline lake
Shobak CastleThis is a castle south of Kerek and Dana. Hard to get to without a car or driver, but it is on a hill with spectacular views. Most of the castle is a pile of rubble but there are underground rooms to explore, including the staircase (through a metal door that should be open) that goes down 375 steps to the old wells. Take a torch, and note that at the bottom, you can climb up metal rungs to a hatch next to the road below the castle, then walk back up the road. 1 JD or included in the Jordan Pass.
Um er-RasasA largely unexcavated archeological site with Roman, Byzantine, & early Muslim ruins
Understand
The King's Highway trip to Petra starts from Madaba. It gives visitors a good opportunity to see people in the villages during their daily life, and the landscape is very nice: If you come in April you can see black irises on the way. It's a very nice stop to see the canyon of Wadi Mujeb with a 950-meter depth. Crossing this canyon you get to Karak and do a visit to the castle. After Karak toward Tafila you can do a stop to see the mountains of Dana and then after Tafila anther castle named Shaoubak. Then you get to Petra. This is a nice trip and more worthwhile to do than the desert highway.