If you’re planning your next trip to Jordan, the big question is “What is the best time to go to Jordan?”. We’re all looking for the perfect tour, but it isn’t perfect if you’re not choosing the best time for the attractions you’re planning to visit. For a well spent trip, we encourage you to read a little more about the weather and climate in Jordan, the events taking place all year around and the different adventures you can enjoy during different times of the year.
In terms of seasons and weather, Jordan is a year-round destination, although it has long hot summers and short, cool winters. The climate varies depending on the terrain and altitude. Between March and May, Spring is the most popular time to visit Jordan. You get to enjoy warm temperatures and blooming wildflowers.
Spring is the best time to visit Aqaba if you’re interested in a beach-break before the Summers hot, dry weather. Although Summer can be very hot in places such as Jordan Valley, Aqaba and the Eastern Desert, it’s a great time to visit Jordan because the days are long extending to up to 13 hours of sunshine. You can also visit any part of desert and dunes because the night is known to be chilly even in the summertime, so you can enjoy sleeping under a billion stars. Also, make sure to explore Amman during the evening for glorious temperatures. Autumn is considered the second-best time to visit because it is when the temperature starts to cool off, making it ideal for outdoor adventures and explorations. Finally, Winters in Jordan are cool but short, with temperatures of 5 – 10 degrees Celsius. It’s somewhat cold with a lot of rainfall during December to March and occasional fall of snow. Aqaba is warm during the winter, but the desert temperatures plummet with the mercury hitting sub zero.
Petra-Jordan
Check the Annual Festivals in Jordan
Maybe you don’t mind the weather in Jordan, but you’re looking for a specific event or festival that you want to attend during your trip. Well, you can plan your trip, whether short or long, to include all the famous and must-see attractions and still make time to attend your favorite Jordanian festival.
There are a few daily events held in Jordan that include the Roman Army & Chariot Experience which is a performance held at the hippodrome in Jerash. The show runs twice everyday except on Fridays. Another daily event you should include in your itinerary is visiting Petra by night. Incorporating this in your tour, you will get to walk through the Siq to the Khazneh around 8:30 PM along a candle-lit path leading to the center of the city.
For the famous annual events and festivals of Jordan, you will find that they are held on certain months, so you can easily stop by if you’re traveling at the same time around. There’s a marathon held every April where competitors begin at high elevations in Amman and make their way down to the lowest point; the desert of Southern Jordan. Also, in April is the Amman International Theater Festival which holds performances by Jordanians to express their talents either in Arabic or English.
In July, you’ll find two main events which are Distant Heat and Jerash Festival of Culture and Arts. Distant Heat is a concert and dance festival that starts with electronic dance music in Wadi Rum. The Jerash Festival has been hosted annually since 1980 and is a festival that promotes art, musical and dance performances and signing by Jordanians and international artists.
Another amazing festival you shouldn’t miss is the Middle Eastern Dance Festival held in October every year. In Jordan Valley, you can enjoy a variety of regional dance classes as well as sightseeing, shopping, swimming and watching dance performances.
In celebration of Islamic holidays, there is the Holy month of Ramadan, which is a period of fasting; to refrain from eating and drinking from dawn to sunset. If you were to be in Jordan during Ramadan, you will witness cities coming alive with people breaking fast and meeting friends, as well as a series of concerts and recitals at the Citadel Hill.
Wadi Rum-Jordan
Best Time to Explore Jordan
Now that you’ve picked the best time to visit Jordan according to your itinerary, check out a selection of activities and things to do with the best time of day to do them. If it’s your first time visiting Jordan, you must surely have a visit to Petra planned, but do you plan on visiting Petra by night? Every night, Jordanians will light 2,000 candles in front of the monument causing the rose-colored rock to look as if it’s glowing from within. This sight is worth returning to as it will be a highlight in your trip.
Now if you will be visiting one of Jordan’s natural reserves, specifically if it’s the Dana Reserve, you do not want to forget to bring binoculars to this journey. Jordan has a total of 412 species of birds recorded there and it’s perfect for bird-watching. Other places to find magnificent species of birds are the wetlands of Azraq and Petra.
A must-do when you are visiting places such as Wadi Rum, is to stay overnight in a campsite that will take you away from streetlights and into the silent desert. This is your chance to witness light that only flickers from the campfires and twinkles from the stars.
Now that you know more about what the best time to visit Jordan might be according to every climate and every attraction, when will you decide to travel? Although Jordan is a small country, it’s filled with much exploration, history and cultures to see. Discover the best time for you to see Jordan and start planning an unforgettable trip.