Practical Information

A trip to Azraq oasis and the Desert Castles is a journey fraught with uncertainty, to say nothing of a pain in the ass. A taxi will take you from Zarqa to Qasr Azraq (500fiIs), but it’s up to you to find transportation to die other castles. Excluding Qasr at-Touba, which lies far to the south and is accessible only by four-wheel drive vehicles, the castles lie on a paved highway loop, with the western end at Amman and the eastern end at Azraq. It is possible to reach some of the castles by hitchhiking, but renting a car in Amman with a group is infinitely wiser. Jordan’s modern highway system enables you to visit all of the castles in one day. JETT buses provide full day tours of the desert castles, but only for groups, and such trips have to be arranged through a travel agent, rendering this option too costly for the budget traveler.

Hitchhikers, before undertaking this risk}’ and potentially dangerous fool’s errand, will need an immense supply of food and water, a taste for adventure, and careful planning. There is some traffic on the Damascus highway from Amman to Zarqa (30km), but there are also other hitchhikers, mostly soldiers and Arab workers. Alternatively, service from Abdali Station in Amman can take you there quickly and cheaply (30Ofils). Be careful about accepting rides from military vehicles since most will take you only as far as some desolate desert depot. The highway to Azraq passes right by Qasr al-Hallabat (30km from Zarqa) before reaching Azraq (87km from Zarqa). From Azraq junction you’ll have to hitch 13km north to reach Qasr Azraq and then return to Azraq. If you take the southern highway back to Amman you wili pass near Qasr Amra (25km from Azraq), then Qasr Harraneh (40km from Azraq) and Qasr Mushatta (about 90km from Azraq and 40km from Amman).