Best Time to Visit Jordan
Month by month for the three-stop route: Petra's comfortable months, when Wadi Rum nights drop below freezing, and why July at the Dead Sea is a mistake.
Jordan has two right answers and two wrong ones. March to May and September to November are the windows every operator, guidebook and repeat visitor converges on. July and August are punishing, and January and February are wet in the north and genuinely freezing in the desert at night.
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Why the shoulder seasons win
The three destinations on this route sit at wildly different altitudes. Amman is on a plateau around 800 m. Petra is a little lower, in mountains. Wadi Rum is open desert. The Dead Sea is more than 400 metres below sea level — which is why it is consistently the hottest place on the itinerary and why a summer trip that looks fine on the Amman forecast can be brutal at the water.
Spring and autumn compress that spread. Petra sits at a comfortable 25–30 °C in the day, Wadi Rum’s nights are cold rather than dangerous, and the Dead Sea is pleasant instead of oppressive.
Month by month
| Month | Petra / Amman | Wadi Rum nights | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | ~12–13 °C days, rain | Below 0 °C | Cold and wet; cheapest |
| February | ~13 °C, heaviest rain | Below 0 °C | The weakest month |
| March | ~17–18 °C, wildflowers | Cold | Good, and quiet |
| April | Warm, dry | Cool | Excellent |
| May | Warm, dry | Mild | Excellent |
| June | ~30 °C in Amman | Mild | Hot but workable |
| July | Regularly 35 °C+ | Warm | Avoid the day trips |
| August | Regularly 35 °C+ | Warm | Avoid the day trips |
| September | Easing | Mild | Excellent |
| October | Warm, dry | Cooling fast | Excellent |
| November | Mild | Cold | Very good |
| December | ~13 °C days | ~2 °C, some rain | Shoulder; quiet |
Spring: March to May
The best of the year, and the only season with wildflowers. March still carries a chill — Amman around 17 °C, Petra 18 °C — but Aqaba is already balmy at 24 °C. April and May are the postcard months: warm enough to enjoy a long day at Petra, dry enough that the Siq is not slippery, and not yet hot enough to make the fourteen-hour Petra and Wadi Rum day tour an endurance event.
Summer: June to August
June works if you start early. July and August do not, and the numbers are the argument: daytime temperatures routinely exceed 35 °C, and the Dead Sea and Aqaba can reach 40 °C. Petra offers almost no shade on the main trail once you are past the Siq.
If you are travelling in high summer anyway, book the 09:00 Wadi Rum departure rather than the sunset one, keep Petra to the early morning, and treat the Dead Sea as a dawn or dusk activity. The Wadi Rum jeep tours list both departure times.
Autumn: September to November
The equal of spring and often quieter. September still carries summer’s heat in the first half; by October the desert has cooled and the light is at its best. November is mild by day and properly cold at night in Wadi Rum — bring layers if you are booking a camp.
Winter: December to February
Jordan’s rainy season, concentrated in the north. February records the heaviest rainfall and daytime highs around 13 °C in Amman. Wadi Rum nights fall below freezing, and Petra in the rain is beautiful but slippery underfoot on the rock-cut steps.
It is the cheapest time to go and the emptiest. If you book a desert camp in winter, the tent tier matters far more than it does in May — a heated deluxe tent is a different night from a traditional one.
Practical timing notes
- Ramadan shifts each year and changes opening hours, restaurant service and the rhythm of the day. Check the dates against your trip; the sites stay open but the country runs differently.
- Petra by Night operates Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 20:30 to 22:30 and is ticketed separately at 30 JOD. No standard tour includes it, so plan a Wadi Musa overnight if you want it.
- Easter and Christmas bring a surge of pilgrimage traffic to the Baptism Site and Mount Nebo.
- Free cancellation is standard on every itinerary listed here, so booking a shoulder-season date early costs you nothing if the plan changes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the single best month to visit Jordan?
April or October. Both give you dry, warm days at Petra, a desert night that is cold rather than hostile, and a Dead Sea that is comfortable rather than punishing. October has the better light; April has the wildflowers.
Is Jordan too hot in July and August?
For a fourteen-hour day trip, yes. Daytime temperatures regularly pass 35 °C and the Dead Sea and Aqaba can reach 40 °C. Petra’s main trail is largely unshaded. Summer visits work if you shift everything to the early morning and evening, but they are not the trip most people are imagining.
How cold does Wadi Rum get at night?
Below freezing between roughly October and March, after afternoons that may have reached 20 °C. Camps supply blankets, but pack proper layers — the swing catches people out every single winter.
When is Petra least crowded?
January and February, which is also when it rains most. March and November are the sensible compromise: manageable crowds and workable weather. Within any day, arriving at opening time buys you the Treasury with far fewer people in it.
Does it rain in Jordan?
Yes, mostly between November and March and mostly in the north around Amman. February is the wettest month. Wadi Rum and Aqaba stay largely dry year-round. Flash flooding in the Siq is rare but is the reason Petra occasionally closes at short notice in winter.
Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea — Two Days from Amman
Join 1,528+ travellers who rated this itinerary 4.9/5. A night in a Bedouin camp, a 4x4 run through Wadi Rum, and the Dead Sea on the way home. Free cancellation.
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