Jordan · When to Go
The Best Time to Visit Jordan
Jordan has two genuinely good seasons and two difficult ones. The trick is matching the month not just to the weather, but to what you actually want to do — Petra hiking, desert nights, Dead Sea floating or Red Sea diving all have their own best window.
The short answer
Spring and autumn
Mid-March to mid-May and mid-September to early November are the best times to visit Jordan. Days are warm, nights are cool, the desert is comfortable at night, and Petra is walkable without suffering. Spring also brings green hills and wildflowers to the north; autumn brings clear, dry light that photographers love.
Within those windows, late March to late April and October are the sweet spots. Book early for these months — they are when everyone who has done their homework comes.
Seasons at a glance
- Spring
- Mar–May · Warm days, cool nights, green hills
- Summer
- Jun–Aug · Hot, often 35–40°C, avoid midday
- Autumn
- Sep–Nov · Warm, dry, excellent light
- Winter
- Dec–Feb · Cold, wet in places, snow possible
- Best for Petra
- Apr, Oct — cool and walkable
- Best for Wadi Rum
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov — cold desert nights
Summer
Possible, but plan around the heat
Summer (June to August) is hot — regularly 35–40°C in the lowlands and over 45°C around the Dead Sea and Aqaba. Petra at midday is brutal. It is not impossible: start Petra at 6am, rest through the middle of the day, and return in the late afternoon. The Dead Sea and Red Sea are fine because you are in the water. Wadi Rum nights are still pleasant.
The upside of summer is the absence of crowds and the cheapest hotel rates. If heat does not bother you and you can shift your day early and late, it works. If you are travelling with children or older travelers, pick another season.
Winter
Quiet, cold and occasionally dramatic
Winter days are often mild and sunny (12–18°C in Amman), but nights are cold everywhere and freezing in the desert. Petra in January can be glorious in the middle of the day and bitter at dawn. The real hazard is rain: winter storms can cause flash floods in the wadis and the Petra Siq, and the park will close the Siq when there is a risk. Snow falls occasionally in Amman and the highlands — beautiful, but disruptive.
Winter suits travelers who want quiet, low prices and don’t mind cold nights. Pack warm layers, build flexibility into your itinerary, and keep an eye on the forecast around Petra.
Matching the month
Choose by what you want to do
Hiking (Dana, Petra back trails, the Egeria Way): spring and autumn only — summer is too hot, winter too wet. Diving in Aqaba: year-round, but April–May and September–October are clearest. Dead Sea floating: fine year-round, though summer is scorching. Desert camping in Wadi Rum: avoid July–August nights are fine but days are punishing, and January nights are very cold.
Turn this knowledge into a journey
Tell us your dates, your pace and who is travelling, and we will shape a private Jordan journey around it — through local eyes.