Middle East

Jordan in February

Still low season and cold up high. Aqaba and the Dead Sea stay mild, making a south-heavy itinerary the winter play.

Quiet valueCool, Petra highs near 54F (12C), rain possible

The Monastery at Petra, Jordan — JordanPhoto: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0

The straight answer

February is a quiet, good-value month to visit Jordan. Still low season and cold up high. Aqaba and the Dead Sea stay mild, making a south-heavy itinerary the winter play.

Weather: Cool, Petra highs near 54F (12C), rain possible
Crowds: 1 of 5
Prices: 1 of 5

What February is like in Jordan

February is still low season and cold up high. Petra highs reach about 54F (12C), rain is possible, and nights in the desert are frosty. Crowds and prices stay at the bottom. The Dead Sea and Aqaba remain mild, so a south-heavy itinerary is the smart winter play. All main sites operate, though weather can close the siq on short notice.

It suits budget travelers and people who value quiet over warmth. If Ramadan overlaps your dates, sites stay open but some local restaurants close until sunset. Families and first-timers wanting easy hiking weather are better off in March or April, which open the main season.

Make the most of February

What is especially good about Jordan this month.

Low prices across the country

Hotels in Wadi Musa and camps in Rum are at their cheapest. It is a good month to upgrade to a heated camp.

Dead Sea floating in comfort

Mild weather at the lowest point on Earth makes a morning float and mud session pleasant rather than scorching.

Jerash with no crowds

The Roman city north of Amman is usually quiet anyway, and in February you may have the colonnaded streets almost to yourself.

What to pack for February

A warm insulated jacket
Layers for cold mornings and mild afternoons
A rain shell
Good hiking shoes

Our timing tip

Start Petra at opening but plan a longer midday lunch, since winter afternoons are the warmest and brightest part of the day.

Book Jordan for February.

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Hotels. Expedia
Hotels in Jordan
Opens a hotel search for Jordan in February, dates filled in. Book early for the best months: the good rooms go first.
Hotels for February
Vacation rentals. Vrbo
Vacation rentals in Jordan
Whole homes, condos and villas. Usually the better deal for families and groups, with a kitchen and room to spread out.
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Tours and tickets. Expedia
Tours and tickets in Jordan
Timed-entry tickets, day trips and guided tours in Jordan for February. Popular slots sell out in the best months.
Tours and tickets

What's on in February

Petra by Night

Several evenings a week, year-round, weather permitting

The siq and Treasury plaza lit by candles, with Bedouin music. Touristy and worth it once; check the current schedule locally as nights can change.

Ramadan in Jordan

Dates shift about 11 days earlier each year; check the current window

Petra, Rum, and hotels operate normally and tourist restaurants stay open, but many local eateries close until sunset, some site hours shorten, and evenings turn festive. The Eid holidays that follow bring busy domestic travel.

Things to do in Jordan

Full guide

Petra, over two days

One day barely covers the siq, Treasury, and city center. A two-day ticket costs little more and buys you the Monastery climb and the high places without racing. Start at opening, 6am, to walk the siq nearly alone.

Official site ↗Tickets and tours →

The Monastery trail at Petra

About 800 rock-cut steps up from the city center to Petra's biggest facade. Go mid afternoon when the sun swings onto the facade and the day-trip crowds have drained.

Official site ↗Tickets and tours →

Wadi Rum by 4x4, then a night in camp

A sunset jeep tour into the protected area, dinner in a Bedouin camp, and a night under the stars. Staying over is the whole point; day trips miss the silence.

Tickets and tours →

Floating in the Dead Sea

Use a resort or managed beach for showers, you will want them, and keep the water out of your eyes. Mornings are calmest; mud on, float, rinse, repeat.

Tickets and tours →

Jerash

One of the best-preserved Roman provincial cities anywhere, an hour north of Amman: colonnaded streets, theatres, and a hippodrome, usually gloriously uncrowded.

Tickets and tours →

Amman's citadel and downtown

The citadel's Temple of Hercules overlooks a Roman theatre and the downtown souk. Finish with knafeh, the local dessert obsession, at a downtown sweets house.

Tickets and tours →

Beat the crowds

Enter Petra at 6am. The tour-bus wave from Amman and the cruise ports arrives mid morning; walking the siq at dawn, and reaching the Treasury with a handful of people, is a different experience from the same walk at 11am.
Sleep in Wadi Musa two nights and buy the two-day Petra ticket: day-trippers see the front of the site, you get the Monastery, the high places, and the quiet hours at both ends of the day.
Do the Monastery climb after 3pm, when the light hits the facade and the midday crowd has gone; do the Treasury and siq at dawn. Opposite ends of the day, opposite ends of the site.
Book Wadi Rum camps directly and stay two nights if you can: sunset and sunrise in the protected area happen after the day-trip jeeps leave.

Know before you go

Petra is open every day of the year, but heavy winter rain can close the siq on short notice for flash-flood safety, and rare snow occasionally shuts the site entirely for a day or two. Between November and March, keep one flexible day in the plan.
Wadi Rum camps run year-round, but winter nights drop near freezing and the cheaper camps are canvas-and-blanket affairs: from December through February, book a camp with heating or serious bedding, or expect a cold night.
During Ramadan, the headline sites and tourist services all operate, though some hours compress and many local restaurants outside tourist zones close until sunset. Alcohol service is reduced. Dates shift about 11 days earlier each year.
Petra by Night runs only on certain evenings each week and cancels in bad weather; if it is on your list, arrange your Wadi Musa nights around the current schedule rather than assuming any given evening.

Jordan in February, quick answers

Is February a good time to visit Jordan?

February is a quiet, good-value month to visit Jordan. Still low season and cold up high. Aqaba and the Dead Sea stay mild, making a south-heavy itinerary the winter play.

What is the weather like in Jordan in February?

Cool, Petra highs near 54F (12C), rain possible.

Is Jordan crowded in February?

February is one of the quieter months in Jordan; most sights can be done without long waits.

What is happening in Jordan in February?

Petra by Night (several evenings a week, year-round, weather permitting); Ramadan in Jordan (dates shift about 11 days earlier each year; check the current window).