Middle East

Jordan in July

Peak heat. Sunrise starts and long midday breaks are mandatory; the Dead Sea area pushes past 100F (38C).

Think twiceVery hot, Petra highs near 91F (33C), hotter in Rum and at the Dead Sea

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

The straight answer

July is a month to think twice about visiting Jordan. Peak heat. Sunrise starts and long midday breaks are mandatory; the Dead Sea area pushes past 100F (38C).

Weather: Very hot, Petra highs near 91F (33C), hotter in Rum and at the Dead Sea
Crowds: 2 of 5
Prices: 1 of 5

What July is like in Jordan

July is peak heat. Petra highs are near 91F (33C), and Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea are hotter still, with the Dead Sea area pushing past 100F (38C). Crowds are low and prices are cheap, but the sun makes long hikes hard. The Jerash Festival usually runs in summer, bringing music and performances to the Roman ruins.

Honestly, this is a month to avoid unless it is your only window. If you must go, stick to sunrise and dusk, sleep in air conditioning, and keep the Dead Sea visit short. For the same trip in comfort, pick October or April.

Make the most of July

What is especially good about Jordan this month.

Jerash Festival

The festival of culture and arts usually runs in summer, with evening performances among the Roman ruins.

Petra by Night

The candlelit siq and Treasury on select evenings are a cooler way to see the site. Check the current schedule locally.

Deals on hotels

Low demand means some of the year's best prices on Petra-area hotels.

What to pack for July

A wide-brim sun hat and UV sunglasses
Loose, light long-sleeve clothing
Electrolyte tablets
A large insulated water bottle
A cooling towel

Our timing tip

Book an air-conditioned room instead of a tent in Wadi Rum, and do the jeep tour only at sunset.

Book Jordan for July.

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Hotels. Expedia
Hotels in Jordan
Opens a hotel search for Jordan in July, dates filled in. Book early for the best months: the good rooms go first.
Hotels for July
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.
Rentals on Vrbo
Tours and tickets. Expedia
Tours and tickets in Jordan
Timed-entry tickets, day trips and guided tours in Jordan for July. Popular slots sell out in the best months.
Tours and tickets

What's on in July

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.

Jerash Festival of Culture and Arts

Usually in summer

Music and performance staged among the Roman ruins of Jerash, one of the region's longest-running cultural festivals.

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 July, quick answers

Is July a good time to visit Jordan?

July is a month to think twice about visiting Jordan. Peak heat. Sunrise starts and long midday breaks are mandatory; the Dead Sea area pushes past 100F (38C).

What is the weather like in Jordan in July?

Very hot, Petra highs near 91F (33C), hotter in Rum and at the Dead Sea.

Is Jordan crowded in July?

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

What is happening in Jordan in July?

Petra by Night (several evenings a week, year-round, weather permitting); Jerash Festival of Culture and Arts (usually in summer); Ramadan in Jordan (dates shift about 11 days earlier each year; check the current window).