Jordan in March
March is one of the best months of the year to visit Jordan. The season opens: wildflowers in the north, comfortable hiking weather, and Wadi Rum nights warming past parka territory.
Weather
Springlike, Petra highs near 63F (17C)
Crowds
Prices
What's on in March
Several evenings a week, year-round, weather permitting
Petra by Night. 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.
Dates shift about 11 days earlier each year; check the current window
Ramadan in Jordan. 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
- 1
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 ↗
- 2
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 ↗
- 3
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.
- 4
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.
- 5
Jerash. One of the best-preserved Roman provincial cities anywhere, an hour north of Amman: colonnaded streets, theatres, and a hippodrome, usually gloriously uncrowded.
- 6
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.
- 7
Little Petra and the back trail. A miniature carved canyon north of Petra, free to enter, and the trailhead for the back-door hike into Petra via the Monastery, a guide-recommended classic.
- 8
Aqaba and the Red Sea. Jordan's short Red Sea coast has warm water and coral reefs for snorkeling and diving, and serves as the warm-weather escape valve in winter itineraries.
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.
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.
Jordan in March: quick answers
Is March a good time to visit Jordan?
March is one of the best months of the year to visit Jordan. The season opens: wildflowers in the north, comfortable hiking weather, and Wadi Rum nights warming past parka territory.
What is the weather like in Jordan in March?
Springlike, Petra highs near 63F (17C).
Is Jordan crowded in March?
Crowds in Jordan are moderate in March; timed bookings still help at the biggest sights.
What is happening in Jordan in March?
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).