Middle East

Jordan in October

Arguably the single best month: golden light on the sandstone, warm days, cool star-filled nights in Rum.

BestIdeal, Petra highs near 77F (25C)

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

The straight answer

October is one of the best months of the year to visit Jordan. Arguably the single best month: golden light on the sandstone, warm days, cool star-filled nights in Rum.

Weather: Ideal, Petra highs near 77F (25C)
Crowds: 4 of 5
Prices: 4 of 5

What October is like in Jordan

October is arguably Jordan's single best month. Petra highs are around 77F (25C), the light turns golden on the sandstone, and nights in Wadi Rum are cool and full of stars. Crowds and prices are near peak, and Petra-area hotels and good camps book up well in advance.

It suits everyone: hikers, families, couples, and first-timers. The only drawbacks are busy trails from mid morning and higher rates. If you want similar weather with fewer tour groups, try early November. If October is your plan, book early and sleep near Petra so you can be at the gate when it opens.

Make the most of October

What is especially good about Jordan this month.

Golden light on Petra

The low autumn sun makes the rock glow, especially at the Monastery in the late afternoon.

Perfect Wadi Rum nights

Warm days and cool, clear nights are ideal for a night in camp. Stay two nights if you can.

Comfortable Dead Sea visits

The Dead Sea cools to a pleasant temperature, making a float and mud session easy.

What to pack for October

Breathable hiking clothes
A warm layer for desert nights
Sunscreen and a hat
Sturdy trail shoes

Our timing tip

Book Wadi Musa hotels and Rum camps two to three months ahead for October, and buy the two-day Petra ticket.

Book Jordan for October.

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Hotels. Expedia
Hotels in Jordan
Opens a hotel search for Jordan in October, dates filled in. Book early for the best months: the good rooms go first.
Hotels for October
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 October. Popular slots sell out in the best months.
Tours and tickets

What's on in October

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 October, quick answers

Is October a good time to visit Jordan?

October is one of the best months of the year to visit Jordan. Arguably the single best month: golden light on the sandstone, warm days, cool star-filled nights in Rum.

What is the weather like in Jordan in October?

Ideal, Petra highs near 77F (25C).

Is Jordan crowded in October?

Jordan is busy in October, though mornings and late afternoons stay workable.

What is happening in Jordan in October?

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).