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Ajloun Castle on its hilltop above pine and oak woodland, seen from the town
hikinginjordan · CC BY-SA 3.0

Visitor guide · Northern highlands, Jordan

Ajloun

Jordan’s green highlands: a castle, a forest and a cable car

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Ajloun is where Jordanians go for green hills and cool air. About 75 km north-west of Amman, the town sits among oak and pine forest in the northern highlands, under a 12th-century castle that once watched the roads to Damascus.

Most of what you will want to see fits into a day: the castle, the cable car beside it, a meal with a view, and a walk in the forest reserve. Stay a night in the reserve cabins and you can add the village trails, the hilltop churches of Mar Elias and a detour to Jerash.

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Places in Ajloun

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15 places

Where to eat

Jar Al Jabal publishes this guide, so it comes first. Other places to eat are listed below it.

A breakfast table on the Jar Al Jabal terrace, with Ajloun Castle on the hill beyond the glass railing
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Jar Al Jabal

A family restaurant and café at the Ajloun Castle visitor centre, serving a traditional breakfast, charcoal grills and sajiyeh on a terrace that looks straight at the castle.

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Other places to eat

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Suggested itineraries

Start times are suggestions that respect the opening hours we hold. They are not calculated travel times.

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hikinginjordan · CC BY-SA 3.0

Half a day · 3 stops

Castle, cable car and lunch

The classic Ajloun morning. Everything is within a few minutes of each other on the castle hill, so you spend your time looking, not driving.

Ajloun Castle → Ajloun Cable Car → Jar Al Jabal

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Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz · CC BY-SA 4.0

A full day · 5 stops

Ajloun in a day

History in the morning, a long lunch, then mosaics and forest in the afternoon. A full day that never feels rushed.

Ajloun Castle → Ajloun Cable Car → Jar Al Jabal → Tell Mar Elias → Ajloun Forest Reserve

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Randa107 · CC BY-SA 4.0

A full day · 4 stops

Ajloun with children

Short stops, room to run and a ride through the air. Planned around small legs and regular snacks.

Ajloun Castle → Ajloun Cable Car → Jar Al Jabal → Ajloun Forest Reserve

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Dosseman · CC BY-SA 4.0

A full day · 5 stops

Faith and history

A mosque, a castle, a hill of mosaics and a pilgrim shrine: many centuries of belief in one gentle day.

Great Ajloun Mosque → Ajloun Castle → Jar Al Jabal → Tell Mar Elias → Our Lady of the Mountain, Anjara

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Arian Zwegers · CC BY 2.0

A full day · 4 stops

Jerash and Ajloun from Amman

The north in one day: Roman Jerash while it is cool, then lunch, the castle and the cable car in Ajloun.

Jerash Archaeological Site → Jar Al Jabal → Ajloun Castle → Ajloun Cable Car

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Daniel Case · CC BY-SA 3.0

Two days · 8 stops

Two days in the highlands

Sleep in the forest. Day one is the castle hill and Mar Elias; day two is a guided trail and the village workshops.

Ajloun Castle → Ajloun Cable Car → Jar Al Jabal → Tell Mar Elias → Ajloun Forest Reserve Cabins → Ajloun Forest Reserve → The Ajloun Houses → Jar Al Jabal

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Practical guide

Getting there, tickets, weather, what to wear and who to call.

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Sources and verification

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