Jordan - Jerash, Irbid & Jordan Valley (Chapter)

This is the Jerash, Irbid & the Jordan Valley chapter from Lonely Planet’s Jordan guidebook.

You might expect that the far north of Jordan, with its exceptional Roman ruins, biblical associations, lively cities and complex terrain, would feature as a standard part of any visitor’s trip to the country. It is quite possible to enjoy epic sites like Jerash without the epic crowds normally associated with a world-class destination.
 The availability of public transport and friendly accommodation facilitate this and if the springtime flowers happen to be blooming, it will prove to be a hard region to leave.

• wander the colonnaded streets of Jerash, a spectacularly well-preserved Roman provincial city
• maps
• hike along the trails of Ajloun Forest Reserve in the shade of strawberry trees
• transport
• visit the fairy-tale castle of Qala’at ar-Rabad, one of Jordan’s most impressive Islamic structures
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Jerash, Dibeen Forest Reserve, Ajloun, Ajloun Forest Reserve, Irbid, Abila (Quwayliba), Yarmouk Battleground, the Jordan Valley, Al-Himma (Mukheiba), Umm Qais (Gadara), Pella (Taqabat Fahl), Salt, Shuneh Al-Janubiyyeh (South Shuna), Bethany-Beyond-The-Jordan (Al-Maghtas) and Bethany-Beyond-The-Jordan (Al-Maghtas).