Top 10 Riding Spots in Jordan
Jordan is the great horse country of the Arab world. The Bedouin desert-bred Arabian — the asil — is the foundational genetic stock of the modern Arabian breed worldwide, and the Royal Jordanian Stables maintain bloodlines of exceptional purity. The country's deserts, wadis, and the ride to Petra make for some of the most evocative riding on earth. All centres on the map.
1. Wadi Rum
The sandstone desert south of Aqaba — landscape of Lawrence of Arabia — is one of the world's great desert-riding venues. Several operators including Wadi Rum Horses run multi-day Bedouin-style camps. October-April.
2. Petra approach
Multi-day rides connect Wadi Rum to Petra via the Siq al-Barid and the back routes used historically by the Nabataeans. The ride into Petra from the south is the great approach. October-April.
3. Dana Biosphere Reserve
The Dana reserve in central Jordan combines mountain, wadi, and desert terrain in close proximity. Several operators run multi-day programmes. March-May, October-November.
4. Royal Stables, Amman
The Royal Jordanian Stables maintain one of the world's most important Arabian breeding programmes. Visits and rides arranged by application; the Arabian Horse Society of Jordan facilitates.
5. Wadi Mujib
The Mujib reserve on the eastern shore of the Dead Sea offers dramatic canyon-wadi riding. Specialist operators only. October-April.
6. Northern Forests, Ajloun
Ajloun's pine and oak forests in the north — green, hilly, distinct from the desert — offer cooler riding. April-October.
7. Madaba and the King's Highway
The historic King's Highway running south from Madaba offers multi-day rides through the Crusader-castle landscape of Kerak. October-April.
8. Eastern Desert (Badia)
The basalt desert east of Amman is the harshest country in Jordan but is rideable in cool months on specialist trips. November-March. Experienced only.
9. Jerash Hippodrome
Jerash's restored Roman hippodrome stages regular displays of chariot racing and Roman cavalry drill. April-October weekly.
10. Dead Sea and Wadi Hasa
Multi-day rides combining Dead Sea descent, salt plain, and wadi exploration. Specialised; October-April.
The asil Arabian
The asil Arabian — the strictly desert-bred Arabian of the Bedouin — is the foundation of the modern global Arabian population, including the Arabians that dominate FEI endurance racing today. Genuinely asil bloodlines are documented through registration with the Asil Club and similar bodies.
Bedouin hospitality
Multi-day desert rides in Jordan include genuine Bedouin camping — tents, mansaf and tea, traditional welcome. The hospitality is real, not staged for tourists.
Booking and visas
Jordan welcomes visitors with on-arrival visa for most western passports. October-April is the riding season; summer is brutal in the desert interior. Multi-day rides book three to six months ahead.
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