Madaba / Karak · Jordan
King’s Highway (Wadi Mujib)
35Madaba to Al-Karak
Jordan’s most historic road plunges 1,300 m into the Wadi Mujib gorge, Jordan’s Grand Canyon, on 18 km of switchbacks before climbing back to the plateau, linking Biblical Madaba to Crusader Karak.
From Madaba the King’s Highway rolls south across a limestone plateau before the earth falls away at Wadi Mujib; the road twists nine kilometres of switchbacks to the dam at the canyon floor, then climbs the same back up the southern wall, continuing south to Karak above its Crusader castle.
Scenery
ValleyMountainGorgeDesert
Best seasons
SpringAutumn
In these collections
King’s Highway (Wadi Mujib) on the map52.7 mi · point to point
MadabaStart · Madaba / Karak
Al-KarakEnd · Madaba / Karak
Navigate to the start: Apple Maps · Google Maps
Character
Corners94bends
Tightness5of 10
Max gradient13%≈ 1-in-8
Hairpins9bends over 150°
Climb1,778 mtotal ascent
Summit1,068 mhighest point of the line · 3,504 ft
Corners
busiest around mile 51Elevation
under 4%4 to 8%over 8%145 to 1,068 mPoints of interest3 stops
- Moujib panoramaViewpoint22 mi in
- Karak Castle PanoramaViewpoint52 mi in
- Iron Age fortification wallLandmark0.3 mi in
Hazards
- Unmarked speed bumps
- Livestock on road
- Police checkpoints
- Limited fuel
- Steep switchbacks
Sources
“The road twists and turns its way down 9km of switchbacks to the lowest point where it crosses the dam, then climbs back up again.”
Route traced from OpenStreetMap, with its stats measured from that line. How the roads are mapped
Driving the King’s Highway (Wadi Mujib): quick answers
How long does it take to drive the King’s Highway (Wadi Mujib)?
King’s Highway (Wadi Mujib) runs 52.7 miles (85 km) and takes about 1 h 45 min to drive without stops.
How difficult is the King’s Highway (Wadi Mujib) to drive?
We rate it moderate: 94 corners including 9 hairpins, a maximum gradient of 13%, and a tightness of 5 out of 10.
When is the best time to drive the King’s Highway (Wadi Mujib)?
Spring and Autumn are best.
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King’s Highway (Wadi Mujib)
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