Jordan · Jordan
May
Still excellent — slightly warmer than April, crowds reduce from Easter peak, and the southern desert evenings are magnificent.
Best match
#3 of 12 months
May is one of the best times to visit Jordan.
Climate
High
28°C
Low
16°C
Rain
5mm
Sun
10.5hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How May scores in Jordan
Weather
Outstanding
Value
Good
Crowds
Above average
Events
Good
Atmosphere
Excellent
What you gain in May
- ↑May sees the Easter and spring break crowds recede while weather remains outstanding — temperatures are warm enough to swim in the Dead Sea and Red Sea at Aqaba comfortably, but not yet the punishing heat of June–August
- ↑Wadi Rum stargazing in May is among the best in the world calendar: the desert has a 300-day-a-year clear sky average, light pollution is minimal, and the Milky Way core rises from the southern horizon by 11pm; the overnight Bedouin camps have roof terraces specifically designed for astronomy viewing
- ↑Aqaba and the Red Sea at its spring best: water temperature reaches 24°C, coral visibility is excellent, and the dive sites around the South Beach (Japanese Garden, Wreck of the Cedar Pride) are at their most accessible before summer heat discourages land activities
What you sacrifice
- ↓By late May temperatures at Petra (900m) reach 28°C — the full-day hike to the Monastery (1,300m) is already physically demanding in the heat, and afternoon sun on the exposed trail is significant
- ↓The Dead Sea valley and Aqaba are already 35°C+ in May — the contrast between the highland sites and the rift valley heat means itinerary sequencing matters; visit Petra and Wadi Rum first (morning–afternoon) and use Dead Sea spa days in the late afternoon and evening
- ↓Ramadan falls in May in some years — when it does, daytime opening hours and food service at local restaurants are reduced; the atmosphere in Amman during Ramadan evenings is remarkable and worth experiencing, but logistics require planning
How May compares to October (best month)
| Factor | May | October ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 9 | 10 |
| Value | 6 | 5 |
| Crowds | 5 | 4 |
May in other destinations
Lisbon (20.7°C)Barcelona (20.8°C)Tokyo (23.8°C)Bali (31.2°C)Santorini (19.8°C)Paris (18.1°C)New York (20.4°C)Marrakech (26.4°C)Amsterdam (16.4°C)Maldives (31.5°C)Rome (21.7°C)Bangkok (32.6°C)Istanbul (20.7°C)Vienna (19.7°C)Seoul (21.4°C)Dubrovnik (20.9°C)Rio de Janeiro (26.2°C)Kyoto (25.2°C)Phuket (32.6°C)Cape Town (18.9°C)Prague (21°C)Amalfi Coast (23°C)Mexico City (27°C)Medellín (27°C)Fiji (28°C)London (18°C)Sydney (19°C)Iceland (10°C)Tulum (32°C)Dubai (38°C)Singapore (33°C)Hoi An (33°C)Chiang Mai (33°C)Miami (30.6°C)Florence (23.1°C)Queenstown (11°C)Madrid (21.7°C)Porto (21°C)Edinburgh (15°C)Copenhagen (16°C)Budapest (22°C)Kraków (20°C)Tbilisi (23°C)Palawan (32°C)Hanoi (31°C)Osaka (25°C)Goa (33°C)Cusco (20°C)Buenos Aires (19°C)Mykonos (23°C)Zanzibar (28°C)Sri Lanka (31°C)Costa Rica (27°C)Cancun (32°C)Krabi (33°C)Athens (25°C)Seville (27°C)Cartagena (31°C)Siem Reap (34°C)Havana (30°C)Split (22°C)Taipei (30°C)Kuala Lumpur (33°C)Valletta (24°C)Ho Chi Minh City (34°C)Hawaii (29°C)Cappadocia (22°C)Dominican Republic (31°C)Jamaica (31°C)Tanzania (23°C)Seychelles (28°C)Nepal (28°C)Azores (21°C)Bora Bora (28°C)Los Angeles (22.8°C)Cairo (34.8°C)Kenya (26.1°C)Jaipur (40.2°C)Las Vegas (33.8°C)San Francisco (17.5°C)Madeira (23°C)Vancouver (17.8°C)Muscat (40.1°C)Lima (20.5°C)Cinque Terre (21°C)Kotor (22°C)Tel Aviv (27°C)Santiago (17°C)Bogotá (18°C)Bruges (17.8°C)Penang (33.2°C)Lombok (31.5°C)Cape Verde (27.8°C)Fez (27.8°C)Kerala (33°C)Kigali (26°C)Hong Kong (28°C)Oslo (17°C)Auckland (17°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Jordan, not across destinations. Methodology →