Need to Know

Length: 7 km
Time: 3 hrs
Elevation Gain: 1,100 m
Grade: Easy (good trail conditions, some road walking with traffic)
Style: Circuit
Path Taken: Visitor Center – viewpoint – Soap House – Biscuit House (optional) – Visitor Center
Park: Ajloun Forest Reserve
Further Info: Local rules require that you hire a guide for this trail from the Visitor Centre, which will cost you about 17 JOD. If you don’t want to hire a guide, you should do one of the shorter trails – mostly around an hour – which don’t require a guide. Most of the hiking trails in the area are well-marked and don’t require any climbing or special equipment.

The Ajloun Soap House Trail

There are several trails in the Ajloun Forest Reserve, but the Soap House Trail is among the most interesting and rewarding. If you have only one day to spend in the area, you should consider doing this trail. The Soap House Trail begins at the Ajloun Forest Reserve’s Visitor Center and takes you to the Soap House in the neighbouring village of Orjan.

At the beginning of the trail, you will walk through green meadows full of wild, colourful flowers. Later, you will hike through thick, healthy woodlands and can spot Evergreen Oak, Pine, Carob, Wild Pistachio and Wild Strawberry trees on the way. Eventually, you will hike up 1100 meters above sea level at Eagle’s viewpoint. You can take a couple of nice pictures here and enjoy the view. The tour then descends to the Soap House, where local women make Orjan pure olive oil soap following a traditional process with olive oil, herbs, honey, and pomegranate. You can buy some soup from the gift shop across the hallway.

You can extend the hike by going down the road to Biscuit House. It employs local women to produce all-natural biscuits, energy bars and crisps under the RSCN’s Tasali brand for national distribution. The building has a lovely cafe where you can try locally produced biscuits.

Getting to Ajloun from Amman

The easiest way to get to Ajloun from Amman is by car. You can either rent a car or take a taxi. The ride will take about 1.5 hours. This option is the most convenient and flexible one. Driving in Jordan is relatively easy, and you are not bound to the timetables. There is free parking in Ajloun Forest Reserve for the guests.

The least convenient option to get to Ajloun is by taking the JETT bus. The JETT bus operates on the Amman — Ajloun — Jerash route and costs 15 JOD for a roundtrip. The bus usually starts at 08:30 AM from the Tabardour North Bus Station, but it only leaves when it’s full, so you might need to wait a bit. Plus it only stops at the Ajloun Castle, from there you would need to take a taxi to Ajloun Forest Reserve.

The best time to hike the Ajloun Soap House Trail

Other things to do in Ajloun

Ajloun has excellent hiking trails and beautiful, untouched nature, but it also offers plenty for adventure seekers and history enthusiasts. Some of the top attractions in Ajloun, apart from the forest reserve, are the zipline and the 12th-century castle. You should include Ajloun in your Jordanian itinerary and spend at least a couple of days here.

Ajlound Forest Reserve Zipline

Also in Ajloun Forest Reserve, thrill-seekers will love the exhilarating zipline with incredible views. The zipline’s registration and pickup point is at the Ajloun Forest Reserve Visitor Center.

The zipline is a relatively easy and short ride, so if you’ve never tried a zipline before, this is ideal for beginners. If you’re a seasoned adventurer, you might decide it’s a bit boring for you.

Ajloun Castle

Have you visited the Ajloun? Hiked the Ajloun Soap House Trail? Or got it on your bucket list? If you have any stories, updates or corrections, please let us know by commenting below.