Irbid's real value is as a base for northern Jordan. Umm Qais (ancient Gadara), with its spectacular black-basalt ruins and views over the Sea of Galilee and the Golan Heights, is under an hour away and one of the finest Roman sites in the country. Ajloun Castle, the 12th-century Ayyubid fortress with sweeping hill views, is about 40 minutes south. Pella, one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the world, is an hour to the south in the Jordan Valley. All are reachable by taxi and worth combining into a multi-day exploration of the north.