Shobak lies on the King's Highway, about 230 km south of Amman and roughly midway between Karak and Petra. Most visitors come on the way between these two sites, either by private car or hired taxi. There is no reliable public transport to the castle itself — buses on the Ma'an route can drop you on the main highway, but the castle is a further 3 km uphill. From Petra, Shobak is about 50 km north and makes a logical morning detour before heading to Karak.