The ruins of ancient Gadara are the main reason to come to Umm Qais, and they reward a thorough exploration. Start at the West Theatre, the best-preserved structure on site and the natural focal point, then follow the colonnaded street eastward past the forum and mausoleum. The Ottoman-era basalt houses woven through the ruins add a strange layered quality — this was a living village until recent memory.
After the ruins, walk out to the viewpoint on the northern edge of the ridge for the full sweep over the Sea of Galilee, the Yarmouk gorge, and the Golan Heights. On clear days you can see across three countries at once.