I like to do my research and be prepared before I visit a new location. When you have the basics covered you create space to discover the country and enjoy new experiences.
Read below before you go and be prepared to be amazed by Jordan.
The Environment
Language – Arabic. English is widely spoken.
Religion – More than 95% of the population is Muslim and the rest consists of Christians, Jews, and other beliefs.
Safety – Despite being located in a region with a history of conflict and borders with troubled neighbors, Jordan is a safe destination and seen as an “oasis of stability” in the Middle East.
Dress code – there is no mandatory dress code in Jordan however show respect for the local culture and make sure you dress conservatively. Women shall wear loose clothing, nothing too revealing or tight and cover their heads when entering religious sights. Man shall always wear a t-shirt covering the tops of the arms and trousers.
The dress code is more relaxed in the Dead Sea and Aqaba areas.
Currency – Local currency is JOD (Jordanian Dinar), often also abbreviated as JD.
1 JD ~ 1.4 euro ~ 1.41 $
Credit Cards and ATMs – Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted and you can pay by card in cities, gas stations, and most shops but it may be a problem in remote areas like Wadi Rum. Make sure you always carry some cash.
Easiest is to get some JDs from the ATMs available in the airport or city. Each withdrawal comes with an additional fee of 3 to 5 JDs, depending on the bank.
Visa – buy the JordanPass in advance, have it pre-printed and show it at the airport to get the visa easy and quickly. It costs 70 JDs and includes the Visa cost and access to more than 40 sites, including Petra.
Best time to visit
- March to June – is the high season for tourism. The spring temperature is best for visiting sites and hiking while the landscape is covered in wildflowers. The downsides are the crowds and the higher prices for accommodation.
- July and August – weather is very hot but probably fewer tourists. A day trip to Petra may be challenging with temperatures above 40oC.
- September to November – The fall season is perfect for any activity and comes with the bonus of having a moderate amount of tourists.
- November to February – Winter months are a good option if you are willing to add an extra layer. January is very likely to rain and the temperatures are usually below 10 degrees Celsius. On the plus side, you may see the peaks of Petra with snow.
Don’t forget to pack a hat, sunglasses, and sunblock if you visit in spring or summer. An extra layer and a rain jacket are mandatory between November and February.
Regardless of season 7 – 10 days will be well spent in Jordan but you can still see a lot in less time. If you plan to self-drive see my 5 days Jordan Itinerary for inspiration.
If you plan to visit during Ramadan – the holy month for Muslims when they fast from sunrise to sunset – business hours of shops, restaurants, and tourist sites may be affected.
The weekend is Friday and Saturday, with Friday being the most easy-going day – traffic is reduced and the opening hours of shops and restaurants may be affected.
Budget indication
Jordan is not an inexpensive destination, especially for accommodation – be prepared to pay European prices, a decent hotel costs between 150$ – 200$ a night.
In 2021 (30.10 – 04.11) for two people, the main spending looked like this:
- Accommodation (5 nights) ~ 650 euros. All hotels have breakfast included.
- Food and drinks ~ 270 euro
- Entry Tickets ~ 300 euro
- Travel cost
- Car rental for 5 days, two drivers, and full insurance ~ 400 euro
- Flights (Ryanair) ~ 400 euro
- Gas ~ 70 euro
Consider including in your itinerary
#Petra – this is by far the most visited place in Jordan and for good reason. Find more details in One day in Petra. Reserve to stay one night in Wadi Musa – the town adjacent to Petra, and don’t skip Petra by Night.
#Wadi Rum – plan to sleep at least a night in one of the desert camps and don’t miss a Jeep tour through the desert. This place is like no other.
#Dead Sea – one of the most fascinating places on Earth – the high concentration of salts and minerals are beneficial for skin and health. It is also the lowest place on earth, 430 meters below sea level.
#Roman archaeological sites – Jordan is home to some of the best preserved Roman ruins. Jerash covers a large area and is a mix of temples, columns, plazas, and amphitheaters of what used to be the city of Gerasha.
#Amman – is easy to explore on your own. Don’t miss the Amman citadel for sunset, the Roman Theatre, and Jordan Museum. The city center feels like a never-ending Bazar and is definitely an experience. Stop for some food or Arabic coffee.
#Aqaba – relax at the beach or go scuba diving and snorkeling in the Read Sea.
#Wadi Mujib – the canyon along the Mujib River
#Ma’in Hot Springs – natural hot springs and waterfalls
#Shobak Castel – an ancient crusader castle. You can stop here on the way to Petra
#Dana Biosphere Reserve – not such a touristic destination in Jordan but a great place for hiking and exploring nature.
#Madaba – is also known as the “City of Mosaics” because of the mosaics from the Byzantine Empire.
Christian sites:
- #Mount Nebo – is mentioned in the Bible as the place where Moses was granted a view of the Promised Land before his death. From here you have a panorama of the West Bank across the Jordan River valley, and on sunny clear days, Jerusalem can be spotted.
- #Bethany beyond the Jordan – a place with religious significance to the Christians, who have accepted this site as the location where Jesus of Nazareth was baptized by John the Baptist
Interesting about Jordan
Jordan is the home of the best preserved Roman ruins outside of Italy.
Amman’s earliest evidence of settlement dates back to the 8th millennium BC, in a Neolithic site known as ‘Ain Ghazal, where the world’s oldest statues of the human form were found.
Alcohol is legal and, compared with other Muslim countries, it can be found easily in restaurants, hotels, and bars, especially in the bigger cities like Amman and Aqaba.
Wadi Rum is a Unesco World Heritage Site and was the location for filming several famous movies including “Lawrence of Arabia”, “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”, “The Martian” and many others.
Book Recommendation – “Married to a Beduin” by Marguerite van Geldermalsen.
The book is a memoir of Marguerite who travels through Jordan in 1978 and meets Mohammad, a Bedouin from the ancient city of Petra. It is an exciting window into life in Jordan and especially Petra, where Marguerite lived together with her Arab husband, in an ancient cave, between 1978 and 1985, when the Bdoul Bedouin tribe was relocated outside of Petra. At that time Petra was not a hot spot yet and life had a different pace.
