Jordan Travel Tips

Are you planning to travel to Jordan on your own? We'll share our tips for a road trip. How long should you plan? Which SIM card to choose, the most beautiful places, the best time for your journey, and much more.

Jordan is a small but incredibly diverse country in the Middle East. I was amazed by what you can experience in just one week. The absolute highlight of a trip to Jordan is, of course, the legendary rock city of Petra.

I admit, visiting the historic cities was also my absolute highlight and far more impressive than I had imagined. But you can also visit the Dead Sea, the Wadi Rum desert, and many other places here.

The warm hospitality has been passed down from generation to generation for centuries and is genuine. I met friendly, curious, and helpful people everywhere. Of course, some vendors in Petra can be annoying when they try to sell you a donkey to transport you uphill. But hey, they always make it humorous, marketing their 'taxis' as either 'Ferrari' or 'Lamborghini.'

However, Jordan has much more to offer than you might expect: Jordan is a land for lovers of fine cuisine, a land for nature enthusiasts, and a land for explorers! You can hike between sandstone cliffs and narrow gorges in the Dana Nature Reserve, explore the vibrant capital of Amman, take a cooking class, float weightlessly in the Dead Sea, or camp in a tent with Bedouins in Wadi Rum.

As you can see, the offerings in Jordan are very diverse! You definitely won't be bored here. The Kingdom of Jordan awaits you!

Here you will find important questions and answers about your trip to Jordan. Topics such as entry regulations, money, safety, or transport. I have listed the most important travel tips for you.

Jordan has long interested me. Especially Petra, Wadi Rum, and the capital Amman appealed to me.

Jordan is (unfortunately) empty. I don't mean just the desert, but also the tourist attractions. Both in Petra and at the Dead Sea or in Wadi Rum, there are far fewer tourists. Many are afraid that violence from neighboring countries will spill over.

Don't be discouraged, Jordan is safe, the hospitality is enormous, and the sights are breathtaking!

Currently, you can enjoy Petra and walk almost alone in the deep Siq canyon, while in previous years, 10,000 people squeezed through daily.

For the highlights of Jordan, you should plan at least a week. I also traveled around Jordan for a week and found it too short. Ideally, I would recommend 10 - 14 days for Jordan. In any trip, the more time you have, the better you can explore the country.

Okay, the most important question first, as friends asked me before my trip if I was afraid to travel to Jordan. Believe me when I say that Jordan is the Switzerland of the Middle East? Jordan has been at peace for over 30 years and the country is stable. Unfortunately, tourism has declined as the political developments in the Middle East are projected onto Jordan by many.

Don't be put off if you have to scan your luggage or handbag at every hotel. This is a general precaution.

In Petra, tourist numbers have dropped by 80%, which is incomprehensible to me (here is a report from ARD). Therefore, my appeal: The time for a visit has never been better than now! Hardly any tourists, space and tranquility that you need for exploring Petra! The hospitable people will appreciate it!

In Jordan, 93% of the population are Sunni Muslims. Islam is the state religion. Many women are still veiled and wear headscarves. In hotel pools, you can find both completely veiled women and women in swimsuits.

In Amman, it's recommended to always wear long pants or a dress, and avoid low-cut tops or dresses. My experience: Maria in our cooking school in Amman wore a tank top, and she is local. I think change is slowly happening, and even in cities, women dressed more freely are no longer a rarity.

Nevertheless, I would advise you to keep somewhat covered and wear t-shirts and long pants. In Wadi Rum, Petra, the Dead Sea, and Dana National Park, you can wear shorts and tops without any issues.

Overall, Jordan is a very safe country for travel, and it is also perfectly fine for women to travel alone.

A dish that you absolutely should try is Zarb. The dish is buried about one meter deep in an oven in the ground and covered with earth. After several hours, the dish is dug up and eaten.

Jordanian cuisine is a mixture of oriental-Arab dishes. I love falafel, hummus, pita bread, Ouzi, Fattoush, and for dessert, Osmaliyeh. Often, there's fresh lemon-mint lemonade. Delicious.

My tip: Take a cooking class in Amman at Beit Sitti. It's really great!

It may also happen that you are invited to a Jordanian's home relatively quickly. It's a sign of hospitality and generosity, regardless of how poor or rich one is.

In Jordan, there is only alcohol available in a few restaurants and hotels. The prices are quite high. Still, I advise you to try some Jordanian wine if you have the chance.

If you're driving in Jordan, it's worth buying a local prepaid SIM card. You only need your passport with a valid visa.

The largest provider is the Jordan Telecom Group, which offers prepaid tariffs for tourists under the name 'Orange'. A SIM card costs around 20 JOD, depending on how much data credit you want to load. Reception was always good and the internet relatively fast.

Other providers include Umniah and Zain. However, we were told that Orange has the best network.

As a tourist, you need a visa for Jordan. You can apply for a single-entry visa either before your trip at the Jordanian embassy in Washington, D.C. (which I don't like to do, as I have to send my passport away) or at Queen Alia International Airport and Aqaba for 40 JOD.

Note: The fee must be paid directly in Jordanian Dinar (JOD). Therefore, I advise you to withdraw money using one of my recommended credit cards upon arrival at the ATM in the arrival hall and then pay the fees in JOD. There is also a bank for currency exchange, but with worse exchange rates.

The tourist visa is valid for 4 weeks and can be extended at police stations in Jordan. This extension to 2 months must be applied for, and you'll need to show your passport.

You can find more information on the website of the Jordanian Tourism Board.

When exiting Jordan, fees only apply if you exit by land (8 JOD). There are no costs when exiting by airplane.

Royal Jordanian offers direct flights from Frankfurt (six times a week, daily except Tuesdays), Munich (Wednesdays and Saturdays), and Berlin (Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays) to Amman.

To find affordable flights, I always check the flight search engine Kayak (Royal Jordanian does not appear here, so you must book directly on the Royal Jordanian website).

BOOK FLIGHTS ✈️ We always look for cheap flights on Kayak. Here are my tips on how to book affordable flights. Make sure to indicate any checked baggage, as basic flights include only carry-on baggage. This can initially distort the price and show it as cheaper.

A direct flight from Frankfurt to Amman takes just over 4 hours (Royal Jordanian). That's much closer than many think, right?

Currently, the best free travel credit cards are the debit card from DKB Bank, GenialCard (Hanseatic Bank), and Mastercard Gold from TF Bank. With at least 2 of these cards, you can almost always withdraw money free of charge at ATMs abroad and pay on-site without incurring foreign transaction fees!

-> Here you can find all my tips and experiences for comparing the best travel credit cards.

No vaccinations are required for Jordan. However, standard vaccinations such as tetanus, diphtheria, hepatitis A and B, rabies, and typhus are generally recommended for travel. You should generally check and refresh your vaccinations before every trip.

A proof of yellow fever vaccination is required when entering from infection areas.

Check my travel pharmacy

Many travelers only think about travel insurance shortly before departure. But by then, it's often too late. If you fall off a ladder right before your trip and break your leg, you might lose a lot of money.

That's why I have listed which travel insurances (travel baggage, trip cancellation insurance,...) are worth considering.

The official currency is the Jordanian Dinar (JOD or JD). One dinar equals 100 piastres or 1000 fils.

My tip for credit cards without foreign fees for travel

I always withdraw cash in local currency from ATMs (ATM) immediately upon arrival at the airport. The exchange rate is better this way than exchanging money at one of the many currency exchange offices (or even in Germany) beforehand. With the DKB Visa Card (with regular income), I don't have to pay any fees when withdrawing abroad.

Note: In cities, you can always pay with a credit card. If you stay overnight in Wadi Rum, you should always have cash on hand just in case. It's definitely a good idea to check in advance if your accommodations accept credit cards.

Direct flights to Jordan start at around $500 with Royal Jordanian depending on the travel season, a rental car costs from €19 per day (for instance, Sunny Cars, one week from €133), and a simple meal starts at €3.

Street vendors sell flatbread stacked for less than €1 in a bag. Otherwise, as with everywhere, there is food and accommodations in all price categories.

For 1 week in Jordan, you should budget around €1,300.

LOOKING FOR A RENTAL CAR?

For searching for a rental car, we recommend using the platforms Check24 or Billiger Mietwagen. I also compare prices with Sunny Cars. -> Find tips for booking a rental car here. -> Don't have a credit card? Then read here how you can rent a car without a credit card.

In Jordan, tipping is customary when you are satisfied with the service. Housekeepers and porters receive half a dinar per day. If you give too little, it is considered an insult. Otherwise, the 10% rule applies. Taxi drivers do not expect tips, but it's good to round up the fare.

You can definitely travel independently in Jordan. Even though many say that it's not necessarily a country to drive yourself, I don't understand why. The roads are well-maintained and signs are everywhere in English. Thanks to Google Maps, navigating through Jordan is also easy. Even in Wadi Rum, we had cell reception and internet.

Only if you want to leave the tourist paths will it may be difficult with communication, even though English is an official language and taught in schools.

Royal Jordanian offers domestic flights from Amman to Aqaba or vice versa. These always cost around €100. A drive by car takes about 4 hours. Therefore, you should carefully consider whether flying is worth it. Also, in times of climate change, you should consider avoiding flights.

You can drive in Jordan with a rental car. The roads (the ones I've driven on) are in good condition. Signs are everywhere in English and mobile navigation works well. However, for Wadi Rum, you should book a guide to avoid getting stuck in the sand of the desert. A four-wheel drive vehicle is a must.

If you have no experience driving in the sand, I advise against it (I myself have driven in deep sand in Botswana- I enjoy it because I know what to pay attention to).

LOOKING FOR A RENTAL CAR?

For searching for a rental car, we recommend using the platforms Check24 or Billiger Mietwagen. I also compare prices with Sunny Cars. -> Find tips for booking a rental car here. -> Don't have a credit card? Then read here how you can rent a car without a credit card.

Jordan is in Arabia Standard Time (AST). The time difference to the United States is +8 hours in winter and +7 hours in summer, as there is no daylight saving time in Jordan.

The official language is Arabic. However, many Jordanians speak good English or even German, as the tourism sector is very important for the country. In cities and tourist areas, you won't have any problems with communication.

The best time to visit Jordan is between September - November and March - May. The days are warm and the nights pleasant to cool. December - February is also okay, but there can be rain showers or even snow.

In July and August, it is often unbearably hot. Therefore, I advise against traveling to Jordan during the summer months.

I was in Jordan in November. The days were pleasantly warm and only rarely really hot. Nights were comfortable, never dropping below 20° Celsius.

Jordan is a country you can visit all year round. There is always sunshine, the climate is pleasant and moderate. In spring, it can be very rainy and cooler. In winter, however, it can be very cold in the desert. In Aqaba and at the Dead Sea, temperatures are always pleasantly warm or very hot in the summer.

In some hotels, you don't need an adapter, as our sockets are also available. Rarely did we need a plug adapter.

The outlets in Jordan are C, D, F, G, and J. The voltage is 230V.

I recommend buying this practical travel adapter (image).

With four USB ports, it is compatible in 224 countries. The travel adapter with 2000W Fast Charge can be used in most countries, like the USA, Europe, UK, and Asia.

Buy a travel adapter here.

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