To wake in that desert dawn was like waking in the heart of an opal…. See the desert on a fine morning and die — if you can!
Gertrude Bell
Jordan is more than a unique country to visit. It has wild and different landscapes, thousands of years of history, an intriguing culinary tradition and an interesting cultural heritage. Visiting Jordan together with Egypt, was one of my childhood dreams that I never imagined I could realise.
When I started seeing the Jordanian desert from the plane, I pinched myself and couldn’t contain my excitement. Of course, growing up as a huge Indiana Jones fan, my scope of the trip was seeing Petra. However, after touring the country from north to south, I soon realised that Jordan has much more than Petra to offer. It is an extraordinary country that needs to be deeply explored, regardless of its inestimable archaeological treasures. Sometimes after my trip, reflecting about all the experienced I did in Jordan, I realised that yes, Petra was important. Nevertheless, my two main highlights were canyoning in the Wadi Mujib and seeing the Madaba Map. Something I would never expected before the trip. Therefore, before focusing your itinerary only around Petra, I recommend you explore a little further. Jerash, Amman and the Wadi Rum are definitively worth an extra couple of days.
Jordan Travel Information
The capital city of Jordan is Amman. This is also the largest city of the country and formerly named as “Philadelphia”. Because of its Roman heritage, the city still preserve valuable archaeological sites that are worth to spend one or 2 days.
The local currency is the Jordanian Dinar (JOD orm JD). This is a strong currency and you will see the change with Euro or GBP is not the best. The U.S. dollar is exchanged at a fixed rate of 0.70 since 1995.
Arabic is the official language of Jordan. English is well-understood. We didn’t have any issue in communicating with people.
Booking your hotel in advance is essential to avoid last minute scams and stay at your preferred accommodation. I always get the best rates on Booking.com and I booked here all my stays in Jordan.
Get a local SIM card. It is very likely your operator won’t work in Jordan and if you decide to drive, you’ll need some data. One of the most reliable company is Orange. We used this also in Egypt and it worked perfectly. Here, we got an all inclusive tourist plan with unlimited data and paid 15 JD.
Driving in Jordan
Road conditions changes depending where you go. There are some new-paved roads (particularly near Aqaba and Amman) and not really pleasant old and dusty desert roads (in Petra and Wadi Rum). About this, I recommend you to read my specific guide Driving in Jordan.
Safety in Jordan
Jordan is surrounded by 4 different countries (Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Israel). However, despite some of its “problematic” neighbours, Jordan is considered one of the safest countries to visit in the Middle East. Women travellers are generally safe in Jordan and I felt that men were a little more respectful of the genre compared to Egypt or India. However, you should always use your common sense (especially if travelling alone)
As you will walk a lot in crowded places, particularly in Petra, I recommend to place your passport and cash in a Invisible Money Belt. My best suggestion is to keep on your wallet only small pieces of cash and hide the rest in the money belt. Indeed, this is very discrete and will ensure you can go around safely and without gaining unwanted attention.
Do I need a visa to travel to Jordan?
Most countries can apply for a VISA on arrival and pay the cost at the passports checks. However, if you buy the Jordan Pass, the cost of your visa will be waived.
Where I have been in Jordan
Jordan Travel Guides
