◆ Country guide · Western Asia

Jordan, north to the Red Sea

11.9M

People

89,318

km²

–440 m

Dead Sea shore

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Petra is why most people book, and it is a fraction of the trip. Roman cities in the north, a Crusader road down the spine, the lowest shore on earth and a desert of sandstone towers, in a country you can cross in a day.

Jordan at a glance

Best months

Apr · May · Oct

Ideal length

7–10 days

Budget / day

$70–160

Language

Arabic

Getting around

Rental car

When to visit Jordan

Two shoulder seasons carry the year: spring for green hills, autumn for a walkable desert.

Full month guide →

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Best: April, May and October, when the desert is walkable all day Peak: December, when the holidays fill Petra and the Dead Sea hotels Good: March, June, September and November, hot or cool at the edges but workable Hardest: July and August in the south, January and February in the northern cold

Quick answer · where to go in Jordan

Fly into Queen Alia International Airport and use Amman as the hinge. North, Jerash, Ajloun and Umm Qais are day trips. West, the road drops to Madaba, Mount Nebo and the Dead Sea. South, take the King’s Highway for Karak, the Mujib gorge and Dana, or the Desert Highway for speed. Give Petra two days and Wadi Rum a night in a camp, and end in the Red Sea at Aqaba. A week does the loop. Ten days does it without driving tired.

1 Jordan city guide

The country layer comes first here. City guides follow it.

Aqaba

Asia · 10 picks

Fun fact

One number worth knowing

The shore of the Dead Sea is the lowest dry land on earth, and it keeps breaking its own record. The surface sat near 440 metres below sea level in 2025, against about 390 metres in 1930, and it has been dropping by roughly a metre a year since 2001 as the Jordan River is drawn off upstream.

Stereotypes, sorted out

The clichés you have heard, what is actually true, and how to fit in.

"Jordan is Petra, and Petra is a day."

The realityPetra is a city of tombs, temples and a colonnaded street spread over a valley, and the walk from the gate to the Monastery fills a day on its own. Treat it as two. Jerash in the north is one of the best preserved Roman provincial cities anywhere, and almost nobody gives it a day.

"It is all desert."

The realityThe eastern two thirds are desert. Amman sits over 700 metres up and gets snow in some winters, the northern hills are olive groves and pine, the Jordan Valley grows the country’s produce below sea level, and Dana crosses four biogeographic zones in one walk.

"The neighbours make it unsafe."

The realityJordan has been the stable address in a difficult neighbourhood for decades, and the classic route runs nowhere near a border zone. Advisories move with regional events, so check the current one. On the ground, expect tourist police at the sites and drivers keen to talk politics.

"There is nothing to do but look at ruins."

The realityThe country walks: the Jordan Trail runs its whole length, the Mujib gorge is a canyon waded upstream in summer, and Dana descends to Feynan on foot. Aqaba dives Red Sea reefs and a deliberately sunk aircraft. Wadi Rum is climbing, camel work and a night under a sky with no light pollution in it.

Petra and nothing elseEndless sandToo close to the conflictsJust a two-day add-on to another tripCamels everywhereThe Dead Sea is a photo stop

How to fit in

Hospitality is close to obligatory here. Tea or coffee will be offered constantly, and accepting one small cup is the polite move even when you do not want it.
Greet before you ask. A salam alaikum and a moment of small talk before a question is the difference between a transaction and a conversation, and it changes the answer you get.
Dress modestly in towns and at sites: shoulders and knees covered, for everyone. Resorts and hotel pools are the exception, not the rule.
Friday is the prayer day and the start of the weekend. Mornings are quiet, offices are shut, and family lunch takes over the middle of the day.
Ramadan reshapes daylight hours. Eat and drink out of sight during the fast, expect restaurants to open late, and take the invitation if you are asked to an iftar.
Ask before photographing people, especially women and especially in villages. At a Bedouin camp the reply is usually yes, but ask anyway.
The right hand is the eating hand, and mansaf is eaten from a shared platter. Follow whoever is hosting, and take from the section in front of you.

Famous Jordanian faces

The names behind Jordanian politics, sport, screen and science. Pick a field.

Ahmad Abughaush

Won Jordan’s first Olympic gold, in the men’s 68 kg taekwondo at Rio 2016

Mustafa Wahbi Al-Tal

Wrote as Arar, and is read as the national poet

Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, 2014 to 2018, the first Arab and Muslim in the post

Prince Ali bin Hussein

FIFA vice-president until 2015 and twice a candidate for its presidency

Yazan Al-Naimat

Forward, and a runner-up with Jordan at the 2023 Asian Cup, the country’s best finish

Saba Mubarak

Actress and producer, and one of the best-known Jordanian names in Arabic drama

Diana Karazon

Singer and presenter, who won the first season of the Arabic SuperStar in 2003

Zade Dirani

Pianist and composer, and a UNICEF goodwill ambassador for the region

Rana Dajani

Molecular biologist, and the founder of the We Love Reading library programme

Fadi Ghandour

Co-founded Aramex in 1982, the first Arab company listed on an American exchange

King Abdullah II

King since 1999, and a career army officer before the throne

Queen Rania

Queen consort since 1999 and a visible regional campaigner on schooling and refugees

King Hussein

King from 1952 until his death in 1999, and the shape of the modern kingdom is largely his

Musa Al-Taamari

Winger, and the first Jordanian to play and score in a top-five European league

Naji Abu Nowar

Directed Theeb, the first Jordanian film nominated for an Academy Award

Ibrahim Nasrallah

Palestinian-Jordanian novelist and poet, 2018 International Prize for Arabic Fiction

Queen Noor

American-born queen consort to King Hussein, a campaigner on landmines and refugees

Amer Shafi

Goalkeeper with 171 caps for Jordan from 2002 to 2021

Amin Matalqa

Director of Captain Abu Raed, a Sundance audience award winner

Must-try Jordanian food

Lamb, yoghurt and rice at the centre, and a mezze table around it. Pick a category.

Mansaf

National dish: lamb in jameed, a fermented dried yoghurt, over rice on a shared platter.

Makmoura

Northern layered pastry of chicken, onion, sumac and olive oil, cut like a pie.

Galayet bandora

Tomatoes cooked hard in olive oil with chilli and onion, scooped up with bread.

Hummus

Eaten warm for breakfast, loose and pooled with olive oil, with the bread doing the work.

Fatteh

Torn flatbread under chickpeas and yoghurt, topped with pine nuts and butter. Filling.

Falafel

Fried to order and handed over in paper with pickles and tahini. The cheapest good meal.

Shawarma

Chicken or lamb off the spit, wrapped with garlic sauce and pickles. Amman after dark.

Maqluba

Rice, meat and fried aubergine or cauliflower layered in a pot and turned out upside down.

Zarb

Meat and vegetables cooked for hours in a Bedouin sand oven. Dinner at a Wadi Rum camp.

Rashof

Lentils and cracked wheat in fermented yoghurt, with pickles. Winter comfort food.

Sayadieh

Fish over rice cooked with caramelised onion and cumin. The standard order in Aqaba.

Mutabbal

Flame-burnt aubergine worked with tahini, lemon and garlic. Smokier than baba ghanoush.

Msakhan

Roast chicken on taboon bread soaked in olive oil, sumac and slow-cooked onions.

Mashawi

Mixed grill of shish taouk, kofta and lamb over coals, with more bread than you ordered.

Knafeh nabulsieh

Stretchy white cheese under syrup-soaked pastry and pistachio, cut in front of you, hot.

Arabic coffee

Cardamom coffee poured from a dallah, refilled until you tilt the cup. Accept the first.

Shai bi na’na’

Black tea with mint and plenty of sugar, offered everywhere from shops to camp fires.

Know before you go

The essentials for planning a Jordan trip.

Currency

Jordanian dinar (JOD)

The dinar divides into 1,000 fils, so prices can show three decimal places. Cards work in Amman, the resorts and big sites. Camps and village stops take cash, so draw plenty before heading south.

Language

Arabic

Arabic is official. English is taught from primary school and is the working language of tourism, so hotels, guides and drivers use it. Shukran is thank you, and ahlan wa sahlan is the greeting.

Power

230V, 50Hz, mainly Type C, D, F, G and J

Sockets are mixed. European two-pin plugs usually fit, British three-pin sockets are common in hotels, and older buildings have round-pin types. A universal adapter covers it all.

Emergency

911

One number for police, ambulance and fire, answered in English and Arabic. Tourist police patrol the major sites, so find them first at Petra or Jerash if something goes wrong.

Visa

On arrival for most nationalities, or the Jordan Pass

Most visitors get a tourist visa at the airport. The Jordan Pass, bought online first, bundles Petra and dozens of sites and waives the visa fee if you stay its minimum nights. Check that term.

Land borders

No visa on arrival at King Hussein Bridge

King Hussein Bridge (Allenby) issues no visas on arrival, so arrive with one. Sheikh Hussein in the north and Wadi Araba near Aqaba do. Hours and conditions change, so check the official page.

Getting around

Rental car, JETT coaches and taxis

No passenger rail, so travel is by road. Hire a car for the King’s Highway and its stops. JETT coaches run from Amman to Petra, Wadi Rum, Aqaba, the Dead Sea and Jerash. Mountain roads run slow.

Tipping

Expected, and modest

Restaurants often add a service charge, and a little extra is normal. Round up taxis, and tip a guide, camp host or driver who spent the day with you. Nobody pushes.

Weekend

Friday and Saturday

The week runs Sunday to Thursday. Government offices and many businesses close on Friday, the main prayer day, so mornings are quiet. Sites and hotels keep their own hours.

Alcohol

Legal, and not everywhere

Alcohol is sold in hotels, licensed restaurants and liquor shops in Amman, Aqaba and resorts. Small towns and conservative areas do not sell it, Ramadan tightens things, and public drinking is out.

Dress

Cover shoulders and knees in town

Nothing is imposed, but modest dress is the norm: shoulders and knees covered in towns, villages and sites. Swimwear suits resort and hotel pools. Bring a scarf for mosques.

Water

One of the driest countries on earth

Jordan is among the most water-scarce countries on earth: roof tanks everywhere, home supply on a weekly schedule. Tap water is chlorinated, but most drink filtered or bottled. Keep showers short.

Heat and sun

Desert extremes, both ways

Summer in Wadi Rum, Aqaba and on the Dead Sea is severe, and the low shore runs hotter than forecasts. Amman, over 700 metres up, has cold winter nights and roads closed by snow some years.

Jordan travel FAQ

How many days do you need in Jordan?+

A week covers the standard loop without rushing: a day in and around Amman, a day north for Jerash and Ajloun, a night on the Dead Sea, two days at Petra, a night in a Wadi Rum camp and a day in Aqaba. Ten days lets you take the King’s Highway slowly, add Dana or the Mujib gorge, and stop driving before dark. Anything under five days means choosing between the north and the south.

Is the Jordan Pass worth buying?+

For most itineraries, yes. It is bought online before arrival, covers entry to Petra and a long list of other sites, and waives the tourist visa fee provided you stay the minimum number of nights it sets. Petra is the biggest single admission on a Jordan itinerary, so the pass usually pays for itself. Read the conditions on the official site, not a reseller's: the minimum-stay term decides it, and it must be bought before you land.

When is the best time to visit Jordan?+

Spring and autumn. April, May and October are the months when Petra can be walked all day, Wadi Rum is comfortable after dark and the north is still green. July and August are severe in the south, where the Dead Sea shore and the desert both bake. Winter is the opposite problem: Amman is over 700 metres up, nights are cold, and snow closes roads in some years. Aqaba stays mild all winter, and Jordanians go there in January.

Do you need a car in Jordan?+

Not necessarily, but it changes the trip. There is no passenger rail network, so everything moves by road. JETT coaches link Amman with Petra, Wadi Rum, Aqaba, the Dead Sea and Jerash on a schedule that suits a straightforward loop, and taxis and drivers fill the gaps. A rental car is what makes the King’s Highway worth taking, because that road is about stopping at Karak, the Mujib overlook and Dana. Roads are good, signage is bilingual, and the driving is assertive but manageable.

Is Jordan safe to visit?+

Jordan is a stable country and tourism is a core part of its economy, with tourist police stationed at the major sites. Advisories do single out a narrow strip along the Syrian border, and nothing on a normal itinerary goes near it: Petra, Wadi Rum, Aqaba, the Dead Sea and Amman all sit far from any border zone. Regional events have moved advice up and down more than once in recent years, so check your own government’s current advisory before booking and do not trust a page written earlier.

How long do you need at Petra?+

Two days. Day one is the walk in through the Siq to the Treasury and along the colonnaded street, which is most of the distance people underestimate. Day two is the climb to the Monastery and the high places above the valley, which is where the site stops being a photograph and starts being a city. The Jordan Pass covers multiple days at Petra depending on the tier bought, so the second day costs stamina and no extra admission.

Jordan by theme

Themed Top 10s that pass through Jordan.

All themes →

№01→

Largest deserts

№02→

Winter sun

Planning a Jordan trip?

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