Essential Information for Travelling to Jordan

This is just a short guide of some travel information to help plan your travels to Jordan. I always recommend you look on your government travel website to find more information. 

Please only use this post as a guide, and conduct your own research. This however, will give some information on Visa’s, solo traveling, tipping and more.

Visa 

You will need a Visa to travel to Jordan, and it is highly recommended that you get a Jordan Pass. This will cover the entry cost to majority of the main attractions, including Petra. It’s much better value than buying a visa and entry fees individually. 

• Jordan Wanderer 70 JDs
• Jordan Explorer 75 JDs
• Jordan Expert 80 JDs 

Is it Safe to Travel Alone? 

After visiting Jordan, I would say it’s very safe to travel alone, even as a female. Like most places if you visit alone as a female, you are likely to get some attention, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as some other places I’ve visited. My tips would be to dress modestly, I wore mainly pants and tank tops which covered my chest. I would throw on a scarf or blouse to cover my shoulders when needed. If you are worried, I would participate in group tour instead. 

I still, however, would not walk around alone at night or through dark alley ways. I would share my location with friends, and make sure that I check number plates when getting in taxis or Ubers. 

Transport in Jordan

There are several ways you can make your way around Jordan, either by bus, public transport, tour, or taxi. The cheapest form of transport is via the buses, the easiest being a tour. 

Taxis

If you are catching a Taxi in Jordan, make sure it has a metre and is registered. You can catch reputable taxis from the taxi counter at the airport and from your hotel front desk.

Ubers

Jordan does have Uber, and these are relatively cheap. This is a great way to get around the main cities such as Amman at a cheaper cost. You can use the Uber app to book. 

Health 

It’s always recommended to check with your doctor before travelling to a new destination. Please only use this information as a guide, as I do not have any medical training. 

Please check your government travel websites for more information – For Australia this is smartraveller.gov.au

Suggested Vaccines: Hepatitis A, Tetanus, typhoid and Cholera vaccine. 

Electricity 

The supply in Jordan is 220V AC, 50HZ – the same as in Europe. Most of the newer buildings have the UK 3 prong style plug, whereas the older buildings have the 2 prong EU style plug. 

I recommend getting a universal travel adaptor like this one here.

Travel Insurance 

It is always recommended that you are getting travel insurance when travelling anywhere outside your home country. I always get my travel insurance with Covermore, as it has some of the best coverage for electronics, photography and computers. It also has excellent all-round cover, even on their most basic insurance policies. 

Jordan Opening Hours and Public Holidays

Jordans working week runs from Sunday to Thursday. During this time peak hour traffic can be very bad coming and going from Amman (Capital city). The public sector office hours are 8am to 3pm, although Friday is technically the weekend, banks tend to close only on Saturday.  Supermarkets and shops are typically open from 9am to 9pm, so if you have early travel plans, make sure to stock up on snacks the night prior. 

Public Holidays

• January 1^st – New Years Day
• May 1^st Labour Day
• May 25^th Independence Day 
• December 25^th – Christmas Day 

Sim Cards 

I do recommend you get a sim card when in Jordan to help with communication. The top Sim card companies with the best connection are Orange or Umnia. I went with Umnia and had 4G in almost every place I visited. You can buy a sim card at the arrival’s hall in the airport. I was about to get a SIM with 30G of data on it for 10 JD, which is about $22 AUD. This SIM card also lasted 30 days. 

You can also get an ESIM which is much more convenient, but it is a lot more expensive then buying a regular sim.

Tipping 

In a good restaurant, even with a service charge – tipping is customary. You can either round the bill up slightly or add your desired amount. Low budget restaurants don’t expect a tip, but it is welcomed. For travel drivers who drive you around for a who day, expect to tip anywhere between 5-10JD.

If you are on a tour, you are most likely to have a ‘tipping kitty’, where the guides will collect an amount for the group and distribute it over the hotel, restaurant and transport staff. 

ATMs and Money Exchange 

The main currency of Jordan is Jordanian Dinar, although some places will accept USD. I recommend exchanging your money to USD at the airport, then finding a Western Union to exchange it to JD. This will give you the best exchange rate. 

You can also get money out at various ATM across Jordan. I would recommend asking your hotel staff which one is best in the location you are in. As some ATMs are known to eat cards. You will also have to pay an ATM fee.