Who it's for
Is Jordan right for your trip?
Every country is somebody's favourite. The honest question is whether it is yours, and for this trip.
This is your trip if…
- You want a road-trip country where a week delivers archaeology, desert and sea.
- You will give Petra two days and start the first at opening time.
- You enjoy Bedouin hospitality, slow tea and camps without expecting resort polish.
- You are comfortable driving or hiring a driver on quiet, well-signed roads.
Think twice if…
- You expect nightlife or a drinking culture outside Amman and Aqaba hotels.
- You will travel in July or August and plan long desert or canyon days.
- You want budget beach resorts; Aqaba and the Dead Sea are hotel-priced.
- You are unsettled by regional news; Jordan itself is calm, but neighbours are not.
Best time to visit
When is the best time to visit Jordan?
March–May and September–November; winter is quiet and cool, summer is hot inland. Spring and autumn give warm days, cool nights and green hills in the north; these are also the busiest and priciest months around Petra and Wadi Rum. Winter is cold and occasionally wet in Amman, with snow possible on the plateau, while Aqaba and the Dead Sea stay mild and quiet. Summer brings highs above 35 °C on the plateau and above 40 °C in the desert and Rift Valley; only early mornings and the Red Sea work well.
- Best
Spring
March–May
Wildflowers in the north, warm days at Petra and Rum, the highest demand for camps and Wadi Musa rooms.
- Mixed
Summer
June–August
Hot everywhere and severe in the desert and Rift Valley; Petra is bearable only at dawn and evening, Aqaba diving stays excellent.
- Best
Autumn
September–November
Stable, warm and dry; the second peak, with olive harvest in the north and comfortable desert nights.
- Good
Winter
December–February
Cold nights and possible rain or snow on the plateau; Petra is quiet, the Dead Sea and Aqaba are mild, and flash floods can close wadis.
Climate · monthly normals
Highland Mediterranean: wet, cool winters and dry, warm summers at around 800–1,000 m.
For contrast
Red Sea desert: mild winters and very hot, almost rainless summers at sea level.
Festivals and events
What is worth planning around?
Dates a plan should either aim for or steer clear of. Both are useful; the second saves more money.
Movable; Ramadan runs February–March in 2026, Eid al-Adha in late May
Ramadan and the Eids
Nationwide
Daytime restaurants close outside hotels, evenings fill with iftar and late gatherings; both Eids bring domestic travel and full rooms.
Sites stay open with shorter hours; book Petra and Aqaba early if the Eid holidays overlap.
July–August
Jerash Festival for Culture and Arts
Jerash
Concerts and performances in the Roman theatres and colonnaded streets, the country's largest cultural event.
25 May
Independence Day
Nationwide, centred on Amman
Parades and evening celebrations mark the 1946 independence; offices close and roads in central Amman are busy.
October–November
Olive harvest
Ajloun, Jerash and the north
Families pick and press olives across the northern hills; farm stays and presses welcome visitors.
Arrange through a local host or cooperative rather than expecting a scheduled event.
Where to go
Where should you go in Jordan?
The places that earn their nights, most important first, with how long each deserves. Nobody needs all of them on one trip.
City and local guides
6 worked-out stopsMap numbers match the local guide cards.
- 01
Amman
Middle East
city2–3 daysAmman's citadel, Roman theatre and the old downtown deserve a full day; Jabal Amman, Weibdeh and Jabal al-Lweibdeh's cafés, galleries and restaurants deserve the evenings.
Best time: April–June and September–October
Explore Amman - 02
Petra & Wadi Musa
Middle East
travel base2–3 daysPetra is a landscape, not a façade. Two days let you enter the Siq early, climb to the Monastery and the High Place, and return by the back trail from Little Petra without racing.
Best time: October–April
Explore Petra & Wadi Musa - 03
Wadi Rum
Middle East
travel base1–2 daysA protected area of red dunes and rock bridges reached by jeep from the village; sleep in a Bedouin-run camp, climb a scramble at dawn and keep the tour short.
Best time: October–April
Explore Wadi Rum - 04
Dead Sea
Middle East
travel base1–2 daysFloat from a resort or public beach, then use the base for Mount Nebo, Madaba's mosaics, Wadi Mujib's canyon and the Baptism Site; the shoreline recedes each year.
Best time: October–April
Explore Dead Sea - 05
Jerash & the north
Middle East
travel base1–2 daysJerash is among the best-preserved Roman provincial cities anywhere; pair it with Ajloun's Ayyubid castle, the forest reserve and Umm Qais overlooking the Sea of Galilee.
Best time: April–June and September–October
Explore Jerash & the north - 06
Aqaba
Middle East
city2–3 daysAqaba's reefs sit within minutes of shore, the town is relaxed and duty-free, and the Wadi Rum turn-off is an hour away; it works as a warm end to the road south.
Best time: October–April
Explore Aqaba
Things to do
What should you do in Jordan?
Not a bucket list — the handful of things that make this country this country, with the timing catch that stops people doing them well.
- 01
Enter Petra at opening
Petra
The Siq is empty and cool before eight; the Treasury light is best mid-morning, so walk deep first and return.
- 02
Take the back route from Little Petra
Siq al-Barid to the Monastery
A guided walk arrives at the Monastery from above with a fraction of the main-trail crowds; arrange it a day ahead.
- 03
Hike Wadi Mujib's Siq Trail
Dead Sea
A wade-and-scramble through a flooded sandstone canyon, open roughly April to October; wear shoes that can get wet.
- 04
Sleep in a Bedouin camp with a small jeep tour
Wadi Rum
Choose a village-based, family-run camp and ask for a half-day tour with time on foot rather than a six-hour drive-through.
- 05
Drive the King's Highway
Madaba to Petra
Karak castle, Wadi Mujib's rim and Dana's village make the slow road worth a full day over the Desert Highway.
- 06
Eat mansaf and knafeh in Amman
Downtown and Jabal Amman
The national dish and the syrup-soaked cheese pastry are best in busy, unfussy places; Habibah's knafeh queue is part of the experience.
How to get around
How do you get around Jordan?
A rental car or private driver is the natural way to link Amman, the Dead Sea, the King's Highway, Petra, Wadi Rum and Aqaba; roads are good, signage is bilingual and distances are short. JETT coaches connect Amman with Petra and Aqaba, minibuses serve locals on secondary routes, and there is no passenger rail.
Rental car or driver
Amman to Petra is three hours by the Desert Highway or a full day by the King's Highway; Petra to Wadi Rum and on to Aqaba adds two easy hours. Drive defensively and avoid night driving outside cities.
Rule of thumb: Any multi-stop route → drive or hire a driver.
JETT and minibuses
JETT runs comfortable daily coaches from Amman to Petra, Aqaba and the Dead Sea; local minibuses cover Wadi Musa to Rum and Aqaba but leave when full.
Taxis and day tours
Taxis are metered in Amman and negotiable elsewhere; day tours from Amman reach Jerash, the Dead Sea and Madaba if you would rather not drive.
Aqaba domestic link
Royal Jordanian flies Amman–Aqaba in under an hour, useful for an open-jaw route that ends at the Red Sea.
Passes and cards, honestly
- The Jordan Pass covers the visa fee and entry to Petra, Jerash, Wadi Rum and most state sites; choose the tier matching your Petra days.
- No transport pass exists; JETT tickets are bought per journey and rental cars are priced per day.
Travel tips
What should you know before you go?
The things locals assume you know. Most travellers learn them by getting one wrong on day two.
- Hospitality is real, not staged
- Tea invitations from shopkeepers, drivers and Bedouin hosts are ordinary; accept when you can and do not treat them as sales tactics.
- Dress modestly outside hotels
- Shoulders and knees covered is the norm in towns, souks and religious sites; beachwear belongs to hotel beaches at Aqaba and the Dead Sea.
- Petra's community lives in the site
- The Bdoul Bedouin were relocated from the ruins in the 1980s and still work there; buy from them directly and refuse donkey or camel rides for animals in poor condition.
- Refugees are neighbours
- Jordan hosts millions of Palestinians, Syrians and Iraqis; conversations about the region are common and warrant listening more than opinions.
- Water is scarce
- Jordan is among the driest countries on earth; short showers and refilled bottles matter here more than almost anywhere.
Travel basics
Visa, money, SIM cards and more
The boring section, which is why it is the one people skip and then regret at the airport.
visa
Jordan Pass or visa on arrival
Buy the Jordan Pass online before arrival: it waives the visa fee for stays of three nights or more and includes Petra and more than forty sites. Land-border and Aqaba arrivals have their own rules.
money
Dinars, cash for the south
Cards work in Amman, hotels and Petra ticketing; carry cash for camps, taxis, tips and village shops. The dinar is pegged to the US dollar and ATMs are common in towns.
connectivity
Cheap tourist SIMs
Zain, Orange and Umniah sell data SIMs at the airport; coverage is good on main roads and patchy inside Wadi Rum and the canyons.
plugs
Mixed sockets, 230 V
Types C, D, F, G and J all appear, often in the same hotel; carry a universal adapter.
safety
Calm country, tense region
Crime against visitors is rare and roads are well policed; follow current official advice about the Syrian and Iraqi borders and check flight and airspace news during regional escalations.
health
Sun, heat and canyon floods
Carry water and shade for Petra and Rum, avoid wadis after rain in winter, and note that Dead Sea water burns eyes and cuts; tap water is best avoided outside Amman hotels.
Trip costs
How much does a trip to Jordan cost?
A mid-range trip usually needs about €80–€170 per person per day, before long-haul flights. Jordan is not a cheap country: Petra tickets, Wadi Rum camps, Dead Sea hotels and rental cars are priced for international visitors, while food, buses and Amman guesthouses remain reasonable. The Jordan Pass pays for itself on any stay of three nights or more that includes Petra.
Shoestring
€€45–80
per person / day
- Stay
- Hostel or family guesthouse
- Food
- Falafel, hummus, shawarma and bakery breakfasts
- Transport
- JETT buses and shared taxis
Fine for Amman and Petra; Rum and the Dead Sea need a group or a compromise.
Mid-range
€€80–170
per person / day
- Stay
- Three-star hotel or Bedouin camp
- Food
- Local restaurants and one hotel dinner
- Transport
- Rental car or a driver for the southern loop
The realistic level for a self-driven ten-day route.
Comfortable
€€200–420
per person / day
- Stay
- Dead Sea resort, Petra boutique hotel, luxury Rum camp
- Food
- Hotel dining and guided food walks
- Transport
- Private driver-guide throughout
Spend on a Petra guide and a well-run desert camp rather than on Amman rooms.
Sample itineraries
Starting points, not scripts
Each of these is a real request you could hand to Menta as written. Change the people, the month and the pace; the structure will hold.
Classic Jordan
8 days- Amman
- Dead Sea
- Petra
- Wadi Rum
- Aqaba
The essential north-to-south loop with two Petra days, one desert night and a Red Sea finish before the drive or flight back to Amman.
North to south by the King's Highway
11 days- Amman
- Jerash
- Madaba
- Dead Sea
- Karak
- Dana
- Petra
- Wadi Rum
A slower drive that adds Jerash, Ajloun, Madaba's mosaics and Dana Biosphere Reserve before the southern anchors.
Winter warmth and archaeology
7 days- Aqaba
- Wadi Rum
- Petra
- Dead Sea
- Amman
A south-to-north winter route arriving at Aqaba, when the desert and Petra are quiet and the Rift Valley is mild.
Common questions
Quick answers about travel in Jordan
Short answers to the questions people ask before they book. Use the full guide for the detail and trade-offs.
- When is the best time to visit Jordan?
- March–May and September–November; winter is quiet and cool, summer is hot inland. Spring and autumn give warm days, cool nights and green hills in the north; these are also the busiest and priciest months around Petra and Wadi Rum. Winter is cold and occasionally wet in Amman, with snow possible on the plateau, while Aqaba and the Dead Sea stay mild and quiet. Summer brings highs above 35 °C on the plateau and above 40 °C in the desert and Rift Valley; only early mornings and the Red Sea work well.
- How much does a trip to Jordan cost?
- Plan about €80–€170 per person per day for a mid-range trip, before long-haul flights. Jordan is not a cheap country: Petra tickets, Wadi Rum camps, Dead Sea hotels and rental cars are priced for international visitors, while food, buses and Amman guesthouses remain reasonable. The Jordan Pass pays for itself on any stay of three nights or more that includes Petra.
- How do you get around Jordan?
- A rental car or private driver is the natural way to link Amman, the Dead Sea, the King's Highway, Petra, Wadi Rum and Aqaba; roads are good, signage is bilingual and distances are short. JETT coaches connect Amman with Petra and Aqaba, minibuses serve locals on secondary routes, and there is no passenger rail.
More destinations
Where else?
- JapanA megacity, a thousand temples and trains that leave to the second.
- ChinaImperial capitals, fast trains, regional tables and landscapes at continental scale.
- ItalyThree civilisations' worth of cities, and lunch takes two hours.
- SpainEurope's longest high-speed rail, five cultures, and lunch at three.
- PortugalTwo hilly cities, a valley of port and a long Atlantic coast.
- GreeceAntiquity, two hundred inhabited islands and a ferry timetable to respect.
- IcelandOne road, no trains, and weather that rewrites the plan daily.
- ThailandStreet food, temples, two coasts and Asia's cheapest good hotel room.
- VietnamTwo capitals, one slow railway and the best street food in Asia.
- MoroccoMedinas, the High Atlas and the Sahara, a ferry ride from Europe.
- MexicoA 3,000-year-old civilisation, the best street food on earth, and two coastlines.
- Costa RicaCloud forest, two coasts, volcanoes and wildlife best seen slowly.
- The BahamasShallow banks, island towns and water-led journeys between cays.
- BarbadosCoral coasts, Bajan food and an island with several speeds.
- CubaLayered cities, karst valleys and a journey that needs patience.
- Dominican RepublicCaribbean cities, mountain interiors and coasts beyond the resort gate.
- JamaicaMusic, mountain rain, strong food and coasts with different rhythms.
- FranceGreat cities, long lunches, mountains and a coast for every mood.
- United KingdomHistoric cities, wild coastlines and weather worth planning around.
- GermanyBig culture, small cities, forests and trains with caveats.
- NetherlandsCanals, art, cycling and small cities that reward staying longer.
- CroatiaAdriatic islands, stone towns, clear water and a crowded August.
- TurkeyMosques, markets, ancient cities and coastlines on a huge scale.
- SwitzerlandAlps, lakes and trains that make the expensive route feel simple.
- AustriaImperial cities, Alpine lakes, music and excellent rail links.
- NorwayFjords, midnight light, coastal towns and beautiful long distances.
- SwedenArchipelagoes, forests, design and summer light that lasts.
- FinlandLakes, saunas, forests and a capital built for slow days.
- CzechiaBeautiful old towns, serious beer and an easy train route beyond Prague.
- PolandDeep history, lively cities, forests, lakes and mountain food.
- IrelandAtlantic cliffs, music-filled towns, green roads and weather in charge.
- AustraliaBig distances, old landscapes, city beaches and wildlife in the wild.
- New ZealandVolcanoes, fjords, coast roads and a country made for the outdoors.
- IndonesiaVolcanoes, rice fields, reefs and thousands of islands to choose from.
- South KoreaFast cities, quiet temples, mountain trails and food at every hour.
- United StatesHuge landscapes, distinct cities and a route that must respect the map.
- CanadaBig wilderness, thoughtful cities and distances that need their own plan.
- ArgentinaBig-city appetite, Andean wine country and Patagonia at full scale.
- BrazilAtlantic cities, living cultures and continental-scale nature.
- ChileDesert sky, Pacific cities, volcano lakes and Patagonian wind.
- ColombiaHighland cities, Caribbean history and coffee-country roads.
- PeruAndean cities, living food cultures and Amazon headwaters.
- IndiaMughal cities, desert forts, sacred rivers and a monsoon coast.
- Sri LankaTea hills, ancient cities and two coasts with opposite seasons.
- NepalHimalayan trails, Newar cities and lowland jungle in one country.
- MalaysiaHawker cities, tea hills, island coasts and Bornean rainforest.
- PhilippinesIsland archipelago where the flight map decides the trip.
- CambodiaAngkor's stone, the Mekong's rhythm and a country still healing.
- TaiwanNight markets, high-speed rail and a mountainous Pacific island.
- LaosSlow Mekong days, mountain roads and a new railway.
- United Arab EmiratesSeven emirates, two big cities and a mountain-and-desert hinterland.
- OmanForts, wadis, dunes and turtle beaches on the Arabian Sea.
- EgyptThe Nile corridor, Red Sea reefs and five thousand years in sequence.
- South AfricaTwo oceans, self-drive safari and cities with unfinished histories.
- KenyaSavannah, highlands and a Swahili coast, sequenced by rain.
- TanzaniaThe northern circuit, Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar, priced honestly.
- NamibiaSelf-drive desert, empty roads and Africa's darkest skies.
- BelgiumFlemish art cities, Brussels institutions and forested Ardennes valleys.
- DenmarkCopenhagen design, island villages and long Jutland beaches.
- HungaryThermal baths, Danube grandeur, wine hills and the Great Plain.
- SloveniaAlpine lakes, an emerald river, karst caves and a Venetian coast.
- GeorgiaCaucasus villages, eight-thousand-year wine and a serious table.
- MontenegroA fjord-like bay, limestone peaks and a short, crowded coast.
- AlbaniaOttoman towns, an Ionian riviera and a raw alpine north.
- RomaniaSaxon towns, Carpathian wilderness and Europe's largest wetland.
- BulgariaMonasteries, mountain villages and a working Black Sea coast.
- SlovakiaAlpine peaks, castle ruins and wooden churches on a rail spine.
- Bosnia and HerzegovinaOttoman bazaars, stone bridges and wild rivers between mountains.
- EstoniaMedieval Tallinn, bog boardwalks, island manors and long white nights.
- LatviaArt Nouveau Riga, castle valleys, a wooden spa coast and deep forest.
- LithuaniaBaroque Vilnius, a dune spit, lake castles and pine spa towns.
- MaltaLimestone capital, Neolithic temples, harbour ferries and Gozo's slow coast.
- CyprusDivided capital, mosaic coast, painted mountain churches and a wild peninsula.
- SingaporeA dense, humid city-state that rewards districts, not landmarks.
- MaldivesAtolls, reefs and two very different ways to stay.
- BhutanHimalayan valleys, dzongs and a daily fee that shapes everything.
- UzbekistanSilk Road cities linked by fast trains and desert roads.
- EthiopiaRock churches, highland monasteries and a distinct calendar.
- UgandaGorillas, chimpanzees, the Nile and crater-lake forests.
- RwandaGorilla volcanoes, tea hills and a compact, orderly country.
- BotswanaDelta floods, elephant rivers and empty Kalahari pans.
- ZambiaWalking safaris, wild rivers and the Zambian side of Victoria Falls.
- MadagascarLemurs, baobabs and an island that evolved apart.
- MauritiusLagoon coasts, a volcanic interior and a Creole, Indian and Chinese island.
- TunisiaCarthage, medinas, Roman arenas and the Saharan oases.
- GuatemalaMaya highlands, volcano lakes and a Petén forest of ruins.
- PanamaCanal city, Caribbean archipelagos and cloud-forest coffee.
- EcuadorVolcano avenue, cloud forest, Amazon edge and the Galápagos.
- BoliviaAltiplano salt, Aymara cities and a wide Amazon lowland.
- UruguayCalm capital, Atlantic beaches and slow wine country.
- FijiReef islands, village life and two big green mainlands.
- SerbiaDanube cities, monastery hills and long-table hospitality.
- North MacedoniaOhrid's lake, Ottoman bazaars and mountain villages in a small compass.
- KosovoEurope's youngest country: café capital, Ottoman Prizren and alpine valleys.
- MoldovaUnderground wine cities, cliff monasteries and Europe's least-visited country.
- ArmeniaStone monasteries, Ararat views and a capital that stays up late.
- AzerbaijanCaspian capital, mud volcanoes and Caucasus villages above the tea plains.
- LuxembourgFortress capital, Moselle wine and Ardennes castles by free bus.
- AndorraPyrenean principality of ski valleys, Romanesque chapels and thermal spas.
- Faroe IslandsEighteen basalt islands of sea cliffs, tunnels and turf-roofed villages.
- GreenlandIcebergs, ice sheet and Inuit towns reached only by air and sea.
- KazakhstanTian Shan foothills, steppe capital and canyon country by air.
- KyrgyzstanYurt stays, alpine lakes and horse treks in the Tian Shan.
- TajikistanPamir Highway, Wakhan villages and turquoise Fann lakes.
- PakistanMughal Lahore and the Karakoram, planned region by region.
- BangladeshRiver delta, mangrove tigers, tea gardens and Dhaka's old city.
- Hong KongVertical harbour city, outlying islands and surprising country parks.
- BruneiWater village, gilded mosques and untouched Borneo rainforest.
- Timor-LesteReef walls, mountain villages and a young nation's coastline.
- Saudi ArabiaNabataean tombs, Red Sea reefs and a fast-changing kingdom.
- QatarA compact Gulf peninsula built around one polished capital.
- GhanaAtlantic forts, Ashanti heritage and a warm, workable West Africa.
- SenegalDakar's music, Gorée's memory and delta and river landscapes.
- Cape VerdeTen Atlantic islands of morna, volcanoes and trade winds.
- SeychellesGranite islands, coral atolls and Creole ease in the Indian Ocean.
- MozambiqueIndian Ocean coast, dhow islands and a restored savanna.
- ZimbabweVictoria Falls, walking safaris and Africa's largest ancient stone city.
- MalawiA freshwater sea, restored parks and high plateaus in one small country.
- EswatiniA small kingdom of royal ceremony, rhino reserves and highveld hikes.
- LesothoThe mountain kingdom: pony treks, high passes and Basotho villages.
- BelizeBarrier reef, Maya cities and Garifuna coast in one small country.
- HondurasBay Islands diving, Copán's carved city and cloud-forest highlands.
- El SalvadorSurf coast, volcano towns and a small country in rapid change.
- NicaraguaColonial cities, twin-volcano island and two very different coasts.
- Trinidad and TobagoCarnival, ibis and doubles on Trinidad; reef and calm on Tobago.
- Saint LuciaThe Pitons, rainforest ridges and Kwéyòl villages on one green island.
- ParaguayRiver cities, Jesuit ruins and the enormous quiet of the Chaco.
- SamoaTwo volcanic islands, village fales and fa'a Samoa on its own terms.
- TongaA Polynesian kingdom of four island groups, whales and strict Sundays.
- VanuatuActive volcanoes, kastom villages and eighty islands of Melanesia.
- Cook IslandsRarotonga's ring road, Aitutaki's lagoon and atolls nobody reaches.
Jordan is a good trip. Make it your trip.
Everything on this page is context Menta already has. Add the people going, the dates and what you actually care about, and the plan starts smarter than a blank chat.
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Start planning JordanGuide last reviewed 2026-09. Check visa rules against your own passport before you book.