Jordan travel guide
Jordan offers some of the Middle East's most striking landscapes and ancient sites in a compact, easy-to-travel country. The rose-red city of Petra, the red sands of Wadi Rum, the Roman ruins of Jerash and the salty floating of the Dead Sea are the signature experiences, all within a few hours of each other. Amman, the hilltop capital, is the usual starting point and a good base for Jerash, Madaba and the Dead Sea. Petra and Wadi Musa anchor the south, Wadi Rum offers desert camps beneath the stars, and Aqaba gives a coral-reef finish on the Red Sea. Ajloun adds green hills and a castle to the north. Jordanian hospitality and food, from mezze to slow-cooked mansaf, round out the trip. Spring and autumn are the best time to travel, with comfortable temperatures for walking and desert nights. Jordan suits adventurous couples, families and history lovers. Plan the itinerary city by city with Zippy Trips.
Capital: Amman.
Before you go to Jordan
- Currency
- JOD JD
- Emergency number
- 911
- Plug type
- Type C, D, F, G, J, B
- Tap water
- Drink bottled water
- Tipping
- Customary
- Bargaining
- Common
- eSIM
- Available
- Card networks
- Visa, Mastercard
- ATM fees
- Typically 3-5 JOD per withdrawal on top of your home-bank fee
Cities in Jordan
- Amman Jordan's hilltop capital, layering a Roman citadel and theatre over a buzzing downtown souk, art-filled Jabal Al-Weibdeh and cafe-lined…
- Petra / Wadi Musa The rose-red Nabataean city carved into sandstone canyons — Jordan's crown jewel and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The modern town of Wadi…
- Aqaba Jordan's only coastal city and Red Sea resort, famous for coral-reef diving and snorkelling, a laid-back seafront, the Mamluk-era fort and…
- Wadi Rum The Valley of the Moon — a vast protected desert of red dunes, sandstone massifs and Bedouin camps, made famous by Lawrence of Arabia and…
- Dead Sea / Sweimeh The lowest point on Earth (about 430m below sea level), where hyper-saline water lets you float effortlessly and mineral mud draws…
- Madaba The "City of Mosaics", home to the 6th-century Madaba Map — the oldest surviving cartographic depiction of the Holy Land — and the gateway…
- Jerash One of the best-preserved Greco-Roman provincial cities in the world, with a colonnaded street, hippodrome, temples and two theatres. An…
- Ajloun A green highland town in the north known for the 12th-century Ayyubid castle of Qal'at ar-Rabad, built by Saladin's forces, and the…
Frequently asked questions about Jordan
- What currency is used in Jordan?
- The currency in Jordan is the Jordanian Dinar. JD1 is about ₹134.
- Can I use cards and ATMs in Jordan?
- Accepted card networks: Visa, Mastercard. Decline dynamic currency conversion at ATMs and card machines.
- Should I tip in Jordan?
- Tipping in Jordan: customary. Tipping (baksheesh) is customary: round up taxis and leave ~10% in restaurants if service isn't already added.
- Is tap water safe to drink in Jordan?
- Drink bottled water.
- What plug type does Jordan use?
- Jordan uses Type C, D, F, G, J, B plugs.
- What is the emergency number in Jordan?
- Emergency: 911. Police: 911. Ambulance: 911. Tourist helpline: 911.
- Can I get a SIM or eSIM in Jordan?
- SIM and eSIM available in Jordan.
- What is the capital of Jordan?
- The capital of Jordan is Amman. Time there: IST - 2 h 30 min.