Jordan
Discover Jordan
Jordan (Arabic: الأردنّ, al-Urdunn) is an Arab kingdom in the Middle East, at the crossroads of Asia, Africa and Europe. It has been repeatedly called an "oasis of stability" in the Middle East. Since the 1940s, millions have immigrated to Jordan for a better life. With an extensive collection of tourist attractions, ranging from biblical sites to seaside sites, there is a lot to see and do in Jordan. The following destinations are the most popular ones in Jordan. For less popular destinations, look at the regional pages.
Taste of Jordan...
Jordanian cuisine is quite similar to fare served elsewhere in the region. The daily staple being khobez, a large, flat bread sold in bakeries across the country for a few hundred fils. Delicious when freshly baked. For breakfast, the traditional breakfast is usually fried eggs, labaneh, cheese, zaatar and olive oil along with bread and a cup of tea. Falafel and hummus are eaten on the weekends by some and more often by others. There's no convention for when you should or should not eat any type of food. It's up to you. This is the most popular breakfast. Manousheh and pastries come in as the second most popular breakfast item. All of the hotels offer American breakfast. The national dish of Jordan is the mansaf, prepared with jameed, a sun-dried yogurt. Grumpygourmet.com describes the mansaf as "an enormous platter layered with crêpe-like traditional "shraak" bread, mounds of glistening rice and chunks of lamb that have been cooked in a unique sauce made from reconstituted jameed and spices, sprinkled with golden pine nuts." In actuality more people use fried almonds instead of pine nuts because of the cheaper price tag. The best mansaf can be found in Kerak. While mansaf is the national dish, most people in urban areas eat it on special occasions and not every day. Other popular dishes include Maklouba, stuffed vegetables, freekeh.
Culture & Religion
Religion
Although Islam is the dominant religion, Jordan is, to a large and significant extent, tolerant of other faiths. You won't offend a Jordanian by discussing religion; it's a popular conversational topic. You should, however, bear the following in mind during your stay: Taking a photo of a landmark or vista is generally okay, even if (relatively) far away people are in it, but do not photograph people without asking their permission. Photographing women in particular can result in harassment by police. Do not photograph police under any circumstances. During Ramadan, and particularly on the Eid al-Fitr holiday, schedules will change. Many restaurants, particularly those outside Amman, are closed during the daylight hours of Ramadan, only opening at sunset. This does not affect major restaurants near tourist destinations, however. Also, during Eid al-Fitr it is impossible to get a servees (minibus) in the late afternoon or evening in many parts of the country.
A Rich Past
Explore the historical roots that shaped Jordan into what it is today.
In antiquity, the area of what is now Jordan was home to ancient kingdoms. Among them were Ammon, Edom and Moab. It was part of the Persian Empire and the Roman Empire. Jordan was also home to civilizations such as the Nabataean Kingdom. Its rock art and architecture can be found in a few places across the country. Before World War I, the entire Levant was part of the Ottoman Empire. In 1916, during World War I, the Arab Revolt was launched against the Ottomans. It was led by Sharif Hussein, assisted by British intelligence officer T. E. Lawrence (aka Lawrence of Arabia). The revolt was successful in gaining control of most of the Hejaz and the Levant. However, it failed to gain international recognition as an independent state, due mainly to the secret Sykes–Picot Agreement between the United Kingdom and France in 1916 (dividing up the Middle East between the two colonial powers) and the UK's Balfour Declaration of 1917 (promising a national home for the Jews on a small piece of land in the Middle East). The region was divided and Abdullah I, the second son of Sharif Hussein, arrived from Hejaz by train and established the Emirate of Transjordan, which then became a British protectorate. In 1922, the Council of the League of Nations recognized Transjordan as a state under the British Mandate for Palestine, and the Trans-Jordan memorandum clarified that the territories east of the Jordan River were excluded from provisions that allowed Jewish settlement in the Mandate....
Climate
The climate in Jordan varies greatly. Generally, the further inland from the Mediterranean, greater contrasts in temperature occur and the less rainfall there is. The country's average elevation is 812 m (2,664 ft) above sea level. The highlands above the Jordan Valley, mountains of the Dead Sea and Wadi Araba and as far south as Ras Al-Naqab are dominated by a Mediterranean climate, while the eastern and northeastern areas of the country are arid desert. Although the desert parts of the kingdom reach high temperatures, the heat is usually moderated by low humidity and a daytime breeze, while the nights are cool. Summers, lasting from May to September, are hot and dry, with temperatures averaging around 32 °C (90 °F) and sometimes exceeding 40 °C (104 °F) between July and August. The winter, lasting from November to March, is relatively cool, with temperatures averaging around 13 °C (55 °F). Winter also sees frequent showers and occasional snowfall in some western elevated areas.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsFor the latest, up-to-date and complete information, please check out the Jordan Tourism Board. Nationals from Arab countries can enter Jordan without a visa and for free. Jordan's visa regulations are rather confusing and often change. Moreover, the rules vary depending on the border point where you cross the border. Visitors from most other countries (even Israeli citizens and Israeli passport holders) can easily obtain a visa on arrival at the border point directly, except for the King Hussein ("Allenby") Bridge, where a visa is not issued on spot and must be obtained in advance through the Embassy of Jordan. Some nationalities may require a visa before arrival (many African countries, Afghanistan, Albania, Bangladesh, Belize, Cambodia, Colombia, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Laos, Moldova, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Yemen)....
Regions
Explore AreasThe following destinations are the most popular ones in Jordan. For less popular destinations, look at the regional pages. In antiquity, the area of what is now Jordan was home to ancient kingdoms. Am…...
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Jordan is one of the easiest countries to hitch-hike in. It is not uncommon to wait less than 5-10 min before getting picked up. Especially if you are not from the US or such, people are happy to take you along the way and immediately will raise topics like FCB, Paris, Bayern Munich, or pizza depending on your nationality. In addition, hitch-hiking is made even easier by the fact that many tourists with guides or rental cars will pick you up if they see you are not from around the region. Although Jordan is targeted by extremists, hitch-hiking is not more dangerous than in other countries taking into account the high likelihood of getting picked up by someone. Even on a holiday in off season you will barely wait more than 10 min for someone to stop. To get a ride just let your arm hang and use your hand to wave towards you, or point down towards the road with your index and middle finger. Don't put up the hitch-hiking thumb, this seems to be impolite.
Where to Stay
Amman has an abundance of 5- and 4-star hotels. In addition there is a good number of 3-star hotels and there are plenty of 2-star and 1-star hotels in downtown Amman which are very cheap, and there are plenty of tourists, especially those that are passing by stay in these hotels. There are two scales of rating the hotels in Jordan. There are the standard, Western-style 5-star hotels such as the Sheraton, Crowne Plaza, etc., and then there are the local 5-star establishments. The local establishments that are considered '5-star' in Jordan would be more like 3-star hotels in the West. A traveller will pay top dollar for a Western brand-name 5-star hotel in Amman or Petra and less for the local 5-star hotel. Furthermore, for longer stays it is possible to get furnished apartments for 200-600 JD a month.
Money & Budget
The currency is the Jordanian dinar, locally denoted by the symbol "JD" before or after the amount or in Arabic as دينار, or sometimes "£" (ISO currency code: JOD). It is divided into 1000 fils and 100 piastres (or qirsh). Coins come in denominations of 1 (almost non existent), 5 and piastres and ¼ JD (seven-sided), ½ JD (seven-sided with a yellow ring and silver center). Banknotes are found in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, and 50 JD. Two sets of banknotes are in circulation in Jordan, the 2002 issues and the new 2022 issues. The currency rate is effectively fixed to the US dollar at an artificially high rate (about $1.41 ≈ 1.00 JD) that makes Jordan poorer value than it would otherwise be. Most upper scale restaurants and shops at shopping malls also accept US dollars.
Language & Talk
The local vernacular is Jordanian Arabic. If you don't know the local dialect, don't worry; Modern Standard Arabic is learned by everyone. English is widely spoken throughout the country. Almost all university-level classes are held in English, and it is the de facto language of banking and commerce. If you don't know any Arabic, don't worry, as you can get around easily communicating in only English. French and German are the two most popular foreign languages. This said, do not expect to find speakers of the two languages outside Amman. You might encounter speakers of Caucasian languages as Jordan is home to a large number of immigrants from the Caucasus.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Jordan is a relatively safe country, however there are some precautions you need to take, to ensure your safety. Jordan may be affected during times of heightened tensions in the Middle East, and there is often a heightened risk when travelling to or being within Jordan, during times of crisis. It is important to keep up to date with the latest news and updates from local authorities. Terrorist attacks are considered likely in Jordan, particularly targeting foreign nationals. 911 is Jordan’s centralised emergency (police, paramedics, firefighting) line. Compared to other countries in the Middle East, Jordanian police is well-trained, effective, and professional. Foreign women may often attract the attention of Jordanian men. For the most part, they are simply curious about you, and hopefully nothing will go further than that.