🏜️ Jordan

Official government travel advice

Advice changes quickly. Check it before you travel and again before you leave.

Costs

Prices here are about 42% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.

Practical information

Entry

Your passport determines which visa rules apply. Guides disagree about how visitors obtain a Jordanian visa: some say it is issued on arrival, with a fee, while others say it is arranged beforehand. Before booking, confirm with a Jordanian embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The official bundle is the Jordan Pass, covering Petra plus more than 40 other sites; for pass holders who stay three nights or longer, the tourist visa fee is waived. Validity rules were changed in 2026, therefore terms and prices should be checked on the Jordan Pass website. Because security across the wider region can shift fast, read your own government's travel advice, and that of others, just before departure.

Culture - take note

Jordan welcomes visitors, but it is conservative and Muslim-majority, so dress modestly with shoulders and knees covered and loose clothes, especially away from the tourist resorts. Friday-Saturday is the weekend, and Ramadan changes opening hours. The right hand is the one to use, and people should be asked before they are photographed. Coffee and tea that are offered should be accepted; giving the cup a gentle shake tells the host you have had 'enough'. At the Dead Sea, skip shaving in advance, do not let water get into your eyes, and keep the time in the water short. Petra calls for an early start to avoid the heat, along with sturdy shoes and prices settled beforehand for camel or horse rides; remember that Petra by Night needs its own ticket. Hotels and licensed venues serve alcohol. Halal food can be found everywhere.

Emergency

911 for emergencies (ask your hotel for the local police and ambulance numbers).

Good to know

Drinking water in hotels

Jordan's tourism board says hotels rated three stars and above have their own water-filtering systems and their water is considered safe to drink. Elsewhere, it says, bottled water is inexpensive and readily available.

Cards, ATMs and exchange

The currency is the Jordanian dinar. The tourism board says cards are accepted at hotels, restaurants and larger shops, while many smaller shops prefer cash. Canadian advice says cash machines are available in larger cities and at Queen Alia International Airport but are limited elsewhere. Currency can be exchanged at major banks, exchange booths and most hotels, and street money-changers are best avoided.

Local laws and customs

Drugs, alcohol and royal family

Even small amounts of drugs are a criminal offence in Jordan, and Canadian advice says suspects can be held up to two weeks without charge. Drinking alcohol on the street is illegal but allowed in bars, clubs, hotels and private homes, UK advice says. Insulting the king or royal family, photographing government buildings or military sites, and religious proselytising are illegal. Same-sex acts are not illegal, but both advisories say people may be arrested under other laws.

Taxis and scams

Marked taxis and hotel help

Officially marked taxis carry a government-issued sticker on the windshield, and Canadian advice is to ride only in these, not hail cabs in the street, and ask the hotel front desk to arrange one. UK advice adds that you should ask your hotel to recommend a reliable driver, avoid the front seat when travelling alone and not accept lifts from strangers.

Who can help

local government

Tourist Police hotline (Jordan Government portal)

Helps with: Tourism Police hotline listed on the government portal. The Tourism Ministry also announced 117777 in March 2026. For any emergency, dial 911 for police, ambulance and fire.

Who qualifies: Tourists and other visitors in Jordan who need police assistance.

Phone: +962 79 550 5755

Official website

Source · checked 2026-11-04

local government

Jordan Tourism Board

Helps with: Jordan's national tourism promotion body. Its website lists a phone number and an email address for visitor enquiries.

Who qualifies: Anyone travelling to Jordan or planning a trip there.

Phone: 0096265678444

Email: [email protected]

Official website

Source · checked 2026-11-04

ngo

Jordan National Red Crescent Society

Helps with: Jordan's national Red Crescent society. Its website describes a hospital, first aid and disaster risk reduction training, and a vocational training centre.

Who qualifies: People in Jordan who need its medical, first aid or training services.

Official website

Source · checked 2026-11-04

un agency

International Organization for Migration (IOM) Jordan

Helps with: The UN migration agency, working in Jordan since 1994 to promote humane and orderly migration. Its Amman office lists a phone number and email for enquiries.

Who qualifies: Migrants and organisations working on migration in Jordan. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.

Phone: +962 7 9362 5080

Email: [email protected]

Address: Al Sharif Abdul Hamid Sharaf St., Buildings 62-64, Shmeisani, Amman

Official website

Source · checked 2026-11-04

local government

Emergency number 911 (police, ambulance and fire)

Helps with: Reaches the police, ambulance and fire services in Jordan. The number comes from UK government travel advice.

Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.

Phone: 911

Source · checked 2026-11-04

Cities and places

Petra PetraCut into rose-red cliffs, this ancient Nabataean city has the Treasury at the end of the narrow Siq gorge.Photo: Azurfrog, CC BY-SA 3.0 Amman AmmanGood Middle Eastern food, busy souks, a Roman theatre and the Citadel are all in the country's capital, which is also its main arrival point.Photo: David Bjorgen, CC BY 2.5 Wadi Rum Wadi RumTowering rock formations rise from a red-sand desert, which visitors explore by jeep or camel before nights in Bedouin camps.Photo: Daniel Case, CC BY-SA 3.0 Dead Sea Dead SeaLand reaches its lowest point at this salt lake, where visitors float with ease and can try mineral-rich mud.Photo: لا روسا, CC BY-SA 4.0 Jerash JerashHadrian's Arch, colonnaded streets, temples and theatres survive well in this Roman city north of Amman.Photo: Petar Milošević, CC BY-SA 4.0 Aqaba AqabaBoth Wadi Rum and Petra are handy to reach from this Red Sea port town, where the coral reefs offer snorkelling and diving.Photo: Sana Janakat, CC BY-SA 4.0

City selection based on: Jordan Tourism Board (visitjordan.com) attraction guides and FAQ, travel guides

Festivals and events

culture

Independence Day (25 May)

25 May 2027 · Amman

Fireworks go with the celebrations held across the nation.

culture

Jerash Festival of Culture and Arts

around Jul-Aug 2027 · Jerash

Roman ruins are the setting for theatre and concerts.