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<\/p>\nShrouded by mystery and abundant in history, Jordan can seem an elusive backpacker destination. Encompassed by countries that have been vilified in the media it is easy to see why travellers may be discouraged from venturing here. With Syria to the north, Israel and Palestine to the west, Iraq to the east and Saudi Arabia in the south, this region has a history of instability. Yet, I urge you not to be deterred by what you may have heard. If there\u2019s one thing I\u2019ve learned from my time in Jordan, it\u2019s that fortune favours the curious and the determined. You\u2019ll certainly be rewarded for visiting this corner of the globe.<\/p>\n
Jordan offers treasures that every backpacker should unearth. The intrepid traveller should explore the awe-inspiring Wadi Rum desert with its otherworldly landscapes. Get transported into a hidden underwater world at the Aqaba reef. Leave feeling truly humbled by the immensity of Petra.<\/p>\n
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Spring (March to May) is strongly recommended as the best time to travel around Jordan. During these months, visitors will experience warm days and cool nights.\u00a0 April is suggested as the ideal time to visit as it is the start of the summer in Jordan, meaning it shouldn\u2019t be uncomfortably hot like it can be in the peak season (June to August). April provides warm, long summer days with temperatures dropping later in the day for cool evenings across the country. \u00a0Flights from the UK tend to be consistently reasonably priced around April, if booked in advance. But they do drop even lower in May, if you are looking for a real bargain. Another plus is that you\u2019ll find fewer visitors in Jordan in April compared to June and July, resulting in less crowds to contend with at popular spots. If you decide to visit in May when the Islamic holiday Ramadan takes place you will find visitor numbers at a yearly low and cheaper accommodation.<\/p>\n
If you are looking to dive the Red Sea near Aqaba, the ideal months are September to October. However, if you do visit outside of these months, don\u2019t fret, you can enjoy great diving there all year-round.<\/p>\n
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Jordan is a great destination to visit all year round. As you\u2019ll expect for a country made up of 90% desert, it can get very hot during the day, yet surprisingly, temperatures can plummet at night. (NOTE: The hottest part of the day tends to be between 12 – 2pm.) Due to this climate drop, you can often find Jordanians eating dinner and socialising late at night when it is much more comfortable to be sat outside.<\/p>\n
The summer months run from May to November with a peak in July\/August where temperatures can reach 40c. The coldest consistent month is January where temperatures are around 8c on average. Although Jordan is relatively small it does tend to be warmer the further south you go. Therefore, if you are planning to travel between November and February, you may wish to spend more time around Aqaba and Petra (towards the more southerly parts of the country.) However, the temperatures in Amman and the north won\u2019t be much colder. Umbrellas are rarely needed in Jordan, with rainfall being minimal, averaging just 12 days of rain a year.<\/p>\n
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Petra is a must see for most visitors. Tourism in Petra was at an all-time high in 2010 but has since experienced a slight drop. To make the most of this and avoid huge crowds, it would be beneficial to plan a trip sooner rather than later. The months with the lowest visitor entrances according to official Petra statistics are January, February, June and July. Peak visiting months are April, October and November.<\/p>\n
The best time of day to visit this UNESCO protected site is early morning, before it gets too hot and the crowds arrive. Gates open at 6am and close again around 6pm. The early bird catches the worm, as they say, so it\u2019s recommended to arrive before the gates open. You\u2019ll be one of the first through, making a full day of your visit – there\u2019s a lot of ground to cover! Thankfully, a lot of sites within Petra are spaced out, so crowding is rare, and you are unlikely to feel like a herded tourist. In fact, within this ancient city you are free to wander at your leisure and create your own path around the site. As Petra is towards the south of Jordan, it is hot all year round, but June-September will be sweltering! (High 30\u2019s to 40c) I\u2019d therefore recommend April and May as the best months to visit.<\/p>\n
Before travelling to Jordan, I highly recommend purchasing a \u2018Jordan Pass<\/a>\u2019 online from the official website. Not only does this waive your entrance visa fee to Jordan but you can also choose between a 1, 2 or 3 days entry option to Petra included in its price. You simply need to show this pass either printed out or on your phone, at immigration upon entry to Jordan, and also at entrances to heritage sites. (The Jordan Pass provides access to many other sites for FREE. Check out the full list on their site<\/a>). I recommend the three-day option, as it doesn\u2019t cost much more than the one\/two-day options. Plus, those extra days may come in handy, as the most overlooked aspect of Petra is its sheer size. It is colossal! Admittedly, I did manage to see everything I wanted in a single day, but I imagine it would be quite a task if you aren\u2019t much of a walker. Most explorers tend to call it a day and head back to the shelter of their hostel around Midday due to the heat, but the truly dedicated will bring a lunch and wait out the beating sun. I took a short nap in one of the many abandoned caves until the temperature dropped again and was pleasantly surprised to find that the site was relativity empty towards the end of the day. So, if you are not an early riser, then another option would be to go in the late afternoon when the crowds have thinned out a little. Just don\u2019t expect to see too much in only a couple of hours. If you are not short on time and you prefer to take things at a slower pace, soaking up all the glories this 2000-year-old site has to offer, then I would recommend allowing yourself at least two days, if not three, to tackle Petra.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Amman doesn\u2019t get as hot in the summer as some of the cities and towns further south, with average highs of 32c that are welcome in the confines of the city. \u00a0As with the rest of Jordan, Amman\u2019s cooler months are Dec-Feb and the peak temperatures in Jun-Aug. Expect to visit some Mosques and ruins that will require you to cover up, so going sightseeing early in the morning or late evening is a good idea to avoid becoming too hot in long clothing. \u00a0You may wish to avoid visiting during the holiday of Ramadan (May) as many restaurants are closed during the day, as most Jordanians will be fasting.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jordan has a great infrastructure (ranked 35th<\/sup> in the world in fact) and its main roads are well maintained due to a well-funded grant from the government. The people of Jordan will primarily use cars or the local bus system as the main cities and towns are well connected and extremely affordable.<\/p>\n The most common forms of transport for backpackers to travel would be by public bus, plane or car as there is no reliable train system within Jordan yet. The only railway dates back to the Ottoman period as it\u2019s used primarily as transportation from Damascus in Syria to Mecca. There are plans in place to improve this service and make it more accessible for leisure travel but is currently lacking funding. If you are short on time or not big on roadtrips then you can jump on an affordable short flight from Amman to Aqaba.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Do as the locals do in Jordan and take the bus. Just be sure to be flexible on your timings, as buses will generally only leave once they are full and never stick to a set timetable. Driving can be a little erratic and the buses are far from luxury, sometimes just figuring out where to actually get on and off a bus from is tricky but friendly locals will always point you in the right direction. I always asked the driver to let me know when it was my stop and I never had a problem getting to where I wanted to go. It takes around 4 hours to travel from Amman to Aqaba directly, which is likely the longest single route you would to take. There are only a few companies that cater specifically to tourists such as the JETT bus (Jordan Express Tourist Transport) but must be booked in advance; any hostel or hotel should be able to assist in this. Getting to more remote parts of the country will prove more difficult on the bus as not all towns are connected to the routes. Check where you want to go is reachable by bus before commencing any journey and figure out which is the closest town on a bus route. You should be able to take a taxi to any more remote locations.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Renting a car is by far my favourite option. The freedom is unrivalled! Everyone seems to know someone in Jordan who can rent you a car and they are usually pretty reliable. My advice would be to avoid the big international brands and go local. Most companies are happy to drop the car off to your hostel and pick it up again at the airport when you leave for no extra cost. You can\u2019t beat that for service!<\/p>\n Fuel in Jordan is cheap, and they have attendants at most pumps who fill up the car for you. Driving in Jordan is an experience and should be done by a confident driver. Avoid driving at night if possible as animals, sandstorms and oncoming traffic with broken headlights can creep up out of nowhere. Police often do checks and there may be a few checkpoints along the way where you simply need to produce your license and open the boot. My top tip would be to obey speed limits as unmarked speed bumps will catch you off guard and you may end up hitting your head on the roof of the car when you fly over them. If police catch you speeding they may hit you with a fine of up to 20JD, so fast drivers beware. I would recommend taking the scenic route along the Dead Sea; it will take a little longer but is well worth it as the views are not too be missed. Perhaps, ask around your hostel to see if anyone is interested in renting a car together to save your carbon footprint and save on costs. Did someone say road trip? \u00a0If you are planning on taking a car one way only and not dropping it off where you picked it up from, this is also possible for a fee.<\/p>\n Hitchhiking is fairly common in Jordan, more so in remote areas that are very inaccessible by public transport. Along main highways such as the Kings Highway you may come across the odd Jordanian trying to get home or even a backpacker hitchhiking their way across Jordan. Some locals are accustomed to picking up travellers from time to time but it is an unreliable form of transport and precautions and safety measures should be put into effect wherever possible. If you do choose to pick up a hitchhiker it\u2019s best to do so only if you are travelling with known friends already in the car.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Getting from Amman to Petra is pretty much a straight route down the Desert Highway, which is the main highway in Jordan. Head south from Amman and aim for Petra or Wadi Musa, which is the town that you\u2019ll stay in if you visit Petra. Signs are written in English along the way. You can pick up a SIM card from hostels or the airport on arrival and use GPS on your phone for navigation if you are worried about getting lost. If you are driving, allow around 3.5 hours if you decide not to stop off along the way.<\/p>\n The Desert Highway is the busiest highway running from North to South in Jordan so multiple bus routes also operate along this way if you are planning on using public transport. Getting on a bus in Amman shouldn\u2019t take long to fill up and you will be on your way in no time! Just remember it will stop frequently along the way to pick people up and drop them off. \u00a0If you don\u2019t mind shelling out a little more for your transport and prefer to travel a little more stress free then you may also find a taxi driver willing to take the trip from around 90-110JD, if you are lucky they may even pull over by the Dead Sea for you to take a quick soak!<\/p>\n There are day trips available to book that will allow you to get from Amman to Petra and back again in only a day. They are very long days of travel with an exhausting day of exploration in Petra. I wouldn\u2019t recommend this unless completely necessary as it limits your time in Petra to a minimum and you won\u2019t want to miss your bus back to Amman in the evening. If you don\u2019t have the time to spend the night by Petra, then this trip can be booked from many places in Amman.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The costs of travel in Jordan are very backpacker friendly. You can travel on a shoestring and see all the wonders it has to offer. You won\u2019t find entry prices or excursions very pricy with the slight exception of an entry ticket to Petra (without a Jordan Pass), which at the time of writing is around \u00a353.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Throughout Jordan the Jordanian Dinar is the recognised official currency. It has been in circulation since the 1950\u2019s and is often most recognisable in shops as restaurants as JD <\/b>or JOD<\/b>.<\/p>\n At the time of writing 1JD is approximately 1.07 GBP \/ 1.41 USD. A dinar is composed of 100 Qirsh (or 1000 fils, but these aren\u2019t as common anymore). For example, you may see process written as: 1.75JD, which is \u00a31.85 GBP. Dinars are most often notes, available in denominations of 1,5, 10, 20 and 50.<\/p>\n You will find access to ATMs in most cities and towns across Jordan that will dispense Jordanian Dinar.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I believe the best food is wherever the locals are eating. Searching out the best street food is often a lot of fun and can provide the tastiest of meals. Ask your hostel staff or anyone local to get the low down on the best places to eat in town.<\/p>\n In my experience, you should expect to pay around 3-4JD for a large quantity of food. A basic variety dish will include hummus (yum!), salads, falafel, hot chips and a drink. If you are looking at eating in a mid range restaurant prices for a main will start at around 10JD. Food prices are generally stated on menus but at much smaller restaurants some only offer one or two set dishes and may not even have a menu. If in doubt, ask.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It is not compulsory to tip anywhere in Jordan, although if you feel you have received good or above average service it\u2019s kind to give a gratuity.<\/p>\n Servers: If you would like to give a tip to your server in a low cost, budget restaurant or street food marketplace a small tip of 5-10% is appreciated but not expected. For a high-class restaurant 10% is very common and may even be included in your bill, but you can opt not to include it if you so wish.<\/p>\n Tour Guides: If you have a guide anywhere around Jordan you may wish to tip around 10%.<\/p>\n Bag courier: or bellboy 1JD per bag is sufficient.<\/p>\n Petrol attendants: you can round up your petrol to the nearest Dinar as a tip.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Expect prices to start at around 10JD in cities for a hostel dorm, but it can be as low as 5JD. For an authentic Bedouin camping experience look towards spending 20JD. The quality of your accommodation is reflected in the price, when looking for somewhere to stay in Jordan. If comfort and style is your thing, look at the mid to upper price range of hostels available, as lower bracket listings can be fairly basic. Try to keep an eye out for hostels with an included traditional breakfast so you can enjoy a delicious spread of olives, yoghurt, pita bread and Fuul.<\/p>\n There is so much to choose from in Jordan. You could explore boutique hostels in Amman or Bedouin Camping in Wadi Rum. You are spoilt for choice. Wherever you decide to stay, I guarantee you will meet the most interesting people whether it is the staff checking you in or your new roomies. Jordan just seems to attract a different breed of backpacker.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Renting a car: Expect to pay around 20JD a day for a half decent car or bit more if you want something newer. Check over your car straight away and ask what insurance it comes with. Bigger car rental companies like Hertz will charge closer to 45Jd a day.<\/p>\n Flying: Royal Jordanian Air have regular routes from around \u00a359 from Amman to Aqaba.<\/p>\n Buses: Locals use these buses often and prices are kept low for tourists and locals alike. Many people will say expect to pay 1JD per hour travelled, which is accurate from my experience. It is hard to determine set route prices and often you will just find out once you are on the bus by asking the driver. Drivers are honest and I never heard of anyone getting scammed on a bus while I was there.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jordan offers a wide array of amazing and unique accommodation styles throughout the country, with a lot to offer a range of budgets. It is easy to find cheap yet comfy places to stay that won\u2019t break the bank. Most hotels and hostels do exclude local taxes which are paid on arrival when checking in so be sure to factor this into your budget when booking online.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jordan Tower Hostel<\/a> is a sweet place to stay in the heart of Amman. A stone\u2019s throw from the Roman Amphitheatre and surrounded by some to the cities most popular bars and restaurants, this is a perfect place for solo travellers to meet new friends to travel with.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I loved staying at Valentine Inn<\/a> during my visit to Petra. It\u2019s located on a hillside in Wadi Musa and provides a perfect view over the city. Sit and watch the world go by while enjoying dinner. They offer two free shuttles to Petra in the morning, so you can choose which time you would like to visit, also with an option to prepare you a very reasonably priced lunch to take with you. They can also help to arrange any onward travel.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A stay at a traditional Bedouin camp in Wadi Rum is an absolute must in Jordan. There are many different camps located in different parts of the desert, but most offer a similar package. You can park your car at the visitor centre or get a bus there, where you will meet your local guide who will then drive you to your camp via 4×4. Expect basic commodities when in the desert. Most provide simple rooms or tents depending on your chosen camp.<\/p>\n No WIFI or phone signal is common (and refreshing!) but the conversation with fellow guests and stories from your hosts will make you forget about the outside world. On a clear night the sky will offer unobstructed views of the Milky Way, and more stars than I\u2019ve ever seen before! Relax with tea or coffee, shisha and traditional home cooked foods. The activities in all camps are similar, with tours of the desert in 4x4s or camel hikes. Although a little pricy, I do recommend taking one of these tours.\u00a0 For a great camp, check out Arabian Nights<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"backpacking](\"https:\/\/www.hostelworld.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/thumbnail_IMG_4522.jpg\")
<\/p>\nBest time to visit Amman<\/b><\/h3>\n
Getting Around Jordan<\/b><\/h2>\n
Travelling by bus in Jordan <\/b><\/h3>\n
Travelling by car in Jordan <\/b><\/h3>\n
Hitchhiking in Jordan<\/b><\/h3>\n
Amman to Petra<\/b><\/h3>\n
Jordan travel costs<\/b><\/h2>\n
What is the currency in Jordan?<\/b><\/h3>\n
Prices of food in Jordan<\/b><\/h3>\n
Tipping in Jordan<\/b><\/h3>\n
Costs of accommodation in Jordan <\/b><\/h3>\n
Costs of transport \/ travelling<\/b><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nWhere to stay in Jordan<\/b><\/h2>\n
Amman:<\/b><\/h3>\n
Petra (Wadi Musa):<\/b><\/h3>\n
Wadi Rum:<\/b><\/h3>\n
Aqaba:<\/b><\/h3>\n
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