Travel in Jordan: when to go, places and advice

A concentrate of wonders in a small, stable and welcoming kingdom: Petra the Nabataean city carved into the pink sandstone, the Martian dunes of Wadi Rum where you sleep under the stars, the Dead Sea where you float without effort, the Roman colonnades of Jerash and the corals of Aqaba. Everything can be covered in around ten days along the King's Highway, which makes Jordan one of the densest journeys in the Middle East.

Capital: Amman
Currency: Jordanian dinar (JOD)
Language: Arabic
Direct flight: ≈ 5 hr from Paris
Time difference: +2 hr in winter, +1 hr in summer

Itineraries

Our trip ideas in Jordan

The itineraries in Jordan are in the works: the day-by-day programme, named hotels, tickets to book flagged in advance. Leave your address to be notified when they come out.

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The right season

When to go in Jordan?

March-May and September-November are perfect: 25 °C at Petra, mild nights in Wadi Rum, a swimmable Dead Sea. Summer brushes 40 °C at the desert sites, reserved for early risers. Winter remains visitable and luminous, but desert nights drop below zero and Amman can see snow.

January : In-between
February : In-between
March : Ideal
April : Ideal
May : Ideal
June : Pleasant
July : Avoid
August : Avoid
September : Pleasant
October : Ideal
November : Ideal
December : In-between

Ideal
Pleasant
In-between
Avoid

Quick guide

Understanding Jordan

Getting around

A rental car is the best option: decent roads, short distances, calm driving outside Amman. Otherwise, the JETT buses link the main stages and taxis are negotiated per ride.

Money

The Jordanian dinar (JOD), one of the strongest currencies in the world: the prices surprise. The Jordan Pass, bought before departure, includes the visa and Petra's entry, the saving is substantial.

Language

Arabic. English is very widespread in tourism and among the young. A "salam aleykoum" and a "shukran" are enough to trigger the country's legendary hospitality.

Useful apps

Careem (the local Uber) in Amman, the Jordan Pass in your pocket from the airport, and Maps.me for the off-grid hikes of Wadi Rum and Dana.

Accommodation

Bedouin camps under the stars of Wadi Rum, Dead Sea resort hotels, guesthouses of Madaba: sleeping in the desert at least one night is non-negotiable.

Etiquette

Accept the tea, dress soberly outside the resorts, and ask before photographing people. Ramadan shifts the timetable, restaurants discreet by day.

The iconic places

Petra

Wadi Musa

The Nabataean city carved into the sandstone: the Siq, the Khazneh, then 800 steps up to the Monastery. Allow two days, the site is immense.

Wadi Rum

Southern desert

Arches, canyons and red dunes crossed by 4x4 with the Bedouins, then a night in camp under a sky saturated with stars.

Dead Sea

Sweimeh

At 430 m below sea level, you float without swimming, coated in mineral mud. The sunset over the mountains of Judea is sumptuous.

Jerash

One of the best-preserved Roman cities of the East: the oval forum, the paved cardo, theatres and triumphal arches.

Amman Citadel

Amman

The temple of Hercules and an Umayyad palace overlooking the capital and its Roman theatre. Perfect at sundown, when the white city catches fire.

Dana Reserve

Dana

Jordan's grand canyon, 320 km² of gorges and stone villages. The hike down to Feynan is one of the finest in the Middle East.

Tap a dot, or browse the list below the map.

Petra : The Nabataean city of pink sandstone
Wadi Rum : The Martian desert of the Bedouins
Dead Sea : Floating 430 m below sea level
Amman Citadel : The temple of Hercules above the capital
Jerash : The Pompeii of the East
Mount Nebo : Moses's panorama over the Promised Land
Madaba : The mosaic map of the Holy Land
Dana Reserve : Jordan's grand canyon
Aqaba : Corals and beaches of the Red Sea