Amman & Petra
Jordan
The Jordan Pass only pays for itself past 3 nights, the Petra 'free' horse ride isn't free, and Wadi Rum isn't something a rental sedan can reach.
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- Entry
- Visa on arrival, 40 JOD (~$56), 30 days, for UK, EU, US, Canadian and Australian passports — instant at the airport counter.
- Jordan Pass
- Waives the 40 JOD visa fee, but only if you stay 3+ nights. Leave earlier and you pay the fee anyway on exit.
- Currency
- Jordanian Dinar (JOD) — pegged to the US dollar, so the rate barely moves: roughly 0.71 JOD per $1.
- Best months
- March–May and September–November. Petra at midday in July–August is genuinely unpleasant heat.
Checked 16 August 2026. Prices and visa rules change — tell us if something here is wrong.
Jordan rewards people who plan the Petra logistics before they land more than almost anywhere else on this list: the visa fee, the Petra ticket, and the Jordan Pass all interact in a way that can save or cost you real money depending on trip length, and nobody explains the actual math clearly before you're standing at the border.
Entry rules, and whether the Jordan Pass is worth it
UK, EU, US, Canadian and Australian passport holders get a visa on arrival at Queen Alia International Airport for 40 JOD (about $56), valid 30 days, single entry. It's instant — pay at the counter, no forms submitted in advance. An eVisa exists (evisa.moi.gov.jo) but takes 3–7 days to process and costs the same, so there's little reason to bother unless you want it settled before you fly.
The Jordan Pass math, worked out: buying the Pass in advance (from ~70 JOD for the base tier) waives the 40 JOD visa fee entirely — but only if you stay at least 3 consecutive nights in Jordan. Leave sooner and border control charges you the visa fee anyway on the way out. The base tier also includes one day at Petra (a 50 JOD ticket on its own) plus Jerash, the Amman Citadel and dozens of smaller sites. Rough math: visa + 1-day Petra ticket separately = 90 JOD. Jordan Pass base tier = ~70 JOD, visa included. It only wins if you're doing Petra anyway and staying 3+ nights — for a quick 2-night stopover, skip it and just pay on arrival.
Getting from the airport
Queen Alia International Airport (AMM) sits about 30 km south of central Amman.
- Official taxi — fixed fare at the counter, roughly 22–25 JOD to central Amman, 30–45 minutes. Decline anyone quoting well above the posted fare.
- Airport Express bus (branded Sariyah Express, not JETT) — about 3–3.30 JOD, every 30 minutes daytime, hourly at night, roughly 6am–midnight, 45–60 minutes to North Bus Station via 7th/6th Circle.
- Careem — the dominant local ride-hailing app, roughly 22–28 JOD, bookable on airport Wi-Fi before you've bought a local SIM. Uber also operates in Amman but is less commonly used.
JETT's well-known routes are Amman↔Petra and Amman↔Aqaba (about 11 JOD, 3.5–5 hours), not the airport transfer — don't assume JETT covers that leg.
Where to stay in Amman
| Area | Approx/night | Good for | The downside |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jabal Amman / Rainbow Street | $50–120 | Walkable cafés, nightlife, a bohemian first-timer base | Steep hills everywhere — exhausting with luggage or in summer heat |
| Downtown / Al Balad | $20–50 | Budget stays, street food, the souks and Roman Theatre | Genuinely congested and loud, thinner on modern amenities |
| Abdali | $80–180 | Shoppers, business travelers, a modern mall district | Feels corporate and interchangeable with any Gulf city |
| Abdoun | $100–250+ | Quiet, upscale, good restaurants | Car-dependent and removed from the historic sites — constant taxis |
| Shmeisani | $60–130 | Central but calmer than Downtown | Fairly generic — convenient, not much character |
Ranges are directional — check live rates before booking.
Hotels in Amman
Jabal Amman or Shmeisani keep you closest to the airport bus and Careem pickups.
Agoda is often cheaper for the same properties in this region.
Compare on Agoda
Same hotels, frequently different prices.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at a café | ~2.50 JOD (~$3.50) |
| Street food (falafel, etc.) | 1–4 JOD (~$1.40–5.60) |
| Mid-range dinner for two | ~35 JOD (~$49) |
| Local bus ticket | ~0.50 JOD |
| Petra entry — 1 day | 50 JOD (~$70) |
| Petra entry — 2 day | 55 JOD (~$77) |
Prices dated 16 August 2026. One day is enough for the Treasury, Royal Tombs and Roman Cardo — the Monastery hike at the far end of the site is the real reason to add a second day, and most guides now call two days the actual sweet spot rather than one.
Should you rent a car?
Worth it for the Petra/Wadi Rum/Aqaba leg, not for Amman itself. Amman driving is chaotic — frequent unsignaled lane changes and aggressive merging — and public transport plus Careem covers the city fine. A car earns its keep once you're outside it.
Wadi Rum isn't self-drive territory. The desert isn't really passable in a rental sedan — seeing it means a 4x4 or guided jeep tour (around 25 JOD entrance), not an add-on to your rental. An International Driving Permit is technically required and worth carrying even though not every counter checks for one — it matters if you're stopped or in an accident. Night driving outside cities is discouraged: unlit roads, unmarked speed bumps, and the occasional stray animal.
Compare car hire for the Petra/Aqaba leg
Shows the excess before you pay — worth it once you're outside Amman, not for the city itself.
Staying connected
Main carriers are Zain, Orange and Umniah, all with airport and mall kiosks. A tourist SIM with a healthy data allowance runs roughly 7–17 JOD depending on validity and data — Umniah's 10-day/35GB tier at about 7 JOD is a common starting point. eSIMs cost a bit more but activate before you land, useful for booking that first Careem ride.
Scams and traps to know about
- The Petra "free" horse ride — marketed as included with your ticket, it isn't really; riders are pressured into a large tip afterward, and drivers often push the horses uncomfortably fast through the narrow Siq. Skip it or agree a price upfront.
- Costumed vendors and souvenir sellers inside Petra sell mass-produced trinkets, not authentic crafts — fine if you know that going in.
- Carry small notes — 1, 2 and 5 JOD bills. Toilet attendants at Petra and other sites expect small tips, and nobody in tourism reliably has change.
- Check the bill for "khedma" (service charge) before tipping extra — many mid-range Amman restaurants already include 10%.
Laws and things that catch visitors out
- Dress modestly, especially outside upscale West Amman — shoulders and knees covered for women is the safe default, and a headscarf is required for mosque visits. Loose clothing is also just practical against sun and heat at Petra.
- Jordan is consistently rated one of the safer countries in the region for tourists — the real risk is overcharging and pushy vendor tactics, not violent crime. Highway security checkpoints are routine, not a sign of danger.