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Jordan 🇯🇴

backpacking Asia Jordan 🇯🇴Rose-red Petra, desert camps and Roman ruins within a few hours’ drive.

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Backpacking Jordan in 2027

A complete guide including when and where to go, costs, transport, itineraries, and practical travel advice.
The big picture before you go

Backpacking Jordan
By Johan Kruseman 🇳🇱 | Updated October 25, 2026

Friday in Jordan runs on a different clock. The weekend here is Friday and Saturday, and until midday prayers end, many downtown Amman shops stay shuttered while minibuses between towns thin to a trickle. Put your long transfers on Thursday or Sunday and give Friday morning to a slow breakfast of hummus and warm bread.

What pulls you here is rock, and the people who live among it: the carved facades of Petra, the red sand and granite walls of Wadi Rum, the colonnaded streets of Jerash and a float in the Dead Sea, roughly 430 meters below sea level. I remember the Treasury at dawn, the sandstone still cold under my palm, the only sound a donkey’s hooves clicking on the Siq floor. The hard parts are cost and connections. Petra alone runs JD 50 (about US$70) for a day, and buses skip many sites, so splitting a taxi often buys back a full day for a small extra spend.

Jordan costs more than Egypt but comes with far less hassle, and it undercuts Israel while keeping its deserts emptier. It suits hikers, history lovers and first-timers to the Middle East. Strict shoestringers and party seekers will find it tight.

👉 Get the 📖 Travel Guide of Jordan

Amman and the North (Amman, Jerash, Ajloun, Umm Qais)

Amman is cream limestone hills, car horns and cardamom coffee drifting down the stairways of Jabal al-Weibdeh, the easiest place in Jordan to share late-night knafeh with young locals. Jerash, with its colonnaded Roman streets, sits 50 to 60 minutes north by minibus from Tabarbour station, a cramped ride but far better value than a private driver. Umm Qais and the pine hills of Ajloun suit slow travelers happy to hop buses.

Madaba and the Dead Sea (Madaba, Mount Nebo, Dead Sea)

Madaba runs on church bells, bakery smoke and the sixth-century mosaic map on the floor of St George’s. Its guesthouses sit about 30 minutes from the airport, a calmer first night than the capital. Mount Nebo is a short taxi hop. The Dead Sea, roughly 430 meters below sea level, needs a taxi or tour, and splitting a car with hostel mates beats paying for a solo ride. The water stings every scratch.

The King’s Highway and Dana (Karak, Dana, Shobak)

This road crawls south past Karak’s Crusader castle, all dark vaulted passages and cold air, to Dana, a stone village on a cliff edge where wind and goat bells replace traffic. Buses are patchy, so most people rent a car or hire a driver for the roughly 3-hour trip from Amman; buses to Karak plus shared taxis are the cheapest workable plan. It suits hikers eyeing the descent to Feynan.

Petra (Wadi Musa, Petra, Little Petra)

Petra is a workout: 15 to 25 kilometers of sand and rock-cut stairs, including the 800-odd steps to the Monastery, with donkey handlers calling “taxi!” at every bend. Wadi Musa is the scrappy gateway town of falafel stands and rooftop hostels. The JETT bus from Amman takes 3.5 to 4 hours and is the sensible choice. Two or three days inside give the most per hour spent; one rushed day wastes the trip.

Wadi Rum and Aqaba (Wadi Rum, Aqaba)

Wadi Rum is red sand that gets into everything, silence deep enough to hear your pulse, and Bedouin camps that dig dinner out of an underground zarb oven. Minibuses run from Wadi Musa (about 2 hours) or Aqaba (about 1 hour), and an overnight jeep tour with camp is the best value. Aqaba, roughly 4 hours from Amman, is humid and slow, with reef snorkeling for anyone craving water after the desert.
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Why go?What draws travelers here

Scenery

Jordan packs its landscapes into a country you can drive across in a day, yet they shift hard: from … read more 👉
Jordan packs its landscapes into a country you can drive across in a day, yet they shift hard: from pine-covered hills in the north to the salt-white shore of the Dead Sea, then up onto the windswept plateau and down into red desert. Light does most of the work. Sandstone glows orange at sunset, granite turns purple, and the desert air at night is cold enough to make you reach for a fleece. I would spend one night in Wadi Rum sleeping outside the tent on a mattress and skip the overpriced sunset jeep loops in favor of a long camel walk at dawn.

People

Expect to be invited in. In Jordan, a short chat with a shopkeeper often turns into a glass of sugary … read more 👉
Expect to be invited in. In Jordan, a short chat with a shopkeeper often turns into a glass of sugary mint tea, a debate about football and an offer to call a cousin who can help you. Jokes come quickly, often at the expense of Amman’s traffic. Men are chatty and direct; women are friendlier toward female travelers, and couples get treated as family. A few words of Arabic, even just “shukran” and “inshallah”, earn wide smiles. The easiest place to fall into conversation is a downtown Amman coffee kiosk in the evening, when the call to prayer fades and the streets fill up.

Architecture

Jordan gives you rock cut by hand on a scale that still seems unreasonable: the Nabataeans carved Petra’s … read more 👉
Jordan gives you rock cut by hand on a scale that still seems unreasonable: the Nabataeans carved Petra’s tomb facades straight out of the cliffs, column by column. Romans left Jerash’s colonnades, Crusaders built Karak’s dark, drafty castle with tunnels you can still wander through, and Ajloun’s Ayyubid fortress watches over the northern hills. Modern Amman matters too; building rules require stone cladding, so the whole city gleams pale white and honey on its hills. Bring a headlamp to Karak, since the vaulted corridors go pitch black, and the cool, damp air smells of old stone.

Food

Jordanian food is built for sharing, and portions assume you brought friends. Mansaf, lamb cooked in … read more 👉
Jordanian food is built for sharing, and portions assume you brought friends. Mansaf, lamb cooked in fermented dried yogurt and poured over rice, is the national dish and is eaten at weddings and big family meals. Breakfast is the cheapest feast: hummus with olive oil, ful beans, falafel hot from the fryer and stacks of bread. Then there is knafeh, gooey cheese under orange semolina, dripping syrup. Head to Habibah’s takeaway in downtown Amman for knafeh and the long-running Hashem restaurant nearby for falafel, and eat standing in the alley like everyone else.

Low cost

Jordan costs more than Egypt for most backpackers, yet it stays manageable once you skip the resorts. … read more 👉
Jordan costs more than Egypt for most backpackers, yet it stays manageable once you skip the resorts. A realistic daily average in Jordan runs about JD 25 to 43 (US$35 to 60) with a hostel bed, street food and local buses, before big entry fees. Street food carries the budget: falafel sandwiches, hummus plates and fresh bread cost little and fill you up. The big costs are tickets and transport to remote sites. The Jordan Pass bundles Petra with dozens of other sites, so buy it before arrival if you plan to see more than two or three places.

Backpackers

The Jordan backpacker scene is small and easy to plug into. Hostels in central Amman fill with hikers, … read more 👉
The Jordan backpacker scene is small and easy to plug into. Hostels in central Amman fill with hikers, students of Arabic and overlanders swapping tips on rooftops lit by string lights, with the city’s hills twinkling below. In Wadi Musa near Petra, budget hotels run their own shuttles and group meals, which makes finding travel partners simple. Desert camps in Wadi Rum turn strangers into a group around one fire. Use those rooftops to recruit people for a shared driver along the King’s Highway; splitting a car four ways makes the trip faster and far cheaper.

Uniqueness

Away from Petra, Jordan empties out fast. The eastern desert is flat black basalt, the wind carries … read more 👉
Away from Petra, Jordan empties out fast. The eastern desert is flat black basalt, the wind carries dust and the occasional smell of diesel from a passing truck, and you can drive an hour without seeing another visitor. Feynan Ecolodge sits deep in the lowland desert, lit by candles at night, with Bedouin families herding goats nearby and a sky full of stars. Hiking between villages, you hear sheep bells and dogs long before you see a house. Stay a night in Feynan and join a local shepherd’s walk; it shows desert life on its own terms.

⭐ HighlightsKey places and experiences

  • Petra: The walk through the Siq, a slot canyon over a kilometer long, narrows until the Treasury appears in a sliver of salmon-pink light. Beyond it, the city spreads into tombs, a theater and a stiff climb of roughly 850 steps to the Monastery, where Bedouin sell sweet tea from a ledge overlooking the Arabah valley. Your shoes will be pink with dust by noon.
  • Wadi Rum: Granite mountains rise straight out of red sand, and wind is often the only sound. Jeep tracks lead to rock bridges and Nabataean inscriptions, and a night in a Bedouin camp means dinner cooked in a pit under the sand, smelling of charcoal and spiced lamb.
  • Jerash: One of the best-preserved Roman provincial cities anywhere, with an oval plaza ringed by Ionic columns and a long colonnaded street still grooved by chariot wheels. In the south theater, a piper sometimes plays bagpipes, a leftover of British military bands, and the echo rolls off the stone.
  • Dead Sea: The water feels oily and lifts you like a pool float; any tiny
… read more 👉
  • Petra: The walk through the Siq, a slot canyon over a kilometer long, narrows until the Treasury appears in a sliver of salmon-pink light. Beyond it, the city spreads into tombs, a theater and a stiff climb of roughly 850 steps to the Monastery, where Bedouin sell sweet tea from a ledge overlooking the Arabah valley. Your shoes will be pink with dust by noon.
  • Wadi Rum: Granite mountains rise straight out of red sand, and wind is often the only sound. Jeep tracks lead to rock bridges and Nabataean inscriptions, and a night in a Bedouin camp means dinner cooked in a pit under the sand, smelling of charcoal and spiced lamb.
  • Jerash: One of the best-preserved Roman provincial cities anywhere, with an oval plaza ringed by Ionic columns and a long colonnaded street still grooved by chariot wheels. In the south theater, a piper sometimes plays bagpipes, a leftover of British military bands, and the echo rolls off the stone.
  • Dead Sea: The water feels oily and lifts you like a pool float; any tiny cut on your skin stings within seconds. Salt crusts the shoreline in white ridges, and the haze over the hills of the West Bank turns gold toward sunset.
  • Dana Biosphere Reserve: From an Ottoman-era stone village perched on a cliff, trails drop through sandstone and juniper toward the lowland desert. Ibex move along the ridges, and the air smells of wild sage after any rain.
Off the map, try the black basalt town of Umm al-Jimal, the fresco-covered bathhouse of Qasr Amra or the hilltop ruins of Umm Qais above the Sea of Galilee; I’d pick Umm al-Jimal first for its eerie, empty streets.
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🧭 RoutesSuggested travel routes through Jordan

The 5-Day Southern Desert Route

Five days in southern Jordan take you from rose-colored rock tombs to a silent red desert and on to the coral of the Red Sea. The route is compact and focused, with short hops that leave your time for walking rather than riding.
  • Two full days exploring Petra, including the climb to the Monastery
  • A night in a Bedouin camp in Wadi Rum
  • Snorkeling the Red Sea coral off Aqaba

👉 explore this 5-day route

The 10-Day Highlights Route

Ten days carry you down the length of Jordan, from Roman streets and biblical viewpoints to the shore of the Dead Sea and the canyons of the south. History and hiking share the itinerary, at a pace that leaves room to breathe.
  • The colonnaded Roman city of Jerash
  • Mount Nebo and the Baptism Site at Al-Maghtas
  • Hiking the escarpment trails of Dana
  • Petra followed by a night under the Wadi Rum stars

👉 explore this 10-day route

The 15-Day Grand Jordan Route

Fifteen days give you the full sweep of Jordan, including corners most visitors never reach: frescoed … read more 👉

The 5-Day Southern Desert Route

Five days in southern Jordan take you from rose-colored rock tombs to a silent red desert and on to the coral of the Red Sea. The route is compact and focused, with short hops that leave your time for walking rather than riding.
  • Two full days exploring Petra, including the climb to the Monastery
  • A night in a Bedouin camp in Wadi Rum
  • Snorkeling the Red Sea coral off Aqaba

👉 explore this 5-day route

The 10-Day Highlights Route

Ten days carry you down the length of Jordan, from Roman streets and biblical viewpoints to the shore of the Dead Sea and the canyons of the south. History and hiking share the itinerary, at a pace that leaves room to breathe.
  • The colonnaded Roman city of Jerash
  • Mount Nebo and the Baptism Site at Al-Maghtas
  • Hiking the escarpment trails of Dana
  • Petra followed by a night under the Wadi Rum stars

👉 explore this 10-day route

The 15-Day Grand Jordan Route

Fifteen days give you the full sweep of Jordan, including corners most visitors never reach: frescoed desert castles, basalt ghost towns and Crusader fortresses. Slow stretches in the green north and the southern wilderness balance the big-name sights.
  • The Umayyad Desert Castles and the Azraq oasis
  • Three days in the hills around Ajloun, with Jerash and Umm Qais
  • Canyoning in Wadi Mujib and exploring Karak Castle
  • Dana, Petra, Wadi Rum and a Red Sea finale

👉 explore this 15-day route

🌤️ When to go?Weather, seasons, and timing

March and November are the best months for backpacking Jordan. Petra sees daytime highs of roughly 18 to 25°C, crowds are far thinner than in April or October, and room rates haven’t yet hit peak. Altitude changes everything here. The highlands around Amman, Petra and Dana can get snow in winter, while the Dead Sea and Aqaba sit hundreds of meters lower and stay warm enough to swim.
  • Spring (March to May): Wildflowers cover the hills and highland highs run 18 to 30°C. April brings the year’s heaviest crowds, when Petra’s Siq jams by 9 a.m. and Wadi Musa prices climb. Dusty khamsin winds can blow in from the desert.
  • Summer (June to August): Petra hits 32 to 36°C, and the Dead Sea and Aqaba push past 40°C. Western visitors thin out, but Gulf and Jordanian families fill Aqaba. Exposed hikes become risky after mid-morning.
  • Autumn (September to November): The heat eases through September and October brings a second peak of tour groups. November settles into cool, clear days.
  • Winter (December to February): Expect cold rain and occasional snow in Amman and Petra, and near-freezing nights in Wadi Rum. Prices are low and trails are empty.
The Wadi Mujib Siq Trail, a wade up a river gorge near the Dead Sea, only opens from April to October, when the flash-flood risk drops. In any month I’d pack a real warm layer for Wadi Rum, because the desert can lose 15 degrees after sunset.

source: climatestotravel.comJANJanuary: good for travelingFEBFebruary: good for travelingMARMarch: highly recommended for travelingAPRApril: fair for travelingMAYMay: fair for travelingJUNJune: below average for travelingJULJuly: below average for travelingAUGAugust: below average for travelingSEPSeptember: fair for travelingOCTOctober: fair for travelingNOVNovember: highly recommended for travelingDECDecember: good for traveling
!2004-08-21 18-59-21

💰 Costs (as of 2026)Prices, expenses, and money tips

Backpacking Jordan on a budget costs about US$45 to 65 a day, which makes it pricier than Egypt or Turkey but much cheaper than Israel next door.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Dorm accommodationUS$11 to 21 per nightHostel dorms in downtown Amman cost about US$11 to 17. A Wadi Musa dorm near Petra runs about US$14 to 21. Bedouin camps in Wadi Rum charge about US$20 to 35 for a bed, and that usually includes dinner and breakfast, so it can work out cheaper than a hostel. You pay less by booking directly and asking for breakfast to be included. Dorms in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv often cost US$30 to 45, roughly double the price here.
MealsUS$8 to 15 per dayA falafel sandwich costs US$0.50 to 1 and a chicken shawarma US$1.50 to 3. A hummus, foul and falafel spread with bread at a downtown Amman diner is about US$4 to 6. Supermarket bread, labneh, hummus and fruit for a day come to about US$4 to 6. A sit-down mansaf is US$10 to 15. Street food in Egypt costs about half as much.
Local transportUS$3 to 15 per dayMinibuses are the cheapest option: Amman to Madaba is about US$1 to 1.50, and Amman to Wadi Musa is about US$10 to 14. A JETT coach from Amman to Petra is about US$15 one way, and Amman
… read more 👉
Backpacking Jordan on a budget costs about US$45 to 65 a day, which makes it pricier than Egypt or Turkey but much cheaper than Israel next door.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Dorm accommodationUS$11 to 21 per nightHostel dorms in downtown Amman cost about US$11 to 17. A Wadi Musa dorm near Petra runs about US$14 to 21. Bedouin camps in Wadi Rum charge about US$20 to 35 for a bed, and that usually includes dinner and breakfast, so it can work out cheaper than a hostel. You pay less by booking directly and asking for breakfast to be included. Dorms in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv often cost US$30 to 45, roughly double the price here.
MealsUS$8 to 15 per dayA falafel sandwich costs US$0.50 to 1 and a chicken shawarma US$1.50 to 3. A hummus, foul and falafel spread with bread at a downtown Amman diner is about US$4 to 6. Supermarket bread, labneh, hummus and fruit for a day come to about US$4 to 6. A sit-down mansaf is US$10 to 15. Street food in Egypt costs about half as much.
Local transportUS$3 to 15 per dayMinibuses are the cheapest option: Amman to Madaba is about US$1 to 1.50, and Amman to Wadi Musa is about US$10 to 14. A JETT coach from Amman to Petra is about US$15 one way, and Amman to Aqaba is about US$14 to 15. Short Uber or Careem rides in Amman cost US$3 to 6.
ActivitiesUS$25 to 80 per day (averaged)Petra is what drives your costs. A one-day ticket is about US$70 if you stay overnight in Jordan and about US$127 for day-trippers. The Jordan Pass costs US$99 to 113 and covers your visa (about US$56 on its own), Petra and Wadi Rum entry. A shared Wadi Rum jeep tour is US$40 to 70 per person, and Petra by Night is about US$24. I would buy the Jordan Pass before landing and save on food instead, because the visa refund alone covers half its price.
MiscellaneousUS$3 to 8 per dayA 1.5-liter bottle of water costs US$0.50 to 0.70, and in the desert heat you go through two or three a day. Sweet tea is US$0.70 to 1.40 a glass. A tourist SIM from Zain or Orange with data costs about US$15 to 20. Day access to a Dead Sea beach costs about US$28, and small tips for drivers and guides add up.
Total Daily BudgetUS$45 to 65 per dayThe low end means dorms, falafel and minibuses. The high end covers a Wadi Rum camp night and your share of the Petra entry spread over a 7 to 10 day trip. Travelers pay in Jordanian dinars, and card payment is common in Amman but less so in rural areas.
⚠️ Prices can change and everyone travels differently, so take this as a rough guide. Hope it helps you plan your adventure!

✈️ The backpacker research shortcutJordan Travel Guide

An offline-friendly backpacking guide with optimized travel routes, ranked highlights, transport advice, and the best areas to stay.
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The digital guide (230 pages) contains:
✅ 57 highlights, ranked by travel appeal
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✅ Month by month travel advice
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🗺️ Go to the right places, skip the overrated ones
✅ Honest pros & cons of destinations
✅ Top hikes, parks & viewpoints
✅ Lesser-known places most travelers miss
✅ Clear “worth it vs skip it” guidance

🛏️ Travel smoothly without rookie mistakes
✅ Best areas to stay
✅ Transport systems explained simply
✅ Common scams & safety advice
✅ SIM cards, money & practical tips

🌍 Understand the country, not just visit it
✅ Culture & traditions
✅ 52 Essential phrases & customs
✅ Festivals worth planning around
✅ Traveler-friendly historical context
✅ Insights that make places more meaningful

📱 Built for real travel conditions
✅ Fully downloadable PDF
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🛏️ Where to stay?Accommodation types and options

Jordan has plenty of hostels and budget guesthouses, with dorm beds typically running JD 8 to 15 (US$11 to 21) and simple private rooms from about JD 20 to 35 (US$28 to 50). In Amman, Downtown (Al-Balad) packs in the most cheap options within walking distance of the Citadel and Roman Theater, though it’s noisy with traffic and the call to prayer, while neighboring Jabal Amman around Rainbow Street costs a bit more but gives you leafy, safe streets plus the city’s best cafés and bars. Beyond the capital, Wadi Musa has the budget beds closest to Petra’s gate (quiet after dark), Wadi Rum swaps hostels … read more 👉
Jordan has plenty of hostels and budget guesthouses, with dorm beds typically running JD 8 to 15 (US$11 to 21) and simple private rooms from about JD 20 to 35 (US$28 to 50). In Amman, Downtown (Al-Balad) packs in the most cheap options within walking distance of the Citadel and Roman Theater, though it’s noisy with traffic and the call to prayer, while neighboring Jabal Amman around Rainbow Street costs a bit more but gives you leafy, safe streets plus the city’s best cafés and bars. Beyond the capital, Wadi Musa has the budget beds closest to Petra’s gate (quiet after dark), Wadi Rum swaps hostels for Bedouin desert camps, and Aqaba suits divers but has thinner, pricier budget choices.

If you enjoy meeting fellow travelers, consider choosing hostels with high ratings for atmosphere. On the other hand, if you prefer having your own space, a hotel might be a better option.

Best hostels in Jordan


Best quality hotels in Jordan

🚌 Getting aroundPublic transport and other ways to get around

Most backpackers in Jordan ride the blue-and-white JETT coaches between the big hubs and fill the gaps with cramped local minibuses, because together they reach Petra, Aqaba and Wadi Rum for under JOD 15 (about US$21) a leg. Off those main lines, public transport thins out fast, and that is when a rental car starts to make sense.
  • JETT buses run Amman to Wadi Musa (Petra) in about 3.5 to 4 hours for roughly JOD 10 to 11 (US$14 to 16), and Amman to Aqaba in about 4 hours for JOD 8 to 10 (US$11 to 14).
… read more 👉
Most backpackers in Jordan ride the blue-and-white JETT coaches between the big hubs and fill the gaps with cramped local minibuses, because together they reach Petra, Aqaba and Wadi Rum for under JOD 15 (about US$21) a leg. Off those main lines, public transport thins out fast, and that is when a rental car starts to make sense.
  • JETT buses run Amman to Wadi Musa (Petra) in about 3.5 to 4 hours for roughly JOD 10 to 11 (US$14 to 16), and Amman to Aqaba in about 4 hours for JOD 8 to 10 (US$11 to 14). Seats recline, the air conditioning hums hard and the desert slides past the tinted windows. Book online or at the Abdali office a day ahead in peak season. For the money, nothing beats it on the long hauls.
  • Minibuses leave Amman’s South Bus Station for Wadi Musa (JOD 5 to 7, about US$7 to 10) and North Bus Station for Jerash (around JOD 1, US$1.40, about 1 hour). They go when full, so expect diesel fumes, Arabic pop on the speakers and a wait of anything up to an hour. Pay the driver in cash. They are the cheapest way around, though you pay for it in time.
  • The Petra to Wadi Rum minibus leaves Wadi Musa early in the morning (around 6 a.m.) and takes about 2 hours for JOD 7 to 10 (US$10 to 14). Your guesthouse can reserve a seat. Miss it and a private taxi costs several times more.
  • Service taxis and ride-hailing handle city hops. Shared white service taxis cost well under JOD 1 on fixed Amman routes, while Uber and Careem cover most cross-town rides for JOD 2 to 5 (US$3 to 7) with an upfront price and no haggling. Women usually sit in the back seat.
  • Rental cars run JOD 25 to 40 (US$35 to 56) a day and are the only practical way to drive the Kings Highway, with its switchbacks dropping toward canyon floors. Roads are good, but speed bumps appear without warning. Split between three or four people, a car gives you the most freedom per dinar.
I would take the JETT bus south and rent a car only for the Kings Highway stretch between Madaba and Petra, then return north on the fast Desert Highway.
Queen Alia International Airport (AMM) sits about 32 km (20 miles) south of central Amman, and the cheapest reliable way into the Jordanian capital is the Airport Express bus for roughly JD 3.30 (about US$4.70).
  • Airport Express bus (Sariyah) to North Bus Station / 7th Circle (45 to 60 minutes, about JD 3.30 / US$4.70): catch it right outside the arrivals hall, pay the driver in dinars, and expect departures roughly every 30 to 60 minutes around the clock, then hop a short taxi (JD 2 to 4) from the 7th Circle or Tabarbour stop to Downtown.
  • Airport taxi (35 to 45 minutes, about JD 22 to 28 / US$31 to 40): yellow taxis wait at the official rank outside arrivals with set fares to each Amman district, so confirm the price before loading your bag.
  • Careem or Uber (35 to 45 minutes, about JD 15 to 22 / US$21 to 31): both apps work at the airport, pickup is at the marked zone outside arrivals, and you can pay by card in the app or cash to the driver.
If you land late at night, the bus still runs but the onward taxi hunt at 7th Circle is a hassle, so book a Careem from the arrivals Wi-Fi or take the fixed-fare taxi straight to your hostel’s door.
⚠️ Prices and routes can change, so take this as a rough guide and ask for local advice when you arrive.
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🔒 Safety (risk Level: medium)Staying safe while traveling

Safety for solo travelers, including women and LGBTQ+ individuals
Jordan is one of the safest countries in the Middle East for solo travelers, with low violent crime, a visible tourist police presence and a strong culture of hospitality toward guests. Women traveling alone are generally safe but may face staring, comments or persistent offers from men, particularly in Wadi Musa and Downtown Amman, and modest dress plus firm, polite refusals reduce this a lot. Same-sex relations are legal in Jordan, but society is conservative and LGBTQ+ travelers should avoid public displays of affection and be discreet on dating apps. Stay away from the Syrian and Iraqi border areas, and stick to registered guides in Wadi Rum.


Full official government travel advisory (live updates)
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source: www.gov.uk

✈️ VisaVisa requirements for Jordan

Most nationalities, including citizens of the US, UK, EU, Canada and Australia, need a visa for Jordan but can get a single-entry visa on arrival at Amman airport or most land borders for JOD 40 (about US$56). The fee is waived if you buy the Jordan Pass online before arrival and stay at least three consecutive nights, which also covers entry to Petra and around 40 other sites. An e-visa can also be applied for through the Jordanian Ministry of Interior’s online portal, while some nationalities must apply in advance through a Jordanian embassy.
⚠️ Visa requirements can change over time, so always check the latest visa requirements with the official embassy or government website before you travel.

🎒 What to pack?What to wear and bring

Jordan swings between extremes, so pack for scorching summer days above 35°C (95°F) in Aqaba and the Dead Sea and for desert nights in Wadi Rum or Petra that can drop near freezing from November to March. Petra alone can mean 15 to 20 kilometers of walking on sand, rock steps and dusty trails in a day, so broken-in shoes with real grip matter more than anything else in your bag. Loose, breathable clothing that covers shoulders and knees keeps you cooler in the sun and fits local expectations, especially outside Amman’s trendier neighborhoods. A light scarf earns its space as sun and dust protection and for mosque visits, and anyone heading to the Dead Sea will want something for floating in that is modest enough for public beaches.

Apart from this country specific advice, I have also crafted a general packing list that should help on any trip. authorOver the years, I've learned the importance of packing minimally. It's so much easier to jump on the back of a truck or squeeze yourself into the last spot of a minibus without that supersized backpack. If you're headed to a warm destination, leave your winter jacket at home; for colder regions, opt for thin thermal underlayers. Instead of packing your entire wardrobe, bring just three sets of clothes, as laundry facilities are available everywhere.

View the full list 👉

🙋 FAQFrequently asked questions

Trip Planning

Planning a backpacking route through Jordan can be tricky — you need to balance must-see places, travel times, budget, and how long to stay in each destination. Our free personalized Jordan itinerary planner creates a route based on your travel style, trip duration, and interests, so you can spend less time researching and more time exploring.



Personal tip: I normally search on good rating for atmosphere (for meeting people) and location (for easy exploring). Cleanliness as a bonus.


Travel Essentials

No vaccinations are required to enter Jordan unless you arrive from a country with yellow fever risk, in which case a yellow fever certificate is needed. Make sure routine vaccines (MMR, tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis, polio) are up to date, and hepatitis A and typhoid are commonly recommended because of street food and variable hygiene. Hepatitis B and rabies are worth considering for long stays, rural trips or close contact with animals such as stray dogs and camels.


vaccination requirements
When I first started traveling, I often spent part of my first day in a new country hunting for a local SIM card. While this can still be slightly cheaper, it also takes time and planning.

These days, it's much simpler to install an eSIM before leaving home. Once you arrive in Jordan, you can activate it immediately and have mobile data from the moment you land — which is especially useful for ordering transport or navigating away from busy airports.

There are many providers nowadays, and price differences are usually small. I personally go with Holafly, as it offers excellent network coverage throughout the country and strong global coverage, so you can manage multiple countries from a single app.


HolaFly eSim

Culture & Customs

In Jordan, dress modestly, covering shoulders and knees, and both women and men should be more covered in rural towns and at religious sites, where women also need a headscarf for mosques. Do accept the tea or coffee offered to you, as refusing outright can come across as cold, and do eat, pass money and shake hands with your right hand. Don’t eat, drink or smoke in public during daylight in Ramadan, avoid public displays of affection, and always ask before photographing people, especially women and Bedouin families. Criticizing the King or royal family is illegal and taken seriously, so keep political opinions to yourself. Women traveling alone usually sit in the back of taxis and in the family sections of local restaurants, and LGBTQ+ couples will find discretion is expected everywhere outside a few liberal Amman spaces.
Trying traditional food is always a great way to experience the culture. Here are some must-try dishes for Jordan.
  1. Mansaf: Lamb slow-cooked in jameed, a tangy sauce made from dried fermented goat yogurt, served over rice and thin flatbread with toasted almonds and pine nuts. It is the national dish, served at weddings, funerals and reconciliations, and traditionally eaten from a shared platter with the right hand.
  2. Maqluba: Rice, fried eggplant or cauliflower and chicken or lamb cooked in one pot, then flipped upside down onto a tray at the table. The name means “upside down,” and the flip is a family ritual, often met with applause.
  3. Zarb: The Bedouin barbecue of Wadi Rum, where lamb or chicken and vegetables are cooked on tiers in a sealed pit under the sand for a couple of hours. It is the classic dinner at desert camps, smoky and falling off the bone.
  4. Musakhan: Taboon flatbread soaked in olive oil and piled with roast chicken, caramelized onions and plenty of sumac. It celebrates the olive harvest and is a staple of Palestinian-Jordanian home cooking.
  5. Falafel and hummus: The everyday breakfast of Amman, eaten with warm bread, pickles and sweet tea at downtown counters. Cheap, fast and a fixture of daily life across the country.
  6. Knafeh: Warm, stretchy white cheese under a layer of crisp shredded or semolina pastry, drenched in sugar syrup and dusted with pistachios. Jordanians eat it at any hour, and queues at Amman’s sweet shops stretch out the door in the evening.
Tap water in Jordan is treated and officially considered safe, but it is stored in rooftop tanks that are not always well maintained, so many locals filter it or buy bottled water for drinking. Travelers are best off avoiding tap water and sticking to bottled or filtered water, which is cheap at around JOD 0.3 to 0.5 (US$0.40 to 0.70) for a 1.5-liter bottle. A filter bottle cuts plastic waste and is handy on long days at Petra and in Wadi Rum.
The main language in Jordan is Arabic. Backpacking is way more rewarding if you know a bit of the local language, so I'd suggest brushing up on the basics just in case your Arabic skills have become a bit rusty.

Want to understand locals better?
The complete Travel Guide for Jordan includes 52 essential words and phrases — greetings, thank-yous, ordering food, transport, numbers, and common local expressions you'll actually hear.

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English is widely spoken in Jordan’s tourist circuit: in Amman, Wadi Musa, Aqaba and Wadi Rum, hotel staff, guides and drivers usually handle it comfortably. Younger Jordanians and hostel workers tend to speak it well, often with a mix of British and American slang picked up from school and screens. In rural villages and with older minibus drivers, it drops off sharply, so Arabic is the language that helps most. Learn shukran (thank you), kam? (how much?) and la, shukran (no, thanks), and keep Google Translate with the offline Arabic pack downloaded for the gaps.

Money & Payments

The local currency of Jordan is JOD (د.ا).
ATMs are easy to find in Jordan’s cities and tourist towns, including Amman, Aqaba, Madaba and Wadi Musa, but scarce in Wadi Rum village and along the Kings Highway, so withdraw before heading into the desert. Many Jordanian bank ATMs charge a fee of roughly JOD 3 to 5 (US$4 to 7) per withdrawal on foreign cards, on top of what your own bank adds, so taking out larger amounts less often saves money. Cards work in mid-range and upscale hotels, malls, supermarkets and many restaurants, and the Jordan Pass is bought online by card, but buses, minibuses, street food, small shops and most desert camps want cash. US dollars are the easiest foreign currency to exchange, with euros a close second, and clean, undamaged notes get the best rate. Use banks or the licensed exchange offices in Downtown Amman and Aqaba, which often beat airport rates, and always decline the ATM’s offer to charge you in your home currency.
Tipping in Jordan is customary but modest: many restaurants add a 10% service charge, and where they don’t, leaving 10% is standard. Round up taxi fares to the nearest dinar, give hotel porters JOD 1 (about US$1.40), and tip guides and drivers around JOD 5 to 10 (US$7 to 14) per day for good service. Bedouin hosts in Wadi Rum and horse handlers at Petra also expect a small tip, so keep some small notes and coins on hand.

🧩 Nearby countriesNearby backpacking alternatives

📸 PhotosScenes from around the country

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Photographed by: Johan Kruseman

We 💚 feedbackKey takeaways from the trip

Give Jordan more time than you think it needs. Petra and Wadi Rum fit into four days, but that pace skips the slow north, where the olive hills feel like a different country. The small downside: entry fees add up fast, so pick your sites with intent. The upside is that the Jordan Trail, which runs about 650 kilometers from Umm Qais to the Red Sea, keeps adding marked sections and village homestays, making long-distance walking far easier than it was a decade ago.

✈️ When did I visit Jordan?
Jordan I visited in a trip together with Syria in August 2004. Originally written after my visit, this guide has been kept up to date with input from locals and recent travelers (last update: 25 October 2026)

✍️ Help improve this page!
The information on this page is based on my own backpacking experience in Jordan, supplemented with up-to-date research and feedback from other travelers. Travel details can change, so if you notice anything outdated or incomplete, feel free to let me know.



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👋 Meet the founderWho’s Behind Take Your Backpack?

Johan, backpacker and founder of TakeYourBackpackHi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.

This site is built on a combination of firsthand travel experience and carefully curated insights from other backpackers. Many guides are based on places I’ve personally visited, while others bring together tips, observations, and practical advice shared by trusted travelers I’ve met along the way.

The goal is to provide realistic, experience-driven guidance — not generic itineraries — so you can explore destinations with better context, clearer expectations, and more confidence.

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