Jordan🇯🇴 | best festivalsEssential 5 festivals to Explore in Jordan

How many to attend: Two festivals is the number I advise for a backpacker, three at the most. Each one eats an evening, a late return and usually a night in a pricier town, and Jordan’s distances are short but the buses are infrequent after dark. Two events leave room for the ruins, the wadis and the slow tea-drinking afternoons that are half the point of being here. A third only makes sense if it falls on your route anyway.Choosing the kind: If you travel on a tight budget, favor city and northern events. They sit near Amman, entry is often free or around JD 5 to 15 (US$7 to 21), and a taxi or minibus costs little. If you want atmosphere above comfort, choose a desert or Petra-area event: you pay more for rooms and transport, and nights are cold, but you get open sky, woodsmoke and music … read more 👉

How many to attend: Two festivals is the number I advise for a backpacker, three at the most. Each one eats an evening, a late return and usually a night in a pricier town, and Jordan’s distances are short but the buses are infrequent after dark. Two events leave room for the ruins, the wadis and the slow tea-drinking afternoons that are half the point of being here. A third only makes sense if it falls on your route anyway.Choosing the kind: If you travel on a tight budget, favor city and northern events. They sit near Amman, entry is often free or around JD 5 to 15 (US$7 to 21), and a taxi or minibus costs little. If you want atmosphere above comfort, choose a desert or Petra-area event: you pay more for rooms and transport, and nights are cold, but you get open sky, woodsmoke and music carried on still air. Music-focused travelers should take the stage events in Amman, where sound systems are strongest and late taxis are easiest to find. Culture and craft seekers get the best value in the smaller regional events, where food stalls cost JD 1 to 4 (US$1.50 to 6).Budget: A frugal backpacker spends US$35 to 55 a day in Jordan, with dorm beds around JD 10 to 18 (US$14 to 25). Add US$10 to 40 per festival visit for tickets and a taxi back, and US$30 to 70 if you also need a night near Petra or Wadi Rum. Guides at ancient sites run JD 25 to 50 (US$35 to 70), worth it only if you are alone and short on time. The Jordan Pass, around JD 70 to 80 (US$100 to 113), covers the visa fee for stays of three nights or more and entry to Petra and Jerash, and it pays off quickly if you visit those sites.Safety and etiquette: Jordan is generally safe for visitors, with petty theft rare, but crowd exits at night can be chaotic, so arrange your ride before the last song. Dress modestly: covered shoulders and knees are respectful, especially outside Amman. Ask before photographing locals, particularly women, and accept offered tea with your right hand. Alcohol is limited and public drunkenness is frowned on. Check current travel advisories for the border regions before booking, and carry water and a warm layer to open-air venues.What to watch: Confirm dates close to departure, since programs change, and book bus tickets for the morning after an event. Cash in dinars is the safest way to pay at stalls.