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For the latest information, and to check specific requirements for your nationality, see [url=http://www.visitjordan.com/visitjordan_cms/GeneralInformation/EntryintoJordan/tabid/61/Default.aspx]Entry in to Jordan[/url] on the official Jordan Tourism Board web site.
Some Arab nationalities, Turkish and Hong Kong passport holders do not require a visa to enter Jordan - others will need a visa. There are two types of visa: the normal visa, and the free Aqaba Special Economic Zone (ASEZA) visa. Both visas allow full travel throughout Jordan.
You can get a single entry visa valid for 1 month on arrival at any port of entry, except the King Hussein ("Allenby") Bridge on the Jordan/West Bank border. Since March 2015 the cost of a single entry visa for all nationalities is JOD40 (around USD60); for multiple entries for all nationalities it is JOD60 (c. USD85) and can be obtained at the nearest embassy/consulate.
The free ASEZA visa is available to people who arrive at Aqaba, either through the port (by ferry from Nuwieba, in Egypt), the airport (Aqaba International Airport) or at the land crossings from Israel or Saudi Arabia. There is no obligation associated with this visa, provided that you leave the country from the same border and within 1 month of arrival, and that you do not need to renew the visa. There is no tax for leaving the Aqaba Economic Zone and crossing into the rest of the country. There are road checkpoints when leaving ASEZA, but these are no concern for foreigners. Usually, the control is either waived for tourists or minimally done (just show your passport; if driving, show also your driving license, car registration and open the trunk). If you want to enter through Aqaba and do not want to get the ASEZA visa, you must ask the customs officer to put the normal vsa in your passport and pay the normal visa fee.
The free ASEZA visa can also be obtained at almost all other crossings (except King Hussein "Allenby" Bridge), by stating that you are going to Aqaba. There will be no JOD40 charge for the entry visa, but you are obliged to arrive in Aqaba in maximum 48 hours and get a stamp from a police station in Aqaba or from the ASEZA headquarters. If the Aqaba late-arrival stamp is not in your passport, at departure you will pay the JOD40 charge for the entry visa plus a fine of JOD1,50/day, for each day non registered (the day you entered Jordan is counted as day 1, even if you entered at 23:59 hours).
Groups of five persons or more arriving through a designated Jordanian tour operator with a government certified tour guide are exempt from all visa charges, provided the group arrives and departs together as well as stay a minimum of 3 nights in Jordan.
There is a departure fee of JOD10 (as of March 2015), imposed at all land and sea crossings. The departure fee of JOD30 (as of March 2015) for leaving Jordan by air is usually included in airline ticket.
If leaving through King Hussein "Allenby" Bridge you can return back to Jordan through the same crossing point, on the same visa you got when entering the country in the first place, if its validity has not expired. The ASEZA visa cannot be used in such manner, because you must exit Jordan through the same exit point in Aqaba you entered.
Jordan's national airline is [url=http://www.rj.com/]Royal Jordanian Airlines[/url], it is a member of the One World alliance. In addition, Jordan is served by a number of foreign carriers including British Airways, Air France, airBaltic, Lufthansa, Austrian, Alitalia, Aegean, Turkish Airlines, Egypt Air, Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways. Low-cost airline [url=http://www.airarabia.com]Air Arabia[/url] flies between Jordan and destinations all over the Middle East.
Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) is the country's main airport. A state-of-the-art new terminal was inaugurated in March 2013 to replace the airport's older two passenger terminals and one cargo terminal, the total number of passengers served by QAIA in 2014 was 7,089,008. It is 35km south of [wiki=65ca1960c302380349ee212d4d07e5c4]Amman[/wiki] (on the main route to [wiki=6751054d07d2b959221db0e2b51d4577]Aqaba[/wiki]). You should allow 45 minutes to reach the airport from the downtown Amman, approximately 30 minutes from West Amman. Transport into Amman is provided by the Royal Jordanian bus service to the city terminal near the 7th circle, or by taxi (around JOD20 - 30, fixed tariff depending on area).
In addition to Queen Alia, Jordan has two other international airports:
* Marka International Airport in East Amman (mainly serving charter flights to nearby Middle Eastern countries, as well as internal flights to Aqaba).
* King Hussein International Airport in [wiki=6751054d07d2b959221db0e2b51d4577]Aqaba[/wiki]: served by Royal Jordanian Airlines from Amman, Turkish Airlines from Istanbul in addition to charter flights from Europe.
The last functioning part of the famous Hejaz Railway, twice-weekly trains used to arrive from [wiki=f9087af03968b9a75a67376447f88bcf]Damascus[/wiki] (Syria) at [wiki=65ca1960c302380349ee212d4d07e5c4]Amman[/wiki]'s Mahatta junction just north-east of the downtown area, close to Marka Airport. However, services have been suspended since mid-2006 due to damage to the tracks, and it's unclear when they will resume. Even when they were running, trains took a very leisurely 9 hours (considerably slower than driving), and provided a very low standard of comfort. There are no other passenger trains in Jordan.
Long distance services operate from a number of Middle Eastern destinations including [wiki=b5eed9442adc540b3e59ae08aa129632]Tel Aviv[/wiki] and [wiki=f9087af03968b9a75a67376447f88bcf]Damascus[/wiki].
Jordan can be entered at the port of [wiki=6751054d07d2b959221db0e2b51d4577]Aqaba[/wiki] via the Egyptian port of [wiki=62c257f0b32c3640eb690fc3121de4d6]Nuweiba[/wiki]. There are two services, ferry and speedboat. The slow ferry might take up to 8 hours, and can be a nightmare in bad weather. The speedboat consistently makes the crossing in about an hour, though boarding and disembarking delays can add many hours, especially since there are no fixed hours for departures. You cannot buy the ticket in advance and the ticket office does not know the time of departure. You can lose an entire afternoon or even a day waiting for the boat to leave. UPDATE: prices have increased. For foreigners, the speedboat is USD70 and the ferry is USD60 (+USD10 or EGP50 departure tax from Egypt).
Travelling by taxi from Aqaba (Jordan) via Eliat (Israel) to Taba (Egypt), then taking a bus or shared taxi to southern Sinai is generally faster than taking the boat because of wait times at before the ferry departs and upon ferry arrival. Because of the high ferry costs, two travellers crossing by ground together will save money over taking the ferry. Note that within Israel, there is an Egged bus that operates from Eliat to the Egyptian border crossing, but a taxi is required between Eliat and the Jordanian border crossing. Remember to ask that Israeli customs do not to stamp the passport when entering and exiting Israel.
The only domestic air route is between [wiki=65ca1960c302380349ee212d4d07e5c4]Amman[/wiki] and [wiki=6751054d07d2b959221db0e2b51d4577]Aqaba[/wiki].
The JETT bus company has services connecting [wiki=65ca1960c302380349ee212d4d07e5c4]Amman[/wiki] to [wiki=6751054d07d2b959221db0e2b51d4577]Aqaba[/wiki], the King Hussein Bridge (to cross into [wiki=5a548c2f5875f10bf5614b7c258876cf]Israel[/wiki]), and [wiki=16d13d69f1cf766fa00dbb48380c3e7e]Hammamat Ma'in[/wiki]. Private buses (mainly operated by the Hijazi company) run from [wiki=65ca1960c302380349ee212d4d07e5c4]Amman[/wiki] to [wiki=d138a8273cc098e58ac484bd39e28e9f]Irbid[/wiki] and [wiki=6751054d07d2b959221db0e2b51d4577]Aqaba[/wiki]. Minibus services connect smaller towns on a much more irregular service basis - usually they leave once they're full.
The Abdali transport station near Downtown Amman served as a bus/taxi hub to locations throughout Jordan, but many of it's services (especially microbus and service taxi) have been relocated to the new Northern bus station (also called Tarbarboor, or Tareq). Here you can find buses into Israel and a 3.25JD (2014) bus to Queen Alia airport.
Service taxis (servees) cover much the same routes as buses. Service taxis are definitely more expensive than minibuses, but a lot faster and more convenient.
Service taxis only leave when full so there is no set timetable. You may also be approached by private cars operating as service taxis. If you use one of these, it is important to agree the price in advance
Service taxis are generally white or cream in colour. They can sometimes be persuaded to deviate from their standard route if they are not already carrying passengers. It is quite likely that you would be asked to wait for a yellow taxi though.
Regular taxis are abundant in most cities. They are bright yellow (Similar to New York yellow-cabs) and are generally in good condition. A 10km trip should cost around JOD2.
All yellow taxis should be metered, however most drivers outside Amman do not use them therefore you should agree on a price before departing. If you do get picked up by an unmetered taxi, make sure you agree on the price before driving away. If you do not agree on a price you will most likely pay double the going rate. Using the meter is almost always cheaper than negotiating a price so it is best to insist that the driver uses it before you depart. Keep your luggage with you - it's not uncommon for unmetered taxis to charge a ridiculous rate (JOD30 for a 10 minute ride) and then refuse to open the trunk to give you your bags back until you pay up.
Day rates for taxis can be negotiated. These are usually through specific taxi drivers that have offered the service to friends or colleagues before. If you are staying at a hotel, the reception desk should be able to find you a reliable driver. It is also quite common in quiet times to be approached (politely) by taxi drivers on the street looking for business. There are plenty of good English speakers so it pays to wait until you find one you like.
A full day taxi fare should cost around JOD20-25. An afternoon taxi fare would be around JOD15. For this price the taxi driver will drop you off at local shopping areas and wait for you to return. You can then go to the next shopping location. You can leave your recently purchased items in the vehicle as the driver will remain in the taxi at all times, but it is not recommended to do so.
If you are planning a trip outside of Amman, the day rates will increase to offset the fuel costs. For day trips within 1-3 hours of Amman, a taxi is by far the easiest method of transport. A trip to Petra in a taxi would cost approximately JOD75 for 3 people. This would get you there and back with about 6 hours to look around and see the sights.
When negotiating taxi rates, ask if the agreed-on rate is the total or the cost per person. Often taxi drivers will quote a low rate and then when it comes time to pay will tell you that the rate is "per person."
If travelling a long way try to use buses or coaches rather then taxis. Some taxi drivers are not averse to driving people into the middle of the desert and threatening to leave you there unless you give them all your money. This is very unlikely if you stick to recommended drivers however. Jordan is generally very protective of its tourists and while overcharging is common (if not agreed in advance), threats and cheating are rare.
Jordan's highways are generally in very good shape, but the same cannot be said about its drivers or its vehicles. Many trucks and buses drive with worn or defective tires and brakes and in the southern and more rural parts of the country there is the tendency for some people to drive at night without headlights (in the belief that they can see better and that this is therefore safer!). Avoid driving outside the capital, Amman, after dark.
Renting a car should be inexpensive and not too time-consuming. Fuel prices are all fixed by the state-owned company, so don't bother looking for cheaper fuel stations. Expect to pay around JOD0.655 for diesel and JOD0.955 for gasoline, per litre, although prices may change in time.
The main route is the Desert Highway, which connects [wiki=6751054d07d2b959221db0e2b51d4577]Aqaba[/wiki], [wiki=0fb75333ce766d3c4080f392bf6e6533]Ma'an[/wiki], [wiki=65ca1960c302380349ee212d4d07e5c4]Amman[/wiki] and continues all the way to [wiki=f9087af03968b9a75a67376447f88bcf]Damascus[/wiki] in neighboring [wiki=465718d0a1bc8363ad01390923fad5d1]Syria[/wiki]. Radar speed traps are plentiful and well positioned to catch drivers who do not heed the frequently changing speed limits.
One particular stretch, where the road rapidly descends from the highlands of Amman to the valley that leads into Aqaba through a series of steep hairpin curves, is infamous for the number of badly maintained oil trucks that lose their brakes and careen off the road into the ravine, ploughing through all in their path. This stretch of the road has been made into a dual carriageway and is now a little safer - however exercise caution on this stretch of the road.
The other route of interest to travellers is the King's Highway, a meandering track to the west of the Desert Highway that starts south of [wiki=65ca1960c302380349ee212d4d07e5c4]Amman[/wiki] and links [wiki=2950a755688f464a1ba12219513f3057]Kerak[/wiki], [wiki=4458cc83b334a2e52f2785962431be6a]Madaba[/wiki], [wiki=ff60d39e1767bd3727298fdebadbf86a]Wadi Mujib[/wiki] and [wiki=a2289681db3b897b364d0260f156c397]Petra[/wiki] before joining the Desert Highway south of [wiki=0fb75333ce766d3c4080f392bf6e6533]Ma'an[/wiki].
Hitching is very easy in Jordan especially along local roadways and the old King's Highway. People are very friendly and will almost always stop to pick someone up for a ride even if they are only going 5 minutes down the road. Outside of the very hospitable local residents there are also quite a number of tourists who rent cars out of Amman and drive to Petra and other tourist sites who are also quite willing to pick up hitchhikers. Along the Desert Highway (the dual carriageway from Amman to Aqaba) it's a bit tougher to thumb a ride as vehicles move faster and are less inclined to stop for hitchhikers but there are a number of minibuses that take this route who stop to pick people up. These buses usually only cost JOD1. Bring water as much of Jordan is a desert and can get quite hot during the day.
Much of Jordan's more dramatic scenery requires 4x4 vehicles with drivers or guides familiar with the territory. Most people visiting Jordan opt for organised tours, although it is possible to use local guides from the various visitors' centres at Jordan's eco-nature reserves. These include Wadi Rum, the Dana Reserve and Iben Hamam. The majority of tourists crossing into Jordan from Israel are on one-day Petra tours or in organised tour groups. They make up a significant percent of the daily visitors in Petra and Jordan's natural attractions. Shared tours are organized through a hotel Arab Tower Hotel.
A subsistence budget would be around JOD15 per day, but this means you'll be eating falafel every day. JOD25 will allow slightly better accommodation, basic restaurant meals and even the occasional beer.
Prices have risen rapidly (as of 2011) so it is best to check accommodation prices on-line (most Jordan hostels and hotels have web sales)
If you prefer to eat what the locals eat, it should only cost JOD1-2 for which you can buy a falafel sandwich with any canned drink (most common is Coke and Pepsi). If you want to buy a chicken sandwich it will cost around JOD1.
To try real Jordanian food don't stay at fancy hotels all the time; eating there is expensive for an average Jordanian.
Non-Jordanian residents can get their VAT refunded in the airport when they are returning home. The VAT amount must be more than JOD50 and you can't get a VAT refund on food, hotel expenses, gold or mobile phones.
The electricity supply in Jordan is 230V/50Hz, the main type of sockets in use are European sockets with two round pins but several other types including British standard three pin, rectangular, Indian and combination sockets that can take multiple types can occasionally be found.
see [wiki=65ca1960c302380349ee212d4d07e5c4]Amman (Embassies)[/wiki]
Homosexuality is not a criminal offence in Jordan, but there is a small, discreet LGBT scene in [wiki=65ca1960c302380349ee212d4d07e5c4]Amman[/wiki], mostly clustered around liberal areas like Rainbow Street. Most Jordanians adopt a "don't ask, don't tell" approach to queer lifestyles, and Jordan is still a culturally conservative country. Public displays of affection are absolutely off-limits (this is true for straight couples too), and may draw nasty remarks.
The international dialling prefix is +962. When calling from a local number, use a zero as a prefix.
Most of country has mobile coverage. There are three mobile operators:
* Zain [url=http://www.zain.jo]](The first & largest mobile provider)
* Orange [http://www.mobilecom.jo/pc/default.aspx[/url]
* Umniah [http://www.umniah.com/umniah/]
Card-based temporary numbers can be purchased at the airport or any mobile shop for free. These numbers can be subsequently recharged with a prepaid card starting at only JOD1. Temporary "throw away" phones can be bought at many mobile phone shops across the country for around JOD20-30, but a Jordanian must buy the phone before possession can be transferred to you.
There's working 3G internet access in most tourist areas and you can purchase it with a prepaid SIM for JOD10. Make sure you have your phone setup by the seller because the process of enabling the 3G is not automatic; It requires a walk through an arabic message registration
which takes a few minutes before 3G can be used.
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