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Jordan Travel Guide

The latest travel Information on Jordan, includes ideas on Things to See and Do, Local Events, Consulate & Embassy Contact Addresses and much more, all from a first-time visitors point of view.

Jordan Information

Overview

Although a small country, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has played a significant role in the struggle for power in the Middle East, partly because of its strategic location at the crossroads of what Christians, Jews and Muslims call the Holy Land.

The death of King Hussein in 1999 signified the start of a new period of political, social and economic reform. His son King Abdullah has instituted a number of measures: a free trade agreement with the USA, the creation of a low tax Special Economic Zone centred in Aqaba, privatisation of many government-run businesses and joining the World Trade Organization.

Unlike many of its neighbours Jordan does not have oil and its economy depends largely on services and tourism. Visitors are drawn to Jordan by its historical and cultural attractions. It is possible to visit the remains of cities, old before Christ was born, trek along ancient trails and roads mentioned in the Old Testament and through a landscape that has changed little in the last 2,000 years.

Petra the ‘Rose Red City half as old as time’ is commonly called the eighth wonder of the world and a popular attraction since its appearance in the film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. At Jerash, chariot racing has been re-introduced in the restored Hippodrome. Visitors can stand on the very spot where John baptised Jesus at Bethany by the Jordan, visit Herod’s fortress where Salome performed her dance that got John beheaded or take in the same view of the Promised Land that Moses saw just before he died.

It is possible to follow in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia from his headquarters fort at Azraq through the deserts to Wadi Rum where David Lean’s epic movie was filmed. There, travellers can trek with camels and live in tents with the local Bedouin.

Aqaba, the Jordanian royal family’s favourite holiday resort, offers some of the finest diving in the world in the Red Sea. The less energetic can simply laze on the beach or visit historical sites such as the recently discovered oldest purpose-built church in the world.

Top Things To See

Visit The Citadel and the Archaeological Museum in Amman. Here you can see a selection of the Dead Sea Scrolls, examine the remains of a Umayyad city and get a fine view of the Roman amphitheatre.

Take a trip to Amman’s Railway Station to see the steam locomotives of the Hejaz railway. Some of the rolling stock dates from before the time of Lawrence of Arabia. Spend some time in the small railway museum.

Go to Jerash, a Greco-Roman city where the recently restored Hippodrome stages daily chariot races. Start from the Triumphal Arch then walk through the Forum and along the colonnaded street to the Temple of Artemis.

Stand on the terrace at Umm Qais, the Biblical ‘Gadara’, and look towards Lake Tiberias (Sea of Galilee) and the Golan Heights. Walk along the colonnaded street with still-visible chariot tracks and climb to the top of the Roman theatre.

Drive south along the Jordan valley to visit the ruins at Pella, another of the Decapolis cities. Then head inland to Ajloun and its hilltop castle of Qalaat al-Rabadh built by the Arabs in defence against the Crusaders.

Tour the eastern desert castles (website: www.kinghussein.gov.jo/tourism5.html), built as hunting lodges and trading posts by the Umayyad. Al-Kharanah is one of the few that actually looks like a castle. Nearby Amra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was a bath house famed for its frescos.

Visit the fortress at Azraq used as headquarters by Lawrence of Arabia during the Great Arab Revolt of 1917, then head east towards Mafraq and explore the deserted black basalt city of Um al Jimal.

Drive along the historic King’s Highway, a road mentioned in the Bible, stopping to visit Madaba, which has the oldest map of Palestine, and nearby Mount Nebo, where Moses saw the Promised Land before he died.

Leave the Highway to visit the village of Mukawir where the Bani Hamida weaving workshop is based. Nearby is Machaerus, the fortress of Herod Antipas, where John the Baptist was imprisoned then executed.

Divert from the highway again to reach Um er Rasas, Jordan’s third entry on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Be sure to view the spectacular mosaic floors of the excavated church of St Stephen.

Discover the Crusader castle of Karak, which stands sentinel over the medieval town of the same name and guards the country for miles around. Continuing along the King’s Highway towards Petra, stop again at the Crusader castle of Ash Shawbak.

Explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Petra (website: www.visitjordan.com), the fabled ‘Rose Red City Half as Old as Time’, as seen in the film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The ornate buildings were carved by hand into solid rock.

Drive along the Dead Sea Highway to view the pillar of salt that was once Lot’s wife. Continue south to visit the cave where Lot and his daughters took shelter.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.

Top Things To Do

Hike in the Dana Nature Reserve where you can enjoy guided tours taking in the local flora and fauna, the geology and the history. At Wadi Feynan tours go to the copper mines that were worked by the ancient Romans.

Go diving in the Red Sea at Aqaba (website: www.aqaba.jo). This is one of the top dive locations in the area offering a variety of tropical fish and corals, clear waters and year-round facilities.

Float freely in the rich salt water of the Dead Sea. Supporting no life and having no outlet, the Dead Sea is 392m (1,286ft) below sea level and the lowest point on earth.

Go hiking in the Wadi Rum (website: www.jordantracks.com), a vast area of dry riverbeds, mountains, black hills and sand dunes, located some 50km (30 miles) northeast of Aqaba, and a location for the film Lawrence of Arabia.

Go camel treking or take a jeep trip into the desert, or a hot-air balloon trip over Wadi Rum’s Valley of the Moon.

Watch the birds and wildlife at Jordan’s 10 designated wildlife reserves like Azraq Wetland Wildlife Reserve and the Shaumari Wildlife Reserve (website: www.rscn.org.jo). Animals that can be seen include hyenas, red wolves, jerboas, gazelles, ostriches and Arabian oryxes.

Stay with the Bedouin (website: www.jordantracks.com). Spend the day touring the desert either by jeep, on foot or on camel with a Bedouin guide. Enjoy a traditional feast in a Bedouin tent then fall asleep under the stars.

Hire a guide with a 4-wheel drive vehicle and take a tour deep into the eastern desert to visit Qasr al Tuba, probably the remotest of the Ummayyad desert castles.

Explore the souk in Amman: see a Middle East market in operation and have a look at the everyday things that the people of Jordan spend their money on.

For the ultimate rail experience take a trip on the Hejaz Railway. This slow-moving relic of the Ottoman Empire is one of the world’s classic rail journeys but don’t expect it to be comfortable.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.

Going Out

Food and Drink

The cuisine varies, although most restaurants have a mixed menu which includes both Arabic and European dishes.

National specialities:
• Meze (small starters such as fool, hummus, kube and tabouleh).
• Kebabs.
• Musakhan (chicken in olive oil and onion sauce roasted on Arab bread).
• Mensaf (stewed lamb in a yoghurt sauce served on a bed of rice), a dish which is normally eaten with the hand.
• Baklava (pastry filled with nuts or honey).

National drinks:
• Drinking Arabic coffee is a ritual. Coffee tends to be very strong and is served in small cups (with plenty of coffee grounds at the bottom).
• Local beer, wine and other types of alcohol are served in most restaurants and bars, except during the fasting month of Ramadan (non-Arabic nationals can drink alcohol only in hotels during Ramadan).
• Araq is a local liquor similar to Greek Ouzo, usually mixed with water and ice.

Tipping : 10 to 12% service charge is generally added in hotels and restaurants, and extra tips are discretionary.

Nightlife

There are nightclubs, theatres and cinemas in Amman, while some other major towns have cinemas. Often clubs will only admit couples or mixed groups. Many of the 4- and 5-star hotels have popular clubs and bars.

Shopping

Every town will have a souk (market), and there are also many good craft and jewellery shops. There is a particularly good gold and jewellery market in Amman. Special items include Hebron glass, mother-of-pearl boxes, pottery, backgammon sets, embroidered tablecloths, jewelled rosaries and worry beads, nativity sets made of olive wood, leather hassocks, old and new brass and copper items, and caftans hand-embroidered with silver and gold thread. Jordan is famous for its gold and silver; the centre of Amman has a gold souk with over 50 shops. Necklaces with a small golden coffee pot (dalleh, a national symbol) are popular and widely available.

Shopping hours : Sat-Thurs 0930-1330 and 1530-1800; some open as early as 0800 and close at 2000. Shops are closed Friday except for the souk.

Climate

Hot and dry summers with cool evenings. The Jordan Valley below sea level is warm during winter and extremely hot in summer. Rain falls between November and March, while colder weather conditions occur in December/January.

Required Clothing

Lightweight clothes are advised between May and September. Warmer clothes are necessary for winter and cool summer evenings. Rainwear is needed from November to April.

Public Holidays

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2008-December 2009 period.

2008
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
10 Jan Islamic New Year.
30 Jan King Abdullah II’s Birthday.
20 Mar Mawlid al-Nabi (Birth of the Prophet).
21 Mar Good Friday.
24 Mar Easter Monday.
1 May Labour Day.
25 May Independence Day.
10 Jun Army Day.
30 Jul Prophet’s Ascension.
1 Sep Ramadan begins.
1-2 Oct Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan).
14 Nov King Hussein Remembrance Day.
8-9 Dec Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice).
25 Dec Christmas.
29 Dec Islamic New Year.

2009
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
20 Jan Islamic New Year.
30 Jan King Abdullah II’s Birthday.
9 Mar Mawlid al-Nabi (Birth of the Prophet).
10 Apr Good Friday.
13 Apr Easter Monday.
1 May Labour Day.
25 May Independence Day.
10 Jun Army Day.
20 Jul Prophet’s Ascension.
22 Aug Ramadan begins.
20-21 Sep Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan).
14 Nov King Hussein Remembrance Day.
27-28 Nov Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice).
25 Dec Christmas.
29 Dec Islamic New Year.

Note

(a) Christmas and Easter holidays are only observed by Christian business establishments. (b) Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes Eid al-Fitr, Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Many restaurants are closed during the day and there may be restrictions on smoking and drinking. Some disruption may continue into Eid al-Fitr itself. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha may last anything from two to 10 days, depending on the region.

Health

Diphtheria

Special Precaution: No

Hepatitis A

Special Precaution: Yes

Malaria

Special Precaution: No

Rabies

Special Precaution: Sometimes

Tetanus

Special Precaution: Yes

Typhoid

Special Precaution: Sometimes

Yellow Fever

Special Precaution: No*

Health Care

Health insurance is recommended. There are excellent hospitals in large towns and cities, with clinics in many villages.

Note: An HIV test is mandatory for anyone planning to stay longer than 14 days.

Note

* A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers over one year of age coming from infected areas.

Further Health Information

We advise you to check health requirements for the country you are traveling to with your GP, practice nurse or travel health clinic as health requirements and vaccinations can change at short notice.

Money

Currency

Dinar (JOD; symbol JD) = 100 piastres or 1,000 fils. Notes are in denominations of JD50, 20, 10, 5 and 1, and 500 fils. Coins are in denominations of JD1, 1/2 and 1/4; 10, 5, 2 and 1/2 piastres; and 1 and 1/2 qirsh.

Currency Exchange

Foreign currencies can be exchanged easily in banks and bureaux de change. Most hotels also provide exchange facilities. The daily exchange rates are published in local newspapers.

Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs

American Express, Visa, Diners Club and MasterCard are accepted in hotels restaurants and larger shops. ATMs can be found in most of the larger towns and throughout Amman.

Traveller's Cheques

Those issued by UK banks are accepted by licensed banks and bureaux de change. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller’s cheques in US Dollars.

Currency Restrictions

Restrictions apply.

Banking Hours

Sat-Thurs 0830-1500. Hours during Ramadan are 0830-1000, although some banks open in the afternoon.

Passport/Visa

British