Jordan: practical info + itinerary
Jordan has been on my travel wish list for several years, but who didn't share my enthusiasm so much was Pepa... Donut didn't comment. I admit, I did a bit of a con: I armed myself with bulletproof arguments about the beauty and especially the safety of this country, and bought the tickets as a Christmas present. And then it was just a matter of applying the phrase "don't look a gift horse in the mouth", right. Girls, but between you and me, the one that works the most is, "Don't worry, honey, I picked the date before your football season, I'll get everything done, you just wrap up." :)
Visa / Jordan Pass
You must obtain a visa to enter Jordan, and you have two options. Either you buy online before you leave the Czech Republic the so-called JORDAN PASS, which is worthwhile especially if you plan to visit the rock city of Petra, as I assume you plan to do or maybe you are even coming here just for that. The price includes a visa, for which you would pay 40 JOD separately, and admission to many tourist attractions, museums, archaeological sites, etc... Petra is of course the most expensive of these attractions, because a one-day admission costs 50 JOD, and then you only have to pay 90 JOD for the visa and entrance to the main must see. However,the Jordan Pass price is in the 70-80 JOD range depending on how many days you want to spend in Petra:
- 1 den Jordan Wanderer = 70 JOD
- 2 dny Jordan Explorer = 75 JOD
- 3 dny Jordan Expert = 80 JOD
In short, it's worth it just within these two purchases, plus you can use it elsewhere, complete list of over 40 locations here. Acquisition is subject to advance purchase and spending a minimum of 3 nights (4 days) in Jordanian territory. In practical terms, after payment, a pdf of the code will arrive in the mail, which you either download to your mobile or print out, and then use this to prove yourself on entry. Nothing complicated...
And then there is option number two, which is mainly for children, because they have free entry to Petra until the age of 12 = i.e. Jordan Pass is not convenient for them. You get the visa on arrival at the counter for 40 JOD - without it you won't be allowed to see an immigration officer. I read somewhere before I left that you can only pay cash, but it's not true, they take cards too. If you want to be extra sure your credit card will work, you'll pass a currency exchange on the way to the counter and I saw an ATM a few meters away. So the options are there, it's up to you what you're used to.
A note on visas and immigration in general: be prepared to spend quite a bit of time at Amman airport once you arrive. The checking processes are quite lengthy and there are queues. At the immigration officer, passengers are often asked where they will be staying. So I would recommend having a printed confirmation from the booking or something to that effect, for example, so that they don't give you unnecessary trouble.
Money
The local currency is called the Jordanian Dinar, and the current conversion is 1 JOD = €1,25. In the Czech Republic, you will probably have a hard time finding dinar, so you are left with the options I mentioned in the visa section: either exchange it at a currency exchange (for euros or dollars, for example) or withdraw it from an ATM.
- for accommodation - I had arranged everything in advance through booking, so I knew in advance where you can pay by card and where they will only accept cash. We were priced between €28-34/night. Always with parking and breakfast. The only exception was a night spent at the Dead Sea, where prices are much less favorable. On the other hand, a 5* hotel with a private beach, several pools and breakfast for €136 doesn't seem that exorbitant to me.
for food - this item will depend very much on where you want to eat. Expect to pay between 10-20 JOD for a main meal in restaurants, and you can often pay by card. In the capital and its surrounding areas the choice of restaurants is really great, in contrast, at some crossings it can be quite a problem to eat. However, there is usually a lifeline in the form of local eateries, which are everywhere. You'll often find shawarma (meat turning on a grill, like a kebab in the Czech Republic, served in a pancake), roast chicken or falafel (fried chickpea balls) on the menu. We mostly ate at these small eateries for locals. As for prices, for about 6 JOD, all three of us ate (more like overate). But here, rather count on cash payment plus, in the vast majority, a menu in Arabic (or also a menu completely missing).
- for water - officially, the water in Jordan is drinkable, but... somehow, like most travelers in these parts, we didn't want to risk it and preferred to buy bottled water. In general, Jordanians are very fond of tea - they sweeten it a lot, sometimes adding mint or cardamom to it.
- for attractions - thanks to the Jordan Pass, you can avoid paying for admission in most cases, however, for example, mosques are not included. Also, count on additional expenses, for example on Mount Nebo, Bethany beyond the Jordan (UNESCO) or the Ma'in hot springs.
Rent a car
I have never considered any other means of transport than a car, and I can safely recommend it to you. It's very easy and quick to get wherever you want to go. You don't have to find and arrange for a driver, or pray if someone will come. Compared to our previous experiences, I didn't find driving in Jordan drastic. Constant 150% attention and caution is of course in order. Be especially wary of slowdown thresholds, they are often not well marked, and cars that will try to squeeze in front of you regardless of the right of way. And then there's the sheep, goats + pedestrians, as crosswalks are scarce. The only thing I would do differently next time is not to drive to Amman - we spent a lot of time in traffic jams there for my taste, and even according to other reviews the situation is no different.
We booked a car from home through booking.com, specifically Dollar rental located right at the airport. The Chevrolet Aveo cost us €175 with deductible for the whole week. We chose this car rental company mainly because it had a child car seat rental for only $20 (we paid cash at the counter). Overall, the checkout was quick, relaxed, no hidden fees with a lend with full tank/return with full tank policy. We can recommend.
People in Jordan
Traveling with children is a special chapter here. Nina was a total celebrity in Jordan, the vendors would run out of their shops just to give her a lollipop or a cookie... or a magnet or some other trinket. In short, we picked up a lot in that week :) Random passers-by of all ages stopped to look at her (because she's blonde...), or waved her down the street or wanted to have a pancake with her, etc. Anyway, if you're scared to go to Jordan with a kid, absolutely no worries, the locals really love kids and show it appropriately.
But what I would mention as a negative about the Jordanians' behavior is their attitude towards plastic and garbage as a whole. You often see people picnicking in the fields by the roadside, but what they bring there, they leave there. Or maybe they throw a plastic cup straight out of a moving car without blinking an eye. Then there's rubbish lying around, stray dogs digging through it, and all in all it's not a pretty sight. It doesn't help that when you go to the shop, even for just one thing, they will try to put it in a bag. Just an awful lot of rustling bags over the few days, which is quite sad.
Our itinerary
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Now you can go straight to How to enjoy a visit Petra or to the packed article with 12 tips for trips in Jordan.
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