World Heritage Site

for World Heritage Travellers



Forum: Start | Profile | Search |         Website: Start | The List | Community |
Countries forum.worldheritagesite.org Forum / Countries /  
 

Jordan

 
Author elsslots
Admin
#1 | Posted: 12 Apr 2025 04:03 | Edited by: elsslots 
I noticed that Jordan did not have its country topic yet, and since I just "completed" the country by visiting its 2 most recent WHS (As-Salt and Umm Al-Jimal), I can share a few things.

Overall, Jordan is a very easy country to travel in. They're happy to have tourists. After my first trip (in 2012) I found it to be a bit too bland for my taste, but this time, I also saw the advantage of having a calm, stable and organized factor in this part of the world where you can travel independently without any issue.

Visa
The "visa" that is required for almost everyone is actually just an entrance fee (40JD). You hand over your passport and a credit card at the specific desk at the airport, and a minute later, you will have a small stamp in your passport (without being vetted for anything).

Transport
In 2012 I rented a car to travel around the country, and I still think this is the most efficient option here since many sites are away from major cities and also often don't take much time to take in, so you'd want to string a couple together on a day trip. Driving isn't too difficult, just be aware of the many speed bumps. Jordan's Tourism Board does well in signage to the places of attraction, including its (T)WHS.

This time, April 2025, I only stayed in Amman and tried out the public transportation in the north of the country. In general, public transport isn't seen as a public service but as a custom answer to supply and demand. So if you need to go somewhere near a university, you're in luck as there will be big buses to shuttle the students. But they don't expect tourists to use buses. Signage always is in Arabic only so you need to ask around (it's good to bring some of the place names written in Arabic printed with you). In my upcoming reviews of Umm Al-Jimal and As-Salt I have written out the details how to get to those 2 WHS. Generally, you will encounter two options: minibuses that go between towns and leave when full, and 'white taxis' that are shared. Cost is very low, about 1JD (1.30 EUR) for a 1 hour bus ride.

Inside Amman City, I used the Careem app (with my VISA cc attached) for taxi rides which worked well. All of the cars were very nice. A ride is about 1.5-2 JD. From and to the airport there is a half-hourly bus by Sariyah Express (3.3 JD, 45mins to North Bus Terminal)

Rating of its WHS and other attractions
The ratings given by our community members are fair in my opinion: only the two WHS in the south really stand out, Petra and Wadi Rum. All other WHS are OK for 1-2 hours but won't give you any lasting memories (although Quseir Amra is cute).

Other places of interest:
· Jordan Museum in Amman (fairly new but limited collection, only worth it if you're in Amman anyway)
· Madaba: I used it as my base for my 2012 trip. Its mosaics at the Basilica of St. George are unmissable.
· Jerash TWHS: must-see in the North
· Dead Sea: if you like to bathe... but not really my thing
· Dana Biosphere Reserve TWHS: stayed in its ecolodge, pretty quiet place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the north and transition to desert of the south

Time needed
I was there for 10 days in 2012 and now for 3 days, so within 2 weeks you will have seen it all (although I never made it down to Aqaba).

Author Elena
Partaker
#2 | Posted: 12 Apr 2025 17:52 
I've been looking at going to Jordan this year and, in regards to the Visa, the Jordan Pass makes a lot of sense. It's 70JD and includes both a visa waiver and free entry to Petra and Wadi Rum, among other places.

Countries forum.worldheritagesite.org Forum / Countries /
 Jordan

Your Reply Click this icon to move up to the quoted message


 ?
Only registered users are allowed to post here. Please, enter your username/password details upon posting a message, or register first.

 
 
forum.worldheritagesite.org Forum Powered by Light Forum Script miniBB ®
 ⇑