Jordan: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Jordan feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 46 written places.
Ahlan wa sahlan - welcome - is said constantly and meant; hospitality tea has no off switch.
✓ Considered polite
- Accept tea when offered - it is the culture's handshake
- Dress modestly - loose cover for shoulders and knees serves everywhere
- Buy the Jordan Pass before arrival - it bundles the visa with Petra and most sites
- Spend two days at Petra - the site is vastly bigger than the Treasury
✗ Better avoided
- Refuse hospitality flatly - accept a little or decline with warm thanks
- Photograph women without explicit permission
- Show affection publicly
- Rush bargaining - it comes with tea and stories
Worth knowing
- The dinar is strong - Jordan costs more than its neighbours
- Tipping is expected in small amounts nearly everywhere - keep coins handy
- Wadi Rum overnight camps are the desert done right
- The Dead Sea floats you fun-first, but shave nowhere near the trip
Plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026.
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Keep planning
Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.