FAQ

Here are a collection of frequently asked questions both about Jordan and Jordan Direct Tours. Simply click on the question to reveal the answer. If your question is not answered here please just e-mail us.

Jordan  FAQ

Jordan Direct Tours offers programs that combine visits to neighbouring countries. It is very simple to arrange extensions to Egypt, Lebanon and The Holy Land. Border formalities are usually swift and trouble-free.

We are two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, or three hours ahead when we’re on Daylight Savings Time from the last Friday in March till the last Friday in October.

The electricity is 220 volts, so bring along a transformer if you need one.

Tipping is not compulsory, but is expected. If you were satisfied with the services of your driver or guide then it would be a nice way to show them your appreciation. Most restaurants add a service charge to your bill, but if not a tip is appropriate there as well.

Eating is the most popular national pastime hence the Jordanian cuisine is quite refined. Most hotels offer continental breakfast and buffet dinner with a choice of western and Arabic foods. Restaurants at sites usually offer traditional Arabic food or buffet lunches. In the major cities you’ll also find international restaurants, including McDonalds, Burger King and other healthy restaurants!

You are allowed to consume alcoholic drinks freely.

There country has an excellent telecommunications infrastructure including three mobile networks running on 4G, you can also buy prepaid GSM cards (you will need to show an ID to purchase a sim card). You will also find WiFi facilities in most hotels. Besides Arabic newspapers, there is an excellent daily English-language newspaper, the Jordan Times. Major hotels also offer a wide variety of foreign newspapers and magazines.

Jordan has all kinds, from super luxurious 5* resorts to good quality value hotels (and a few bad ones too). You can depend on us to book you into the best value for your budget. We keep a constant check on the quality of our suppliers and their standard. Please also check out our recommended hotels section.

We have plenty of holidays in Jordan. All tourist sites and many businesses are open on most holidays, but government offices and banks close. Friday and Saturday are the official weekend days, although all tourist sites and many businesses are open on Saturday as well. Most Jordanian holidays are based on the Islamic religious calendar, and so they vary by about two weeks every year depending on the lunar calendar. During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, so it would be prudent if you try to be respectful and not consume drinks, food and cigarettes outside of restaurants and tourist sites. The international Jerash Festival takes place in the ancient city of Jerash between  July and August. It showcases an array of singers, musical and folklore troupes, plays and symphony operas from the Arab World and Europe. National Holidays for the Year 2019:

New Year Jan 1st
Islamic New Year, Aug. 30th
Al Mawled Al Nabawi Nov. 9th
Labour Day May 1st
Jordanian Independence Day May 25th
Al Isr’a wal Mi’raj April 2nd

Eid al Fiter (3 day holiday) June 3rd*
Eid al Adha (5 day holiday) Aug. 11th
Christmas Dec. 25th

Most nationalities can obtain visas upon arrival at any border, port or airport. Some nationalities require visas in advance. A single entry visa will normally cost you US$57.00.  When you book your tour through us, we will arrange for your visa to be issued free of charge if you spend 2 nights or more in Jordan.

Most hotels and restaurants offer a wide range of alcoholic beverages. We have excellent local wines and very nice locally produced beer.

When planning your clothing needs (particularly women), remember that you will be travelling in a Muslim country, albeit not a very conservative one. Too much body should not be displayed. Women and men can wear shorts, though it’s preferable for women to avoid wearing them while walking in Amman’s city centre. By following above guidelines, you will feel more relaxed. Make sure you bring with you comfortable walking shoes, a hat and sun block. The weather is usually warm in summer, but winters can be very cold, evenings are cool year round, so bring adequate warm clothing with you. If you were sleeping in the desert then you would need a warm sweater and Jacket even in summer.

The Jordanian Dinar (JD) is divided into 1,000 fils, although many people refer to piasters. One piaster equals 10 fils, so there are 100 piasters in a dinar.

Notes: 5, 10 and 20 and 50 dinars.
Coins: 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 250 fils, 1/2 and 1 dinar.
US$1 = JD 0.708 (JD IS PEGGED TO THE US$)
You will get the best exchange rate at exchange shops and banks, although the banks at the borders and in the airports charge a small commission. If you carry travellers’ checks, you will be charged a commission ranging from JD 3 to JD 8 even at a bank, sometimes for each check, so carry larger denominations. Hotels will charge a premium for changing money, so try to avoid this. All Banks are closed on Fridays and Saturdays, though some exchange shops remain open.

Arabic is the official language. English is widely spoken throughout the kingdom. Most road signs are in English.

Jordan has a long and pleasant spring and fall, from March through May and from September through November. Rain occasionally falls from December to April. The summer months are hot but with little humidity. In the Jordan Valley, around the Dead Sea and in Aqaba on the Red Sea the winters are pleasant.

Learn more about the weather in Jordan.

The first thing you will notice when you arrive to Jordan is that the people are very warm and welcoming to tourists. You will be pleasantly surprised by the sense of security you will find in Jordan- it is one of the safest places to travel in the world. Jordan maintains good relations with ALL of its neighbours and is truly an oasis of peace in this region. The country is fairly liberal, westernised, and alcohol is freely available.

The first thing you will notice when you arrive to Jordan is that the people are very warm and welcoming to tourists. You will be pleasantly surprised by the sense of security you will find in Jordan- it is one of the safest places to travel in the world. Jordan maintains good relations with ALL of its neighbours and is truly an oasis of peace in this region. The country is fairly liberal, westernised, and alcohol is freely available.

You can buy a local SIM card for your phone at the airport’s arrival lounge, or at shops in major towns. We recommend Zain or Orange lines, as they have the best coverage. There are different data and calling packages tailored to your requirements available at these shops. Ensure you have your passport with you, as it is necessary for the SIM card registration process. WhatsApp calls are mostly inactive in Jordan, but FaceTime and Skype work well.

Certainly! Travel by land between Israel and Jordan is possible at several borders/ crossing points; the Allenby Bridge/King Hussein Bridge is near the Dead Sea, the Araba/Arava Border Crossing located in the south, and the Sheikh Hussein Border in the north. Each border/ crossing point has its own entry requirements, so it’s important to check the latest regulations before planning your journey.

Visiting Jordan during the month of Ramadan is perfectly fine, and it happens to be a quiet time of the year. Most restaurants and sites will be open. While some attractions may close an hour earlier, Petra maintains its usual 6 am to 6 pm schedule. Countrywide, liquor stores are closed, but many restaurants and hotel bars may still serve alcohol.

During summer, most sites typically open from 08:00 to 17:00, while in winter, the operating hours are from 08:00 to 16:00. It’s important to be aware that during Ramadan, these sites may close earlier. However, Petra maintains a consistent schedule throughout the year, remaining open from 6:00 to 18:00.

The typical check-in time for most hotels is 14:00 or 15:00, depending on the hotel’s occupancy, with a standard check-out time of 12:00.

The Dead Sea Area is approximately 60 km away from Queen Alia International Airport, and the drive typically takes around 55 minutes under normal traffic conditions, which is about 10 minutes more than the trip from the Airport to Amman typically takes. Nearly all Dead Sea Resorts are situated in the same area.

Yes, tourists and foreign visitors are generally welcome to visit mosques in Jordan. It’s important to dress modestly, remove shoes before entering, and be respectful of ongoing prayers.

Unmarried couples can travel together in Jordan with discretion and respect for local customs. Same-gender couples sharing a double room are generally accepted, but it’s important to be mindful of cultural norms and individual accommodations policies.

Certainly! Jordan provides great hiking opportunities, like the Siq trail in Wadi Mujib, accessible from April to October. However, only those aged 18 and above are permitted to participate in hiking activities in Wadi Mujib due to age restrictions.

Jordan Direct Tours FAQ

Although we only use insured transportation, we recommend you bought your own travel insurance when you buy your airline tickets.

Unfortunately, we cannot issue inbound flight tickets, but these are available over the internet or through your local travel agent. You can book your flights We can however supply you with tickets originating in Amman to neighbouring countries or domestic flights.

There are a number of past clients that have offered to act as reference. We will gladly provide you with their contact details.

Please follow this link for our guidelines and our terms and conditions.

Your driver will not be a certified guide. Drivers have a lot of information about the country, traditions and the sites in general, but they are not professional certified guides. In sites such as Jerash and Petra, we will arrange for a local certified guide to accompany you at that site. Should you require an accompanying professional guide instead, we will arrange for one at a supplement.

We always recommend clients tour with one of our multilingual drivers, as unless you are used to driving in countries where traffic rules are not followed, you will find driving in Jordan very frustrating to say the least. Moreover, our drivers are courteous, informed and can show you places that you would probably miss otherwise. More often than not, clients tell us that they were the stars of their trip!

Our proposals are not in any way binding. You are under no obligation to accept them, and we will never ask you for any personal information while preparing our proposal. Nonetheless, because of the time and effort we put into devising an itinerary, we would be grateful if you could make sure that you are seriously considering visiting Jordan before asking us for a tailor-made quote.

After we send you the confirmation of services for your tour and your invoice, we will require your credit card details to be sent to us 21 days before your arrival date in order to secure your booking, or you can pay a 25% deposit securely via our payment gateway. Your card will not be charged UNLESS in case of a last minute cancellation from your part or a no show. This would cover a 25% charge out of your total invoice as cancellation fees imposed by hotels and service providers. Your invoice can be settled while in Jordan by credit card, or in cash (US$ or Euros). We accept Visa, Master Card and American Express cards. Please note that there is a 3% surcharge on credit card payments.

If you are happy with our proposal, you should check available flights and make your flights bookings. Once you inform us of your arrival and departure dates, we’ll then book your accommodation and services according to your arrival and departure dates. After we confirm to you all services, we’ll send you a detailed invoice for your review.

If you are interested in an independent tour, we recommend you first looked at our customised tours section for ideas and then let us know if you wish to modify any of the suggested itineraries according to your requirements. You can specify the sites you wish to visit and any other requirements such as hotel type on our contact form. We would then get back to you with a non-binding proposal within a short period of time.

If you wish to book a seat on one of our small group tours, please contact us for availability.