Visas: All foreigners need a visa to enter Jordan.

Health risks: No particular risks

Departure tax: JD10 for individual tourists

Sea: The only port is Aqaba (Sea tax: JD6).

International Transport

Travelers can reach Jordan by air, sea or land. Jordan has three airports, a good network of international and national roads, and a port in Aqaba. Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport and Marka Airport, and Aqaba Airport are used for scheduled commercial travel. Queen Alia International Airport is located 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Amman. Completed in 1983, it can handle up to three million passengers per year. The national carrier, Royal Jordanian, links Amman with major cities in Europe, the Middle East, the Far East, North Africa and North America. International airlines also link Jordan with their respective countries.

Driving to Jordan is facilitated by a good network of roads linking Jordan and neighboring countries. Daily buses, taxis and "service" cabs link Jordan with Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Israel and the West Bank and Gaza. Service cabs – pronounced "servees" – are taxis that follow a set of route and stop on demand to pick up and drop off passengers. Bus services also link Amman with Damascus, Cairo, Baghdad, Istanbul, and the crossing points into Israel and the territories under the Palestine National Authority (PNA). A passenger train service operates weekly between Jordan and Syria. A twice daily passenger and car ferry service links Jordan’s port of Aqaba with the Red Sea port of Nuweibe’ in Egypt.

Domestic Transport

Jordan is a small country that can be crossed by car in approximately four hours. A visitor with an international driver‘s license may rent a car in Jordan. Residents, are required to obtain a Jordanian license. Major international car rental companies and a number of local companies operate in Jordan. Car rental prices are controlled by the government. Taxis are available in the major cities, and can be called by telephone or simply waved down in the street. All taxis operate by meter, and can be hired for the day.

An economical method of travel is the service taxi. Fares are set by the government, and tend to be higher than bus fares but lower than taxi fares. Service cabs operate within cities and also connect major cities and towns.

Government and private buses operate within and between major cities. Private bus companies run luxury air-conditioned buses that offer day trips to the major tourist sites. Limousine service is also available for short distance as well as day trips.

The national air carrier, Royal Jordanian, operates reasonably priced flights between Amman and Aqaba six times a week.

Currency

The Jordanian dinar is divided into 1,000 fils. For the last five years, the value of the dinar has been stable at a rate of exchange of 1 JD=$1.42. Major credit cards are accepted in most hotels and restaurants and in many shops.

Time

Greenwich Mean Time plus two hours (GMT plus three hours in summer when daylight savings time, or summer time, is instituted).

Hotels

The Ministry of Tourism classifies hotels in Jordan using a one-to-five star system.

Pensions (motels) are classified into three categories. Room prices are set by the ministry, but may be negotiated down during the low season. There are approximately 250 hotels in Jordan, of which around 150 are classified by the Ministry of Tourism. More than half are located in Amman.

There is currently an investment boom in hotels and land speculation. Major investments have been made in new hotel construction, especially near Petra. Several new hotels on the Dead Sea Coast, and in Amman and Aqaba are being currently built or planned.

With direct travel now permitted between Jordan and Israel, supported by a formal agreement on tourism, the number of Israeli tourists is increasing rapidly. The growth in the tourism sector is producing a very favorable impact on transportation and other tourism related activities. The greatest number of visitors to Jordan during 1994 were from Arab and Middle East countries reaching 553,000 persons. Also there were another 289,000 international tourists. In 1994 Jordan earned US $ 560.8 million in tourist receipts representing 13% of total foreign exchange income and 12.7% of GDP.

Tourist Attractions

Tourism in Jordan has been expanding swiftly due not only to peace accords in the region, but also to an aggressive marketing strategy, substantial private sector investments in infrastructure, and the pull of the country’s varied attractions.

There are now two crossing points between Jordan and Israel, (in the south near Aqaba and in the northern Jordan Valley) and a bridge crossing between Jordan and the territories under the Palestine National Authority (PNA) over the Jordan River.

Jordan has a vast array of attractions to offer tourists. These include archaeological and historical antiquities, thermal mineral water spas, water sports and diving facilities, desert treks, and cultural events.