Jordan's capital Amman and the country's great sights: Petra, the Nabataeans' rose-red rock city; the Wadi Rum desert, the 'Valley of the Moon'; the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth; Roman Jerash; and the Red Sea reefs of Aqaba. For history lovers and desert adventurers. No direct flights from Ulaanbaatar — connect via Istanbul. Mongolian citizens cannot get a visa at the border and need prior approval.
🛂 Visa: Visa required · 30 days✈ Flight: 20h☀ Best months: March, April, May, October
#history#Petra#desert#Dead Sea#Red Sea#visa in advance
Orange — daytime average, blue — night, grey bars — rainfall, green — sea temperature. Best months: March, April, May, October, November.
Things to see (12)
🧸 for kids
Amman Citadel (Jabal al-Qal'a)★ 4.6 (25,000)
Culture3 JD8:00–19:00 (winter 8:00–17:00)
A 7,000-year-old hilltop citadel above the city: the giant columns of the Temple of Hercules, the Umayyad Palace and the Jordan Archaeological Museum. The Roman Theatre and the whole old town lie below — come for sunset.
Like a well-travelled friend for a first-timer: before you go, landing, SIM, transport, money, food, safety, manners, apps, leaving — step by step.
🧳Before you goMongolian citizens cannot get a Jordanian visa at the border — get the visa approval before you buy the ticket.+
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Visa: prior approval (eservices.moi.gov.jo)
Mongolia is on the Jordanian Ministry of Interior's 'restricted' nationalities list, so a visa on arrival is not possible. Create an account on the MoI e-services portal and apply with your passport, photo, return ticket and hotel booking; a single-entry tourist visa costs 40 JD. Approval can be slow, so apply at least a month ahead. Jordan has no embassy in Mongolia.
Tip: Don't buy a non-refundable ticket before the approval comes through.
The Jordan Pass (Petra plus 40+ sites, waives the visa fee) is not sold to restricted nationalities, including Mongolia. Buy tickets at each site instead: Petra (50 JD), Jerash (10 JD), Wadi Rum (5 JD) and so on.
The regional conflict means airspace can close and flights be cancelled at short notice. Get insurance that covers cancellation and medical care, and check the UK FCDO's Jordan advice in the days before you leave.
Tip: Choose flexible (changeable) tickets and hotel bookings.
🛬Arrival and getting to the cityQueen Alia Airport is south of central Amman; flights from Istanbul usually land at night.+
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Sariyah Airport Express bus
Outside arrivals, the Sariyah Express bus runs to Amman's 7th Circle and the North Bus Station (Tabarbour): 3.4 JD, every 30 minutes by day and hourly at night; pay the driver or by card.
There is a supervised taxi rank outside arrivals: a fixed ~25–30 JD to the centre, 35–50 minutes. Careem/Uber cost ~22–28 JD with the price shown upfront. Turn down unlicensed drivers offering 'taxi?' inside the terminal.
Tip: Landing at night, a hotel pickup is the most relaxed option.
Zain, Orange and Umniah have desks in arrivals; register with your passport for a tourist 'visitor line'. Zain's 7-day bundle is ~8–11 JD (10–30 GB); a large 3-month bundle ~29 JD.
If your phone supports eSIM, install a Jordan or Middle East plan from Airalo, Holafly or similar before flying and you're online on landing. Signal is weak deep in Wadi Rum and camp Wi-Fi is slow.
Tip: Download offline Google Maps for Amman and Petra.
The JETT bus leaves Abdali for Petra at 6:30 and takes ~3.5 hours, 10–11 JD one way; the return leaves at 17:00. Several departures a day to Aqaba. Book ahead on jett.com.jo.
To link Petra, Wadi Rum, the Dead Sea and Aqaba in one trip, a car with driver is the most flexible. If you drive yourself, take care on the Desert Highway at night — there have been fatal accidents — and show your passport at checkpoints.
The dinar is pegged to the US dollar: $1 ≈ 0.709 JD. ATMs are plentiful in the city and hotels and larger restaurants take cards; downtown souks, taxis and Wadi Rum Bedouin camps prefer cash.
Wadi Rum's Bedouin camps cook dinner as 'zarb' — meat, potatoes and vegetables baked over coals in a pit under the sand. Many say it is like Mongolian khorkhog.
Tip: When booking a camp, ask whether dinner and breakfast are included.
🛡️Safety and health+
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Emergency number 911
Police, ambulance, fire and Civil Defence are all on 911. After an accident, don't leave the scene until the police arrive and take a statement.
According to the UK FCDO, since July 2026 Iran has struck US facilities in Jordan, and in early September there were strikes and interceptions in and around Aqaba. Stay more than 3 km from the Syrian border. If sirens sound, stay indoors away from windows and never touch missile or drone debris.
In summer, drink plenty of water at Petra and Wadi Rum and rest in the shade at midday. From November to March flash floods hit the wadis — stay out of canyons when it rains. Amman has good private hospitals such as Jordan Hospital and Khalidi Hospital.
Jordan is a Muslim country. In towns, cover shoulders and knees; in mosques (such as the King Abdullah I Mosque) women cover their hair and everyone removes their shoes. Swimwear is fine on beaches and at hotel pools.
During Ramadan avoid eating and drinking in public by day. Alcohol only in bars, hotels and restaurants — drinking on the street is illegal. Always carry your passport for police checks.
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Photos and bargaining
Don't photograph people, especially women, without permission; photographing military and border sites is forbidden. Haggling in the souks is normal — keep it friendly.
📱Useful apps+
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Transport
Careem and Uber for city rides; JETT for intercity bus tickets; Google Maps for offline maps.
Security has several layers, so be at the airport 3 hours before an international flight. Sariyah Express runs from the 7th Circle and North Station every 30 minutes (3.4 JD).
The regional situation can delay flights at short notice — check status in your airline's app before leaving and make sure your Istanbul connection time is generous.
AI answer: double-check anything beyond our researched facts with an official source.
A 6,000-seat theatre cut into the hillside in the 2nd century AD; the top rows look over downtown and the Citadel. Two small folklore museums inside and the Hashemite Plaza in front.
The old al-Balad district's gold, spice, vegetable and fruit markets. Hashem, a street restaurant open since the 1950s, serves falafel, hummus, foul and fresh bread — even the King has eaten here. Grab kunafa at nearby Habibah.
An old stone-house street on Jabal Amman: cafés, rooftop restaurants, craft shops and the Friday Souk Jara market (summer). Stairways lead down to downtown on foot.
The country's largest museum: Dead Sea Scrolls, the 9,000-year-old 'Ain Ghazal plaster statues and a hands-on children's hall. A good pick for a rainy or very hot day.
One of the best-preserved Roman cities anywhere: Hadrian's Arch, the Oval Plaza, a colonnaded street and two theatres. About 50 km north of Amman — a half-day trip. The Jerash Festival runs in July.
Culture50 JD (2 days 55, 3 days 60; children under 12 free); Petra by Night 30 JD6:00–18:00 (winter 6:00–16:00)
The Nabataeans' rose-red rock city, a UNESCO site and one of the New Seven Wonders. Walk 1.2 km through the Siq gorge to the Treasury (Al-Khazneh), then climb 800 steps to the Monastery (Ad-Deir). About 3.5 hours from Amman; sleep in Wadi Musa and take two days. Petra by Night is a candlelit evening show (several nights a week, 20:30).
Nature5 JD (jeep tours and Bedouin camps extra)Visitor centre 8:00–18:00; camps 24 hours
The 'Valley of the Moon': red sand, sheer cliffs, Lawrence's Spring and natural rock bridges. Take a 2–4 hour jeep tour, ride a camel and sleep in a Bedouin camp or a 'Martian' dome for an incredible starry sky. It will remind Mongolians of the Gobi, yet it is something else entirely.
Relax10 JD (foreign visitors)9:00–23:00 (weekends until 2:00)
430 m below sea level, the lowest point on Earth: the salty water makes you float without trying. The public beach has freshwater pools and showers; resorts sell day passes. Keep your face out of the water and hold small children's hands.
The mountain where Moses saw the Promised Land: on a clear day you see the Dead Sea and Jericho, plus Byzantine mosaics. 10 km away, St George's Church in Madaba holds the 6th-century mosaic map of the Holy Land. Combine both on the way to the Dead Sea.
The UNESCO site on the Jordan River where Jesus is believed to have been baptised. Guided group visits only, about 1.5 hours; the far bank is the West Bank. It is a border zone, so carry your passport.
BeachBeaches free–10 JD; snorkel gear ~5–10 JDAll day
Jordan's only seaport: Red Sea coral reefs start a few metres from shore — snorkel at the Japanese Garden and Coral Garden. Glass-bottom boats suit children. About 1 hour from Wadi Rum; the water stays around 21°C even in winter.
