The country is small and the JETT coaches are good: Amman to Petra is about JOD 11 and three and a half hours. Use Careem in the cities and never a yellow taxi without the meter.
- JETT is the reliable coach operator: Amman to Petra is about JOD 11 to JOD 13 and three and a half hours, Amman to Aqaba JOD 12 to JOD 15.
- The 06:30 Petra bus is one bus a day. Miss it and you are on a minibus or paying for a car - book a day ahead in season.
- Say "addad" - meter - as you get into a yellow taxi, or agree the price first. Careem and Uber remove the argument entirely.
- Petra without the Jordan Pass is JOD 50 for one day, and JOD 90 if you have not spent a night in Jordan - the day-tripper rate from Eilat.
- A driver for the day is JOD 70 to JOD 120 and is how most people see the King's Highway; split three or four ways it is not extravagant.
Between the cities
| Route | How | Cost | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amman to Petra | JETT coach, 06:30 from 7th Circle | JOD 11 to JOD 13 | 3h30 |
| Amman to Aqaba | JETT coach, several daily | JOD 12 to JOD 15 | 4h |
| Aqaba to Wadi Rum | JETT coach, 08:00 | JOD 15 | 1h30 |
| Amman to the Dead Sea | JETT day service or taxi | JOD 15 to JOD 40 | 1h |
| Anywhere to anywhere | Private driver for the day | JOD 70 to JOD 120 | - |
- JETT is the reliable operator and its coaches are modern and air-conditioned. Book a day ahead in season, online or at the office.
- The 06:30 Petra bus is one bus a day. Miss it and you are on a minibus or paying for a car.
- Minibuses go everywhere for a couple of dinars and leave when full, which can mean an hour of waiting.
- A driver for the day is how most people see the King's Highway, and split between three or four it is not extravagant.
In town
- Yellow taxis have meters and drivers do not always start them. Say "addad" - meter - as you get in, or agree the price first.
- Careem and Uber both work in Amman and remove the argument entirely. Careem has the deeper local coverage.
- Amman is built on hills and is not a walking city in the way its map suggests. The stairs between Rainbow Street and downtown are 100 vertical metres.
- The Amman Bus network is cheap and hard to use without Arabic.
Driving
- Driving is on the right; an International Driving Permit is expected alongside your own licence.
- The Desert Highway is fast, dull and where the fatal accidents happen. The King's Highway is slow, spectacular and the reason to have a car.
- Speed cameras are everywhere and fines run JOD 15 to JOD 150. Rental companies pass them on with a handling fee.
- Fuel is cheap by European standards and stations are frequent except in the deep south.
- Sand and flash floods close roads in winter, and mountain roads near Petra get snow in January.
Sites and tickets
- Petra without the Jordan Pass is JOD 50 for one day, JOD 55 for two, JOD 60 for three, and JOD 90 if you have not spent a night in Jordan - the day-tripper rate for people coming from Eilat.
- Wadi Rum charges JOD 5 to enter the protected area, included in the Jordan Pass, and everything inside it - jeep, camel, camp - is extra and booked with a local operator.
- The Dead Sea has no free public shore worth using. Resort day passes run JOD 25 to JOD 40 and include a pool and a shower, which you will want.
- Jerash, the desert castles and the Roman theatre are all on the Jordan Pass, which is what makes the JOD 70 worthwhile.
Apps worth having
- Careem and Uber for rides.
- JETT's own site for coaches.
- Maps.me offline, because Wadi Rum has no signal to speak of.
- The Jordan Pass QR code saved offline, not only in an email you need data to open.
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