TRAVEL TIPS

> Visitors with a valid passport may obtain a visa at any Jordanian embassy, consulate, or legation abroad.

> A visa can also be obtained at Amman International Airport or at any other border crossing except King Hussein Bridge for the current rate of JD 40 per person 

> Visas are valid for one month, but can be extended at any police station.

> Some visa restrictions may still apply for some nationalities, please ask us for an updated list.

Friday is the weekly holiday. Banks, government offices and most businesses are closed on Saturdays as well. Many businesses, including airline offices, travel agencies and some shops also close on Thursday afternoon, although department stores and supermarkets remain open.

Business Type    

Banks: 08.30-15.00

Government Offices: 08.00-15.00

Business Offices: 08.30-13.00 & 15.30-18.30

Shops: 09.30-13.30 & 15.30-20.00

Please note that earlier closing times apply during the month of Ramadan

Banks, businesses, government offices and many shops close all day for public holidays.

Fixed public holidays include

A number of public holidays are not fixed. These include Easter and the following Islamic Holidays, which are based on the lunar calendar:

> Eid al-Fitr: 3 or 4-day feast marking the end of Ramadan.

> Eid al-Adha: 4 day feast at the end of the Hajj, or month of pilgrimage to Mecca.

> First of Muharam: Islamic New Year.

> The Birthday of Prophet Mohammed

Jordan is a primarily Muslim country, although the freedom of all religions is protected. Muslim women’s clothing often covers their arms, legs and hair. Western women are not subject to these customs, but very revealing clothing is never appropriate and conservative dress is advisable for both men and women in the old part of Amman (downtown), and outside the cities. 

The local currency is the Jordanian Dinar, symbol JD. There are 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 JD notes. The dinar is divided into 100 piasters and 1000 fils The fils is the unit most commonly used and you will usually see prices written as 4,750 (which is 4 JD and 750 fils). Currency can be exchanged at major banks, exchange booths and at most hotels. Street money-changers are best avoided. Exchange rates are set daily by the Jordanian Central Bank, and the Jordanian Dinar is fixed to the US Dollar where 1 US.D = 0.708 JD

Most hotels and restaurants include a service charge in their bill, in which case it is not
obligatory to tip waiters, but you can always add a little extra. If service charge is not
included, waiters should be tipped around 10% of the bill.

Jordan television broadcasts in English and French on Channel 2. Daily programme listings can be found in The Jordan Times. All other international stations are available via satellite at all hotels.

220 – 240 AC volts, 50 cycles, requiring rounded two-prong wall plugs. Visitors from North America will need a transformer, which most hotels can provide.

Medical services are excellent in Jordan and most doctors are bilingual in Arabic and English. Larger hotels have a doctor on call and embassies can also suggest doctors and hospitals.

Wherever you go in Jordan you will find plenty of opportunities to shop. For visitors there is a wide range of locally made handicrafts and other goods available at all the popular sites, as well as within the boutiques of the leading hotels and at the various visitors’ centers. There you will find hand-woven rugs and cushions, beautifully embroidered items and clothing, traditional pottery, glassware, silver jewelry embedded with semi-precious stones, Bedouin knives, coffee pots, Arghiles (hubble bubble), marquetry work, antiques and other artifacts. The list is endless and about as varied as you can imagine.

Both Amman and Aqaba offer sophisticated shops and boutiques selling the very latest fashions in jewelry, clothing, accessories, leather and electronic goods.

When in Amman, don’t forget to visit Al-Wakalat Street, Mecca Mall, City Mall and Taj Mall to find all the European and North American brand stores offering their latest collections. Also, Rainbow Street is a great tourist area, where many handicraft stores, coffee shops, and lounges overlook the paved lanes.

Almost everywhere in Jordan you can find the world-famous Dead Sea spa products. All are of excellent quality and produced under strict clinical conditions. They are also very reasonably priced.

Eating well and heartily is part of the Jordanian tradition, and there are many fine
restaurants that offer a wide selection of authentic Arabic food such as Fakhreddine Restaurant, Karam Beirut and Tawaheen Al Hawa Restaurant.

Dishes to try: The national dish, Mansaf, a whole stewed lamb with cooked yogurt sauce served on a bed of rice and bread. Also the Musakhan dish, which is chicken with onions, olive oil and pine seeds cooked in an oven; in addition, to the classic Middle Eastern barbeque dishes.

All sorts of other international cuisines restaurants can also be found in the capital city of Amman.

Coffee is concentrated and black usually flavored with cardamom, but tea is even more popular in Jordan. Local and International beer, wine and spirits are available throughout the country. The local alcoholic drink that is popular with Arabic dishes is Arak, a nice flavored liquor that is mixed with water and ice.

The population of Jordan has grown rapidly over the last fifty years or so to 10,200,000 million people. Around 91.4% of the population lives in urban areas, with 4,000,000 million living in the capital, Amman.

The main English-language daily is The Jordan Times. Foreign newspapers are available at hotels and some shops.

Many radio stations broadcast in English including Radio Jordan and many other privately owned channels.

Jordan operates on the metric system. Length is counted in meters, distances in kilometers, weight in kilograms and volume in liters. You may come across the measurement for land: the dunum. One dunum is equivalent to approximately 1000 square meters (10,760 square feet).

Telephone services within Jordan are efficient and reliable. Directories in Arabic and English are widely available and international calls can be made from public and private phones. Country Code: +962. Fax services are available at most hotels while telegrams can be sent from post offices. Internet access is widespread via Internet cafes and hotels.