Frequently asked questions About Jordan

Petra by night is  every Monday, Wednesday & Thursday, starting at 20:00, You can buy the ticket there for 17JD/P

Petra by night activity is arranged by a private company so you can do the visit as long as you purchased this activity ticket , and you don’t need to have Petra ticket at all ( Saying this, you just need Petra one day ticket for the main Petra tour same day or next day )

Kindly note that 2-3 hours tour guide, will cover Petra main trail: all area -from visitor center -basin area  (Restaurant area) starts with the Siq , the Treasury, Street of  facade, Theater, Royal Tombs,Great Temple Complex  and princess palace, later on you can walk all the way to Monastery by yourself if you want.

NB: Tour guide at Petra is optional and is not included on some tours, So check out your tour itinerary carefully before you proceed with your booking. 

In Petra you just need to follow the path, and they have explanation signs on each place you reach, you will be given a sitemap with the ticket at Petra  visitor center, and each spot on Petra has explaining signs with 3 major languages. A local site tour guide along Petra (for site detailed information) can be requested if desired.

Local tour guides can be requested and arranged in Petra Visitor center if not included at your itinerary, and it will cost 50 JD (around 70$) for basic trail coverage - around 2-3 hours.

First suggested trail to visit Petra: from visitor center -Basin area  (Restaurant area) starts with the Siq , the Treasury, Street of  facade, Theater, Royal Tombs, Great Temple Complex  and princess palace, can be taken in first day - 4 hrs and it will cost you 50 JD, later on you can walk all the way to Monastery in the same day- 2 hrs and it can be self guided (with guide will cost you another 50 JD).

Way 2 in the second day- from visitor center to High Area of Sacrifice and Back Area (Wadi Farasa) and the guide will cost you 50 JD (Guide is Highly Recommended) , you may continue to Mount Aroun in that day (Guide is recommended and will cost you 50 JD)

During my hundreds of visits to Petra, I was able to cover the main trail, the Monastery and the back trail - Wadi Farasa and high area of Sacrifice few times, this involves walking of around 16km, and climbing over 2000 steps, equivalent to going 213 floors according to my iphone health application.

Camel ride would be possible at Petra, and if you are planning to, then it is recommended on your way back either after completing Petra main trail, or after coming back from the Monastery - most people will be exhausted after completing this.

​Petra is a huge site , and you will get the chance to ride on different stages at Petra according to your desire and ability to walk ​ :

• you may ​take the free horse ride from Petra visitors center to the beginning of the Siq (about 600 meters - 5 $ tip is expected to the horse man )
• you may take a carriage from Petra visitors center till the Treasury ( 2 km - cost 25 ​ Jds for 2 ​ including the way back at the end of the day ) ,
• You may take horse or camel ride from the treasury to the first step to the Monastery ( 2.5 km - around 15 Jds / p )
• You may take donkeys on going up to the Monastery ( 800 steps - around 10 Jds / p)
• You may take any ​according to same order during your way back To visitor's center. 
• Prices are negotiable and depends on the season as well. 

Petra day tour from Amman for one traveler would cost 160$ ( Not including entry fees or tour guide).

Petra and Rum from Amman would cost 499$ for one person including one night at Rum with dinner + breakfast + Jeep Safari tour at Rum for 2 hours  ( Not including entry fees or tour guide). full guided tour - escorted with a licensed tour guide would cost more for sure. Price becomes more convenient for more travelers. 

Best time to visit Petra would be during March and May, avoid June - August, and September  to November. Jordan climate in general can be very hot during June - August , and very cold during December to February.  

The main issue with Petra and Wadi Rum tour actually in winter time in one day is timing itself , and  it might be difficult to do because: It takes 3 hours driving from Amman to reach Petra .

Petra site is huge and the minimum recommended time to spend on the site is 4 hours (Some people spend full day in the site from sunrise to sunset ) , Driving time from Petra to Wadi Rum is 2 hours, The minimum tour time at Wadi Rum is around 2 hours ( Jeep Safari tour ). Sunset time is around 04:30. Saying this , and even if you started from Amman early morning at 07:00, reach Petra at 10:00 , take the tour and leaves at 14:00 , reach Wadi Rum at 16:00 - no enough time to make even the Jeep tour at Wadi Rum..

We usually cover Petra and Wadi Rum in two day tour and spending the night at Rum vallely as well, saying all this however; it would be possible during summer time, where sunset time at Wadi Rum is around 7pm.

We usually offer a stay at Bedouin Camp, all tents are furnished with 2-3 single beds -private tents but (shared Bath rooms), including dinner and breakfast,, you can find Pictures and more information on their site: www.Desertmooncamp.net  ,,

Another choice is Bait Ali Camp, Bait Ali Camp, it’s like saying 5* comparing to other Rum camps, they have electricity, tents , chalets (small twin, medium &large chalets with a bath & shower) and big restaurants , but this option would cost 50$ more / Person     http://baitalicamp.com/

You will need your personal things like a towel , having a spare light is good , but don't worry about that ... it might become chilly at night , so having a soft jacket would be a good idea .

If It Is Not Cold, You can do Hiking, Camp Fire Activity,, in Bait Ali there are big restaurant with parties, dancing ,,,

Yes there are, just bring your charger

Jordan Ministry of Tourism has launched what is called Jordan Pass , it is an online ticket that would waive out visa entry fees and it includes a free entry to 41 sites in Jordan for 99$/P (If you stay a minimum of three nights in Jordan)  , so having this pass before arrival would remove visa entry fees and entry to 41 sites in Jordan including Petra & Rum of course ( it is 70JD/ P )  check www.Jordanpass.jo for more details ..

Travelling during Ramadan has its advantages and disadvantages and only YOU can decide whether the benefits outweight the inconveniences for YOU or not.

Pros

Those who recommend traveling during the holy month usually empasize the spiritual experience:

Ramadan is a really special time of year for Muslims and people are usually very welcoming and happy to share food with you after sunset and during the nights. 

Non-Muslim tourists are not expected to fast in Jordan. Jordanians in general are tolerant of tourists eating and drinking during Ramadan, but if you want to be respectful try not to do it publicly. This applies to smoking too.

In tourist areas and bigger cities you will find some restaurants and food stores open during the day.

Business is as usual during Ramadan. Goverment offices, banks and tourist places like museums, archaeological sites are open, although they might close earlier than usual to allow staff members to go home by sunset to break the fast. (* Note: Public sector employees usually have shortened working hours during Ramadan, they finish at 15.00h) During Eid Al Fitr businesses and government offices are closed for up to 3-4 days.

If you are ready to switch to a more night-oriented timeframe, you can have a great time during Ramadan. Many people are up all night, visiting friends, eating sweets and fruits.

The fast-breaking, called Iftar, is a joyous event. If you don't get invited to someone's home, you can still join the "party": most restaurants offer special Iftar Menus during Ramadan.

Cons

It is true that the energy level of people who fast is getting quite low during the day, especially when Ramadan falls on summer - like in the years between 2010 and 2020. People tend to stop working early (around 3 PM) or not work at all if they can afford, and sleep a lot. You see, the weather is hot and the days are long. That will surely affect the performance of those who work in the travel industry as well: drivers, guides, etc.

Even though Ramadan is about peace, patience and forgiveness, the fasting and refraining from cigarettes can have a negative effect on some men's mood as most men in Jordan are heavy smokers and tea-addicts. This can cause tensions, especially in road traffic before sunset when everyone wants to get home quickly.

7 DOs And 5 DON'Ts During Ramadan

[DON'T]

DON'T consume food or water – or smoke – in public places from sunrise to sunset. It is actually illegal to do so in Jordan, although foreigners will generally just get a slap on the wrist. Of course, it is also terribly bad manners to suck down a refreshing glass of water in front of people who are working all day in the summer heat. If you're hungry, there are restaurants around that are allowed to serve food during the day.

• DON'T go out drunk in public. While this is always a bad idea, it is particularly important during Ramadan. You will find that all the liquor stores are closed for the month and the only places to buy alcohol are upscale hotels and restaurants.
• DON'T try to get a taxi within the hour or two before iftar. You would be very lucky to find an empty one.
• DON'T wait until the last minute; there are a million people flooding the downtown and the shops before iftar…and they're hungry. And tired. It's best to get to where you're going a couple of hours early and just stay put.
• DON'T behave in a way you wouldn’t behave at your most conservative grandparent’s house. This means toning down the language and loud music for the month. Also, it’s good to dress a bit more conservatively than usual. While Ramadan is observed with varying degrees of devotion, some take the holy month very seriously. They may even give up listening to music or participating in any type of boisterous behavior. Conversely, while you’re being respectfully discreet, some of the locals around you may be going on with business-as-usual. Don’t be discouraged, though, your respectful efforts are appreciated.
• [DO]
• DO wish everyone a happy Ramadan. You can say "Ramadan Mubarak" or "Ramadan Kareem".
• DO accept an invitation to iftar from a coworker or friend. There is delicious food available all over the city; whether homemade or at a restaurant. Don't miss the katayef; a delicious dessert made from a pancake folded around nuts or cheese and deep-fried, then covered in syrup. It's a Ramadan special.
• DO consider taking on the Ramadan fasting yourself. Outrageous? It's challenging, sure, particularly around 6:00pm with a bit over an hour to go. But it really does make you feel like you're a part of things. You can grumble in weary sympathy with the taxi driver or the people lining up in the shops and you can join them in enjoying that first date or cool sip of water.
• DO hang an ornament! It's a neat thing looking across the Amman skyline at night and seeing the quiet flickering of colorful Ramadan ornaments. There are some simple blinking lights, much like Christmas decorations, and then there are also some beautiful colored lanterns.
• DO participate in a charitable function. There are many of choices this time of year and you can easily find a fundraiser to attend or an iftar for orphans, for example.
• DO go out after iftar and check out the all-night celebration. Particularly when Ramadan falls in the warm summer months, you can see people out all night until sohoor (the morning meal before sunrise). Downtown Amman or Citadel Nights are both great places to walk around and people-watch.
• DO enjoy the holiday season!

The Jeep tour –Safari Tour- at Wadi Rum is driven by the locals (Bedouins) and they speaks very little English, Wadi Rum tour actually is moving from one spot to another while giving you the time to do some hiking (like walking in one the massive canyons or climbing up one of the natural arch bridges - soft climbing- or climbing over one of the sand dunes. On most cases our driver will be with you on the tour at Wadi Rum unless the camp is full where he needs to arrange his accommodation himself and won't meet you till next day after completing the Jeep tour at Wadi Rum. The tour on most cases is for the same group (so it would be only for you and your partner).  No tour guides are available at Wadi Rum so this is not an option.