Places to Visit in Jordan

Jordan is a desert and highland kingdom whose capital, Amman, sits at roughly 800-1,000 metres above sea level on a set of limestone hills, and whose main tourist sites run south along the King's Highway and the Desert Highway: Jerash and the Dead Sea within an hour of Amman, Madaba and Mount Nebo about 45 minutes away, and Petra and Wadi Rum three to four hours south. Amman has hot, dry summers (July and August days are often above 30 degrees Celsius, and the Dead Sea shore is hotter still) and cool, wet winters that occasionally bring snow to the hills; March to May and September to November are the most comfortable travel windows. The dinar (JOD, also written JD) is divided into 1,000 fils and is pegged to the US dollar at about 0.709 JOD per dollar, which makes it one of the world's highest-value currencies; ATMs are common in cities, but small sites such as Mount Nebo and some church ticket desks take cash only. The weekend is Friday and Saturday, so Friday morning is quiet as shops close for prayers. Dress modestly, especially outside Amman and in mosques and churches; Jordan is conservative, though tourists are used to visitors and courtesy is easy to give. Restaurants often add a 10 percent service charge and 16 percent sales tax, so tipping beyond that is optional, and taxi fares are rounded up. Drones are tightly restricted and need prior permission. Alcohol is sold in licensed venues in Amman but not in most local restaurants, and in Ramadan public eating and drinking during daylight is discouraged and many restaurants close until sunset.