Ultimate Guide to Jordan

Amman (عمان)

100 years ago, Amman was a sleepy village in the hills. Now, Amman is the largest city in the Levant (Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Israel/Palestine). Even though the population size and traffic seems about right for the city of 5 million, the city feels cozy like a city a quarter of its size. Families all know each other, men congregate in cafes to smoke arguillah (or shisha) and drink coffees, and the city may be the safest place I've ever travelled.

For a tourist visiting Amman, navigating the city is a bit challenging. English proficiency is mixed and the sheer lack of public transit means you'll have to rely on cabs - for reference, Jordanian cabs are well known as a nightmare for those who don't know how to work the system. However, one or two nights exploring the sites of Jordan's capital is well worth your time. The city is not particularly touristic, and there is just enough to keep you busy a few days.

Transportation

Amman will almost certainly be where you begin your journey, mostly as there are not too many airport options in Joran. Queen Alia International Airport is the modern airport servicing the capital. Unless your visit involves crossing a land border,  you'll probably find yourself landing in Amman. Make sure to see my advice at the bottom of this guide bout paying for your visa when you arrive.

Queen Alia International Airport

@markfedoronko

Jordan's largest airport and one of two international airport options in the country. There is no lack of airline choices here with flights around the Middle East, Europe, and even to North America.

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To get into Amman, a cab will probably be your best bet. If your hotel offers an airport transfer, even better because a cab is not the first thing you want to do in Jordan unless you know what you're doing. While some public transit has been added from the airport, it is quite limited (one bus from the airpot to Abdoun probably won't make your life easier unless you're staying in Abdoun).

Besides cabs, which I'll go in depth on in a second, the only other transportation you may take in Amman is the JETT bus. JETT operates touristic buses across the country, servicing places as north as Irbid and as south as Aqaba (so pretty much the whole country). Unless you can arrange a driver, JETT will be your best bet to move around the country, especially to Petra and Aqaba. There are several stations in Amman, but the most convenient in my opinion is the one in Abdali.