This autumn I flew to Istanbul and, on the way back, decided to visit a country that was completely new to me. That country was Jordan. It may not be the most obvious destination for a holiday, especially in light of recent conflicts, but I still chose to see the country’s incredible sights for myself and never once regretted it. Here’s a look at my itinerary and travel budget.
Flights, accommodation, visa
In my article about the budget of a trip to Turkey, I already mentioned that my route was quite complicated: I flew from Tashkent to Istanbul, then from there to Amman (Jordan) via Ankara, and my return flight to Tashkent was through Sharjah Airport (UAE). The total cost of all tickets was 612 dollars per person.
I arrived in Amman at night, spent the entire next day in the city, and early the following morning headed to Petra and the Wadi Rum desert. During the trip, I stayed in several places: I spent the first two nights in Amman at the Doubletree By Hilton Amman Hotel & Residences, the night in the desert was at Wadi Rum Mirror Camp, and before my flight back I returned to Amman and booked my final night at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Amman Galleria Mall.
The total cost of accommodation for four nights was 490 dollars. In all the cities where I stayed, you can find cheaper hotels. But it was my first time here, and I wanted to choose more comfortable places so that my impressions of the trip and the rest would be as positive as possible, even if I ended up disappointed in the country itself.
Some tourists need a visa to travel around Jordan. The fee is 40 dinars. Travellers can purchase the so-called Jordan Pass, which includes access to forty of the country’s attractions and covers the visa fee. I opted for this travel package.
Transport
The website of Queen Alia International Airport, where I arrived, states that there are 24-hour buses, but I decided not to waste time looking for bus stops, especially since my flights were at night. Upon arrival, I wanted to order an Uber, but my international Visa card didn’t work in the app. As it turned out, since 1 September the service has only accepted Mastercard, so I found a taxi desk and ordered a car there. A trip of about 32 kilometers cost 25 dinars.
Afterwards I got around the city either on foot or by taxi. For rides I used the Careem app, where both international Visa cards and cash were accepted. The cost of getting around Amman seemed relatively low: the journey from my hotel to the city centre was 4.2 dinars, and I reached the bus station for 3 dinars.
Prices
All of my hotels included breakfast, during the day, in the 35-degree heat, I spent very little on food, and by evening I was so tired that I almost immediately went to bed after returning to the hotel. Food in shops is inexpensive: a butter croissant cost 0.5 dinars, and I paid the same for a half-litre bottle of some fermented dairy drink similar to yogurt. A glass of lemonade in a café cost 3 dinars. I paid 1.3 dinars for a small shawarma-like dish in a local place. Beer in a specialist shop cost 3 dinars. On the trip to Petra and the desert I bought water and cola, each costing 1 dinar.
International cards were accepted in many shops, but to pay for the hotel in Wadi Rum I needed to withdraw cash. The ATM fee at the airport was 10 dinars, while the ATM in the hotel charged me half that amount.
Interacting with locals
The most worrying aspect of planning this trip for me was the idea of travelling to a completely new and unfamiliar country. While preparing for the journey, I came across very different opinions: some acquaintances said that now is not the best time to go to Jordan, as it is unsafe. Travellers who had already been there, on the contrary, wrote that it is comfortable to travel even for solo female tourists.
In reality, the locals turned out to be very friendly, polite, and helpful. Residents of Amman showed me the way, asked to take photos together, and wanted to know where I was from. In Wadi Rum I stayed in a family-run camp. In the evening, the owner invited the guests for tea and gathered his relatives around the fire to share stories about Bedouin life in the desert. Almost everyone I met spoke good English.
One story in particular stands out for me. On the day I checked out of the camp, the owner noticed that I still had quite a bit of time before my bus to Amman and suggested that his brother drive me to see a spring in the mountains. I agreed. A Bedouin named Khalid took me to a mountain range, suggested I leave my things in the car, showed me the route on an online map and drove home. I was supposed to call him ten minutes before returning to the starting point. I had already done something similar before: during a trip to the Panagia Soumela Monastery, I had left my belongings in the car of a complete stranger, and everything went fine. This time there were no problems either. Khalid arrived about ten minutes after my call and drove me to the bus station.
Sights of Jordan
I spent only three full daylight days in the country, so my schedule was pretty tight. On my first day in Amman I went to the Citadel, which was included in the Jordan Pass. There are several ruined structures on the site.
After the Citadel I walked down to the 2nd-century theatre and then visited the Jordan Museum; admission to the latter cost 5 dinars.
Early the next morning I headed to the incredible Petra and spent almost the entire day there. In the evening I took a bus to Wadi Rum, arriving after sunset. After spending the night in an unusual tent, I went on a jeep tour of the desert.
This year I managed to visit seven countries, but this trip was the most exciting adventure I’ve had in a long time. I’ll definitely write separate articles about all these places. The first one will be about the Amman Citadel. Below you can find a full breakdown of my travel budget.
Enjoy your trips!
Jordan — five-day trip budget per person (October 2025, excluding flights):
- accommodation — 490 dollars;
- food — about 40 dinars;
- taxis and buses to Petra and Wadi Rum — 117 dinars;
- sightseeing, desert stay and Jordan Pass — 75 dinars.
- Total: about $490 and 232 dinars.
