Is The Jordan Pass Worth It? A Must-Read Before Purchasing!
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If you’re planning a trip to Jordan, you’ll have probably read about the Jordan Pass. So what exactly is it? And is the Jordan Pass worth it?
One of the biggest MEH moments of travel is realising you need to purchase a visa. The endless Googling, the dreaded costs, the fear of being rejected at the border… we’ve all been there.
But Jordan has it sussed.
Their unique and savvy Jordan Pass has been designed to make sure we can travel this wonderful country with ease. Brownie points for the Jordanians!
So, let’s discuss whether or not the Jordan Pass is worth the money, and what is actually is.
Other Jordan posts:
- Jordan 7 Day Itinerary: A Perfect Trip to the Middle East
- Tipping in Jordan: Everything You Need To Know
- Is Petra Worth Visiting? A Must-Read Before You Go!
- What to Wear in Jordan in 2022 (That Isn’t Ugly)
- Driving in Jordan: The Ultimate Car Hire Guide
Is the Jordan Pass Worth It? Quick Info
The Jordan pass is the best sightseeing package if you’re visiting the country for tourist reasons.
It gives users access to all of the top sights and attractions across Jordan, as well as covering the cost of a Jordanian visa.
One of the main reasons we bought a Jordan pass was to save money. Even if you’re only visiting Jordan for a short trip, the pass covers the cost of a visa (which is at least £45 separately).
Plus, we didn’t have to worry about entering any protected areas without permission during our stay.
There are also a lot of tourists flocking to Jordan at the moment (and rightly so, it’s an amazing country!) so it avoids the annoying long queues waiting for tickets to enter any of the sites.
Need to know what to wear in Jordan? Check out my guide here!
In a nutshell, the Jordan Pass…
- Covers your visa price, but you MUST purchase before arrival, and stay in Jordan for at least 3 nights and 4 days after.
- Entrance to all major sites including Petra, Wadi Rum and Jerash
- Excludes Petra by Night
- Is accessible on your phone with a QR code, however, you should try to print it before arriving. The code can be tricky to scan so it’s advisable to print and bring it along with you.
- Comes in 3 different packages depending on how many times you would like to enter Petra.
- Use for up to 12 months from the date of purchase. But, once it has been scanned at the airport, it will automatically expire after 2 weeks. Worth noting if you’re visiting for longer!
- The Jordan Pass allows for 30 days stay in Jordan. But of course, the Pass will expire after 2 weeks of this stay.
- Don’t forget to carry your ID with you to the attractions. They’ll scan your passport along with your Jordan pass at each destination.
TOP TIP: If you purchase a Jordan Pass and leave the country within three days, you’ll be charged £60 upon departure.
Need help planning your trip to Jordan? I’ve planned a perfect 7 day itinerary here!
How much is the Jordan Pass?
For us, this was the best part about purchasing a Jordan Pass, and what makes it totally worth it.
The Jordan Pass comes in three different packages.
ALL include visa fee, free entry to over 40 attractions and downloadable brochures.
However, they vary in times allowed into Petra (by day. ALL exclude Petra by Night).
- The Jordan Wanderer: 1 day in Petra: £80
- Jordan Explorer: 2 consecutive days in Petra: £85
- Jordan Expert: 3 consecutive days in Petra: £90
Not sure how long you’ll need in Petra? Check out my detailed guide here!
Can I visit the same attraction twice with my Jordan Pass?
No.
The Jordan Pass only covers entry to each attraction once, unless you have bought a package for multiple entries to Petra.
Your Jordan Pass will be scanned/stamped each time you enter a new attraction so you are unable to visit more than once.
If you’re driving around Jordan, check out my go-to guide here.
🌎 If you’re looking for a new backpack or suitcase, I highly recommend the Osprey 65L wheeled backpack. It’s a mix between your classic traveller backpack and an easy pull-along suitcase, so you get the best of both worlds!
Where can I use the Jordan Pass?
If you’re visiting Jordan for the first time, you’re going to want to visit some of the major sites like Wadi Rum, Petra and Jerash.
These are all included in the Jordan Pass (yay!) which makes it super simple for you to just rock up on the day without pre-booking.
Attractions include (but are not limited to):
- Petra
- Jerash
- Wadi Rum
- Jesus’ Baptism Site (although you need to pay a bit extra, it’s heavily discounted price)
- Amman Citadel
- Aljoun Castle
- Umm Qays
- Pella
- Karak Castle
For a full list, click here.
What it DOESN’T include
- Petra By Night: This is run by an external company, and must be bought separately. Tickets costs around £17, and you can find out more info here.
- Swimming in the Dead Sea: Unless you’re entering the Dead Sea on a private beach owned by a hotel, this is free anyway.
- 4×4 Tours in Wadi Rum Desert: Your hotel, camp or resort will sort tickets for these. I recommend UFO Luxotel if you want an authentic desert bubble experience!
- Any other tours such as stargazing, camel rides and sightseeing tours.
Check out my detailed Jordan itinerary to plan your trip!
How long is the Jordan Pass valid for?
You can use your Jordan Pass for up to 2 weeks upon entry to the country.
However, it the visa part of it allows you to stay in Jordan for up to 30 days.
But it’s good to know that access to attractions are only valid for 14 days after activating.
You’ll have 12 months after purchase to enter Jordan and activate it.
Simples!
Who can buy the Jordan Pass?
Anyone who is eligible for a visa on arrival in Jordan (UK residents, USA, EU… the list is endless) and is staying for at least 3 nights and 4 days in Jordan is able to buy the Jordan Pass.
🚰 The tap water in Jordan isn’t safe to drink, so I used my filter water bottle pretty much every day to keep myself hydrated. I take it everywhere with me, and it works in every country where you can’t drink tap water! You can grab yours here.
When do I buy the Jordan Pass?
Make sure you buy the Jordan Pass BEFORE entering the country.
You can purchase NOW using this link (as long as you’re planning on visiting within 12 months).
Don’t get caught out and have a faff at the airport. There are different types of ‘speed’ packages you can buy if you’re in a rush, but I recommend purchasing at least 7 days before entering Jordan.
Oooh, and don’t forget to carry your ID with you to the attractions. They’ll scan your passport along with your Jordan pass at each destination!
Not sure whether or not to hire a car Jordan? Check out my guide to driving in Jordan here!
How does the Jordan Pass work?
Once you’ve applied for your Jordan pass, you should receive it by email pretty quickly. We received ours instantly, but it can take up to 3 days (I think it’s dependent on how busy they are).
The Jordan Pass comes in a zip folder, which you can then download and print off for easy access. I’d highly recommend printing your Jordan Pass if possible.
As a helpful bonus, they also send you a free travel guide and map of Jordan, which is helpful to have on your phone!
TOP TIP: Wifi is pretty sketchy in Jordan (especially at the airport) so I recommend downloading it and saving it to an area on your phone.
Whilst you won’t want to be glued to your phone whilst travelling Jordan, I highly recommend carrying a power bank.
Losing battery whilst driving in the Middle East and not having a map or your pass would not be ideal! It also gets super hot so your battery will drain faster than normal. I use this power bank, and it’s not let me down yet! It easily lasts for a whole week trip!
One of the best things about the Jordan Pass is going straight past the normal visa queues at the airport. You’ll be quickly checked and stamped and be on your way in no time!
Is the Jordan Pass worth it?
So, is the Jordan pass worth it? Totally.
If you’re from a country that needs to purchase a visa on arrival anyway, you might as well go all in and buy a Jordan Pass. Then you have total peace of mind when it comes to visiting any of the tourist sites.
Just remember you have to stay at least 3 nights to qualify for the Jordan Pass visa, or you’ll be charged on departure.
Take some boring maths to help your decision that little bit more.
A tourist visa on arrival is roughly £45. A day tip to Petra is around £100. Total = £145. That ALONE makes the Jordan Pass worth it!
Even though other attractions such as Wadi Rum cost under £10, it’s good to know they’re all included in the price when you arrive and you won’t have to think about it again.
Plus, getting cash out in Jordan is a total nightmare. There are very few ATMs, so when it’s paid and done, it’s done!
AND you’ll be saving time waiting in lines.
The Jordan Pass is totally worth it!
My experience with the Jordan Pass
We were staying in Jordan for a week, and at the top of our list were some of the famous sites like Petra and Wadi Rum. (You can check out my full itinerary here!)
Personally, I’m not a huge hiker, so we decided to go for the 1-day pass for Petra. This meant we only spent £80 on our Jordan Pass, and definitely got our money’s worth!
We were in Petra for around 7-8 hours (all paid for and covered by the pass) and entering sites like Wadi Rum was a dream.
When we arrived at the airport, we were greeted by friendly Jordanians (shock, they are the KINDEST nationality!) welcoming us to the country and stamping our passes at the desk. There was no queue, and it was as easy as that!
We were asked for our passports each time using the pass.
Be sure to check each attraction and whether it is included in your pass. For example, we visited Jesus’ Baptism Site near the Dead Sea, and although it gave us a good discount, we still needed to pay 12 JD to enter.
Overall, the Jordan Pass saved us time and money and I would definitely recommend it to anyone visiting the country for the first time.
And it’s perfect if you’re low on cash – some ATMs charge over £5 for withdrawals!
Overall thoughts
Overall, as you’ve probably gathered, the Jordan Pass IS worth it.
Just be sure of what package you want, as you cannot upgrade (or downgrade) after purchase, and the Jordan Pass is non-refundable.
And if you’re using the pass to visit Petra, make sure your visits are CONSECUTIVE days, otherwise they will not work.
Got a question about the Jordan Pass? Let me know in the comments or connect with me on Instagram!
You can purchase your Jordan Pass here.
Visiting Jordan? Check out all of my Jordan posts below!
