Tipping in Jordan: Everything You Need To Know
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When we first visited Jordan, we were unsure about the tipping situation. Is tipping in Jordan a thing? How much? And how often? That’s why I’ve written this definitive guide to tipping in Jordan! Enjoy 🙂
Wondering whether or not you’ll need to be tipping in Jordan? I’ve got you covered!
From local restaurants to tour guides, I’ll let you know how much you’ll need to pay in tips when you visit this wonderful country.
As wages in Jordan aren’t the highest (the average salary in Jordan is just $637), it’s important to know that most people rely on tips. Whilst it isn’t as heavily pushed as travelling the US or Central America, it is still helpful to tip the Jordanians you come into contact with.
It’s important to know that tipping in Jordan is part of the culture and if you’ve experienced good service, it’s worth leaving a tip (I mean, you can be a bit more lenient if the service was terrible).
Sadly, employers have the expectation that tourism sector workers will be tipped, so they pay their staff lower amounts. When we found this out, we made sure we gave a tip to anyone who gave us good service (which in Jordan, is pretty much everyone!)
Some restaurants (but very few) will add service straight onto the bill. It’s up to you if you want to give your server a few extra dollars, but it’s good to know they probably won’t get the amount that’s on the bill.
We made sure we always had cash to tip.
Visiting Jordan? Check out my other guides!
- Driving in Jordan: The Ultimate Car Hire Guide
- Jordan 7 Day Itinerary: A Perfect Trip to the Middle East
- What to Wear in Jordan in 2022 (That Isn’t Ugly)
- Is Petra Worth Visiting? A Must-Read Before You Go!
Tipping in Jordan: A Quick Guide
Tipping in Jordan is encouraged, but not compulsory.
As mentioned, servers are paid lower wages as employers expect them to be tipped.
NOTE: At the time of writing this, the JOD (Jordanian Dinar) is roughly equivalent to a GBP. So $1 JD is roughly £1 (give or take a few pennies)
As a rule, you can tip in Jordan the following in CASH:
- Private drivers: Not expected as well paid, but can tip $5-10 a day if service is exceptional.
- Taxi drivers: $1-2 per journey.
- Restaurants: 10% of your bill.
- Hotels: Not expected. If someone goes out of their way (carrying luggage etc), a tip of $1-2 JD is always nice!
- Tourist sites/guides: Tour guide tips can vary. I’ll talk more about this later, but it’s always good to tip exceptional service.
- Gas station servers: Not expected. $1 JD tip if your budget allows!
Tipping in Jordan: Advice Before You Go
- If you’re travelling in a group, chip in all together for a group cash tip. This keeps costs down!
- Always tip in cash (and pay in cash! Avoid using your card altogether in Jordan).
- Tour guides at bigger sites like Petra will expect tips if they help you climb to a viewpoint or take you for a horse ride. Make sure you have cash readily available.
- There is no fixed rate or amount to tip in Jordan, just fix it to your budget and be generous!
Some of the friendliest people I have ever met have been in Jordan. Honestly, I felt so welcomed our entire trip. I wished I had a bigger budget to tip everyone I came across for their exceptional service!
Jordan is such an amazing country that I can’t wait to travel back to, and I think the people make it this way!
🚌 If you don’t feel like hiring a car, you can hire a private driver or do a tour. This tour is great if you just want to see Petra from Amman!
Need to know what to wear in Jordan? Check out my guide here!
Tipping in Restaurants in Jordan
Like restaurants in the UK, some restaurants in Jordan may add a 10-12.5% gratuity automatically. This is really only going to be the larger restaurants and more established venues.
Sadly, this rarely goes to the server who’s gone out of his/her way to make your visit special. If you can, tip them in cash separately to this. Even 1-2 JD goes a long way.
If you’re in a large group, everyone adding 1 JD to their bill will make a huge difference!
Always carry extra cash with you as I promise, you will always want to tip! (We experienced zero bad service on our entire trip!)
Not sure whether or not to hire a car Jordan? Check out my guide to driving in Jordan here!
🏛️ You need to make sure you have enough time to enjoy Petra, the Dead Sea and Aqaba. This tour takes 3 days from Amman so you can make sure you experience each area properly!
Tipping at Hotels in Jordan
It’s not expected to tip at hotels in Jordan, but if someone goes out of their way for you (carrying luggage, doing something extra) it’s always nice to tip.
As I said, wages are low. Giving 1-2 JD is nothing to us, but can make the world of difference!
Cleaners and room service can be tipped around 1 JD if you think it’s appropriate.
Again, it is not expected to tip at hotels in Jordan.
Need help planning your trip to Jordan? I’ve planned a perfect 7-day itinerary here!
🔌 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 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!
Tipping Tour Guides in Jordan
This is where things get a bit complicated. Let me break it down easily.
Tipping in Petra
Petra is FULL of tour guides and touts wanting to take you to different locations in Petra, guide you somewhere or help you to climb a viewpoint.
Tipping for these services is compulsory. They are quite literally working all day for these tips. Most will even say the tip price upfront. For example, climbing to a certain viewpoint near the Treasury will cost between $5-10 JD. This will need to be paid in CASH.
Do NOT expect these services to be free. Your tips are their wages.
When it comes to tour guides employed by the site, you can tip what you deem appropriate. One to 5 JD is a good amount.
If you jump on a horse by the Petra entrance, they’ll say it’s free (well, it is) but you’ll still be expected to leave a tip. I’d advise around $5 when you disembark (is that what you say for getting off a horse?! No clue!) your horse. Or you might expect a bit of a scene.
Check out my detailed Petra 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!
Tipping in Wadi Rum
If you’re visiting Wadi Rum, it’s likely you’ll do a 4×4 tour.
Our tour was over 4 hours long, and our personal driver Laith (from UFO Camp) was exceptional. He was so friendly and personable that we gave him a bigger tip than normal at the end of the tour. This is totally down to you.
It all depends on the amount of time you’re with your driver, and how they are with you. If it’s exceptional service, tip them exceptionally!
The tours also are pretty cheap in price (ours was 4 hours and only cost £30 each!) so we didn’t mind paying a bit extra for tips.
🚰 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.
Visiting Petra? I’ve written a definitive guide to help you prepare for one of the 7 Wonders of the World!
Other times you may need to tip in Jordan
Hitchhiking: Pay roughly the same amount in tips as you would for a public bus (or more, if you’re able to)
Spas: This is totally down to you and the type of service you have. Between 5-10 JD is sufficient.
Snorkelling guides: This again is down to you. $5 tip would be enough for a snorkelling guide and tour.
Tipping in Jordan is mainly up to you, but it’s always good to be generous when you can!
🥾 Need new hiking boots? If you’re visiting Petra, I’d advise wearing them! I currently wear a pair from the Columbia Newton Ridge, which I highly recommend! You can check them out here.
Tipping in Jordan: In a Nutshell
So, there you have it! A definitive guide to tipping in Jordan, and I hope it makes a little bit more sense for you!
I felt totally overwhelmed when we first arrived in Jordan and absolutely everyone and anyone was helping us. It was so lovely and I felt awful that I didn’t know the tipping rules.
If you’re ever unsure, just go with the safe option and be generous!
Happy travelling!
Jennie 🙂 x
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