The best way to get probably the most out of the Jordan Go

The treasures of Jordan have beguiled guests for hundreds of years, from the cliff-carved metropolis of Petra – unknown to Westerners for hundreds of years – to the otherworldly rust-red sands of Wadi Rum.

Entry to Jordan’s hottest vacationer points of interest, plus a complete host of different visit-worthy websites across the nation, is now extra reasonably priced for vacationers due to this program. Learn on to find why the Jordan Go is the precise resolution most guests.

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What’s the Jordan Go?

Provided by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the Jordan Pass package deal combines a vacationer visa with admission to about 40 vacationer websites throughout the nation for a reduced worth. The worth begins at JD70 (about US$98), with three choices accessible relying on whether or not you’d like to go to Petra for one, two or three days.

Entry to the Mars-like landscapes of Wadi Rum is included with the Jordan Go © Tom Mackie / Lonely Planet

Is getting a Jordan Go value it?

The Jordan Go is finest suited to vacationers who’re:

  • touring independently (not with a tour group)
  • eligible for a visa on arrival
  • planning to go to Petra
  • planning to spend a minimum of three nights in Jordan 

The three-night minimal is a requirement, so if you’ll solely be in Jordan for a day (on a facet journey from Israel, for instance), you won’t be able to reap the benefits of the financial savings. As a result of the price of the cross is predicated on entrance to Petra, it doesn’t make sense to purchase it in case you aren’t planning to spend time within the historic metropolis. (For the document: we expect any customer to the nation shouldn’t miss this extraordinary place!)

The worth of the Jordan Go by way of the visa price relies in your nationality. Vacationers from greater than 100 international locations are eligible for a visa on arrival. For those who match into this class, you’re touring independently and you buy the Jordan Go on-line earlier than you arrive within the nation, your visa price of JD40 (about US$56) is waived. That alone makes the Jordan Go a superb deal, even when Petra is the one web site you go to among the many dozens included with the cross.

For those who’re touring with a tour operator, you’re already eligible for waived charges, so the Jordan Go might be not value it. Ask your operator whether or not your visa charges and web site entry charges are included in your tour.

Customary entry charges for Petra are JD50 (about US$70) for sooner or later, JD55 for 2 days or JD60 for a three-day go to. The a number of worth factors for the Jordan Go align with the extra entrance charges to Petra.

Listed below are some ideas for taking advantage of the Jordan Go.

When you have only some days in Jordan…

Hit the highlights. Plan a minimum of one full day to cowl a superb quantity of floor in Petra, then spend an evening or two immersed in Wadi Rum, one other Unesco-listed web site included with the Jordan Go. 

Whereas sooner or later in Petra is perhaps sufficient for the informal customer, hikers and historical past buffs will wish to permit extra time to to get off the everyday vacationer monitor. Select the three-day Jordan Go, and also you’ll have sufficient time to go to the Excessive Place of Sacrifice, make a one-day pilgrimage to Jebel Haroun (the most effective viewpoints of the area, and a web site that’s mentioned to the the burial place of Aaron, brother of Moses) and hike the again option to the Monastery from Little Petra, along with spending extra time on the extra standard Petra spots such because the Treasury and Royal Tombs.

After you’ve had your fill of Petra, benefit from the sluggish tempo and starry nights in Wadi Rum. Hike and camp with native Bedouin or trip 4x4s by means of the deserts, exploring the craggy rock faces and windswept sand dunes.

A couple points to an ancient Roman arch at the archeological site of Jerash, Jordan, Middle East
The ruins of the traditional Roman metropolis of Jerash are among the many best-preserved you’ll discover, and admission is included with the Jordan Go © Irene Sánchez / EyeEm / Getty Photos

When you have per week in Jordan… 

Take a highway journey to absorb some Jordan Go points of interest. Begin in Jerash, one of many best-preserved Roman cities on this planet, positioned lower than an hour’s drive from Amman. On-site signage is restricted, so rent a information to point out you round and share tales of this historic, picturesque place. 

Ajloun Fortress, one other attraction included with the Jordan Go, is about half-hour from Jerash, a simple add-on in case you’ve acquired a while to spare earlier than driving south to Amman. 

As soon as in Amman, cease by the restored Roman Theatre, then go to the close by Citadel for panoramic views (and sundown in case you time it proper) from atop the capital’s highest hill. In a single day it within the capital, then set out early the subsequent day for Petra, permitting time for a slight detour to Karak Fortress, one of many largest Crusader castles within the area and one other fee-free attraction for Jordan Go holders. 

From Karak, proceed on to Petra and Wadi Rum following the ideas above, and afterward add a day in Aqaba for snorkeling plus two further Jordan Go points of interest: Aqaba Fort and Aqaba Museum.

For those who’re involved in spiritual websites…

Be sure you embrace Madaba in your itinerary. It’s a simple day journey from Amman or a pleasant cease on the way in which to the Useless Sea or southern Jordan. About half-hour from the Queen Alia Worldwide Airport, Madaba can be a fantastic place to spend your first day or night time whenever you arrive in Jordan. 

Each the Madaba Museum and the Madaba Archaeological Park are included within the Jordan Go, and also you’ll additionally discover Byzantine-era mosaics (together with one of many oldest mosaic fragments in Jordan), archaeological reveals, a preserved part of Roman highway, the Church of the Virgin Mary, Ottoman buildings and extra right here. Whereas on the town, a go to to St George’s Church (not included within the Jordan Go however simply JD1 to enter) to see the spectacular ground mosaic – and the oldest recognized map of the Holy Land – is a should. 

Two hikers on the Jordan Trail through rock formations in Bedouin country to the north of Petra, Jordan, Middle East
For those who’re feeling adventurous, you possibly can attain a number of Jordan Go websites on foot by mountain climbing the Jordan Path © Justin Foulkes / Lonely Planet

If you wish to get off the crushed monitor…

Along with the large hitters, the Jordan Go consists of entry to a variety of attention-grabbing websites farther from the well-trodden vacationer path.

Off the crushed monitor in northern Jordan, you’ll discover a number of intriguing archaeological websites corresponding to Umm Al Jimal (the best-preserved Byzantine city within the area, the place excavations are at present underway), the Greco-Roman ruins of Gadara in Umm Qais, and Pella, one other lesser-known archaeological web site close to the city of Taqabat Fahl. 

For those who’re staying in Amman, take a day journey to the Iraq Al Amir Cooperative, the place you possibly can get pleasure from lunch and handicraft workshops earlier than catching the sundown on the archaeological web site. Entrance to the positioning is included with the Jordan Go, with actions on the ladies’s cooperative accessible to ebook individually.

For those who’re touring King’s Highway whereas road-tripping by means of Jordan, contemplate a cease at Umm Ar-Rasas (a Unesco-listed web site the place you’ll discover beautiful stone arches and only a few, if any, different guests) and Shobak Fortress, the oldest Crusader fortress within the nation.

Among the best methods to get round Jordan and get probably the most out of the Jordan Go is to journey by foot and hike among the Jordan Path. Most of the websites included within the Jordan Go are discovered alongside the Jordan Path, corresponding to Umm Qais, Pella, Jerash, Ajloun Fortress, Iraq Al Amir, Karak Fortress, Petra and Wadi Rum, amongst others. The Jordan Go expires two weeks after first use; because you gained’t have time to cowl the complete Jordan Path, we suggest selecting a piece suited to your pursuits.