Before confirming your travel plans to Jordan, it’s always a good idea to understand just how expensive it is to visit Jordan.
We recently travelled to Jordan from Toronto and spent 11 days exploring the entire country – from the bustling capital city of Amman to the vast desert Wadi Rum.
So, did Jordan break the bank? Or, were the costs reasonable?
Well, after applying some money saving tips, our total trip cost, including flights, hotels, meals, taxis, car rental, tours, and travel insurance, was $4,745 CAD or $216 CAD per person, per day.
Below is a complete cost breakdown of our trip to Jordan to help you plan and budget for your next adventure!
Article Contents:
Overall Cost Breakdown Summary
To make things super simple and easy to compare, in the table below, I’ve summarized the total cost of our 11 day Jordan trip for two that we took in April of 2022. All costs are reported in Canadian Dollars.
Jordan had just started to open up again to international travellers. But, we were still lucky and early enough to get great deals on flights and hotels.
We also heavily utilized our travel rewards points to pay for hotels, so our total cost was considerably lower than we anticipated.
| Item | Cost (CAD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
|
Flights |
$1,317 |
2 people, YYZ to AMM |
|
Accomodations |
$1,021 |
|
|
Travel Insurance |
$101 |
ManuLife CoverMe |
|
Transportation |
$792 |
Taxis / Ubers, car rental, gas, insurance |
|
Food |
$423 |
|
|
Attractions / Tours |
$844 |
Jordan Pass, tour guides, tips, entrance fees |
|
Miscellaneous |
$247 |
Tips, groceries, spices, massage, etc. |
|
Total Cost |
$4,745 |
|
Flight Cost to Jordan from Toronto
Typically, the start to any of our international trips is highly dependent on a “too good to pass up” flight deal we come across online. In this case, we were subscribed to YYZDeals.com.
FYI, we’re not affiliated with them, it’s just a great website. They scour the internet and find cheap flights so you don’t have to. But, the key is to be open and flexible.
So, when a ridiculously low cost flight from Toronto to Jordan was posted, we jumped at the opportunity!
Our flight cost for two people from Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ) to Queen Alia Airport (AMM) was $1,317 CAD. Usually, the flight costs $1,300 CAD per person, so we saved 50% right off the bat!
And no, we didn’t fly on some shady airline or use a random site. We booked directly and flew with British Airways, with one stopover in London.
Talk about a great deal!
Transportation Costs in Jordan
Getting around in Jordan didn’t seem as challenging as we had initially thought. So, after reading a lot of blogs and watching countless videos, we felt safe to drive around ourselves. And, we’re so glad we did!
Yes, in the capital city of Amman, we mostly used Taxis and Ubers to get around. But, once we started our road trip across the rest of Jordan, we got ourselves a rental car and easily explored the country at our own pace and schedule.
Here’s a summary of our total transportation costs while in Jordan.
| Item | Cost (CAD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
|
Car Rental |
$576 |
Including comprehensive full insurance |
|
Gas |
$79 |
Approximately 1200 km driven |
|
Taxi / Uber |
$137 |
Airport shuttles, rides in Amman and Petra |
|
Total Cost |
$792 |
|
Taxi & Uber Costs
Unless you plan to drive as soon as you land in Jordan, chances are you’re going to take a few taxis or Ubers.
For us, our taxi and Uber rides consisted of trips to and from the airport, within Amman, and one in Petra.
The taxi fare from the airport into downtown Amman is a fixed rate of 25 JD ($45 CAD).
- Just make sure you only get a taxi from the official taxi stand just outside of the arrivals area.
- It’s looks like a circular booth. Ignore the taxi hawkers.
In Amman, we took a number of taxis and Ubers to and from attractions, including the Citadel, the Blue Mosque, far restaurants, or when our legs were too tired from walking for hours.
In Petra, we arranged for a morning taxi ride to Little Petra to hike the back route to the Monastery. We definitely feel like we over-paid for this taxi. However, we had no other option, the hotel had arranged for it, and it was a very early pick-up. Oh well!
On our last day in Jordan, we managed to secure a private driver to drop us off at the airport. He was actually our Uber driver from the night before. He gave us a fair price and only charged us 20 JD ($36 CAD) for a ride from downtown Amman to the airport.
So, because we rented a car, we didn’t have too many costs associated with taxis and Ubers.
Here’s a summary of our taxi and Uber costs while in Jordan.
| Item | Cost (CAD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
|
Airport Taxi to Amman |
$45 |
Official airport taxi |
|
Citadel to Blue Mosque |
$9.00 |
Street taxi |
|
Grocery store to Laayali Hotel |
$5.40 |
Street taxi |
|
Amman hotel to Avis car rental |
$4.50 |
Uber. Avis at 3rd circle in Amman. |
|
Shams El Badad Restaurant to Laayali hotel |
$2.70 |
Uber |
|
Infinity lodge to Little Petra hike |
$27 |
Taxi |
|
Landmark hotel in Amman to downtown |
$3.60 |
Uber |
|
Downtown Amman to Landmark hotel |
$3.60 |
Street taxi |
|
Landmark hotel to Airport |
$36 |
Private driver |
|
Total Cost |
$137 |
|
Pro-tip: Download and use Uber while in downtown Amman. It’s safe and reliable. Outside of the city, you’ll have to arrange for taxis.
Car Rental Costs
Renting a car and driving in Jordan is very easy. Yes, the traffic at times can be quite busy, but really only in Amman.
- The highways throughout Jordan are very well maintained.
- There are adequate road signs, lighting, and traffic signals.
- Everyone drives decently well.
For our car rental in Jordan, we ended up going with Avis Car Rental. It’s an internationally recognized rental agency and we felt safer going with them. We initially wanted to go with Monte Carlo, but found them to be bit too shady to deal with.
The car Avis provided was a Kia Pegasus. It was a 4-door sedan with automatic transmission and air conditioning. And, it was fantastic on gas.
The best part was the Avis associate, Mohammed. He made sure we had everything we needed and gave us his WhatsApp number just in case we ran into any trouble. He also graciously picked up the car from our hotel on our last day, saving us a taxi trip.
Our total cost to rent a car, including comprehensive insurance, plus gas for 9 days was $655 CAD, equivalent to $73 per day.
Here’s a summary of our car rental costs while in Jordan.
| Item | Cost (CAD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
|
Car Rental |
$441 |
4-door sedan, automatic transmission |
|
Insurance |
$135 |
Highly recommended! |
|
Gas |
$79 |
~1200 kms driven |
|
Total Cost |
$655 |
|
Pro-tip: Check out my article How to Rent a Car and Drive in Jordan for everything you need to know.
Price of Hotels in Jordan
Jordan is filled with a fabulous variety of hotels at all price points. From backpacking hostels to luxurious resorts.
We shopped around for several weeks selecting the best hotels, including checking to see which hotels can be paid using points.
Pro-tip: We ended up paying for 4 out of 6 hotels with travel rewards points. This saved us a ton of money and we recommend you do the same!
The hotels we paid through travel rewards points included Layaali Hotel in Amman, Al-Mujeb Hotel in Karak, Kempinski Hotel Ishtar at the Dead Sea, and Landmark Hotel in Amman.
The two hotels we had to pay for out of pocket were Sun City Camp Hotel in Wadi Rum, and Infinity Lodge in Petra. For Sun City, we opted to pay for room and half-board, which included breakfast and dinner.
We highly recommend each of these hotels. They were all clean, comfortable and safe. Some were standard hotels with simple rooms and service. Other’s were exceptional, offering a truly unique experience. Breakfast, parking and WIFI was included at all hotels.
Here’s a summary of our hotel costs while in Jordan. Please keep in mind we paid for most of our hotels via travel rewards points, so your costs will inevitably be higher!
| Item | Cost (CAD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
|
Layaali Amman Hotel – 2 nights |
Travel Points |
Amman |
|
Al-Mujeb Hotel – 1 night |
Travel Points |
Karak |
|
Sun City Camp Hotel – 2 nights |
$750 |
Wadi Rum, martian dome tent |
|
Infinity Lodge – 2 nights |
$272 |
Petra |
|
Kempinski Hotel Ishtar – 2 nights |
Travel Points |
Dead Sea |
|
Landmark Hotel – 1 night |
Travel Points |
Amman |
|
Total Cost |
$1,021 |
|
Pro-tip: While in Petra, book dinner at Infinity Lodge, even if you don’t end up staying there. The food and the overall experience, including the view of Wadi Musa at sunset, is sensational to say the least.
Food and Meal Costs in Jordan
The food in Jordan is absolutely amazing. From the freshest falafel and hummus, to the most flavourful chicken and rice dish that I’ve ever tried. The cuisine is phenomenal.
Pro-tip: For our food recommendations, check out What to Eat When You Visit Jordan.
And the food in Jordan is surprisingly inexpensive. Whether it’s street food or restaurant meals, the average cost of eating was pretty reasonable.
- On average, each meal in Jordan cost $13.25 CAD per person
For our trip, all hotels included breakfast. However, since we had to leave for the airport very early on our final day, we ordered room service for breakfast at the Landmark Hotel. Dinner was only included at Sun City Camp Hotel since we chose to pay for half-board.
Our most expensive meals were at the Kempinski Hotel at the Dead Sea, which averaged $30.20 CAD per person. In Karak, a massive Mansaf dinner with extra fries was only $12.60 CAD in total.
If you plan to visit Jordan, I would budget $5 CAD for breakfast, $10 CAD for lunch, and $20 CAD for dinner, per person. For resorts or high-end restaurants, I would budget $30 CAD per person per meal.
Here’s a summary of our meal costs in Jordan.
| Meal | Cost (CAD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
|
Chicken Stand in Amman |
$4.95 |
¼ roasted chicken, fries |
|
Dinner at Hashem Restaurant in Amman |
$16.20 |
Falafel, hummus, fries, salad, drinks |
|
Dinner at Shams El Badad Restaurant in Amman |
$45.00 |
Hummus, soup, salad, pita, dips |
|
Dinner at Lammeh in Karak |
$12.60 |
Mansaf, fries, drink |
|
Dinner at Infinity Lodge in Petra (2 nights) |
$79.20 |
Maqluba, kebabs, salad, dessert |
|
Lunch and Dinner at Kempinski Hotel (2 days) |
$241.20 |
Wraps, pizza, fries, pasta |
|
Dinner at Al Quds in Amman |
$18.00 |
Falafel, hummus, pita, dips, drinks |
|
Breakfast at Landmark Hotel in Amman |
$5.40 |
Hash browns, fruits, juice |
|
Total Cost |
$422.55 |
|
Pro-tip: To offset our total meal costs, we bought snacks and drinks at local grocery stores. Fruits, juices, cookies, bread, and water are very inexpensive, but can start adding up if you buy from individual street vendors.
Tour Prices in Jordan
Jordan is filled with countless ancient sites, museums, and natural wonders. Gaining access to these sites can start to add up. Likewise, getting a local tour guide to explain the history and details can be costly.
Jordan Pass
So, how can you save money and still visit all the must-visit places in Jordan? Well, the first thing you should consider is getting the Jordan Pass – it’s totally worth it!
The Jordan Pass grants individuals pre-paid access to over 40 attractions in Jordan, including Petra, Jerash, Citadel, Karak Castle, Museums in Madaba, and many more. The Jordan Pass also waives the tourist entrance visa fee which is currently 40 JD [Reference].
There are three tiers of the Jordan Pass – Wanderer (70 JD), Explorer (75 JD), and Expert (80 JD). The only difference between the three is how many days are included to explore Petra – either 1, 2 or 3 days, respectively.
You can save and download a copy of the Jordan Pass onto your phone, which is then scanned at the entrance to each attraction. Sometimes the attendant just asks if you have it and waves you through.
Local Tour Guides
Official local tour guides are usually stationed near the entrance to popular attractions, such as Petra and Jerash. The cost for a guide is listed on a board near the main office.
Typically, the guides are locals who are trained to explain the rich history behind the site. We found our guides to be extremely friendly and knowledgeable.
The prices for our tours are summarized below, and I’ve indicated the amount of tip we gave separately, guide names, as well as roughly how long the tour lasted.
Here’s a summary of costs for tour guides and tips in Jordan.
| Tour Guide | Cost (JD) | Tip (JD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Roman Theater |
Jordan Pass |
1 |
2-3 minute tour |
|
Citadel in Amman |
30 |
10 |
Khaled, 1.5 hour |
|
Jerash |
30 |
10 |
Ahmed, 1.5 hour |
|
Madaba Burnt Palace |
Jordan Pass |
10 |
Mahmoud, 30 minutes |
|
Madaba Museum |
Jordan Pass |
2 |
5 minutes tour |
|
Karak Castle |
Jordan Pass |
10 |
Fahad, 1 hour tour |
|
Petra |
50 |
7 |
4 km tour |
|
Total Cost |
110 |
50 |
|
FYI, the guides at all the major sites told us that our tour was the “last tour of the day” for them. It’s a sly way for them to make a little more tip, thinking you’re their last customer.
However, since we stayed and explored each site for hours after our tours were over, we easily spotted them with another group. Busted!
Additional Tours / Excursions
While in Jordan, we opted to do a few tours and excursions that weren’t covered by the Jordan Pass.
In Amman, we visited the King Abdullah I (Blue) Mosque and paid 2 JD per person to enter.
In Madaba, a few churches were not included in the Jordan Pass, including The Church of St George and The Church of John the Baptist, which each cost 1 JD per person.
For Wadi Rum, we recommend doing a full day jeep tour to experience and explore the desert. We chose Wadi Rum Nomads. Our Bedouin guide showed us all the cool sites in Wadi Rum. The tour included lunch, tea and water and cost 55 JD per person.
Petra by Night is the only additional experience we paid for that we found completely not worth it.
- It’s 17 JD per person and allows you to access Petra after dark.
- The site is lit-up by hundreds of candles scattered throughout the ruins.
But, the whole reverence motif was shattered once you get to the Treasury. It’s noisy and cramped. We recommend skipping it and saving your money!
Here’s a summary of the additional tours and excursions we paid for while in Jordan. Costs are indicated per person.
| Tour | Cost (JD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
|
King Abdullah I (Blue) Mosque Entrance |
2 |
Amman |
|
The Church of St George Entrance |
1 |
Madaba |
|
The Church of John The Baptist Entrance |
1 |
Madaba |
|
Wadi Rum Nomads Jeep Tour |
55 |
Wadi Rum |
|
Petra By Night |
17 |
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday |
|
Total Cost |
110 |
|
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