Is the Jordan Pass a must-buy for your upcoming adventure in the Middle East? Our no-frills guide gives you the lowdown to help you make the right decision!
The Jordan Pass combines the visa entry fee with access to several popular tourist destinations in Jordan. We decided to buy the Jordan Pass on our most recent visit to Jordan, so hopefully you'll find our perspective on whether to purchase or not useful.
The short answer is that in most cases getting the Jordan Pass is an absolute no-brainer. If you're a first-time visitor of Jordan and are planning to see the main sights (Petra, Wadi Rum, ...), it will save you a pretty penny. However, this does not mean it's a good idea for every traveller.
In this post, we'll share everything you need to know about the Jordan Pass, the pros and cons, and the actual savings you'll make. Importantly, we're outlining in which cases it's better to skip on buying the Jordan pass (which has something to do with the coastal town of Aqaba). Hope you enjoy our review of the Jordan Pass!
What is the Jordan Pass?
The Jordan Pass is a tourist pass that allows visitors to explore and experience various attractions and sites in Jordan. It was introduced by the Jordanian Ministry of Tourism in 2015 as an all-in-one ticket aimed at promoting tourism and simplifying the entry process for travellers.
The Jordan Pass combines the visa entry fee with access to several popular tourist destinations in Jordan. When you purchase the pass, it serves as your entry visa to the country, eliminating the need to obtain a separate visa (for clarity, you'll still need an entry visa, but the Jordan Pass waives the fee you need to pay for it). The Jordan Pass also provides entry to over 40 tourist sites, including major historical and archaeological sites, such as Petra, Jerash, and Wadi Rum. The pass will automatically expire after two weeks of the first time it is scanned in the first touristic attraction.
The things that sets it apart from other "tourism combi-tickets" is the fact that your visa fee will be waived. Remember that you will have to stay in Jordan for three consecutive nights (or four days). You'll need to purchase the pass online before arriving in Jordan, you cannot buy one on arrival at the airport.
Prices and packages in 2023
There are three packages between which you can choose, each will waive your entry visa fee and give you access to the 40+ attraction included in the pass, along with online travel guides:
The Jordan Wanderer (70 JOD) | One-day entry to Petra and free entry to 40+ attractions
The Jordan Explorer (75 JOD) | Two-day entry to Petra and free entry to 40+ attractions
The Jordan Expert (80 JOD) | Three-day entry to Petra and free entry to 40+ attractions
The only factor that sets these packages apart is the number of days entry to Petra is included. When purchasing the Jordan Pass online you can add a ticket to Bethany beyond Jordan for 8 JOD instead of the full price of 12 JOD.
Before getting into the potential savings it's worth noting a few important points:
The Jordan pass is not a visa, it only waives the visa fees if you stay minimum of 3 whole nights (4 days) in Jordan.
Children under 12 can access all historical sites for free, so they don't need to buy the pass. Depending on their nationality, they will still require a visa for entry to the country.
Jordanian rules and regulations regarding immigration currently identify approximately 10 nationalities who do not need a visa for Jordan for varying periods of short-term stay.
How much money will you save?
Will you get your money's worth out of the Jordan Pass or will buying entry tickets separately end up being cheaper?
The answer heavily relies on whether you need a visa to enter Jordan, how many days you will be staying and how many of the included sites you will visit.
Entry Visa
The visa policy of Jordan states that up to 140 nationalities can obtain a Jordan eVisa through the Jordan Pass. The QR code on the Pass will allow you to obtain a visa on arrival free of charge if you intend to stay a minimum of 3 nights (4 days) in the country. The visa-on-arrival fee for a single entry is JOD 40.
Petra
Petra is definitely one of the pricier tickets you'll buy on your trip. Entry tickets prices vary by how many consecutive visits made to the site.
One day: 50 JOD
Two days: 55 JOD
Three days: 60 JOD
As you can see, you'll save money instantly if you only go to Petra. The entry visa and one-day ticket to Petra makes a total of 90 JOD if bought separately. Using the Jordan Pass this will cost you 70 JOD, saving you 20 JOD (28 USD, 25 EUR, 22 GBP).
Other included attractions
Buying the Jordan Pass only really makes sense if you need an entry visa for Jordan. If you don't require a visa, you'd have to visit Petra and a bunch of the other included attractions to make it worth it, as many of these sites cost between 2 and 5 JOD (or are even completely free). It's worth having a look at the entry fees listed online for all attractions, here are some of the most visited ones:
Jerash ruins: 10 JOD
Wadi Rum: 5 JOD
Amman Citadel: 5 JOD
Aljoun Castle: 3 JOD
Madaba: 3 JOD
If your nationality allows you to travel visa-free, it probably doesn't make a lot of sense to buy the Jordan Pass. For example, Arab nationalities (who are mostly exempt from buying a visa) will also pay lower entry fees for most attractions, so it wouldn't make sense to purchase a Jordan Pass even if you plan to visit all included attractions.
In short, if you need to buy a visa and you only plan to visit Petra, you will already save 20 JOD by purchasing the Jordan Pass. If you add on Jerash, Wadi Rum and Amman Citadel, your total savings are 40 JOD, which is a pretty decent saving.
Excluded attractions
As you can see, the Jordan Pass covers a lot of the main sights in Jordan and will allow you to save a pretty penny, however it's important to take note of a few attractions that are NOT included in the Jordan Pass:
Petra by Night: 17 JOD
Wadi Mujib: 21 JOD
Mount Nebo: 3 JOD
Wadi Rum Tours by Jeep or Camel
Swimming in the Dead Sea
Is the Jordan Pass worth it?
In short: "Yes".
It's kind of the 'get your Petra ticket in advance and score a discount on your entry visa'-deal – not as catchy, but you get the idea. You can save at least 20 JOD and even up to around 50 JOD per person if you're planning to be in Jordan for a week or two. And the cherry on top? You can pay for everything online beforehand, which is super convenient.
Now, if your itinerary checks these boxes, then getting a Jordan Pass is a no-brainer:
You're flying both in and out of Amman.
You're hanging around for at least three nights.
You need a Jordan Visa.
You're all set to explore Petra.
But there's is a twist: If you're point of entry to Jordan is Aqaba, then the Jordan Pass might not be your best bet. Keep that in mind!
When to pass on the Jordan Pass?
When digging through the FAQ section on the official Jordan Pass website, you may read that if you have a non-restricted nationality you do not need to get a visa to enter Jordan if you are arriving at Aqaba Airport. Since several airlines offer direct flights to Aqaba from most European cities, it's worth having a closer look at this!
The visa requirements for Jordan are split between those with a restricted nationality and a non-restricted nationality. When your country is on the restricted list, you require approval and a visa before travel. Citizens of a non-restricted country are allowed to buy a visa on arrival in Jordan. It's important to check in which category your passport falls, but at the time of writing EU and UK citizens are in the non-restricted category.
So, if you’re eligible for a visa on arrival, you can obtain it at most entry points, including Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, King Hussein International Airport in Aqaba and Sheikh Hussein Bridge near Irbid. If you enter and exit through Aqaba, the visa fee is waived thanks to the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority. If you exit through another border, you will be charged for the visa.
This means that, if you are flying in and out of Aqaba, you should not buy the Jordan Pass unless you know you will be visiting at least more included sites beyond Petra, Wadi Rum, Jerash and Amman Citadel. Even if you do so, the savings will be very limited.
When and where to buy the Jordan Pass?
You will have to buy the Jordan Pass before arriving in the country and you can only buy it through the official website from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (link to website). Other websites that claim to offer this service will either overcharge you or are a scam. Since you will need to enter your passport details, make sure that you are buying your Jordan Pass through the official channels only so you avoid giving your personal information to shady organisations.
Buying the pass online is very simple. Head to 'Buy Now' in the menu on the top of the page and fill in the details about your visit and the number of passes you need. You can buy up to 10 passes at once (remember that children under 12 don't need one). You will also need to decide on the ticket type (Wanderer, Explorer or Expert) which is determined by how many days you want to spend in Petra. If you're not entirely sure yet, I would recommend spending 5 JOD more to add an additional day to give yourself the flexibility of exploring Petra at your own pace.
You'll have the option to include the discounted entry tickets for Bethany Beyond the Jordan. It's up to you if you want to go for it or not. After that, you'll move on to filling in the personal and passport information for each person in your group. Don't forget to double-check that your name and nationality are all correct before you move forward to the payment step. Just a heads up, there might be some Mastercard or Visa fees added to your order.
It only took me around five minutes to order our Jordan Passes, and I was able to pay online without any problems. But, a little tip: It's a good idea to get your Jordan Pass sorted at least a few days before your travel date. This way, you're covered in case the website or payment process hits any unexpected turbulence!
How to activate and use your Jordan Pass?
Once you've made the payment, you'll get an email titled 'Thank you for buying the Jordan Pass' from info@jordanpass.jo and the Jordan Pass will located in the .pdf document(s) attached to the email. My email arrived a couple of minutes after completing the payment, so if it hasn't shown up within a few hours, it's worth checking your spam folder.
As a quick tip, make sure to have the pdf's downloaded to your phone, so you can open them without having access to Wi-Fi. I would also recommended to have a printed out version of your passes on hand, just in case your phone runs out of battery.
When you arrive in Jordan through Amman Airport, as I did, you'll spot a line just for Jordan Pass holders on the right side. Join that line, show your passport and Jordan Pass when they call you. They'll stamp and sign it. After that, take a little walk to another passport desk for another check and stamp. The queue wasn't very long at the time I was there.
One thing to keep in mind – your visa fees will only be waived if you stay in Jordan for three consecutive nights or more. The border folks will check this when you leave. If you don't meet the time requirement, you'll need to pay for your visa at the airport when you head out.
Your Jordan Pass will be valid for an entire year after you buy it. It only kicks into gear when it's scanned at one of the attractions included (not when you arrive or at the airport). From that moment, you've got two weeks to make the most of it. After that, the Pass won't work anymore.
When we hit up the tourism sites, we usually just showed our mobile pass at the ticket offices. Honestly, most of the time, we'd just say "Jordan Pass" and they'd let us through without much fuss. Although, do keep in mind that for Petra, Wadi Rum, and Bethany Beyond The Jordan (if you added it), they'll give your ticket a proper check and scan. They never asked for our IDs, but having yours handy at the Petra ticket office might be a good idea, just in case.
Hope this gives you the lowdown on whether you should put your money towards the Jordan Pass! What was your favourite included sight on the Jordan Pass? Did you make a discovery you would have missed otherwise? Let us know below!