Jordan climate
Most of Jordan is desert and has very little rainfall.
When to fly to Jordan
Peak Season:
Spring and autumn are the most pleasant times to book flights to Jordan when the sky is clear, days sunny and temperatures are moderate.
Off Season:
July and August are the hottest and driest months of the year, especially in Amman and the Jordan Valley, and in the desert areas, with temperatures more than 36 degrees Celsius.
Shoulder Season:
The winter months from November to April can be very cold, particularly in Amman, with snow, rain and wind, but there is little rainfall in the desert regions and in Aqaba, which makes a pleasant wintertime resort.
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Getting around Jordan
There is only one route available for domestic flights, which is between Amman and Aqaba.
Hiring a car is probably the easiest way to travel – though make sure you fill up with gas before leaving the big towns as stations are few and far between. Anyone with a valid driving license for their own country – which they must have held for at least a year – is allowed to hire a car. Driving is on the right. All signs are in both Arabic and English. Brown signs mark spots of tourist interest.
Buses are available for routes between the main tourist destinations. It is probably worth paying a bit more to travel in one of the air-conditioned buses, aimed at tourists.
Jordan insider information
- The spectacular Petra is a Unesco World Heritage site, and often one of the first places visitors to Jordan want to see. The myriad stone structures carved from the rock face, dating back to the third century BC, are truly awe-inspiring. Perhaps the most impressive building is Al Khazneh (the Treasury). You have to pay to enter the site and there is a lot to see here, so it is worth arriving early – or making multiple visits. It opens at 6am between May and September and 6.30am for the rest of the year.
- Wadi Rum is the location for much of the film Lawrence of Arabia. The area is a popular tourist draw because of its incredible rock formations, the surrounding desert and, increasingly, a host of outdoor activities to take part in, such as camping, camel trekking, hiking and rock-climbing.
- One of the most interesting sights in the busy capital of Amman is the Roman amphitheatre. It’s a tranquil spot to visit, not overrun with tourists, and impressively large.
- Aqaba is the only coastal town in the country from which you can access the Red Sea. Unsurprisingly, it has become a popular beach resort. The nearest adjacent town is the famous resort of Eilat in Israel, but, thanks to the much smaller numbers of tourists visiting Jordan than Israel, Aqaba is a lot less developed. The coral reef is stunning – you can explore it by scuba-diving, snorkelling or on a trip in a glass-bottomed boat.
- Discovered in 1896, the Mosaic Map of Madaba in St George’s Church, is made up of more than two million pieces of mosaics and shows the entirety of the Holy Land. The town of Madaba is steeped in history; as well as seeing the map you can visit Mount Nebo, the place where Moses was supposed to have seen the Holy Land and died, and explore a range of other ancient mosaics.