What Mistakes Do Travellers Make in Jordan, and How Do You Avoid Them?

In this article

• What are the most common mistakes travellers make in Jordan?
• Mistake 1: Seeing Petra in a few hours – how do you avoid it?
• Mistake 2: Buying the visa and Petra ticket separately – how do you avoid it?
• Mistake 3: Packing only for hot weather – how do you avoid it?
• Mistake 4: Leaving Wadi Rum before sunset – how do you avoid it?
• Mistake 5: Choosing the wrong Wadi Rum camp – how do you avoid it?
• Mistake 6: Getting the Dead Sea wrong – how do you avoid it?
• Mistake 7: Crossing a land border without checking visa rules – how do you avoid it?
• Mistake 8: Wearing revealing clothes in towns and religious sites – how do you avoid it?
• Mistake 9: Packing a drone – how do you avoid it?
• Mistake 10: Skipping a guide at Petra – how do you avoid it?
• What should you check before you go to Jordan?

Mistake → Fix at a glance

What are the most common mistakes travellers make in Jordan?

Most Jordan travel mistakes come from underestimating its scale. Jordan is small and only around five hours' flight from London, so it's tempting to treat Petra as a day trip and the rest as a quick tour. In reality, Petra is the size of a city, the desert has its own rhythm and the Dead Sea has rules of its own.

The ten mistakes to avoid in Jordan below are the ones our team sees most often from British travellers, including those combining Jordan with a Red Sea holiday in Egypt. Each comes with a simple fix.

Petra Jordan Treasury Al-Khazneh Nabataean Rock-Cut Architecture Landmark

Mistake 1: Seeing Petra in a few hours – how do you avoid it?

Stay at least one night in Wadi Musa, ideally two, so you can reach the Royal Tombs and the Monastery. Petra is a whole ancient city, and a few hours only covers the Siq and the Treasury.

Why it happens: Day trips from Amman, Aqaba or even Sharm El Sheikh usually arrive mid-morning, spend two or three hours on the main trail and turn back at the Treasury or the Roman Theatre. The Royal Tombs, Colonnaded Street and the Monastery (Ad-Deir), up around 800 rock-cut steps, are what make Petra unforgettable. Day visitors also pay a much higher entry fee than travellers who stay overnight in Jordan.

Do this instead:

• Stay in Wadi Musa, the town at Petra's entrance.
• Enter when the gates open, around 6:00, before coach groups arrive.
• Save the Monastery climb for the cooler early morning or late afternoon.

 
★ Memphis Tours Expert Tip
Walk the Siq first thing and keep going past the Treasury. Most visitors stop there for photos, so by the time you reach the Royal Tombs you'll often have them almost to yourself.

 
Mistake 2: Buying the visa and Petra ticket separately – how do you avoid it?

Buy the Jordan Pass online before you fly and stay at least three nights. It waives the 40 JOD visa fee and includes Petra plus around 40 other sites, so it's cheaper for most British visitors.

Why it happens: A one-day Petra ticket alone is 50 JOD and the visa on arrival is 40 JOD, while the pass costs 70 to 80 JOD. It also covers Jerash, Wadi Rum, Karak Castle and the Amman Citadel. The catch is timing: buy it after you land and the visa fee isn't waived; leave after fewer than three nights and you can be charged the fee at departure.

Practical info: Jordan Pass

Do this instead:

• Buy the pass before you fly and save the QR code to your phone.
• Choose the two-day Explorer tier if you want time for the Monastery.
• Note that Petra by Night needs a separate ticket.

Woman admires sweeping view of ancient Oval Plaza and Roman colonnades in Jerash, Jordan

Mistake 3: Packing only for hot weather – how do you avoid it?

Pack layers, a warm jacket and sturdy walking shoes. Petra and Wadi Rum sit at altitude, so nights can be chilly in autumn and close to freezing in winter, even after a warm day.

Why it happens: Travellers picture a hot desert and pack summer clothes only. A Wadi Rum camp in November can feel properly cold after sunset, and Petra in December or January often starts the day at a few degrees above zero, with occasional rain or even snow. Petra's sandstone paths are uneven, so fashion trainers or sandals make the day harder.

Do this instead:

• Pack breathable layers for the day and a jumper and jacket for evenings.
• Add a waterproof layer from December to February.
• Wear broken-in walking shoes with good grip.

Mistake 4: Leaving Wadi Rum before sunset – how do you avoid it?

Spend a night in the desert. Many itineraries squeeze Wadi Rum into a two-hour jeep ride at midday, but its colours deepen at sunset and the night sky is the real highlight.

Why it happens: Day visitors see red sand and rock in flat midday light, then leave just as the landscape turns gold and the stars come out. Wadi Rum has almost no light pollution, so on a clear night you'll see more stars than you ever will in Britain. Sunrise over the dunes is just as striking.

Do this instead:

• Book a sunset jeep tour followed by a camp dinner.
• Try zarb, the Bedouin barbecue cooked under the sand.
• Set an alarm for sunrise.

Campsites in Wadi Rum desert, Jordan, buildings amidst Martian landscape.

Mistake 5: Choosing the wrong Wadi Rum camp – how do you avoid it?

Book a licensed camp inside the protected area and check what's included before you pay. Camps range from simple Bedouin tents with shared bathrooms to domed "Martian" pods with private showers.

Why it happens: Wadi Rum has hundreds of camps, and photos online can be misleading. Some budget camps sit outside the protected area, near the road, or add the jeep tour, dinner and transfers as extras. Others promise "luxury" but have shared, unheated facilities. Travellers who book on price alone often find the experience doesn't match their expectations.

Do this instead:

• Check the camp is licensed and inside the Wadi Rum Protected Area.
• Confirm whether dinner, breakfast, the jeep tour and transfers are included.
• Ask about heating and private bathrooms if travelling in winter.

Mistake 6: Getting the Dead Sea wrong – how do you avoid it?

Float, don't swim; don't shave the day before; keep the water out of your eyes and shower straight afterwards. At around 430 metres below sea level, the Dead Sea is about ten times saltier than the ocean.

Why it happens: First-timers often splash, dive or try to swim front crawl, then get salt water in their eyes or mouth, which is painful. Fresh cuts and shaved skin sting badly. Staying in too long in the heat can also leave you dehydrated and lightheaded. Public beaches have few facilities, which is why most visitors use a resort.

Do this instead:

• Lie back gently and let the water lift you.
• Limit each float to around 15 to 20 minutes.
• Use a resort or day pass with freshwater showers.
• Try the mineral mud, then rinse off thoroughly.

Mistake 7: Crossing a land border without checking visa rules – how do you avoid it?

Check which crossings issue visas before you travel. Not every Jordanian land border issues a visa on arrival, and rules differ for Jordan Pass holders and the Aqaba Special Economic Zone.

Why it happens: British travellers often combine Jordan with a Red Sea holiday in Egypt or a trip to Israel. The King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge doesn't issue visas on arrival, while the Wadi Araba crossing near Aqaba has its own rules. Arriving at the wrong border without the right visa can mean a long detour or being turned back.

Do this instead:

• Check the crossing and visa rules with your operator before booking.
• Fly between Cairo or Sharm and Amman where possible; it's simpler.
• Carry your Jordan Pass QR code and a printed copy at the border.

Allenby Bridge border crossing in Israel and Jordan

Mistake 8: Wearing revealing clothes in towns and religious sites – how do you avoid it?

Cover your shoulders and knees in towns, at religious sites and in rural areas. Keep beachwear and strappy tops for the Dead Sea and Aqaba resorts and hotel pools.

Why it happens: Modern Amman, with its cafés and shopping centres, can give the impression that anything goes. Jordan is relaxed with visitors, but it's a conservative country, particularly outside the capital. Modest dress earns respect and makes visits to places such as the King Abdullah I Mosque in Amman far easier.

Do this instead:

• Pack loose, lightweight clothes that cover shoulders and knees.
• Women should carry a scarf for mosque visits.
• Ask before photographing people.

Mistake 9: Packing a drone – how do you avoid it?

Leave it at home. Drones need a permit from the Jordanian authorities and are often confiscated at the airport or border if you arrive without one.

Why it happens: Petra and Wadi Rum look made for aerial footage, so many travellers pack a drone without checking the rules. Getting a permit as a tourist is slow and rarely approved, and flying near monuments or border areas can lead to bigger problems than a lost gadget.

Do this instead:

• Leave the drone at home unless you hold an official permit.
• Book a hot-air balloon flight over Wadi Rum for aerial views.
• Climb to the Monastery viewpoint for Petra's best panorama.

Mistake 10: Skipping a guide at Petra – how do you avoid it?

Hire a licensed guide for the main trail, then explore further on your own. Without context the facades are beautiful but anonymous; with a guide, you understand the Nabataeans, their water engineering and why the city was built here.

Why it happens: Petra has few information boards, and the stories behind the tombs and hidden water channels aren't obvious. A guide also plans a route that matches your fitness and quietly steers you away from persistent ride sellers. Licensed local guides are available at the visitor centre, and most tours include one.

Do this instead:

• Ask your guide to point out the Nabataean water channels in the Siq.
• Use the afternoon to revisit favourite spots at your own pace.
• Agree any donkey or horse ride price before you get on.

Many British travellers combine Jordan with Egypt in one trip. See our Tours of Jordan and Egypt or the longer Egypt and Jordan Historical Tour.

Tour guide explaining Petra city to tour group

What should you check before you go to Jordan?

Run through this checklist two to four weeks before you fly and most Jordan travel mistakes simply won't happen.

• Passport valid for at least six months after your return date
• Jordan Pass bought online before departure, QR code saved
• At least three nights planned in Jordan for the visa waiver
• One or two nights booked in Wadi Musa for Petra
• Licensed Wadi Rum camp booked, with inclusions confirmed
• Border crossing and visa rules checked if arriving by land
• Layers, a warm jacket and sturdy walking shoes packed
• Drone left at home
• Travel insurance with medical and repatriation cover
• Latest FCDO travel advice for Jordan read

Planning Egypt too? Read our guide on what to avoid in Egypt.
 
Plan Jordan with a specialist
Memphis Tours has organised holidays in the Middle East since 1955. Explore our Jordan tours or tailor-make your trip with our team.