Safety in Jordan

The general picture: Jordan remains stable despite the neighbourhood, and it is one of the easier countries in the region for independent travel. Walking around lit areas in the evening is entirely normal.
Desert conditions: Weather in the desert and the mountains is treacherous, with 40 degrees by day and near-freezing nights. Always carry more water than you think you need and pack warm layers for Wadi Rum.
Getting help: For any problem, look for the tourist police or dial 911. Locals will generally go out of their way to help a foreigner who looks lost.
The Dead Sea: Never dive in or splash, because the salt attacks your eyes viciously. Any cut or shaving nick will sting hard, so go in slowly and rinse off in fresh water afterwards.
Scams: In Petra, be wary of the "free" donkey ride that turns into a demand for money at the top. A firm, repeated no to unofficial guides is the right approach.
Solo women: Solo travel is safe, though it is worth avoiding empty side streets at night. Dressing modestly cuts unwanted attention substantially, and hosts will often keep an eye out for you.
Advisories: Regional events occasionally affect specific border areas, so check your own government's travel advisory before finalising an itinerary near the frontiers.

Jordan is noticeably calmer than its neighbours and aggressive deception is limited. Most of what exists revolves around Petra.

The horse at Petra. The ticket price formally includes a short horse ride along the first stretch. In practice you will be told that "only the animal is included, the handler's work is extra", and asked for a tip, sometimes insistently. Knowing what is on your ticket helps.

Donkeys and camels to the Monastery. The climb to Ad-Deir is eight hundred steps, and the wish to save your legs is understandable at the top. The price quoted is for going up; coming down turns out to be a separate service. Agree on "there and back" immediately. Note also that the animals on these trails are worked hard, and many visitors walk on principle.

"Bedouin guides." At Petra and in Wadi Rum you are offered a "secret spot with the best view". Sometimes it genuinely is; sometimes it is a twenty-minute walk followed by a demand for a large sum. Discuss the price before, not after.

Taxis in Amman. Meters are compulsory, but foreigners are often offered a "fixed price" at double the fare. The Careem app works nationwide.

Dead Sea souvenirs in hotel shops are the same cosmetics sold in supermarkets at three times the price.

Drones are prohibited without permission from the Civil Aviation Authority, which a tourist has essentially no chance of obtaining. Devices are confiscated at Amman airport.

Photography. Military installations, checkpoints, the border zones with Syria and Iraq, and refugee camps are off limits. So are people, women especially, without permission.

Antiquities. Exporting archaeological finds is a criminal offence. Stones and potsherds from Petra and Jerash are taken seriously by customs; buy souvenirs from licensed shops.

Alcohol is legal and sold in dedicated shops and hotels, but drinking in the street is not done. Sales are restricted during Ramadan.

Drugs. The law is severe and sentences are long. Jordan is a transit country and the subject is treated with great seriousness.

Ramadan. Strictly observed. No eating, drinking or smoking in public during daylight, and this applies to tourists far more than in Egypt or Tunisia. Many cafes stay shut until sunset.

Dress. Jordan is relatively liberal, but outside hotels and Wadi Rum it is better to cover shoulders and knees. For women in Amman it noticeably reduces unwanted attention.

Same-sex relations are not criminalised, but society is conservative and visibility is not welcomed.

Vaccinations. None mandatory. Hepatitis A and typhoid are advised.

Water. Not from the tap. Jordan is one of the world's most water-scarce countries; supply is short and quality inconsistent. Bottled water is everywhere.

Flash floods are the country's main physical danger. Dry canyons — wadis — fill within minutes, and the rain causing it may be falling twenty kilometres away. In 2018 a flash flood near Petra killed schoolchildren and tourists. The rules: do not enter canyons when rain is forecast, heed warnings from guides and rangers, and climb immediately at the first sound of water. The risk season runs October to May.

Heat. Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea area pass 45°C in summer. The Dead Sea lies 430 metres below sea level, where it is hotter and the air pressure higher.

The Dead Sea. Do not shave the day before, do not dive, do not rub your eyes, and keep your swim under twenty minutes.

Healthcare. Among the best in the region: Jordan has long built up medical tourism, and private hospitals in Amman work at European standards. Petra and Wadi Rum have little provision, and anything serious means the road to Amman.

Jordan is noticeably cleaner than its regional neighbours on petty corruption, and extortion of tourists is rare.

Tourist police. Operating in Petra, Jerash, Amman and Aqaba, in uniforms marked Tourist Police and speaking English. They are attentive to foreigners — the country's reputation as a destination matters to it.

Checkpoints. Numerous on the roads, particularly in the north toward the Syrian border and in the east toward Iraq. Document checks are routine and quick; keep your passport with you.

Border areas. The strips along the Syrian and Iraqi borders are closed. Tourist routes do not go there, and you should not approach the borders independently.

Reporting theft. Reports are taken and certificates for insurers issued. The process works normally, and in English in tourist cities.

Attitude to tourists. Jordan is one of the few countries in the region where going to the police is treated as a normal course of action rather than a way to create problems for yourself.

Emergency number is 911 for police, ambulance and rescue alike.