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The Senate Tourism and Heritage Committee visits the Tourism Police Department

4 / 2 / 2024 

The Tourism and Heritage Committee of the Senate, headed by H.E Engineer Abdul Hakim Mahmoud Al Hindi, praised the efforts made by the Public Security Directorate to advance the tourism sector in various parts of the Kingdom, by providing means of security and safety to tourists and visitors who visit the various archaeological sites in the Kingdom.

H.E Al-Hindi, during the committee’s visit today to the Tourism Police Department and their meeting with the Director of the Tourism Police Department, praised the role played by the department to enhance tourism security, within an integrated security vision in a participatory approach with the public and private sectors.

H.E Al-Hindi indicated to the need to continue supporting the efforts undertaken by the tourism Police Department in protecting the security of the nation and its guests and that the Tourism Committee, based on its legislative and supervisory role, will work to overcome any of the legislative obstacles that the Tourist Police Directorate may face.

The members of the committee appreciated the efforts of the tourism Police Department to develop its work in a way that serves the tourism process and achieves the necessary requirements for tourism security, through the spread of tourism sections in various archaeological and tourist sites, in addition to employing modern and advanced technology.

At the end of the visit, the Chairman and members of the committee were briefed by the Director of the Tourism Police Department, during which he explained the plans and strategies followed in the department’s work, aimed at achieving sustainable tourism security and providing the best services to guests and visitors of Jordan.

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From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Jordan

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Following strenuous efforts by cartographers and government officials, Jordan now uses street addresses in some areas – but it’s only in the big cities that streets sport nameplates and buildings are numbered. Problems arise in spelling – there’s no universally accepted method of transliterating Arabic into English, so online mapping systems may not use the same spelling as the street sign in front of you – and also in usage: many people still ignore the system, navigating instead in relation to prominent landmarks or by asking passers-by. Mail is delivered only to PO boxes at post offices.

Typical Costs in Jordan

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6 days  / from 1333 USD

Discover Jordan

Jordan has it all: spectacular desert scenery; the Dead Sea, age-old cities, castles, monuments, and more. Discover the best of this welcoming country as you delve into the history of ancient civilizations and see one of the New Seven Wonders of the World up close.

8 days  / from 1665 USD

Treasures of Jordan

From the Dead Sea's restorative salty shores to Red Sea reefs teeming with aquatic life, Jordan is full of treasures. Get a taste of desert life and adventure in Wadi Rum; then fill up on culture in Petra and Amman, and maybe squeeze in a trip to Jerusalem, too.

6 days  / from 1080 USD

Highlights of Jordan

Explore the highlights of Jordan in this compact itinerary. Activities include stargazing in Wadi Rum, exploring Petra and spending a day at leisure at the Dead Sea. Your knowledgeable guide will share stories about history and culture and introduce the Bedouin lifestyle to you.

Though sometimes surprisingly expensive, Jordan is generally pretty good value. It’s possible to see the sights, eat adequately, sleep in basic comfort and get around on public transport for roughly £70/US$90 a day for two. If you like things more comfortable – staying in good mid-range hotels, eating well, perhaps renting a car to see some out-of-the-way places – reckon on nearer £120/US$150 a day for two. To travel independently while hiring drivers and guides, staying in five-star hotels and generally living the high life, a realistic minimum is £250/US$320 a day for two. All these figures – which are rounded and approximate – exclude the cost of getting into Petra, which at £100/US$130 for a two-day ticket for two people, could bust your budget, though the Jordan Pass (see page ) can help offset some costs.

Jordan has a government sales tax, which applies at different rates, depending on the goods/services involved, up to about sixteen percent: bear in mind that, in many situations, the price you see (or are told) doesn’t include this tax, which is only added on when you come to pay. In Aqaba, sales tax is lower than the rest of Jordan. In addition, hotels and restaurants above a certain quality threshold automatically add a ten percent service charge to all bills. They are legally obliged to state these charges somewhere, although it can be as surreptitious as a tiny line on the bottom of a menu.

The sense of honour and hospitality to guests embedded deep within Arab culture, coupled with a respect for others, means that you’re extremely unlikely to become a victim of crime while in Jordan. Along with the ordinary police, Jordan maintains a force of English-speaking tourist police, identifiable by their armbands with English lettering. Posted at all tourist sites nationwide, they can deal with requests, complaints or problems of harassment. Any representation by a foreigner, whether to the tourist police or the ordinary local police, will generally have you ushered into the presence of senior officers, sat down and plied with coffee, with your complaint taken with the utmost seriousness. The nationwide police emergency number is T911. Dial T199 for an ambulance. Otherwise you’re only likely to tangle with the police if they catch you speeding.

Terrorism and civil disorder in Jordan are extremely rare. At the time of writing, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) had no warning against travel anywhere in Jordan, other than to within 3km of the border with Syria, because of the small risk of stray firing from across the frontier. There is no reason for tourists to venture anywhere near the border, anyway. Across the country, all big hotels have barriers keeping vehicles clear of the entrance, and airport-style security for everyone entering the building (including compulsory baggage X-ray and body search). Armed police patrol all major tourist sites. Regardless of the impression you might get from the nightly news – and as long as you stay clear of the border zones with Syria and Iraq – you’d be in no more danger travelling round Jordan than you might be in your home country.

Note that it is illegal to insult the king or the royal family, possess drugs or pornography, preach Christianity in public or encourage people to convert to any religion other than Islam.

You’re permitted to buy two hundred cigarettes, one litre of spirits and two litres of wine duty-free on arrival in Jordan. All borders and airports have duty-free shops which open for long hours, but if you forget to buy your allowance of alcohol, cigarettes, perfume or electronic goods when you arrive, you can go to the Duty-Free Shop on Tunis Street near 5th Circle in Amman (T06 520 6666, jdfshops.com ) within fourteen days, where the whole range is available. Bring your passport.

The area around Aqaba is a Special Economic Zone, with lower taxes and its own customs rules: on all roads into the city, you’ll have to pass through a customs station. On departing the zone, you may be subject to checks: personal items, plus up to two hundred cigarettes and one litre of alcohol that you bought in the zone, are exempt from duty.

Departing Jordan, duty-free shops at the airports and the land borders stock familiar ranges.

The supply in Jordan is 220V AC, 50Hz – the same as in Europe. Most new buildings and big hotels have British-style square three-pin sockets. Older buildings tend to have two-pin sockets for European-style thick-pronged, round plugs.

No immunizations or vaccinations are required to enter Jordan. However, before you travel, it’s a good idea to make sure you’re up to date with immunizations against hepatitis A, polio, tetanus (lockjaw), tuberculosis and typhoid fever. You should consult a doctor at least two months in advance of your departure date, as there are some immunizations that can’t be given at the same time, and several take a while to become effective.

Travel clinics

Australia & NZ traveldoctor.com.au .

Canada CSIH csih.org .

Ireland TMB tmb.ie .

UK MASTA masta.org .

US CDC cdc.gov/travel .

All visitors to Jordan must hold a passport valid for at least six months beyond the proposed date of entry to the country.

On arrival at all airports, as well as at most land and sea borders – apart from the King Hussein/Allenby Bridge and the Eilat–Aqaba border – most nationalities are routinely issued with a single-entry visa. If you arrive at Aqaba, it’s free; if you arrive anywhere else, it costs JD40 (payable in cash, Jordanian dinars only).

The visa fee is waived if you hold the Jordan Pass or if your trip has been booked through a licensed Jordanian tour operator and you’ll be spending at least two nights in Jordan.

Multiple-entry visas are available in advance only, from Jordanian embassies and consulates, for JD120 or the local equivalent.

Citizens of around fifty developing countries – listed at wvisitjordan.com – cannot obtain a visa on arrival and must instead apply at the nearest Jordanian embassy at least three months prior to travel.

Both single- and multiple-entry visas are valid for a stay of thirty days. If you’re planning to stay longer than that, you must register at any police station in the last couple of days before the thirty-day period is up – a simple, free, five-minute procedure which grants a three-month extension. For any queries, ask your hotel (or an Arabic-speaking friend) to call the Borders and Residence Department (T06 550 5360, psd.gov.jo ), part of the Public Security Directorate, on your behalf.

If you plan to enter Jordan for the first time via the King Hussein/Allenby Bridge, or via the crossing from Eilat to Aqaba, you must already hold a visa – they are not issued at these crossing points. If you left Jordan via the King Hussein/Allenby Bridge and are returning via the same bridge, you don’t need to buy another visa as long as your current one is still within its thirty-day validity period.

Always carry your passport on you: you’ll need it to check into hotels and to ease your way through any checkpoints.

Embassies and consulates

Full lists are at wvisitjordan.com .

Jordanian embassies abroad

Embassies and consulates in amman, visas at aqaba.

If you intend to cross by land from Eilat (Israel) to Aqaba you must already hold a Jordanian visa in advance.

If you arrive in Jordan elsewhere – other than the King Hussein/Allenby Bridge – and you let the passport officials know that you intend to go directly to Aqaba, you are in theory entitled to get a free ASEZ visa rather than paying for a standard visa. In these cases, though, you must register at the ASEZA offices in Aqaba within 48 hours of your arrival in Jordan: if you miss this deadline, you become liable for the cost of the visa plus a fine.

It’s essential to take out a good travel insurance policy to cover against theft, loss of property and illness or injury. Before paying for a new policy, however, it’s worth checking whether you are already covered: home insurance may cover your possessions when overseas, many private medical schemes include cover when abroad and premium bank accounts or credit cards often have travel insurance included. After exhausting these possibilities, contact a specialist travel insurance firm.

Airmail letters and postcards can take a week or two to Western Europe, up to a month to North America or Australasia. Asking someone to write the destination country in Arabic can help avoid things going astray. It’s safest to ignore the street postboxes and instead send your mail from larger post offices, all of which have a box for airmail ( barid jowwy ). Stamps ( tawabe’a ) cost pennies, but parcels are expensive (JD10–15 for 1kg). International courier firms are well represented in Amman and Aqaba.

Our detailed and interactive maps will guide you through your travels in Jordan. Click here to view our maps online .

The Jordanian unit of currency is the dinar, abbreviated to JD (or JOD). Most people refer to the dinar as a “ jaydee ” or a “ lira ”. One dinar is divided into 1000 fils or 100 piastres ( qirsh ). Locals always think in piastres; they only refer to fils when talking to foreigners. A hotel, restaurant or shop bill will show either “14.65” or “14.650”, both of which mean 14 dinars and 65 piastres (that is, 650 fils). In this Guide, we stick to two decimal places only.

Banknotes are JD50, JD20, JD10, JD5 and JD1, all with Arabic on one side and English on the other. For coins, there’s a gold, seven-sided half-dinar coin inset with a circular silver bit in the middle; a smaller quarter-dinar coin, also gold and seven-sided but without the silver inset; and silver coins of ten piastres and five piastres. All coins state their value on them somewhere in tiny English lettering.

In verbal exchanges, you’ll find that people quite often leave the denomination off the end of prices. If they say something costs “ ashreen ” (twenty), it’s up to you to decide whether they mean 20 fils (a throwaway amount), 20 piastres (ie 200 fils; the price of a street snack or a short bus ride), or 20 JDs (the cost of a room in a small hotel). Nicknames also pop up: 10 piastres is a barizeh and 5 piastres is a shilin .

Changing and carrying money

Few banks in the West keep Jordanian dinars on hand, but you should be able to order them with a few days’ notice. It’s a good idea to bring JD80 or so with you in cash, to cover visa and transport costs on arrival.

Most hotels and shops above the cheapest level accept credit and debit cards, but Jordan is a cash society: just about everywhere the preferred method of payment is local banknotes. You can’t pay in dollars, euros or other currencies.

Security-wise, Jordan is safer than anywhere in the West: you can carry wads of cash around in your pocket without concern. You’re more likely to be invited for tea than mugged.

For changing money, every town has a welter of banks, with identical exchange rates, and there are also plenty of independent change offices. Cash machines (ATMs) are widespread, always with an English option. You can generally withdraw a maximum of around JD250 a day, depending on your card provider, but watch for hidden fees and commission charges: it’s worth checking your terms and conditions before you leave home – and switching to a card tailored for holiday use if you can. There’s no black market in currency exchange.

Jordan’s working week runs from Sunday to Thursday. Public sector office hours are 8am–3pm; private sector businesses tend to follow a split pattern, perhaps 8.30am–1pm and 3.30–6.30pm. The weekend is officially Friday, though banks, government departments and many businesses also close on Saturdays.

Although Muslims pray together in the mosque on a Friday, the concept of a “sabbath” or “day of rest” does not translate: downtown shops and markets are generally open seven days a week, roughly 9am–9pm. More upmarket shops tend to open 9/9.30am–6/7pm, perhaps closing for two or three hours at lunchtime. Almost everywhere shuts for a couple of hours around Friday midday prayers. All transport services operate seven days a week, though there are fewer services on Fridays (none at all on some routes).

During Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting, everything changes. Shops and offices open from 9am to 2 or 3pm (closed Fri), while street markets operate every day until about an hour before sunset. Banks and government departments may only be open for two or three hours in the morning. Some shops might reopen for a couple of hours after dark.

Public holidays in Jordan

Jordan’s secular national holidays tend to be low-key affairs; banks, businesses and government offices are closed, but shops might open as normal. Even though Jordan’s Christians are mostly Orthodox and follow the Julian calendar, which varies from the Gregorian calendar used in the West by a couple of weeks, everyone has agreed to celebrate Christmas Day together as a national holiday on December 25 (Muslim shops and businesses don’t close).

Jordan public holidays

• Jan 1 New Year’s Day
• May 1 Labour Day
• May 25 Independence Day
• Dec 25 Christmas Day

Islamic holidays and Ramadan

Islamic religious holidays, based on the Hijra calendar, are marked by widespread public observance. All shops and offices are closed and non-essential services are liable to be suspended. The following dates are approximate, since each holiday is announced only when the new moon has been seen clearly by an authorized cleric from Jordan’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs. Quoted dates could vary by a couple of days. The start of the holy month of Ramadan is also included here; Ramadan is not a holiday, but since it comprises thirty days of restricted business hours, its first day is a useful date to know.

Islamic holidays

Eid al-Isra wal-Miraj Night Journey to Heaven:

March 22, 2020; March 11, 2021; March 1, 2022; Feb 18, 2023.

1st day of Ramadan: April 24, 2020; April 13, 2021; April 2, 2022; March 22, 2023.

Eid al-Fitr Three days: begins May 24, 2020; May 13, 2021; May 3, 2022; April 22, 2023.

Eid al-Adha Four days:begins July 31, 2020; July 20, 2021; July 10, 2022; June 28, 2023.

1st of Muharram Islamic New Year: Aug 20, 2020; Aug 9, 2021; July 30, 2022; July 19, 2023.

Mawlid an-Nabawi Prophet Muhammad’s birthday: Nov 10, 2019; Oct 29, 2020; Oct 19, 2021; Oct 8, 2022, Sept 27, 2023.

Landline numbers are nine digits long – seven digits prefixed by a two-digit area code: 02 covers northern Jordan, 03 southern Jordan, 05 the Jordan Valley and central and eastern districts, and 06 the Amman area.

Mobile phone numbers are ten digits long – seven digits prefixed by a three-digit code (currently 077, 078 or 079).

Most Jordanians have given up on landlines and instead rely on mobile phones – many people have two, on different networks. To follow suit you can walk into any phone or electronics shop (there are dozens in every town), buy a local SIM card, plug it into your unlocked handset and be up and running with a Jordanian number in minutes, for around JD10. Topping up with scratchcards (buyable everywhere) is straightforward. Calling and texting off a local number is very inexpensive – much cheaper than roaming from your home network. Basic handsets can be purchased for perhaps JD20–30.

Smoking is banned in public places, including airports, museums and on public transport. However, enforcement is minimal and in effect it’s impossible to escape cigarette smoke anywhere in the country.

Jordan is usually two hours ahead of London, seven hours ahead of New York and eight hours behind Sydney. Daylight Saving Time operates from the last Friday in March to the last Friday in October.

Emergencies

Police T911

Ambulance T199

Traffic accidents T190

Phoning home

To the UK T0044

To the Republic of Ireland T00353

To the US or Canada T001

To Australia T0061

To New Zealand T0064

To South Africa T0027

Calling Jordan from abroad

First dial your international access code (00 from the UK, Ireland and New Zealand; 011 from the US and Canada; 0011 from Australia), followed by 962 for Jordan, then the Jordanian number excluding the initial zero.

In a good restaurant, even when a service charge is included, it’s customary to round the bill up slightly as well. Low-budget local diners don’t expect tips and will never press you for anything. In most everyday situations a half-dinar tip (ie JD0.50) is a perfectly satisfactory indication of your appreciation for a service, such as a hotel porter loading your bags onto a bus or taxi. Taxi drivers deserve ten percent of the meter charge; if a driver has spent half a day shuttling you from place to place, JD5–10 is in order. An appropriate tip for a bellboy in a four- or five-star hotel who brings your bags up to your room is JD1.

The Jordan Tourism Board, or JTB ( visitjordan.com ), part affiliated to the Ministry of Tourism and part private, publicizes the country’s tourist assets abroad under the Visit Jordan brand. It is very active on Twitter, Facebook and other social media. In most countries, the account for handling promotion of Jordan is awarded to a local PR company, so contact details can, and do, change.

visitjordan.com Jordan’s official tourism portal.

kingabdullah.jo Detailed features on history, the royal family, politics and tourism.

jordantimes.com Leading English-language newspaper.

wildjordan.com Excellent information on Jordan’s nature reserves.

www.nomadstravel.co.uk For climbing and trekking enthusiasts.

maani.us/jordan Superb “Field Guide to Jordan”: download their app or buy the book.

jmd.gov.jo Weather forecasts and climate data (Arabic only).

Jordan makes few provisions for its own citizens who have limited mobility, and this is reflected in the negligible facilities for tourists. The best option is to plump for an organized tour; sightseeing is liable to be complicated enough – leaving the practical details to the professionals will take a weight off your mind. Throughout the country, pavements are either narrow and broken or missing altogether, kerbs are high, stairs are ubiquitous and wheelchair access to hotels, restaurants and public buildings is pretty much nonexistent. Hotel staff and tourism officials, although universally helpful, are generally poorly informed about the needs and capabilities of tourists with limited mobility. Travelling with an able-bodied helper and being able to pay for things like a rental car (or a car-with-driver) and good hotels will make things easier.

All Jordan’s ancient sites are accessible only by crossing rough and stony ground. Scrambling around at Jerash or Karak is hard enough for those with full mobility; for those without, a visit represents a major effort of energy and organization. Petra has better access: with advance planning, you could arrange to rent a horse-drawn cart to take you from the ticket gate into the ancient city, from where – with written permission obtained ahead of time from the tourist police – you could be picked up in a car and driven back to your hotel.

Children are universally loved in Jordan, and travelling with your family is likely to provoke spontaneous acts of kindness and hospitality from the locals.

Children are central to Jordanian society – many couples have four or five, and double figures isn’t uncommon. Middle-class extended families tend to take pleasure in spoiling kids rotten, allowing them to stay up late and play endlessly, but as a counterpoint, kids from low-income families can be seen out on the streets at all hours selling cigarettes. The streets are quite safe and even very young children walk to school unaccompanied.

Only the cheapest hotels will bar children; most will positively welcome them (with deals on extra beds or adjoining rooms), as will all restaurants, although discounts may have to be negotiated. There are a few precautions to bear in mind. Foremost is the heat: kids’ sensitive skin should be protected from the sun as much as possible, both in terms of clothing (brimmed hats and long sleeves are essential) and gallons of sunblock. Heatstroke and dehydration can work much faster on children than on adults. Sunglasses with full UV protection are vital to protect sensitive eyes. Kids are also more vulnerable than adults to stomach upsets: you should definitely carry rehydration salts in case of diarrhoea. Other things to watch out for include the crazy traffic (especially for British kids, who’ll be used to cars driving on the other side of the road), stray animals that may be disease carriers, and jellyfish and poisonous corals off Aqaba’s beaches.

Children will love riding camels in Wadi Rum, and even Petra’s threadbare donkeys may hold an appeal. Most of the archeological sites will probably be too rarefied to be of more than passing interest (aside, possibly, from exploring towers and underground passages at Karak, Shobak or Ajloun castles); spotting vultures, ibex and blue lizards at Dana or Mujib may be a better bet, and the glass-bottomed boats at Aqaba are perennial favourites. Children born and brought up in urban environments will probably never have experienced anything like the vastness and silence of the open desert, and you may find they’re transfixed by the emptiness of Wadi Rum or the eastern Badia.

No immunizations or vaccinations are required before you can enter Jordan. However, before you travel, it’s a good idea to make sure you’re up to date with immunizations against hepatitis A, polio, tetanus (lockjaw), tuberculosis and typhoid fever. You should consult a doctor at least two months in advance of your departure date, as there are some immunizations that can’t be given at the same time, and several take a while to become effective.

Australia & NZ

Dehydration.

An adult should normally drink two litres of water a day; from day one in the Middle East, you should be drinking at least three litres – and, if you’re exerting yourself in hot conditions, more than double that. It’s a matter of pride among the desert bedouin not to drink water in front of foreigners, but if you copy them you’re likely to make yourself ill. Drinking to quench your thirst just isn’t enough in a hot climate: you must drink well beyond that if you’re to head off lethargy and splitting headaches. Alcohol and caffeine exacerbate the effects of dehydration.

Heat exhaustion and sunstroke

The Jordanian sun can be scorchingly intense, and – obvious though it sounds – you should do all you can to avoid sun exposure, especially if you’re travelling in high summer (May–Sept). Head protection is essential. Lightweight 100 percent cotton clothes – such as long-sleeved shirts, and long trousers or ankle-length skirts – will allow air to circulate close to your skin to keep you cool and limit both sunburn and dehydration. If you feel very hot, dizzy and faint but aren’t sweating, you may have sunstroke: get out of direct sun and into air conditioning and/or cold water as soon as possible. Call a doctor if symptoms worsen.

Travellers’ diarrhoea

If you arrive in Jordan directly from the West (or Israel), give your stomach a chance to acclimatize: avoid street food for a few days and spend a little extra to eat in posher, but cleaner, restaurants. Every eating place, from the diviest diner upwards, will have a sink with soap for washing your hands. Nonetheless, few travellers seem to avoid diarrhoea altogether. Instant recourse to drugs such as Imodium or Lomotil that plug you up (in fact, what they do is paralyse your gut) is not advisable; you should only use them if you absolutely must travel (eg if you’re flying). The best thing to do is to wait, eat small amounts of dry food such as toast or crackers if you feel able and let it run its course, while constantly replacing the fluids and salts that you’re flushing away. Maintaining fluid intake (even if it all rushes out again) is vitally important. Oral rehydration solutions such as Dioralyte or Electrosol are widely available worldwide, sold in sachets for dissolving in a glassful of clean water. They’re marketed as being for babies, but will make you feel better and stronger than any other treatment. If you can’t get the sachets, make up your own solution with one heaped teaspoon of salt and twelve level teaspoons of sugar added to a standard-sized (1.5-litre) bottle of mineral water. You need to keep downing the stuff, whether or not the diarrhoea is continuing – at least a litre of the solution per day interspersed with three litres of fresh water. Bouts of diarrhoea rarely last longer than 24–48 hours.

If it goes on for longer than four days, seek medical advice. Nasty but easily treatable diseases such as giardiasis and amoebiasis must be tested for by a stool examination. If there is blood in your diarrhoea, you’ve most likely got dysentery and must see a doctor.

Bites and stings

Malaria is not present in Jordan, though mosquitoes and sandflies are. Snakes are frightened of humans; if you walk slowly and noisily, any snakes present will slither away. To avoid tangling with scorpions and spiders never walk barefoot, and if you’re camping always shake out your shoes and clothes before wearing them.

Treatment in Jordan

Every town has a pharmacy ( saydaliyyeh ), generally staffed by fluent English-speaking professionals trained to Western standards. Unless you’re obviously a hospital case, this is where you should head first, since a pharmacist charges nothing for a “consultation”, and can either prescribe a remedy on the spot or refer you to a local doctor. If you’re given a medicine, find out explicitly from the pharmacist what the dosage is, since printed English information on the box might be sketchy.

If you need a doctor ( doktoor ), ask your embassy to recommend one or check first with a pharmacist. All doctors are trained in English, many in hospitals in the UK or US. If you’re in real trouble, aim for the emergency room of a hospital ( moostashfa ) – and call the emergency helpline of your embassy to ask for advice. Consultation fees and medical costs are much lower than back home, but you should still get signed receipts for everything in order to claim money back from your insurance company when you return.

With the widespread use of English in public life, you’ll have good access to news while in Jordan. International newspapers and magazines are on sale, the local English-language press is burgeoning and satellite TV is widespread. The internet is not censored.

Among the region’s conservative and often state-owned Arabic press, Jordan’s newspapers, all of which are independently owned, have a reputation for relatively well-informed debate, although strict press laws – and the slow process of media liberalization – cause much controversy. The two biggest dailies, ad-Dustour (“Constitution”) and al-Ra’i (“Opinion”), are both centrist regurgitators of government opinion; al-Ghad (“Tomorrow”) has a fresher outlook. There’s a host of other dailies and weeklies, ranging from the sober to the sensational. Local news websites abound.

English-language newspapers are widely available from the kiosks in all big hotels and also from some bookshops, as well as online: unlike elsewhere in the region, Jordan does not censor the internet. The International Herald Tribune and most British dailies and Sundays generally arrive one or two days late (JD2 and upwards). Look out for excellent regional papers such as Abu Dhabi’s The National , Beirut’s Daily Star and Cairo’s Al-Ahram Weekly .

For local news in English, the Jordan Times is published daily except Saturdays, featuring national news, agency reports and pro-government comment. Jordan’s citizen journalism website 7iber.com (pronounced hibber – it means “ink”) runs a more enticing mix of stories in Arabic and English, as well as useful what’s-on information. One key local news blog is black-iris.com , while w BeAmman.com collates news, reviews and opinions about life in Jordan’s capital city.

There’s a lively market for Jordanian magazines, with a range of English-language monthlies including quirky JO, mixing lifestyle features with investigative reporting on social and environmental issues, glossy Living Well , and sober Venture and Jordan Business . Plenty of international magazines are available, from Cosmopolitan to The Economist .

TV and radio

Jordan TV isn’t up to much. Almost all hotels have satellite TV, featuring CNN , BBC World News , Al Jazeera English , plus a few movies and sitcoms in English, alongside dozens of Arabic, European and Asian channels.

As well as stations devoted to Quranic recitation, local news, phone-ins, contemporary pop and old-time crooners, Amman has several English-language music radio stations playing Western hits, including Sunny 105.1 and Play 99.6.

Top image: King Abdullah Mosque in Amman Jordan © kravka/Shutterstock

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Tourism police beef up presence ahead of peak season

A MMAN — Jordan's tourism police are increasing their presence in the Kingdom amid preparations for the Jerash Festival and the anticipated rise in tourism, according to a senior official source.

The senior official source told the Jordan Times that a seasonal plan was drafted to ensure a safe tourism season under the directives of the Public Security Directorate (PSD) Director Maj. Gen. Obaidallah Maaytah.

“The PSD will coordinate its efforts with various national entities to ensure a smooth and safe tourism season that should serve all entities and sectors,” the official, who preferred not to be identified, added.

The Tourism Police Department will play “a pivotal role in this security process”, the official source said.

The 37th Jerash Festival of Culture and Arts will be held from July 26 to August 5.

Jordan Tourism Board officials stressed the importance of tourism in the Kingdom, and promised to surpass past tourism performance by forging new partnerships with low-cost airlines, a vigorous marketing strategy and diverse, full-fledged programmes that introduce new tourism experiences and expand the Kingdom’s appeal to a broader scope of countries.

This surge in tourism will call for the heightened presence of law enforcement at popular tourist attractions to ensure the safety and security of tourists, the official explained.

“The presence of tourist police cadre directly impacts the tourism industry and contributes to the economic and developmental conditions in tourist areas,” according to the senior official source.

In addition to their increased presence, the tourism police have also implemented a prevention system in which tourists can publicly report safety and health hazards that the Kingdom's law enforcement can then respond to, the senior official said.

“This ensures that tourists can enjoy their visit without any security concerns,” the senior official source added.

The tourism police also play a vital role in minimising security concerns and protecting the natural and cultural values of protected areas as well as UNESCO World Heritage sites, according to the law-enforcement agency’s social media site.

The tourism police collaborated with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, and Petra Development Tourism Regional Authority to address activities that may impact the sustainability of these sites.

Jordan has been recognised for the quality of its tourism infrastructure, including the reliability of police services, according to the World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2019.

Is Jordan Safe to Visit?

Jordan is a country full of stunning ancient sites, sweeping desert vistas, and laid-back seaside resorts. It’s also home to the famed archaeological site of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Wonders of the World.

Compared to many of its neighbors in the Middle East , Jordan is an exceptionally safe country to visit. It even ranks above France on the Global Peace Index , a country that people clamor to visit without a second thought towards safety.

When I was in Jordan, I never encountered any safety issues. Instead, I found everyone to be curious, welcoming, and hospitable, and a number of solo female travelers I know have experienced the same thing.

More and more travelers are starting to discover the wonders of Jordan, and tourism has been increasing exponentially . To aid Jordan’s appeal as a destination, the Jordanian government puts a lot of effort and money into making visitors feel safe through high-profile security and police presence in tourist regions and in hotels. And crime, which is already quite low, has been steadily decreasing in recent years.

In short, while people may have some trepidation about the Middle East, Jordan is one of the safest places to visit in the region .

So, what do you need to think about before you head to Jordan? And are there any parts you should avoid? Any things you need to be cautious of?

In this post, I’ll highlight the safety information you need to know so you can enjoy every moment of your trip. If you keep these tips in mind, you’ll be safe and sound while exploring this vibrant country!

Table of Contents

7 Safety Tips for Jordan

Is the tap water safe to drink in jordan.

• Are There Any Scams in Jordan?
• Is it Safe to Visit Jordan Solo?
• Is Jordan Safe for Female Travelers?

Should I Worry About a Terrorist Attack in Jordan?

Are taxis safe in jordan.

1. Be aware of your belongings – Thanks to an increased police presence in Jordan, even petty crime is rare. However, it’s always sensible to stay aware of your belongings. There have been reports of pickpockets and purse snatchers in some of the more crowded parts of Amman’s old town center and at major tourist sites. Keep your valuables out of reach just to be safe. Carry some cash and one credit card, but leave your main wallet secured in your accommodation.

2. Avoid the borders with Syria and Iraq – It’s common knowledge that Syria and Iraq are unsafe places to visit at the moment, and this extends to their frontiers with Jordan. None of the main tourist attractions are near these borders, so it makes sense just to keep clear.

3. Stay away from public protests – The regular public demonstrations in Jordan are generally peaceful, but just the same, avoid big gatherings like this if you can help it. You never know what will happen.

In the capital, Amman, there are often demonstrations on Thursday evenings or after Friday midday prayers, near the office of the prime minister. They also tend to occur when major economic issues are being debated or on significant anniversaries. Keep an eye on the local media so you’re able to avoid accidentally being caught up in any local protests.

4. Be aware of your safety in taxi rides – There have been a few reports from female travelers regarding harassment from taxi drivers. The best way to avoid this is to sit in the back and remain alert. These are very isolated incidents; generally speaking, taxi drivers in Jordan are really helpful. When in doubt, avoid traveling alone if possible.

5. Check conditions before traveling on the Desert Highway – Highway 15, which runs north to south through Jordan, is one of the main routes between Amman and other centers, like Aqaba. There have been occasions when the highway is closed because of unrest in Ma’an in the south, and other parts are blocked from time to time. Check the local news for any closures and always follow police instructions.

6. Stay alert on or near roads – The roads in Jordan can be chaotic and a bit more hectic than what you may be used to (especially in Amman). Traffic laws seem to be treated more like suggestions, and it’s not surprising that traffic accidents are the third-leading cause of death in Jordan. So you’ll want to stay on your toes whether you’re driving or as a pedestrian. Be cautious when crossing the streets, look both ways, and stay alert when walking around town.

7. Buy travel insurance – Whenever and wherever you travel, you should always have an appropriate level of travel insurance, since you never know when something can go wrong. Buy travel insurance when you book your trip to help you out of an emergency or to compensate you for theft or injury. I never leave home without it. You shouldn’t either.

I recommend SafetyWing for travelers under 70, while Insure My Trip is the best choice for travelers over 70.

You can use this widget to get a quote for SafetyWing:

For more information on travel insurance, check out these posts:

• What Does Travel Insurance ACTUALLY Cover?
• The Best Travel Insurance Companies
• How to Buy the Best Travel Insurance

While it may technically be safe, most locals will tell you not to drink the tap water because it has a strange taste (due to the pipes). Many hotels have water purifiers as well to ensure you get clean drinking water. If you’re in doubt about your water’s cleanliness, boil it for a minute first.

I suggest you bring a LifeStraw , a reusable water bottle with a built-in filter that ensures your water is always clean and safe. You’ll also avoid single-use plastic, which is especially important in Jordan as there are no comprehensive recycling programs in the country (so most plastic ends up in landfills).  

Are There any Scams in Jordan?

Like most countries, there are a few scams you’ll want to be aware of when visiting. The most common scams involve taxi drivers overcharging you or taking you on a longer route, shop owners telling you that handicrafts are made locally when they are not, and shop owners selling “antiques” that are just cheap replicas.

Most of the scams are simply trying to rip you off so you needn’t worry too much about your safety. Just keep your wits about you and you’ll be able to avoid these common petty scams.

For more information, check out this post on common travel scams .  

Is It Safe to Visit Jordan Solo?

Like anywhere, there are a few extra precautions you should take when you travel solo, but Jordan is definitely a great destination nonetheless. Jordanian people are really friendly and welcoming, and you’ll make lots of local friends.

Just keep your valuables secure when you go out, avoid walking around alone at night, and avoid isolated areas where you stand out. In short, the more you can blend in the easier time you’ll have.

Is Jordan Safe to Visit for Solo Female Travelers?

Solo female travelers should take standard precautions here in addition to being mindful of the clothing they wear. Of course, you’ll want to ensure you are properly covered when entering religious sites but you may also want to cover up when out exploring the country at large as well.

Unwanted attention can be kept at bay by dressing like the locals and covering your exposed skin. Long pants and long-sleeve shirts will go a long way in helping you look less like a tourist while also preventing unwanted attention.

Here are a few helpful posts on safety written by our solo female travel experts:

• How to Stay Safe as a Solo Female Traveler
• 8 Myths About Solo Female Travel Debunked
• 10 Common Questions About Solo Female Travel

Government warnings for travelers to Jordan do mention the possibility of terrorist attacks, in light of some incidents in the past, especially one at Karak Castle in 2016, when a Canadian tourist was killed. There have also been several extremist terrorist plots disrupted by the Jordanian authorities. So, the threat exists, but the government is usually good at monitoring and dealing with it.

The riskiest areas in this respect are along the border with Syria, which should be avoided anyway .

Overall, the terrorist attack warnings are at the same level as many countries in Europe that you would probably visit without considering this at all.  

Taxis are a common way to get around in Jordan, and taxi drivers in general are very helpful. Always make sure that the driver turns on their meter before starting the ride (it’s the law here), and if they don’t, get out and find another cab. And, like anywhere, keep your wits about you and remain alert about where you’re going.

Despite some of its neighbors being countries I don’t recommend visiting at the moment (such as Iraq and Syria ), Jordan itself is very welcoming to tourists. The government, which is keen to have more foreign visitors, has taken many precautions to ensure your safety.

The friendly locals — combined with incredible ancient architecture, stunning desert settings, and the uniqueness of visiting the Dead Sea, among other sites — will make sure you have a thoroughly enjoyable trip to Jordan.

Book Your Trip to Jordan: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Use Skyscanner to find a cheap flight. They are my favorite search engine because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned!

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the biggest inventory and best deals. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels. My favorite places to stay are:

• Nomads Hotel and Hostel (Amman)
• Petra Gate Hostel and Hotel (Petra)

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

• Safety Wing (best for everyone)
• Insure My Trip (for those over 70)
• Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)

Looking for the Best Companies to Save Money With? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use to save money when I’m on the road. They will save you money when you travel too.

Hi, I’m Nomadic Matt, the New York Times best-selling author of How to Travel the World on $50 a Day and Ten Years a Nomad, as well as the founder of this website! And I’m here to help you save money on your next trip.

Got a comment on this article? Join the conversation on Facebook , Instagram , or Twitter and share your thoughts!

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I recommend only products and companies I use and the income goes to keeping the site community supported and ad free.

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AMMAN — Tourism Minister Nayef Al Fayez on Tuesday honoured tourist police officer Second Lt. Mohammad Amr for helping tourists at the Dead Sea.

Fayez praised the performance and dedication of the Tourist Police. The minister, in the presence of Tourist Police Director Brig. Gen.

Hashem Majali, commended Amr’s actions, expressing hope that the department continues its partnership with the ministry.

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Jordan Travel Advisory

Travel advisory july 13, 2023, jordan - level 2: exercise increased caution.

Reissued with obsolete COVID-19 page links removed.

Exercise increased caution in Jordan due to  terrorism . Some areas have increased risk. 

Do not travel to:

• Within 3.5 km of the Jordanian border with Syria and east of the town of Ruwayshid in the direction of the border with Iraq due to  terrorism and armed conflict.
• Designated Syrian refugee camps in Jordan due to  Government of Jordan restrictions on entry into these camps .
• Zarqa, Rusayfah, and the Baqa’a neighborhood of Ayn Basha due to  terrorism  and  crime.

Reconsider travel to:

• Ma’an City and some areas of Ma’an Governorate due to  terrorism  and  crime .

Country Summary : Terrorist groups continue to plot possible attacks in Jordan. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, and local government facilities.

Read the  country information page  for additional information on travel to Jordan.

If you decide to travel to Jordan:

• Monitor local media for breaking events and adjust your plans based on new information.
• Avoid demonstrations and protests.
• Be aware of your surroundings.
• Stay alert in locations frequented by Westerners.
• Obtain comprehensive medical insurance that includes medical evacuation.
• Enroll in the  Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)  to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• Follow the Department of State on  Facebook  and  Twitter .
• Review the  Country Security Report  for Jordan.
• Visit the CDC page for the latest  Travel Health Information  related to your travel.
• Prepare a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review the  Traveler’s Checklist .

The Border with Syria and Iraq – Level 4: Do Not Travel

Do not travel to Jordan's border with Syria and Iraq given the continued threat of cross-border violence, including the risk of terrorist attacks.

All U.S. government personnel must adhere to U.S. Embassy travel restrictions for all official travel within 3.5 km of the Jordan-Syria border, and all travel must occur during day light hours only. U.S. government personnel must adhere to U.S. Embassy travel restrictions for official travel east of the town of Ruwayshid towards the Iraq border, and all travel must occur during daylight hours only.

Personal travel by U.S. government employees to these border areas is not authorized.

Visit our website for  Travel to High-Risk Areas .

Refugee Camps – Level 4: Do Not Travel

Do not travel to Syrian refugee camps in Jordan due to Government of Jordan restrictions on entry into these camps.

All U.S. government personnel on official travel to the four designated Syrian refugee camps listed below (formerly all refugee camps in Jordan) must adhere to U.S. Embassy travel restrictions.

• Azraq Syrian Refugee Camp, Azraq, Zarqa
• Za’atari Syrian Refugee Camp, Al Zatryah, Mafraq
• King Abdullah Park Syrian Refugee Camp, Ramtha, Irbid
• Emirati Jordanian Syrian Refugee Camp (Murijep al Fhoud), Al Jadedah, Zarqa

Personal travel by U.S. government personnel to these refugee camps is not authorized. 

Zarqa, Rusayfah, and the Baqa’a Neighborhood of Ayn Basha – Level 4: Do Not Travel

Do not travel to Zarqa, Rusayfah and the Baqa’a neighborhood of Ayn Basha due to terrorism and crime.

All U.S. government personnel on official travel to Zarqa, Rusayfah and the Baqa’a neighborhood of Ayn Basha must adhere to U.S. Embassy travel restrictions, and all travel must occur during daylight hours only.  U.S. government personnel may transit through these cities on major highways during daylight hours only.

Personal travel by U.S. government personnel to these cities is not authorized.

Ma’an City and some areas of Ma’an Governorate – Level 3: Reconsider Travel

Reconsider travel to Ma’an city, all areas of Ma’an Governorate east of Highway 15 (“The Desert Highway”) and all areas of Ma’an Governorate within 2 kilometers to the west of Highway 15 due to terrorism and crime.

All U.S. government personnel on official travel to these areas must adhere to U.S. Embassy travel restrictions. U.S. government personnel on official travel may transit through this area on major highways outside of daylight hours.  

Personal travel by U.S. government personnel to these areas is permitted during daylight hours only, with the exception of direct transit through these areas, which may also occur during hours of darkness.

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• if you’re affected by a crisis , such as a terrorist attack

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Jordan Tourism Police Boost Presence

• July 25, 2023
• Jordan News

Amid preparations for the highly anticipated Jerash Festival and the expected increase in tourism, Jordan’s tourism police are stepping up their presence in the Kingdom. A senior official source revealed that a well-organized seasonal plan has been devised to ensure a safe tourism season, directed by the Public Security Directorate’s Maj. Gen. Obaidallah Maaytah.

The plan involves coordinated efforts with various national entities to ensure a smooth and secure tourism experience for all sectors involved. The Tourism Police Department is set to play a pivotal role in this security process.

The 37th Jerash Festival of Culture and Arts, scheduled from July 26 to August 5, is expected to attract a significant number of visitors. Jordan Tourism Board officials are determined to surpass past tourism performance by establishing new partnerships with low-cost airlines, adopting a robust marketing strategy, and offering diverse, comprehensive programs to attract tourists from a wide range of countries.

To ensure the safety and security of tourists during this surge in tourism, law enforcement presence will be heightened at popular tourist attractions. The senior official emphasized that the presence of the tourist police cadre has a direct impact on the tourism industry and contributes to the economic and developmental conditions in tourist areas.

Furthermore, the tourism police have implemented a prevention system that allows tourists to report safety and health hazards publicly. This system enables law enforcement to respond promptly, ensuring that tourists can enjoy their visit without any security concerns.

Apart from their increased presence and safety initiatives, the tourism police also play a crucial role in protecting the natural and cultural values of protected areas and UNESCO World Heritage sites. Collaborating with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, and Petra Development Tourism Regional Authority, they address activities that may jeopardize the sustainability of these sites.

Jordan’s tourism infrastructure, including the reliability of its police services, has been highly praised, earning recognition in the World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2019.

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Stephen Hiltner/The New York Times

The sculpted facade of a 2,000-year-old tomb glows in the late-afternoon sun at Hegra, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Crowds of Muslim pilgrims gather outside the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina.

Camels march through the desert on the outskirts of the Empty Quarter, the world’s largest sand sea.

For many years these Saudi Arabian scenes, including the lively open-air markets in Jeddah, were off limits to most travelers.

But not anymore. As it undergoes a profound transformation, Saudi Arabia is spending lavishly to lure tourists with its luxe new resorts ...

... its rich cultural heritage ...

... and its sublime natural beauty.

Can the Saudi government persuade would-be visitors to look past — or reconsider — its longstanding associations with religious extremism, ultraconservatism and human rights abuses?

Will the kingdom’s $800 billion bet on tourism pay off?

Supported by

Surprising, Unsettling, Surreal: Roaming Through Saudi Arabia

To witness the kingdom’s profound transformation and assess its ambitious tourism projects, a Times journalist spent a month on the road there. Here’s what he saw.

By Stephen Hiltner

An editor and photojournalist for the Travel section, Stephen Hiltner drove 5,200 miles and visited all 13 of Saudi Arabia’s provinces while reporting and shooting this story.

Wandering alone along the southern fringes of Saudi Arabia’s mountainous Asir Province, some eight miles from the Yemeni border, in a nondescript town with a prominent sculpture of a rifle balanced on an ornately painted plinth, I met a man, Nawab Khan, who was building a palace out of mud.

Actually, he was rebuilding the structure, restoring it. And when I came across him, he hadn’t yet begun his work for the day; he was seated on the side of the road beneath its red-and-white windows — cross-legged, on a rug, leaning over a pot of tea and a bowl of dates.

Two weeks earlier, on the far side of the country, a fellow traveler had pointed at a map and described the crumbling buildings here, in Dhahran al-Janub, arranged in a colorful open-air museum. Finding myself nearby, I’d detoured to have a look — and there was Mr. Khan, at first looking at me curiously and then waving me over to join him. Sensing my interest in the cluster of irregular towers, he stood up, produced a large key ring and began opening a series of padlocks. When he vanished through a doorway, I followed him into a shadowy stairwell.

This, of course, was my mother’s worst nightmare: Traveling solo, I’d been coaxed by a stranger into an unlit building in a remote Saudi village, within a volatile border area that the U.S. Department of State advises Americans to stay away from .

By now, though, more than halfway through a 5,200-mile road trip, I trusted Mr. Khan’s enthusiasm as a genuine expression of pride, not a ploy. All across Saudi Arabia, I’d seen countless projects being built, from simple museums to high-end resorts. These were the early fruits of an $800 billion investment in the travel sector, itself part of a much larger effort, Vision 2030 , to remake the kingdom and reduce its economic dependence on oil.

But I’d begun to see the building projects as something else, too: the striving of a country — long shrouded to most Westerners — to be seen, reconsidered, accepted. And with its doors suddenly flung open and the pandemic behind us, visitors like me were finally beginning to witness this new Saudi Arabia, much to Mr. Khan’s and all the other builders’ delight.

Few countries present as complicated a prospect for travelers as Saudi Arabia.

Long associated with Islamic extremism, human rights abuses and the oppression of women, the kingdom has made strides in recent years to refashion its society and its reputation abroad.

The infamous religious police, which upheld codes of conduct based on an ultraconservative interpretation of Islam, were stripped of their power. Public concerts, once banned, are now ubiquitous. Women have been granted new rights — including the freedom to drive and to travel without permission from a male guardian — and are no longer required to wear floor-length robes in public or to cover their hair.

These changes are part of a broad set of strategies to diversify the kingdom’s economy, elevate its status in the world and soften its image — the last of which is a tall order for a government that has killed a newspaper columnist , kidnapped and tortured dissidents , precipitated a humanitarian crisis in Yemen and imprisoned people for supporting gay rights , among a number of other recent abuses .

Central to the transformations led by 38-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, is a major push for international visitors. It represents a sea change in a country that, until 2019, issued no nonreligious tourist visas and instead catered almost exclusively to Muslim pilgrims visiting Mecca and Medina, Islam’s two holiest cities. In February, by contrast, my tourist e-visa was approved online in minutes.

Saudi Arabia has already transformed one of its premier destinations — Al-Ula, with its UNESCO-listed Nabatean tombs — from a neglected collection of archaeological sites into a lavish retreat with a bevy of activities on offer, including guided tours, wellness festivals, design exhibitions and hot air balloon rides.

Another project will create a vast array of luxury resorts on or near the Red Sea.

Still more projects include the development of Diriyah , the birthplace of the first Saudi state; the preservation and development of the coastal city of Jeddah ; an offshore theme park called the Rig ; and Neom , the futuristic city that has garnered the lion’s share of attention.

All told, the country is hoping to draw 70 million international tourists per year by 2030, with tourism contributing 10 percent of its gross domestic product. (In 2023, the country logged 27 million international tourists, according to government figures , with tourism contributing about 4 percent of G.D.P.)

At-Turaif, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was the birthplace of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is now the centerpiece of the $63 billion Diriyah project, a new center of culture just outside Riyadh.

Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve on a remote island in the Red Sea, opened in late May. (A one-bedroom villa costs about $2,500 per night, excluding taxes and fees.) It is one of 50 properties scheduled to open in the area by 2030.

The preservation and development of Jeddah, a coastal city famous for its historic district built largely from blocks of coral, comes with a price tag of some $20 billion.

Al-Ula is a cornerstone of Saudi Arabia’s tourism ambitions. Part of the city’s Old Town, long crumbling in neglect, has now been painstakingly restored.

To get a sense of these projects and the changes unfolding in Saudi society, I spent a month exploring the kingdom by car. I traveled alone, without a fixer, driver or translator. Per New York Times ethics guidelines, I declined the government’s many offers of discounts and complimentary services.

Much of the time I felt I’d been tossed the keys to the kingdom. But there were moments, too, when I faced a more complicated reality, one epitomized by a road sign that forced me to abruptly exit the highway some 15 miles from the center of Mecca. “Obligatory for Non Muslims,” it read, pointing to the offramp.

To me, the sign broadcast the lines being drawn to compartmentalize the country, which is now marketing itself to two sets of travelers with increasingly divergent — and sometimes contradictory — expectations: luxury tourists at ease with bikinis and cocktails, and pilgrims prepared for modesty and strict religious adherence. It’s hard to know whether the kingdom can satisfy both without antagonizing either.

My trip began in Jeddah, where, after spending two days exploring its historic district, I rented a car and drove eight hours north to Al-Ula, a benchmark for the new Saudi tourism initiatives.

Saudi Arabia

Reporter’s route

Dhahran al-Janub

Wadi al-Disah

Red Sea Resort

The name Al-Ula refers to both a small city and a broader region packed with attractions: Hegra , the kingdom’s first UNESCO World Heritage site and its biggest archaeological draw, is a 30-minute drive north of Old Town, a maze of crumbling mud-brick buildings now partly restored. Between the two, and fanning out to the east and west, are several other archaeological sites, as well as a smattering of resorts, event spaces and adventure outfitters. Farther northeast, beyond Hegra, is the Sharaan Nature Reserve , a vast protected zone used for conservation efforts.

My first priority during my five-day stay in Al-Ula was a visit to Hegra.

Like Petra , its better-known counterpart in Jordan, Hegra was built by the Nabateans, an ancient people who flourished 2,000 years ago. The site contains more than 100 tombs that were carved from solid rock, their entrances adorned with embellishments. Most impressive among them, set apart and standing some 70 feet tall, is a tomb colloquially called the Lonely Castle.

Not long ago, visitors could hire private guides and wander the area on foot, climbing in and out of — and no doubt damaging — the many tombs. Not anymore: I boarded an air-conditioned tour bus and zipped past most of them, stopping at just four locations.

At the penultimate stop, we exited the bus and trudged several hundred feet along a sandy path to the front of the Lonely Castle. Even in the late afternoon, the heat was stifling. I craned my neck to take in the details of the sculpted facade, which emerged like a mirage from one side of a massive boulder: its four pilasters, the rough chisel marks near the bottom, its characteristic five-stepped crown. Ten minutes evaporated, and I turned to find my group being shepherded back onto the bus. I jogged through the sand to catch up.

A few miles north of Hegra, I hopped in the back of a Toyota Land Cruiser — accompanied by an Italian graduate student and his mother — for a drive through the sandy expanse of the Sharaan Nature Reserve.

The scenery was sublime: Slipping through a narrow slot canyon, we emerged into a vast, open desert plain, then settled into a wide valley enclosed by an amphitheater of cliffs. Occasionally our guide stopped and led us on short hikes to petroglyphs, some pockmarked by bullet holes, or to lush fields of wildflowers, where he plucked edible greens and invited us to sample their lemony tang.

Gabriele Morelli, the graduate student, had first come to Al-Ula a few years ago — a different era, he said, given how quickly the place had transformed. He described a version that no longer exists, rife with cheap accommodation, lax rules and a free-for-all sensibility.

Some of the changes, of course, have been necessary to protect delicate ecosystems and archaeological sites from ever-growing crowds. But several people I met in Al-Ula — Saudis and foreigners alike — quietly lamented the extent of the high-end development and the steady erosion of affordability. Many of the new offerings, like the Banyan Tree resort, they pointed out, are luxury destinations that cater to wealthy travelers.

These hushed criticisms were among my early lessons on how difficult it can be to gauge the way Saudis feel about the pace and the pervasiveness of the transformations reshaping their society.

I got a taste of Al-Ula’s exclusivity — and of the uncanniness that occasionally surfaced throughout my trip — at a Lauryn Hill concert in an event space called Maraya . To reach the hall, I passed through a security gate, where an attendant scanned my e-ticket and directed me two miles up a winding road into the heart of the Ashar Valley, home to several high-end restaurants and resorts.

Rounding the final bend, I felt as if I’d stumbled into a computer-generated image: Ant-size humans were dwarfed by a reflective structure that both asserted itself and blended into the landscape. Inside, waiters served hors d’oeuvres and brightly colored mocktails to a chic young crowd.

The surreality peaked when, midway through the show, I left my plush seat to join some concertgoers near the stage — only to turn and see John Bolton, former President Donald J. Trump’s national security adviser, seated in the front row.

Where else, I wondered, could I attend a rap concert in the middle of the desert with a longtime fixture of the Republican Party — amid a crowd that cheered when Ms. Hill mentioned Palestine — but this strange new corner of Saudi Arabia?

The mirrored facade at Maraya, a vast event space in Al-Ula, warps and reflects the surrounding desert landscape.

The building is in some ways a precursor to the kingdom’s most ambitious architectural design: the project at Neom called the Line, a 106-mile linear city that will also feature a mirrored surface.

Lauryn Hill performing in front of a large crowd at Maraya.

After Al-Ula, I drove to another of the kingdom’s extravagant schemes: the Red Sea project, billed as the “world’s most ambitious regenerative tourism destination.” After weaving through a morass of construction-related traffic, I boarded a yacht — alongside a merry band of Saudi influencers — and was piloted some 15 miles to a remote island, where I disembarked in a world of unqualified opulence at the St. Regis Red Sea Resort .

I was chauffeured around in an electric golf cart — past 43 beachside “dune” villas and onto two long boardwalks that connect the rest of the resort to 47 “coral” villas, built on stilts over shallow turquoise water. Along the way, I listened to Lucas Julien-Vauzelle, an executive assistant manager, wax poetic about sustainability. “We take it to the next level,” he said, before rattling off a list of facts and figures: 100 percent renewable energy, a solar-powered 5G network , plans to enhance biologically diverse habitats.

By 2030, he said, the Red Sea project will offer 50 hotels across its island and inland sites. Citing the Maldives, he mentioned the kingdom’s plans to claim a share of the same high-end market.

Another prediction came by way of Keith Thornton, the director of restaurants, who said he expects the resort to legally serve alcohol by the end of the year. (While a liquor store for non-Muslim diplomats recently opened in Riyadh, the Saudi government has made no indication that it plans to reconsider its broader prohibition of alcohol.)

The hotel was undeniably impressive. But there’s an inescapable irony to a lavish resort built at unfathomable expense in the middle of the sea — with guests ferried out by chartered boat and seaplane — that flaunts its aspirations for sustainability.

Toward the end of my several-hour visit, I learned that every piece of vegetation, including 646 palm trees, had been transplanted from an off-site nursery. Later, reviewing historical satellite images, I found visual evidence that the island — described to me as pristine — had been dramatically fortified and, in the process, largely remade. Its footprint had also been significantly altered. It was, in a sense, an artificial island built where a smaller natural island once stood.

Something else struck me, too: The place was nearly empty, save for the staff and the Saudi influencers. Granted, the resort had just opened the month before — but the same was true at the nearby Six Senses Southern Dunes , an inland Red Sea resort that opened in November. Fredrik Blomqvist, the general manager there, told me that its isolated location in a serene expanse of desert — part of its appeal — also presented a challenge in drawing customers. “The biggest thing,” he said, “is to get the message out that the country is open.”

Since the country began issuing tourist visas, influencers have been documenting their experiences in places like Jeddah and Al-Ula, their trips often paid for by the Saudi government. Their breezy content contributes to the impression that the kingdom is awaiting discovery by foreign visitors with out-of-date prejudices. To an extent, for a certain segment of tourists, that’s true.

For many travelers, though, the depiction of the kingdom as an uncomplicated getaway could be dangerously misleading.

Speech in Saudi Arabia is strictly limited; dissent is not tolerated — nor is the open practice of any religion other than the government’s interpretation of Islam. In its travel advisory , the U.S. Department of State warns that “social media commentary — including past comments — which Saudi authorities may deem critical, offensive, or disruptive to public order, could lead to arrest.” Punishment for Saudi nationals has been far worse: In 2023, a retired teacher was sentenced to death after he criticized the ruling family via anonymous accounts. As of late 2023, he remained in prison.

Other restrictions are harder to parse. L.G.B.T.Q. travelers are officially welcome in the kingdom but face a conundrum: They might face arrest or other criminal penalties for openly expressing their sexual orientation or gender identity. As recently as 2021, an independent U.S. federal agency included Saudi Arabia on a list of countries where same-sex relationships are punishable by death , noting that “the government has not sought this penalty in recent years.”

When asked how he would convince a same-sex couple that it was safe to visit, Jerry Inzerillo, a native New Yorker and the group chief executive of Diriyah, said: “We don’t ask you any questions when you come into the country or when you leave.”

“Maybe that’s not conclusive enough,” he added, “but a lot of people have come.”

Female travelers might also face difficulties, since advancements in women’s rights are not equally distributed throughout the kingdom.

The changes were more visible in big cities and tourist centers. Ghydda Tariq, an assistant marketing manager in Al-Ula, described how new professional opportunities had emerged for her in recent years. Maysoon, a young woman I met in Jeddah, made extra money by occasionally driving for Uber. Haneen Alqadi, an employee at the St. Regis Red Sea, described how women there are free to wear bikinis without fear of repercussions.

Outside such places, though, I sometimes went for days without seeing more than a handful of women, invariably wearing niqabs, let alone seeing them engaged in public life or tourism. My photographs reflect that imbalance.

As an easily identifiable Western man, I moved through the country with an array of advantages: the kindness and cheery curiosity of strangers, the ease of passage at military checkpoints, and the freedom to interact with a male-dominated society at markets, museums, parks, restaurants, cafes. Not all travelers could expect the same treatment.

Roaming in the far north and south, I often found the earlier version of the kingdom — with lax rules and less development — that had been described to me in Al-Ula.

I trekked to the northern city of Sakaka to see an archaeological site promoted as the Stonehenge of Saudi Arabia: a set of monoliths called the Rajajil Columns thought to have been erected some 6,000 years ago but about which little is definitively known.

My heart sank when I pulled into the parking lot after a five-hour drive and found the columns blocked by a tall fence. Approaching on foot, though, I noticed that a section of the fence had been peeled back and that visitors were wandering freely among the stones, which protruded from the earth like isolated clusters of crooked teeth. I joined the small crowd, if hesitatingly, and was surprised to find no footpaths, nor anything to keep us a safe distance from the columns. In the end I wondered if our access had been officially approved or informally arranged.

My travel experiences were sometimes awkward in other ways, too.

Standing just outside the grounds of the central mosque in Medina, where the Prophet Muhammad is buried, I was detained by a stern member of the Special Forces. (Even after 2019, non-Muslim tourists remained barred from Mecca and Medina, Islam’s two holiest cities. The ban was relaxed in parts of Medina in 2021.)

The guard interrogated me and, after calling a colleague to confer, demanded that I leave the area. “Go,” he said threateningly. Another traveler who witnessed the encounter scurried away to avoid a similar fate.

The unsettling exchange cast a pall over my time in the city, which few non-Muslims have seen. As far as I knew, I’d abided by the rules by staying outside the grounds of the Prophet’s Mosque — a boundary line that I’d confirmed with tourism officials beforehand.

Peering through the perimeter fence — the boundary line for non-Muslims — at the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina.

The Mosque of Al-Ghamamah, one of the oldest in the holy city.

A sprawling maze of ramshackle residential buildings sits less than a mile from the Prophet’s Mosque.

A guide speaking to a group of visitors near the Hejaz Railway Museum, visible in the distance. (The museum was closed for renovations at the time.)

A group of young men, most of whose families emigrated from Sudan, playing soccer in a field just outside the center of Medina.

More than anything, family and friends wanted to know if I felt safe on my trip — and I did, almost without exception. Petty crime in Saudi Arabia is exceedingly rare. And while parts of the country are under a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory , even my rambling itinerary was approved by a security expert.

Instead of fearing for my safety, I was often preoccupied with how I’d fairly portray a place that elicited such a range of conflicting emotions: joy and distress, excitement and apprehension, sincerity and doubt. So much lay hidden from public view — like the collective anguish over the war raging in Gaza . And so little was easy to categorize, in part because the warmth of everyday Saudis was strikingly at odds with the ruthlessness of their authoritarian government.

In Riyadh, a young man warned me not to speak openly with strangers. “People get arrested here for a tweet ,” he said. “Can you imagine?”

I could, actually. The Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi had chronicled his government’s increasingly draconian responses to criticism. “Repression and intimidation are not — and never should be — the acceptable companions of reform,” he wrote in The Washington Post in 2018, just months before he was killed and dismembered at his country’s consulate in Istanbul.

Were we to travel only where we feel comfortable and unchallenged, we’d all be poorer for it. But the question of whether to travel to Saudi Arabia is thornier than that.

It’s easy to see one response, “No,” as yielding to closed-mindedness at the expense of ordinary people — like the kindly vendor Abdullah, who served me local honey at his shop in the southern mountains.

But it’s easy, too, to see “Yes” as an affirmation that might makes right, that amusement outweighs morality, that princely wealth can wipe a stained slate clean.

Sunrise over the mountainous village of Fayfa, some six miles from the Yemeni border.

Abdullah Ghaleb Zaid, a honey vendor, at his shop atop a mountain pass near the southern city of Abha.

Sunset near Jabal Soudah, the kingdom’s highest peak.

Ten days into my trip, I ventured to Wadi al-Disah, a steep-walled valley where I’d booked a tent at a campsite I found on Airbnb. For an additional 300 riyals ($80), my host, Faisal, led me on a four-wheel-drive tour, departing the paved road and weaving through a path along the bed of an ephemeral river. Continually jolted by the uneven terrain, we eased past thick reeds, lofty palms and small bands of visitors who’d nestled into clearings.

As we left, I met a group of young men gathered for a picnic, their sandals scattered around a carpet on which they were preparing their dinner. Delighted to meet an American with a camera, they asked if I’d take a group portrait, then exchanged information with me so I could send them a copy — a scenario by then so familiar that I hardly thought anything of it.

A full day later, some 200 miles away, I was cruising along a lonely highway near the Jordanian border when a Land Cruiser blew past me at an astonishing speed. I felt my compact car rock from its turbulence — and then I watched with a twinge of dread as the car abruptly braked, slowing hard in the left lane until our front ends were aligned. It held steady there.

For a moment I stared straight ahead, hoping to avoid a confrontation. When I finally turned to look, I saw a group of boys grinning wildly and waving through an open window. Then I realized: Improbably, it was three of the young men I’d met the day before. Somehow we’d all followed the same route. And somehow, in the split second it took them to fly past, they’d recognized me. I lifted my camera from the passenger seat and snapped a photograph.

The picture shows three young Saudis on a precipice: endearing, erratic, captivating. I have a sense of where they came from but no certainty about where they’re going. Two are flashing peace signs, and none appears to be wearing a seatbelt. No one is watching the road as their car drifts out of its lane, careening a little recklessly into a hopeful and uncertain future.

Stephen Hiltner’s recent work includes a photo essay about his childhood in Budapest , an examination of A.I.-generated guidebooks and an investigation into the deaths of Russian soldiers in Ukraine . You can follow his travels on Instagram .

Got a question about this story? Drop a note in the comments section. Got a tip? Send him an email .

Stephen Hiltner is an editor, writer and photographer for the Travel section of The Times. More about Stephen Hiltner

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