Frequently Asked Questions
The incredible ancient city of Petra is the country's top attraction and so it's included on all of our Jordan trips. A full day is spent exploring the temples, theatres and colonnaded streets of the ancient city, with entry via the Siq to arrive at the extraordinary Treasury (of Indiana Jones fame). The next morning there is free time to return to Petra via al-Madras, with visits to the High Place of Sacrifice and Wadi Farasa. As two nights are spent at Petra, there is plenty of free time for you to opt for the Petra by Night experience or our Petra Kitchen add-on. Many tour operators only spend one night in Petra on their Jordan holidays. But we want our travellers to have plenty of time to take in this unique world wonder, including the main sights and some hidden gems too!
The entry ticket to Petra includes a horse-ride at the entrance to the site, however, (Please note that, you must pay the tip for the horse handler if you do take the horse ride)
Most sites open from 08:00 until 17:00 during summer time and from 08:00 until 16:00 during winter time, noting that these sites close earlier during Ramadan. On the other hand, Petra is open all year long from 6:00 till 18:00.
We recommend the purchase of adequate travel insurance for all overseas travel. It is currently a prerequisite to have medical travel insurance.
Depending on the group size, you'll be travelling in an air-conditioned vehicle such as a mini van or coach (depending on group size). At the entrance to the Wadi Rum protected area you'll board well-used 4x4 vehicles to navigate the rolling orange sands. Six passengers get in each vehicle plus a local driver. It's the quickest and easiest way to get to our desert camp.
The local currency is the Jordanian Dinar, symbol JD, There are 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 JD notes. The dinar is divided into 100 piasters (pronounced “pee-asters”) of 1000 fils (“fills”). The fils is the unit most commonly used and you will usually see prices written as 4.750 (which is 4 JD and 750 fils). Currency can be exchanged at major banks, exchange booths and at most hotels. Street money-changers are best avoided. Exchange rates are set daily by the Jordanian Central Bank. Map Tours’ advises passengers to exchange any spending money before they commence their tour. Whilst on tour it may not be possible for the tour rep to arrange for a passenger to be specially taken to exchange money and not all places of interest will have ATM machines or accept credit/debit cards. We also advise our passengers to keep some cash JOD & USD or Euro.
Credit cards are widely accepted in Jordan at hotels, restaurants and shops, including American Express, Visa, Diners Club, and MasterCard. Please note that many smaller shops still prefer cash payment in the Jordanian currency, and it’s essential for shopping in the local souks.
Although Tipping "gratuities" is not obligatory, but the people who are working in the tourism sector depend on tips as a major part of their income. Therefore, tipping is considered customary and widely expected in Jordan, while The amount depends on the situation. For example, In the restaurants, it is good to give 10% tip directly to the waiter even when there is service charge added to the bill as the service tax does not go to the waiters.
Wi-Fi service is available in all hotels, cafes and restaurants, but do not expect it in Wadi Rum. In order to be able to stay online, we recommend that you purchase a local sim card upon your arrival.
