2023 is off to a beautiful start!

I just came back from a long trip with my husband where we spent time in the Maldives, Dubai, and Jordan. Yes the trip was as incredible as it sounds! However, while I did have an amazing time, it would be completely dishonest to pretend like everything absolutely perfect on social media.

Influencers have a way of making everything a highlight reel, and that is not what I want my social media platforms to become. I decided to write this post in the spirit of always being transparent my readers to let you guys know some of the drawbacks of travel in Jordan.

While there is a lot to love about Jordan, from the incredible historic sites to the warm hospitality, there were a few things that worked my nerves on the 5 days I spent traveling in Jordan.

So keep reading for a few of the things that I HATED about Jordan!

4 Things You Need to Know Before Booking a Trip to Jordan

There are a lot of security screenings in Amman, Jordan

One of the most annoying things about my trip to Jordan was the constant and borderline invasive security screenings. We stayed at a Hilton and did most of our meals and evenings out at other hotels because of the limited availability of alcohol. Jordan is a Muslim country, so you usually can’t find alcohol at every restaurant, unless it’s in a hotel or maybe one of the bigger international style restaurants.

But every time you enter a hotel you are subjected to a thorough screening, almost like an airport! The taxi you pull up in will go through a vehicle check, in which a guard carefully inspects the outside, underneath the car, and sometimes the trunk and hood, presumably looking for explosives. Then once you get out of the car and enter the hotel, they make you put your bags and things through a scanner while you walk through a metal detector. That is also sometimes followed by a frisk/pat down, but if you are female, they will escort you behind a privacy curtain.

While I understand they do all this for the safety of their staff and guests it can still be annoying for the average tourist but was extremely triggering for me as a black traveler. There was once after I was taken behind the curtain for a pat down my husband and I decided to linger around and see if they were doing the same thing to the next few people that walked in behind us and they did. So even though there was no discrimination or profiling at play, it still just changes your vibe and puts those kinds of thoughts in your head.

Be prepared for the screenings if you are dining out in Amman, or just try to avoid restaurants that are in hotels if it makes you really uncomfortable.

Jordan is pretty conservative

While Jordan is more progressive than many other nations in the Middle East, there are still a lot of conservative practices that you need to be aware of and it can be a little grating when you are just trying to enjoy your vacation, especially if you are single and traveling in Jordan.

First of all in Jordan, sleeping with any unmarried member of the opposite sex is considered adultery, which is punishable by up to three years in prison, and yes unlike in Bali, that law also applies to foreigners. Same sex couples should also exercise more caution. Homosexuality was decriminalized in Jordan in 1951, so while it is legal, it’s not exactly culturally or socially embraced. Public displays of affection between members of the same gender might be considered a disruption of the public peace and could also be prosecuted, even if you are legally married in your home country.

These things will of course be more loosely enforced or ignored if you stay at a Western chain hotel, like a Marriott or Hilton, so keep that in mind as you plan your trip, and avoid boutique hotels or family owned properties.

I was traveling with my husband, and we made sure to have a copy of our marriage certificate just in case, and we generally avoided any public displays off affection, which was hard because we are a pretty lovey dovey couple. But we just wanted to travel with ease avoid uncomfortable stares and judgmental eyes.

Jordan has extremely high prices

Jordan is expensive! I mean the currency is strong with 1 JOD being equal to about $1.40, so the exchange does not work in your favor. On top of that the prices are high enough to just not make any damn sense.

It was extremely frustrating to see premium, almost luxury prices on the most basic things, like a dusty hotel and mediocre food, just because that is what is available and what they can get away with.If you are planning your trip to Jordan keep that in mind, save accordingly and lower your expectations.

The food was decent in Amman once you get into the international fine dining scene, but it will be mediocre at best near Petra and Wadi Rum, and yet you will somehow be spending comparable amounts of money.

There are tourist traps everywhere in Jordan

Millions of people travel to Jordan to see sights like the Dead Sea, Petra, and go glamping in Wadi Rum, so you shouldn’t be surprised to hear that there are tourist traps literally everywhere. Petra was the worst offender.

We spent 2 days in Petra, once on our own and once with a guide we hired through Viator. When we were by ourselves, the second we stepped foot through the entrance we were basically bombarded with a series of aggressive vendors pushing everything from “secret Bedouin tours” to camel rides – even though no one really rides a camel in Petra, it’s basically just for a photo opp in front of the treasury.

It was infinitely less stressful to go with a guide because all the other vendors didn’t really approach us when we were with the guide. But if you want to get to the viral Instagram photo spot with a view from above the treasury, you do have to hire a local Bedouin guide. A Jordanian tour guide cannot take you – it has to be one of the Bedouins. Same for the mules that are hired to take people all the way up to the Monastery. So you might end up paying for a guide for a day, then also spending money with the Bedouins to get to certain spots.

I of course had to get the photos from the viewpoint, so our Jordanian tour guide helped us negotiate the price. The original as was 20 JOD, but we got it down to 10 JOD and while the climb up and down was pretty treacherous, the view really is lovely and the mint tea they served was amazing.

Overall it was really fun, but it can be an unanticipated expense and also make you feel vulnerable if you are traveling without a guide that can help you, because you really never know what is a scam or not. And be sure to be polite to the Bedouins! Our guide was super sweet to us, but I saw a few tourists getting cursed out and threatened for offending them, and if you think you’re going to involve the police, don’t bother. They will not be on your side!

Overall I enjoyed my trip, but these 4 factors definitely added some stress to the experience. Be prepared for what you may encounter on your trip to Jordan! And if you want to see more of my Jordan Travel Tips, check out my Jordan Vlog and Subscribe to my YouTube channel!