By Joseph Moummar, The Jordanian Mappers · Wadi Musa, Petra · Updated 31 October 2026
The Jordan Pass is one of the few tourist passes that does what it promises. It's also one you can buy and still lose money on. We've run tours out of Wadi Musa, the town at Petra's gate, for more than seven years, and we get asked about it more than almost anything else, usually in the form "just tell me whether to buy it."
So here's the short answer first, then the sums.
Short version. Buy it if you're landing in Amman, staying at least two nights and visiting Petra. Skip it if you're flying into Aqaba, staying one night, or not going to Petra at all. If you're booking a multi-day package with a tour company, check what's already included before you pay for anything. (Prices below are in Jordanian dinars, JD, and were checked in October 2026.)
What you actually get
There are three versions, and the only difference is how many days you get at Petra:
- Jordan Wanderer, 70 JD: one day at Petra.
- Jordan Explorer, 75 JD: two consecutive days at Petra.
- Jordan Expert, 80 JD: three consecutive days at Petra.
Each one covers entry to more than 40 sites, including Jerash, Wadi Rum (the 5 JD visitor entry), Karak and Ajloun castles, Umm Qais, Pella, the Amman Citadel, Madaba's archaeological park and Mount Nebo. It also waives the 40 JD single-entry tourist visa, if you meet the conditions in the next section. The visa waiver is half of why the pass works.
Buying Petra tickets separately costs 50 JD for one day, 55 JD for two and 60 JD for three, for visitors who spend the night in Jordan. That means a second day at Petra costs 5 JD whether you buy the pass or not, so pick the tier by how many days you want in Petra, not by price.
The visa rule, and the part guides disagree about
The pass waives the visa fee only if you stay a minimum number of nights, you bought the pass before arriving, and your nationality actually needs a visa. The official Jordan Pass FAQ says a minimum of two whole nights (three days). Some guides, and the Jordan Tourism Board's own blog, say three nights. The gap is usually a counting question, but it's the officer at the border who decides, so if your trip is on the edge, plan for three nights and don't build the trip around the loophole.
Two more catches. The waiver covers a single-entry visa only, and the stay can be checked on your way out. And if your passport already lets you into Jordan without a visa, there's nothing to waive.
Five trips, worked out
Entry fees are the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' own list for non-Jordanians. "Separate" means paying the visa and each site at the gate.
- Classic loop, six days from Amman. Citadel, Jerash, Mount Nebo, Madaba, Karak, two days in Petra and Wadi Rum. Separate: 121 JD. Explorer: 75 JD. You save
46 JD.
- Petra and Wadi Rum, two nights, landing in Amman. Separate: 40 visa + 50 Petra + 5 Rum = 95 JD. Wanderer: 70 JD. You save
25 JD.
- Three days of Petra plus Jerash and Wadi Rum. Separate: 115 JD. Expert: 80 JD. You save
35 JD.
- Amman and the north only, no Petra. Citadel, Jerash, Nebo, Madaba, Ajloun and Umm Qais. Separate: 67 JD. The cheapest pass is 70 JD. You lose
3 JD, and you've paid for a Petra day you won't use.
- Fly into Aqaba, Petra and Wadi Rum. Most nationalities don't need a visa at Aqaba airport, so there's no 40 JD to waive. Separate: 55 JD. Wanderer: 70 JD. You lose
15 JD.
One more that catches people out:
one night only. The waiver needs two whole nights, so you'd pay the 40 JD visa and the pass. That's 110 JD, against 90 JD without it. Same-day visitors who don't sleep in Jordan pay a flat 90 JD for Petra anyway, so the pass isn't built for them either.
Wanderer, Explorer or Expert?
We'd buy the Explorer for most trips. The Monastery hike and the Main Trail through the Siq to the Royal Tombs are two different days of walking, and the extra 5 JD buys the second one. Take the Wanderer if you only want the Treasury and a long morning, and the Expert if you're doing the back entrance or the High Place of Sacrifice on a third day. If you're stuck on how to split your time, our
Visiting Petra guide lays out a one-day plan and what to add on a second.
What the pass doesn't cover
It's an entry-fee pass. It doesn't pay for much else.
- Petra by Night. Not included. The Jordan Tourism Board's page from January 2026 lists it at 30 JD, Sunday to Thursday, 8:30 to 10:30 pm, and you need a daytime ticket or pass as well. Prices and days have shifted before, so check visitpetra.jo before you plan an evening around it.
- Wadi Rum jeep tours. The 5 JD entry is covered. The jeep, the driver and the camp are not. Our own
Wadi Rum jeep and film-site tours are priced separately.
- Wadi Mujib trails. These are run by the nature reserve and priced on their own. The Siq Trail is about 21 JD plus tax.
- Bethany Beyond the Jordan (the Baptism Site). Not included by default. You can add it at checkout for 8 JD instead of paying 12 JD at the gate.
- Guides, transport, meals. Petra's official guides charge their own fees, and the pass doesn't cover your driver.
Buying it and not wasting it
Buy it at jordanpass.jo, the official site, and pay with a card before you fly. Searching "Jordan Pass" brings up plenty of other sites that describe it or resell it, and you want the Ministry's own checkout.
The pass has to be used within three months of buying it. It activates the first time it's scanned at a tourist site, and it expires automatically one month after that, so don't buy it in March for an October trip, and don't scan it at your first site if you're not starting your sightseeing for a while. At Petra the scan happens at the Visitor Centre only. Print it. A phone screen in desert sun is a bad way to show a QR code.
Treat it as non-refundable. The cancellation terms sit on their own page on the official site, so read them before you pay. Children under 12 get into the sites free with their parents and don't need a pass. And if you're crossing by land from Israel or Palestine, email the pass team at info@jordanpass.jo before you rely on it, since the FAQ only spells out the Wadi Araba visa rule for that one crossing.
If you're on a package tour
Many organised trips already cover what the pass is for. Our
6-day, 5-night Classic Jordan Journey lists site admission and visa help in the price, and our one-day trips such as the
Petra and Wadi Rum day from Petra include entry fees as well. If you're booking with any operator, ask three things: which sites are covered, whether the visa is arranged, and whether you'd be paying twice if you also bought a pass.
FAQ
Can I buy the Jordan Pass when I arrive?
Buy it before you travel. The pass is issued online, and the visa waiver only applies if you hold it on arrival.
Does the Jordan Pass include Petra by Night?
No. Petra by Night is separate, and you need a daytime Petra ticket or a pass to attend. The Jordan Tourism Board listed it at 30 JD in January 2026.
Do kids need a Jordan Pass?
Children under 12 enter the sites free with their parents, so they don't need their own. Adults still do if they want the visa waiver.
Is the Jordan Pass worth it for one night in Petra?
No. The visa waiver needs at least two whole nights, so a one-night trip pays the visa fee as well as the pass.
Is the Jordan Pass worth it if I'm flying into Aqaba?
Usually not. Most nationalities don't need a visa at Aqaba airport, so the 40 JD saving disappears and the sums above don't work.
Does the pass cover the Wadi Rum jeep tour?
No. It covers the visitor entry fee only. Jeep tours and camps are paid for separately.
Planning Petra and the rest
If you'd rather have someone else sort out tickets, visas and the order of the days, tell us your dates on our
contact page, or look at the
Petra day tour from Amman. If you're deciding whether to travel at all right now, read
Is Jordan safe to visit? first.
Last updated: 31 October 2026. Fees and rules change, so check jordanpass.jo and mota.gov.jo before you buy.
