Jordan Pass Guide: Is It Worth It? (2026 Complete Guide)

The Jordan Pass is a combined ticket that bundles your Jordanian tourist visa with entry to more than 40 attractions across the country, including Petra. For visitors crossing from Israel, it is usually the most cost-effective way to approach a Jordan trip — but it is not always the right answer. Here is a clear-eyed breakdown.

What the Jordan Pass actually is

The Jordan Pass is a product of the Jordan Tourism Board, purchased exclusively online at jordanpass.jo before you cross the border. It does two things:

1. Waives the Jordanian tourist visa fee (JD 40 / roughly $55) for eligible nationalities who stay at least one night in Jordan.
2. Covers entry to Petra (and 40+ other sites) for the tier you choose.

It is not a hotel pass, a transport pass or a tour package. It simply replaces what you would otherwise pay separately at the border (visa) and at the Petra ticket office (entry).

The three Jordan Pass tiers

Prices shift periodically — always check the current figures at jordanpass.jo before purchase. The tiers are not “1 night, 2 nights, 3 nights” — they reflect how many separate calendar days you enter the Petra Visitor Centre.

The cost maths: is it actually worth it?

For a visitor paying the standard Jordanian tourist visa:

| Jordan Pass 1 (online) | JD 70–80 ($96–110) |

The saving on a single Petra day is roughly JD 20–30 — real money, with zero additional paperwork at the border.

For two Petra days, the maths improves further: separate entry for two days would cost JD 40 + JD 60 + JD 60 = JD 160, while the Jordan Pass 2 costs around JD 75–85.

When the Jordan Pass is less useful: if your nationality is already visa-exempt from Jordan independently (check moi.gov.jo — currently applicable mainly to GCC nationals), you are only saving the difference between the Jordan Pass price and the Petra entry ticket. Still potentially worthwhile for multi-day visits, but the arithmetic is less clear-cut.

How to buy and use it

1. Before you travel: go to jordanpass.jo, choose your tier, enter your passport number and planned Jordan entry date, and pay online.
2. You receive instantly: a PDF with a QR code, by email.
3. At the border (Wadi Araba or Allenby): present the QR code to the Jordanian immigration officer. They scan it and you pass through without paying the visa fee.
4. At the Petra Visitor Centre: present the QR code again at the ticket gate. They scan it and issue you a wristband for the site.

The QR code works on your phone screen — no need to print anything. But carry the PDF as a backup in case of connectivity issues.

What Jordan Pass does not cover

• Hotel accommodation
• Internal transport (taxis, JETT buses, local minibuses)
• Guided tours inside Jordan
• The horse ride from the Petra gate to the Siq entrance (optional, typically JD 5–15)
• Wadi Rum Jeep tours or overnight camps (the Visitor Centre entry is included, not the activities)
• Israeli border exit fees (~$10–25 depending on crossing)
• Jordanian departure taxes at the border

The one-night rule

The Jordan Pass visa waiver requires you to stay at least one night in Jordan. Same-day border crossings (entering and exiting Jordan within the same calendar day) are not eligible for the visa waiver, even with a Jordan Pass. In that case you pay the standard visa fee on arrival and your Jordan Pass covers only the Petra entry portion. For day-trippers from Eilat, this means the Jordan Pass saves mainly the Petra ticket discount rather than the full JD 40 visa fee.

This rule matters most for Eilat day-trippers: if you plan to cross in the morning and return the same evening, factor this into your cost comparison — an overnight in Wadi Musa moves the full saving back into play.

Crossing from Israel with your Jordan Pass

The two crossings used for Petra trips from Israel are:

• Wadi Araba / Yitzhak Rabin terminal (Eilat ↔ Aqaba) — the standard crossing for Petra day trips and overnights from southern Israel. Typically open daily 6:30am–8pm (verify current hours before you travel).
• Allenby / King Hussein Bridge (Jericho ↔ Amman) — used for Israel-Jordan itineraries where you enter Jordan from Jerusalem and return via the same crossing, or enter/exit at different crossings.

At both crossings, the Jordan Pass QR code is presented on the Jordanian side after you have cleared the Israeli exit process. For a full guide to the border logistics, see the border crossings guide.

Combining Jordan Pass with organised tours

Many day tours and overnight Petra packages from Eilat either:

• Include the Jordan Pass (or Petra entry and visa) in the quoted price — the operator handles the paperwork.
• Require you to bring your own Jordan Pass — check before booking.

Always confirm with your operator exactly what is included before purchase. If a tour already bundles Petra entry and Jordan visa handling, buying a separate Jordan Pass might produce a duplicate charge you cannot recover.

For comparison of tour formats (day trip vs overnight vs combined itinerary), see the Petra tours compared guide and Petra from Israel guide.

Jordan Pass in context: full Israel–Jordan trip

If you are combining Israel and Jordan in a single trip — crossing south at Eilat, visiting Petra and Wadi Rum, and returning via the Allenby Bridge — the Jordan Pass 2 or 3 tier pays for itself comfortably. You would visit Petra across two days, plus sites like Aqaba’s Mamluk Fort, Wadi Rum Visitor Centre and (if the route allows) Jerash or Madaba. The 12-month validity and the list of 40+ included sites means there is almost no scenario in a multi-day Jordan trip where the Jordan Pass loses money for standard-visa nationalities.

For a full itinerary structure, see the Israel and Jordan 10-day itinerary.