The roads
Good highways, slow mountain routes
The Desert Highway (Amman–Aqaba) is a fast, modern dual carriageway — the quickest way south. The King’s Highway (Amman–Madaba–Karak–Dana–Petra) is the scenic route: winding, mountainous, slower, and far more interesting. Allow roughly twice the time of the Desert Highway for the same distance. Roads to Jerash, Ajloun and the Dead Sea are good.
Inside Wadi Rum you do not drive your own car — you leave it at the visitor center and transfer to a Bedouin 4×4. The road to Rum is a long, straight, well-surfaced desert road.
Driving facts
| Side | Right-hand driving |
| Licence | Your national licence; an IDP is recommended |
| Speed limits | ~60 towns, ~80–90 open road, ~110 highway |
| Fuel | Petrol and diesel widely available; cheap by EU standards |
| Checkpoints | Common — slow down, be polite, often just a wave-through |
| Navigation | Google Maps works; download offline maps |
Amman & towns
The hardest part
Amman traffic is the part that unnerves new self-drivers — dense, hilly, with roundabouts and assertive local habits. If you rent, consider picking up the car as you leave Amman rather than driving out of the centre, and returning it on the way back. Parking in town centres is tight; hotel parking is usually easier.
Outside Amman, driving relaxes considerably. Watch for livestock on rural roads, slow farm vehicles, and the occasional unmarked speed bump in villages.
Checkpoints & police
Nothing to worry about
Police checkpoints are common on main roads. Slow down, switch off your phone, and be polite — most are a quick wave-through or a glance at your licence. Have your licence, passport and rental documents handy. Speed cameras exist on the highways; fines are sometimes collected when you return the car.
If self-driving does not appeal, a private driver removes all of this — and for many travelers that is the smarter call.
Keep exploring the guide
- Transportation — All your getting-around options.
- Distances — Plan your driving times realistically.
- Travel Safety — Road safety and current-situation awareness.
Turn this knowledge into a journey
Tell us your dates, your pace and who is travelling, and we will shape a private Jordan journey around it — through local eyes.