Is it safe to visit Jordan?

What is the truth about this country in the Middle East? Is it safe to travel to Jordan right now? Find out the answer in this article.

⚡ Don’t miss my Travel Guide to Jordan.

After a very long trip, about 20 hours with three flights via Bangkok and Hong Kong to Taiwan, I’m finally home… Tired but happy.

There are so many things to say that I really don’t know where to start. Before traveling to a new place I usually try to find as much info as possible about the country I’m going to visit and the culture of the people. I do this because I really want to experience life in the country and all this info is also very useful for me as a photographer. They help me to get into the right mood so to say. But in the case of Jordan things were a bit different. These days there are a lot of different opinions about this country in the heart of the middle east. Close to Syria and Israel, we all imagine this place to be really dangerous.

Most of my friends were really concerned for me. Some of them thought that I was going to die. A friend of mine was so afraid that he told me that since I’m a blogger the ISIS fighters would try to capture me…

To be completely honest with you, in the last few hours before my flight, I was a bit afraid too, even though usually I don’t let other people affect my point of view about other countries. Don’t get me wrong: I’m happy that my friends were so concerned because It means that they care for me.

But at the same time, I knew that the Mass Media usually exaggerate problems and for this reason, they have a very powerful influence on the minds of those who rely only on TV and News to get an idea of what is going on around them. The question is: How much of what is going on in Syria affects Jordan as well? Is it safe to visit Jordan?

For these reasons I really didn’t know what to expect from my trip: I had really a lot of questions in my mind while flying from Taiwan to Amman. And the closer I was getting to Jordan the more concerned I was. After all, how would YOU have felt if you were flying so close to Syria? I wondered if I was doing the right thing…

Is it safe to visit Jordan?

I strongly believe that it is important to have a personal opinion about any matter in life-based on our own experience, and not only because someone told us something. This is particularly true about traveling. After more than one week spent visiting Jordan, I can honestly say: YES, IT IS SAFE TO VISIT JORDAN!

Of course, you have the right of questioning this sentence (or the whole post) but please, before you say anything let’s consider some facts based on my REAL experience.

Let’s compare what we IMAGINE with REALITY. The truth is that I felt safer visiting the market in downtown Amman than walking in most of the Italian cities (where I come from).
Despite what the Mass Media say, Jordan is a safe country and the criminality rate is really low. According to the latest dates the rate is 50 crimes per 10000 citizens and these 50 “crimes” include people who didn’t pay the rent. If you count only the real crimes the rate is even lower. How many other European countries can claim the same rate?

The only real danger in Jordan is falling in love with the amazing places you will see

Our tour guide told us some real stories to convince us that it is safe to visit Jordan. One of these was about a tourist who was supposed to pay about 3€ to the taxi driver but she didn’t have any change (she only had a big banknote). The driver said: “never mind” and he let her go. Taxi ride for free. Have you ever experienced something like this in any European capital? Most probably not…

Another thing happened to me on my very first evening in Amman. I was walking in the market when a boy approached me and asked if he could treat me to a coffee. He did this because I’m a foreigner. I don’t know if this is normal where you live but I can assure you that in Italy this will NEVER happen. This is what you can expect if you visit Jordan with an open mind.

Jordan is made of hard-working people that struggle to make enough money to support their families and tourism is the main source of income for most the Jordanians

The places I visited will be forever in my mind and I will never forget the amazing food I tasted (actually Jordanian and Lebanese food are now on my top list of favorite cuisine). But to be honest I was deeply touched by the people. I spent some time with the Bedouins in the desert and with other people who work hard and live thanks to the tourism industry and I realized how powerful mass media are.

They can have a deep impact on the lives of these people and every time we read sensationalist news about the middle east, the lives of thousands of people are affected. People who struggle to make a living just like any one of us, probably even more. People who rely on tourism to make some money.

Just to let you know what kind of people the Jordanians are keep in mind that since the beginning of the civil war in Syria about 1 million refugees moved to Jordan. And the total population of Jordan is about 8 million people. To compare what happened in Jordan it is as if in Italy we would have about 8,5 million refugees just in 2/3 years. We will probably have a civil war by then. Let’s keep in mind that Jordan is not as rich as Italy is (or any other western country).

Turn off the TV and start exploring the world by yourself

The most important thing I want the world to know is that there is no reason to be afraid of visiting this Jordan. Jordan is really safe and the people are great but the more you watch the TV or read the news the more you will be afraid of everything around you.
This trip confirmed my philosophy of life: turn off the TV and start exploring the world by yourself!!
People are the same everywhere: don’t let the mass media tell you what you are supposed to think about other people!!!

If you agree with what I wrote in this article, please share it on your social media. It doesn’t cost anything but it can do a lot to help many people in the tourism industry in Jordan.

Still not convinced? Ask Jessica Wright the American blogger of Bon Traveler, Prasad, the Indian blogger behind Desitraveler who have visited Jordan with me.

If you are ready to organize your trip to Jordan check out my travel guide.

It was worth traveling to the other side of the world to relax in this amazing place: the infinity pool with a view of the Dead Sea and Israel in the background

If you want to find great deals for hotels in Jordan don’t forget to check Booking.com. If you use Trip.com check out this page.

Also, don’t forget to get a VPN before you connect to any wifi, no matter if you are home or in a foreign country.

Here you can see more pictures from Jordan and here are 10 reasons to visit Jordan.