Tour Information
Note: The information presented here is an abbreviated version of our formal General Information for Tours to Jordan. Its purpose is solely to give readers a sense of what might be involved if they take this tour. Although we do our best to make sure that what follows is completely accurate, it should not be used as a replacement for the formal document which will be sent to all tour registrants, and whose contents supersedes any information contained here.
ENTERING AND LEAVING JORDAN: Your passport should be valid for at least six months after the date the tour ends. Visas, obtained in the airport on arrival, are required for all foreign visitors entering Jordan. The fee for the visa is 20 Jordanian Dinars; both the visa booth and a currency exchange booth are well marked in the terminal just outside the arrival gates. There may be a departure tax of 5 JD. There is no restriction at the time of writing for entry into Jordan with a passport containing a stamp from Israel.
MAPS AND COUNTRY INFORMATION: Maps of Jordan from the collections of the iUniversity of Texas are on line here. You can review the US Department of State’s Background Note on Jordan here.
HEALTH: Jordan is a sanitary country, and we will be exploring places that are frequently visited by foreigners. The Centers for Disease Control currently recommend the following vaccines: hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG), hepatitis B, typhoid, rabies, and booster doses as needed for measles/mumps/rubella (MMR), diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus (DPT), poliovirus, and other standard vaccinations. See your doctor at least 4–6 weeks before your trip to allow time for immunizations to take effect.
Tap water in Jordan is generally potable, but bottled water is readily available. Biting insects are only a minor problem and are absent from almost all of the sites we visit; insect repellent will be helpful if you are particularly sensitive to insect bites.
The health and medical information contained here is gleaned by WINGS from websites dedicated to traveler’s health issues. Advisories and recommendations by agencies such as the CDC change frequently. Consult with your physician, local health department, or the CDC on line for the most up-to-date health advisories for travel to Jordan.
PACE OF TOUR: The pace of this tour is relaxed to moderate, with periods of walking and standing (or sitting)—but the days can still be tiring. Early starts wherever possible are imperative, although these may be counteracted by a post-lunch siesta or free time. Most of the birding will be on dirt roads and along trails. Our visit to Petra can be a lot of walking – nothing difficult, but a long day on your feet. Further, there are options for more strenuous hiking to reach additional archeological sites within the Petra complex. These hikes will be optional, and the hotel is nearby for those who wish to retire early. Donkeys or camels are available for hire within the ruins.
Good footwear is essential on all of our trails, and collapsible walking sticks (with a wrist strap) are recommended for anyone with balance, knee or hip troubles.
CLIMATE: The climate in Jordan is Mediterranean, with warm, dry days and high temperatures reaching about 75?F (24?C); it is cooler, around 60?F, at night and in the morning. In the highlands and in Amman it will be slightly cooler, possibly reaching 40-50?F at night in the Dana Reserve. The skies are usually clear to partly cloudy; sun block (SPF 15 or higher) is recommended every day. Rain is possible in the highlands.
ACCOMMODATION: The hotels used on this tour are modern and fully equipped, and cater to foreign tourists. Each room has electricity and a private bathroom with hot running water. Wireless internet access may be available.
We will be camping for two nights: one night at Wadi Rum and one night in the Dana Reserve. In both campgrounds we will be sleeping in tents and eating in a communal space. The sleeping tents are private (one- or two-person occupancy) with mattresses, sheets and blankets provided. The campgrounds have bathrooms with modern, Western-style facilities and running water, though you should be prepared with your own towel and soaps. At Wadi Rum, there are electrical outlets in the common area of the camp.
FOOD: Breakfasts typically include vegetables, olives, pita bread, hummus, and yoghurt; cereal, eggs, and sausages are often available, too. Lunch and dinner usually include stewed or grilled meat with rice, served with vegetarian side dishes such as pita bread, hummus, mutabal, olives, cheese, or fruit. Most hotels and tourist restaurants we visit serve breakfast and lunch as a buffet. Please let us know in advance if you have any special dietary needs or restrictions; most can be accommodated on this tour.
TRANSPORTATION: Transportation between birding destinations and throughout Jordan will be almost entirely on paved roads in a van or small bus. We’ll use four-wheel-drive jeeps for our exploration of the desert areas of Wadi Rum on the morning of Day 9. The Wadi Dana Reserve’s shuttle bus will take us to the campground for the night we spend in the reserve.
SMOKING: Smoking is prohibited in the vehicles or when the group is gathered for meals, checklists, etc. If you are sharing a room with a non-smoker, please do not smoke in the room. If you smoke in the field, do so well away and downwind from the group. If any location where the group is gathered has a stricter policy than the WINGS policy, that stricter policy will prevail.
GENERAL INFORMATION AND CONDITIONS OF WINGS TOURS: Please take a moment to read the General Information and Conditions in the “About Our Tours” section of the WINGS website. This section contains important information about how we conduct tours, e.g., what is included in the tour price, refund and cancellation policies, pace of the tours, and other information that will help you prepare for the tour.
FINAL INFORMATION: Final information with instructions for meeting the group, hotel addresses, etc., will be mailed about three weeks before trip departure. Other news will be communicated as necessary. If you have any questions, please let us know.
Updated: May 2012