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Hitchhiking in Jordan
Everything you need to know about hitchhiking in Jordan: experiences, safety, legislation, advice, tips…
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Hitchhiking Jordan
Hitchhiking in Jordan is, on the face of it, 100% legal. Having tried it out in this destination, it’s an extremely simple way of travelling with no real difficulties.
Jordan is a safe place to hitchhike. In fact, it’s one of the safest countries in the Middle East. Drivers stop very easily and waiting times are very short when there is traffic. On the outskirts of a busy village, it’s not uncommon to stop 2 cars at once!
Jordanians are renowned for their great hospitality, and hitchhiking in their country can give you the opportunity to get frequent invitations to drink tea, share a meal, or even stay with a local, as was the case for me. Jordanians will always be ready to help you and give you a lift. Sometimes they’ll even stop you when you’re walking in places where there aren’t many tourists and you’re carrying a rucksack. This has also happened to me several times in certain places.
Hitchhiking and money in Jordan
I don’t think I’m telling you anything by saying that Jordan is a very touristy country and, as a result, there is a common “problem” (I admit, the term is a bit of an exaggeration), which is the money relationship between the stop and the driver.
Although this doesn’t happen with every car, from my own experience, I have to point out that a significant proportion of motorists stop with the sole aim of earning a few pennies. The problem is that these people often ask for large sums of money. I’ve chosen the term ‘problematic’ because in my case, I certainly don’t travel for lack of money, but rather because hitchhiking is a kind of Holy Grail that allows me to meet people and immerse myself in the countries I visit.
A driver who stops and offers me too much money tells me that his motive is not really to help me but to collect dinars, which somewhat undermines the authenticity of the encounter and therefore of my approach. The Jordanians try to charge high prices, as many tourists don’t realise that they are paying sums sometimes twenty or thirty times higher than the basic Jordanian rates. In this sense, they have the idea that it is the norm for all travellers to spend so much money, and this is quite understandable.
Be that as it may, on several occasions I’ve given something away after a little negotiation that’s fair to both parties, and that’s fine. When a driver is obviously only interested in money, I prefer to choose another car. There are enough Jordanians who want to meet you, and many of them will categorically refuse to accept any payment from you.
To give you an idea: 80 km in Jordan with a private taxi at the basic rates costs around 30 JD.
Watch my Jordan trip
Follow me on Instagram to see all the stages of my itinerary in Jordan, a country I visited in part by hitchhiking and wild camping. You’ll find my experiences in the highlight stories.
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Wild camp in Jordan
Wild camping in Jordan is a great ally to hitchhiking, giving you a feeling of total freedom and getting off the beaten track. As mentioned above, safety is good in the country, and bivouacking is not dangerous. Nevertheless, take a minimum of precautions as you would anywhere else, and don’t expose your tent too much.
One scenario that could happen is that you might be spotted by a police patrol, who might be concerned for your safety and make you leave the camp. Remember that tourism is very important in Jordan and that the authorities have every interest in looking after their foreign visitors.
How to hitchhike
Discover our ultimate and complete guide to hitchhiking. You’ll find loads of relevant information to help you get picked up quickly and easily:
🔎 How to hitchhike: Complete guide
Jordan travel itinerary
Discover 10-day and 2-week travel itineraries in Jordan to discover all the country’s must-see places:
