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Voykit pocket guide · Jordan
Irbid
إربد
Give Irbid one night as a staging base for Umm Qais, Pella and Ajlun — not as a sightseeing city. The town itself is a half-day at most.
Irbid is northern Jordan's university and administrative city, 88 km north of Amman, with a Bronze Age past buried under modern streets. Its value to a traveller is position: Umm Qais, Pella, Jerash and Ajlun are all within reach, and beds cost less than in Amman. The city's own sights — a citadel mound, two university museums, a clock tower — fill an afternoon, not a trip. Come for the base, not the town.
- Country
- Jordan
- Local name
- إربد
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot), Jan–Feb (wet and cold)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JOD
- Money
- Jordanian dinar (JOD) is divided into 1,000 fils (or 100 piastres); one dinar is a high-value note.
- Daily spend
- Budget JD 20–35 excl. bed · Mid JD 35–60 excl. bed · High JD 60+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Zain, Orange and Umniah sell tourist SIMs at Queen Alia arrivals; passport registration is required.
- Emergency
- Police, ambulance and fire 911
- Plugs
- Types C, D, F, G, J · 230 V · 50 Hz · European two-pin plugs fit most sockets; UK three-pin (G) is common in newer hotels. Bring a universal adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Round up or 5–10% if no service charge; many mid-range places add 10%.; Taxi / Careem: Round up to the next half or whole dinar.; Guide, half day: JOD 5–10 per person.; Driver, full day: JOD 10–20.; Wadi Rum camp staff and jeep driver: JOD 5–10 per group, per day.; Hotel porter: JOD 1 per bag.
- Water
- Treated at source but stored in rooftop tanks; drink bottled or filtered. Water is scarce — short showers help.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, malls and restaurants; squat toilets at some bus stations. A hose replaces paper in many places. Petra has toilet blocks along the main trail.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Falafel sandwich | JD 0.20–0.50 |
| Shawarma sandwich | JD 0.60–1.50 |
| Hummus or falafel plate to go | JD 0.40–1.50 |
| Grill restaurant main (kebab, chicken) | JD 4–9 |
| Shisha at a café | JD 1.50–3 |
| Short taxi ride in the city | JD 1–3 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | JD 8–15 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- AMM · Queen Alia International (Amman)
- About 1 h 45 min–2 h by road to Irbid; no rail link. Shared and private transfers run from Amman.
- QIR · Amman Civil Airport (Marka)
- Closer to the north but few scheduled passenger flights; check before planning around it.
Typical fares
- Bus Amman (Tabarbour) → Irbid
- from about JD 1, roughly 1 h 30 min (check)
- Direct coach Amman → Irbid
- about JD 2.10, no intermediate stops (check)
- Taxi Irbid → Umm Qais
- agree before departure; expect several dinars (check)
Get around
Taxis are the default: in Irbid the meter is rarely used, so agree a price before you get in. Service taxis and minibuses run fixed routes with no timetable and leave when full. Distances inside the city are short; most trips cost a few dinars.
See and do
Known for
- Yarmouk University museums
- Irbid Citadel mound
- University Street food and cafés
- Gateway to Umm Qais and Pella
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Umm Qais (Gadara) | Taxi or rental car north on the Irbid–Umm Qais road | About 30–40 min each way |
| Pella | Taxi or car via the Jordan Valley road | About 45 min each way |
| Jerash | Car or taxi south on the Amman road | About 1 h each way |
| Ajlun Castle | Car or taxi south-west via Ajlun | About 45 min each way |
| Amman | Bus or coach from the Amman Jadeed terminal, or taxi | About 1 h 30 min–2 h |
Sleep
- University Street area
- Restaurants, cafés, shops and the city's larger hotels; the practical base if you have a car or use taxis.
- Downtown (around the citadel and clock tower)
- Older, cheaper hotels, noisy traffic and evening crowds; walkable to the citadel and the archaeological museum.
- Yarmouk University area
- Quiet, student-oriented, close to the Museum of Jordanian Heritage and the Natural History Museum.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | مرحباmarhaba |
| Thank you | شكراshukran |
| How much is it? | كم السعر؟kam al-si'r? |
| Too expensive | غالي كثيرghali ktir |
| Where is the taxi stand? | وين موقف التاكسي؟wen mawqif al-taksi? |
| The bill, please | الحساب لو سمحتal-hisab law samaht |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Salam alaykum or marhaba; handshake between men; wait for a woman to offer her hand; avoid: Kissing or hugging someone of the other sex in greeting
- Hospitality: Accept tea or coffee; eat a little when invited; avoid: Refusing all food and drink outright
- Right hand: Eat, pass things and pay with the right hand; avoid: Using the left hand to offer food
- Feet: Keep soles on the ground when sitting; avoid: Pointing the soles of your feet at people
- Mosques: Covered arms and legs, headscarf for women, shoes off; avoid: Entering during prayer times unless invited
- Dress in town: Long trousers or skirts, shirts with sleeves; avoid: Shorts and swimwear away from resorts
- Photography: Ask first, especially with women and Bedouin families; avoid: Photographing police, soldiers or checkpoints
- Politics: Listen; opinions on Palestine run deep; avoid: Joking about the King or the royal family
Scams and watch-outs
- Taxis in Irbid often skip the meter — fix the fare before departure.
- Minibuses and service taxis wait until full; allow slack time for any connection.
- Summer afternoons are hot and dry; do the citadel and walking early.
- Winter (Dec–Feb) is wet and cool, with the heaviest rain of the year.
- Alcohol is sold in downtown liquor stores rather than bars; there are no pubs in the city.
Irbid is a working Jordanian city and generally calm for visitors; the practical risks are unlit pavements, fast traffic and unmetered taxis. Agree fares first, keep to main streets after dark and treat the northern border zone as a no-go for casual wandering.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Irbid yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Yarmouk University museums
- Irbid Citadel mound
- University Street food and cafés
- Gateway to Umm Qais and Pella
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Jordan Tourism Board: international.visitjordan.com/
- Wikivoyage: Irbid, revision 5205238 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5205238
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Irbidإربد
إلى هذا العنوان، لو سمحت
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, ambulance and fire911
Most embassies are in Amman; check your country's mission there before travelling north.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/irbid). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.