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Voykit pocket guide · Jordan
Madaba
مادبا
Give Madaba one night, not two: mosaics and Mount Nebo fill a half day, and it works as a first or last stop, 25 km from the airport.
Madaba is a small market town of about 80,000 people on the King's Highway, 35–40 km from Amman and 25 km from Queen Alia airport. Its 6th-century mosaic map of the Holy Land, a cluster of mosaic-floored churches and Mount Nebo 9 km away make it the natural first or last night of a Jordan trip, or a half-day stop between Amman and Kerak.
- Country
- Jordan
- Local name
- مادبا
- Best months
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot, dry), Dec–Feb nights
- 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 20–35 JD excl. bed · Mid 45–70 JD excl. bed · High 100 JD+ 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 or shawarma sandwich | 1–3 JD |
| Sit-down mezze and grill dinner | 8–20 JD |
| Coffee or tea | 1–2 JD |
| St George's Church entry | 1 JD, free with the Jordan Pass |
| Archaeological Park ticket (park, museum, Apostles Church) | 5 JD, free with the Jordan Pass |
| Mount Nebo entry | 2 JD |
| Amman–Madaba bus or minibus | 0.65–1.20 JD |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- AMM · Queen Alia International
- About 25 km; taxi or Uber to the centre, roughly 20–30 minAbout 16 mi; taxi or Uber to the centre, roughly 20–30 min
Typical fares
- Airport → Madaba centre, taxi
- about 12 JD, 20–30 min
- Airport → Madaba centre, Uber
- about 6 JD
- In-town taxi
- flat 1 JD; agree before boarding
- Madaba → Amman, bus
- 0.65–1.20 JD, about 1 h
Get around
The centre is walkable in 15–20 minutes end to end. In-town taxis run at a flat fare rather than the meter, so agree the price before you get in; Uber also works, including to Mount Nebo. A taxi to the bus station is worth it with bags.
See and do
Known for
- Madaba Map in St George's Church
- Mosaic floors and the Archaeological Park
- Mount Nebo viewpoint
- King's Highway stop
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Nebo | Taxi or Uber, 9 km northwest on the Dead Sea roadTaxi or Uber, 5.6 mi northwest on the Dead Sea road | About 30 min each way |
| Umm ar-Rasas | Car or taxi southeast via Dhiban, about 30 kmCar or taxi southeast via Dhiban, about 19 mi | About 1 h each way |
| Hammamat Ma'in | Car or taxi southwest, about 30 kmCar or taxi southwest, about 19 mi | About 45 min each way |
| Machaerus (Mukawer) | Car or taxi southwest, about 30 km, bypassing Hammamat Ma'inCar or taxi southwest, about 19 mi, bypassing Hammamat Ma'in | About 1 h each way |
| Kerak | Bus or car south on the King's Highway | About 1.5 h |
| Dead Sea | Car or taxi west, 35–40 kmCar or taxi west, 22–25 mi | About 45 min |
Sleep
- King Talal Street / church cluster
- Walk to St George's, the Archaeological Park and restaurants; dorms and small hotels.
- Al Muhafada Circle
- Quieter mid-range hotels with parking and pools, 10–15 min walk from the mosaics.
- Bus station area (east, by the highway)
- Only if you leave early; little to see and traffic noise.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | مرحباmarhaba |
| Thank you | شكراshukran |
| How much is it? | كم السعر؟kam al-si'r? |
| Where is the church? | وين الكنيسة؟wen al-kanisa? |
| The bill, please | الحساب لو سمحتal-hisab law samaht |
| No thanks | لا شكراla shukran |
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
- In-town taxis often skip the meter: fix the fare before you ride.
- St George's closes to visitors during services.
- Mount Nebo entry is a separate small fee and is not covered by the Jordan Pass.
- Summer afternoons are hot and shade is scarce at the archaeological sites.
Madaba is a calm, small town and feels safe on foot in the centre by day and early evening. The real risks are traffic on the highway, unmarked taxi fares and summer heat at exposed sites.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Madaba yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Madaba Map in St George's Church
- Mosaic floors and the Archaeological Park
- Mount Nebo viewpoint
- King's Highway stop
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Jordan — Madaba and Mount Nebo: international.visitjordan.com/
- Wikivoyage: Madaba, revision 5244237 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5244237
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Madabaمادبا
إلى هذا العنوان، لو سمحت
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, ambulance and fire911
No embassies in Madaba; most are in Amman, about 35–40 km north.
Carry small notes for church and site fees; cards work in mid-range hotels and larger restaurants.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/madaba). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.