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Voykit pocket guide · Jordan
Zarqa
الزرقاء
Skip Zarqa as a destination: it is an industrial satellite of Amman with no tourist sights. Use it only if you have business or family there.
Zarqa is Jordan's third-largest city and industrial centre, home to over half the country's factories and three universities. It has no historic core, no museum of note and no attraction that draws travellers. The city is a functional transport junction on the Amman–Baghdad and Saudi–Syria highways, but every sight worth seeing in northern Jordan is elsewhere. Most visitors pass through on the bus rapid transit line or the Hejaz Railway without stopping.
- Country
- Jordan
- Local name
- الزرقاء
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot)
- Stay
- 0 nights
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 15–25 excl. bed · Mid JD 25–40 excl. bed · High JD 40+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Zain, Orange and Umniah sell tourist SIMs at Queen Alia arrivals; passport registration is required.
- Emergency
- Police 911 · Fire and ambulance 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 |
|---|---|
| BRT Amman–Zarqa, one way | JD 1 |
| Taxi within Zarqa | JD 2–5 |
| Simple meal (falafel, shawarma) | JD 2–4 |
| Coffee at a café | JD 1–2 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- AMM · Queen Alia International Airport
- About 40 km (25 mi) south-west; taxi or car about 45 min (check)About 25 mi (40 km) south-west; taxi or car about 45 min (check)
Typical fares
- BRT Amman–Zarqa
- about JD 1, 20–30 min (check)
- Taxi Zarqa → Amman
- JD 15–20 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Bus rapid transit (BRT) connects Zarqa to Amman. Taxis are available within the city. The Hejaz Railway runs through Zarqa but passenger services are limited (check).
See and do
Known for
- Industrial centre (over 50% of Jordanian factories)
- Hashemite University
- Hejaz Railway stop
- Bus rapid transit link to Amman
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Amman | Bus rapid transit (BRT), about 20–30 min | About 40 min |
| Jerash | Taxi or car via Amman, about 1 h | About 1.5 h |
| Desert castles (e.g. Qasr al-Hallabat, Qasr Amra) | Car, about 30–45 min east | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Near the bus rapid transit station
- Practical for a transit stop; limited hotel options.
- Amman
- Better choice: 20–30 min away by BRT, with far more accommodation and things to do.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | مرحباmarhaba |
| Thank you | شكراshukran |
| How much? | كم؟kam? |
| Where is the bus station? | أين محطة الباص؟ayn mahattat al-bas? |
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
- No tourist infrastructure: few hotels, restaurants aimed at travellers, or English signage.
- Industrial area: air quality can be poor on some days.
- Hejaz Railway passenger services are infrequent and not reliable for travel planning (check).
Zarqa is generally safe for daytime transit, but has no tourist infrastructure. Keep valuables out of sight and use registered taxis. The industrial areas are not for strolling.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Zarqa yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Industrial centre (over 50% of Jordanian factories)
- Hashemite University
- Hejaz Railway stop
- Bus rapid transit link to Amman
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Zarqa Municipality official website: www.zm.gov.jo/ar
- Wikivoyage: Zarqa, revision 4407831 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4407831
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/zarqa). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.