The majority of travellers visiting Jordan will fly into Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA), situated about a 55-minute drive / 35km from the city of Amman; its proximity to the capital means it's most commonly referred to as Amman Airport, and you need transport to go between the two.

To do this, you have four options: private transfers, airport taxis, an express bus, or picking up a rental car.

At time of writing, there is no public bus.

To help you plan ahead, in this short 'routes' post we've shared details on the four main ways to travel from Amman airport to the city centre so you can choose the best for your travel style.

If you're on one of the post-midnight flights arriving from London, we've also included specific advice on what to do given the options are more limited at that time.

(This post was fully updated in February 2024)

How to get to amman

Transfer / Book your private transfer in advance here
Taxi / Official taxis outside arrivals - fixed rate of 22.50 JD
Bus / Regular bus (at least hourly) 24 hours a day
Car / All major car rental companies at the airport (although we recommend picking up your vehicle once done with Amman) - check availability and prices here.

How To Get From Queen Alia Airport To Amman

Private Amman Airport Transfers

For the most convenient and comfortable ride after a long flight, you can opt for a private transfer to get from the airport to Amman.

The driver will wait for you in arrivals with a sign, then drop you off right outside your hotel in the city. The cars are usually to a good standard, and drivers offer more of client service than the normal taxis. As it's paid online in advance, it also means you don't have to worry about immediately getting local currency or exchange rates when you touch down.

There are two highly-rated options available to book online before you travel:

We booked this transfer (the highest-rated option) but unfortunately they seem to have put their prices up quite considerably. The reviews remain excellent, so may still be a good option for some (find out more here), but if you’d rather save your pennies for activities, take a look at the following two options:

Amman Airport Transfer | Excellent reviews, and around £19 per person. Find out more or book here.

Queen Alia Airport to Amman | This transfer charges a flat rate for up to three passengers so if there’s more than one in your group, this works out to be the best value option. Find out more or book here.

For any private transfer, we recommend booking at least 48 hours before you fly, but earlier is better to ensure availability during the high season. Note that most private Amman airport transfers quote their prices on a 'per person' basis, so make sure you include everyone in your party before paying.

If you're a group or family with a lot of luggage (i.e. more than 1 large suitcase per person and your carry-on), you may have to notify the company in advance or pay a little extra due to a larger vehicle being required (they also have minivans).

Cost | From £19 GBP / $24 USD per person, one-way.

Travel Time | 35-55 minutes, depending on traffic and your neighbourhood in Amman.

Book | Airport Transfer Amman

Top Tip // Travellers can get a free Jordan visa and entrance to several popular attractions in the county (including Petra) if they buy the Jordan Pass before arrival. For most of you flying into Amman, it’s a no-brainer. Find out more information on its benefits, how it works, and a scam to avoid: A Review of The Jordan Pass.

Alternatively, start planning for the capital’s markets, street art, and historical sites with our guide: 11 Wonderful Things To Do in Amman.

Taxis from Amman Airport To City Centre

There will be a number of 'unofficial' taxi drivers waiting in arrivals, and you'll get a few approaches if you hang around for even just a few minutes.

We are not aware of any directed scams, and the majority of these guys will simply be trying to make their return trip to the city worthwhile, but we recommend politely avoiding them. If you do go with one of the 'unofficial' drivers, then please exercise caution (especially if the price seems to good to be true).

A better option is to step outside the terminal where you'll find a kiosk straight ahead of you on the left hand side. It’s got a helpful big yellow 'Airport Taxi' sign, so you can’t miss it. This is where you'll find all the official Amman airport taxis, registered and traceable drivers.

To the right of the kiosk’s window, there's a slightly hidden away framed A4 sheet of paper that lists official fixed prices of a taxi from Queen Alia Airport to Amman. The current price (correct as of February 2024) is 22.50 JD (£26 / $32) per vehicle.

Prices are fixed by Jordanian law, but please do let us know in the comments if the rate increases!

Join the queue, just say 'Amman', and you'll receive an official receipt listing trip price and destination. You do not pay here, but you will hand this receipt over to the taxi driver upon entering the vehicle and pay the driver directly.

The receipt is mandatory, and we recommend taking a photo of this before you hand this to the assigned driver. Note that all the taxis are parked by the kiosk, so you don't have to go very far for your ride.

We didn't see any vans or people-carriers, so large groups or those with a lot of luggage may need to wait longer for a suitable option or split themselves between cars.

If opting for the Amman airport taxis, you need to have a note of your accommodation name and address to hand for the driver. We recommend having this printed / written down somewhere as well as on your phone in case you have drained all your battery on the flight over. It's also a good idea to have it starred in an offline Google Map (find out how to do that here).

Cost | A taxi from Amman airport to the city costs 22.50 JD (£26 / $32) per vehicle, one-way. If you’re a solo traveller, it may make sense to buddy up with others heading in the same direction.

Travel Time | 35-55 minutes, depending on traffic and your neighbourhood in Amman.

Book | No advance booking required. Note that there may be one or two Ubers at Amman airport, but coverage and reliability isn't great, so you'll end up waiting longer.

Top Tip // You can find three ATMs inside the arrivals terminal of Queen Alia International Airport. They're located just to the left of the car rental desks. All of them charge a fee, which is common in Jordan, so it's best to take out a higher amount to last you for a good few days.

Find out more useful tips alongside essential travel better information + inspiration in 23 Things To Know Before You Visit Jordan (published soon, promise!) + 16 Things To Know Before You Visit Amman.

The Express Bus From Amman Airport

The Sariyah Express Airport Bus is the only option for travellers as, at time of writing, there is no public bus service from Queen Alia Airport to Amman.

This is the cheapest and most sustainable way to and from the airport, so a good option if you're not in a rush. However, as it doesn't drop travellers off at hotels or have a a wide range of conveniently situated stops in the capital, it can involve flagging a downtown taxi or a walk to your accommodation.

The first services are at 6 am and 7 am, with departures then on the hour and every half hour until 6pm. After this, there are departures on the hour, every hour until 5am. See the latest schedule here.

A one-way ticket costs 3.30JD (£4 / $5), and they can be purchased from the obvious Sariyah Express kiosk outside arrivals (opposite the Amman airport taxi kiosk we mentioned above). You cannot buy tickets online or in advance.

The buses are yellow, and leave from the marked stop near the kiosk (Google Maps) if unsure, just ask when buying your ticket.

On the company’s website, it notes the fixed route as: North Bus Station - Housing Bank Complex - Fourth Circle - Fifth Circle - Sixth Circle - Seventh Circle - QAIA (Queen Alia International Airport - Amman Airport). That description is perhaps the least useful overview possible for the visitor, but as we didn't take this bus and its online presence isn't great, we haven't been able to source a route map for you to make it clearer.

Reading a few travellers experiences however, it sounds like the most likely route is go to the North Bus Station (also called Tabarbour - Google Maps) at the end of the line. From there, you can hail a taxi, which should cost about 3-4 JD on the meter or agreed in advance, but you may be quoted triple that by drivers who approach you or try their luck.

However, based on our 16 Things To Know Before You Visit Amman, getting off at the Fourth Circle stop looks like it would actually be the better / closer option for accommodation in downtown (you’d still need to walk or take a taxi for 1-2 JD).

As Amman's topography and urban layout is quite bewildering for the first-time visitor, we do not recommend trying to walk unless you're absolutely certain that it's manageable with luggage.

If you do take the Amman airport bus and can shine a bit more light on the experience or recommended stop for travellers like you, then please get in touch in the comments below!

Although the bus runs throughout the night in high season, we do not recommend taking it for any journeys between Queen Alia International Airport and Amman after dark.

Cost | 3.30JD (£4 / $5) per person, plus potential taxi fare in Amman.

Travel Time | 60-90 minutes.

Book | No online or advance tickets available.

Top Tip // Before rushing off for the bus or taxi, remember that Amman Airport is the most convenient and cheapest place to pick up a Jordan mobile-SIM card. You'll find three shops in arrivals - including Orange and Zain - with each offering traveller-specific data packages.

For more travel better advice and all the inspiration you’ll need for the city, take a look at 11 Wonderful Things To Do In Amman.

Pick Up A Rental Car

If you've read our ‘Driving In Jordan’ guide, you'll know we recommend renting your car in Amman airport for road trips.

Not only is it the most convenient option, it's also the cheapest.

We booked our vehicle with Avis via Rentalcars.com, as it gave a cheaper rate than booking directly (£349.30 for ten days in May, with standard insurance and unlimited mileage included, instead of £396 on the Avis website).

However, within that same guide, we strongly recommend against picking up your car at the airport if you plan on driving into Amman! With the busiest, most stressful roads in Jordan, it's not really the most enjoyable introduction to your trip (especially after a long travel day from home). You also don’t need a car to enjoy + explore the capital.

Feel free to go against this advice, but we encourage you to read a more in-depth discussion of this, plus lots of useful tips for your road trip, before booking anything: 17 Things To Know Before Driving in Jordan.

On The London To Amman Midnight Flight?

We travelled on the British Airways London - Amman flight, which arrives at about half-past midnight in Jordan. Rather foolishly, there’s another flight running that route (Royal Jordanian) that also arrives at about the same time.

Our main concern with the late night arrival was how to get from Queen Alia airport to Amman safely, and whether it was more sensible to just rent a room at an airport hotel. Based on our experience, if you're in the same boat (plane, sorry) and arriving after midnight, this is what you should know:

1. There are no large, generic hotels in the airport, and there’s a real lack of options. The closest is ‘The Amman Airport Hotel’, but its rating is 4.4, reviews are consistently horrendous, it's very overpriced, and still requires a taxi to get there. A better alternative is Faraseen Apartments, which offers 24/7 free pick up from the airport for guests.

There were a few better small hotel or guesthouse options that could’ve worked, but they don't offer check-in after 9pm and you'd still need to pay for a taxi from the airport to reach them. Sleeping or hanging out at airport wasn't an option for us.

2. As we couldn't find information on whether the bus or Amman airport taxis would still be running after midnight, and were unsure if that was a sensible option, we decided to book this private transfer into Amman.

The next challenge was finding a hostel, hotel or guesthouse in our price range (arriving after midnight to an Airbnb isn't a viable option) which could guarantee a check-in after midnight PLUS a guarantee there would be someone at reception to let us in.

This wasn't as easy as it may sound, but we eventually found a fantastic option in Khan Kediwe, and it went smoothly. Highly recommend it.

3. However, we can now confidently tell you that the official Amman airport taxis do operate after midnight (it’s a 24/7 service) so will be a viable option for you!

4. Alternatively, we discovered that several of the Amman airport car rental companies have 24-hour desks, so you absolutely could collect your car on arrival (look + book on Rentalcars.com).

However, we'd suggest you spend your first night in nearby Madaba, which is an easier 30-minute drive away, unless you have a guaranteed parking space in the city.

Not Going To From Queen Alia Airport to Amman?

Lastly, if you're not actually planning on spending time in Amman, then it's worth knowing that you don't have to go into the city to get your onward transport.

Instead, you should do the following:

1. Pick up your rental car at the airport and start your road trip immediately.

2. Book a private transfer or tour from the airport to popular destinations in Jordan:

· Amman Airport To Dead Sea Hotel

· Queen Alia Airport to Petra

· Private Arrival Transfer: Amman Airport to Petra Hotels

· Private Transfer: Amman Airport to Wadi Rum

· Petra, Wadi Rum & Dead Sea 2-Day Tour from Amman Airport

3. Take one of the official Queen Alia airport taxis for a fixed price to your first destination! We’ll share the prices from the airport to everywhere in our main destination guides - find a selection below or visit our dedicated Jordan planning page.