How to Get from Queen Alia Airport to Amman: 30–50 Minutes

To get from Queen Alia Airport to Amman you have three ways: the airport taxi desk, the airport bus, or a car you arrange before you fly. Amman is about 30 to 35 km from the airport and the ride usually takes 30 to 50 minutes, depending on traffic and the part of the city you are going to.

The distance and the time

Public guides put the airport about 30 to 35 km from the city centre. Car hire and airline pages quote around 30 minutes; one travel guide quotes about 50 minutes from the centre by Route 35 and the Airport Road. Roads into the city are usually slower on weekday mornings and late afternoons, so leave a margin if your hotel has a fixed check-in.

Choosing between the three

The taxi desk and the bus are services of the airport and the operators, with their own rules and fares, so ask the desk or the operator for those. A pre-arranged car is for a traveller who wants the drop-off, the number of passengers and the flight written down before landing. It suits a family with luggage, a late flight, or a first visit when you would rather not negotiate at the terminal.

What to send before you land

Start on the Queen Alia airport transfer page. The request needs the pickup (the airport), the street address in Amman, the date, the time, the number of people, the bags and the flight number. WhatsApp opens with those details. Someone then has to reply and confirm that the car is available; the message alone does not reserve it.

After baggage claim

Use the meeting point named in the reply. If a flight changes, the guides to where to meet at Queen Alia and the flight number on a transfer cover what to tell us.

Areas and addresses in Amman

Give the area and a landmark as well as the street, because Amman addresses are known by district and by nearby buildings as much as by number. For a rented apartment add the building name and the floor, so the driver can phone you from the right entrance. If the trip is for someone else, put their name and phone number in the notes.

If your flight is delayed

Send the new landing time when you know it. The flight number lets whoever answers match the request to your actual landing, not only the time on your ticket. If you cannot reach the meeting point after baggage claim, message the number you were given instead of waiting at the wrong exit.

If the address is outside Amman

• Petra, about 2.5 to 3.5 hours, for a hotel in Wadi Musa.
• The Dead Sea, about an hour, for a resort you name.
• Wadi Rum, about 3.5 to 5 hours, for a camp or the visitor area.
• Aqaba, about 3.5 to 4 hours, for an address in the city.