Amman: a first-timer's guide to Jordan's capital

Why visit Amman

Amman is where modern Jordan lives. Most visitors pass through on the way to Petra, but the capital deserves at least a full day. It was the Roman city of Philadelphia, a small town for centuries, and grew quickly in the twentieth century. Today it is a mix of busy souqs, leafy neighbourhoods, galleries, malls and some of the best food in the region.

The Citadel and downtown

Start on Jabal al-Qal'a, the Citadel hill. The Temple of Hercules, with its giant stone hand, and the Umayyad Palace look down over the whole old city, and the small museum holds finds from thousands of years of settlement. Walk or take a short taxi ride down to the Roman Theatre, cut into the hillside and still used for concerts, with two folklore museums in its wings.

Downtown, known as Al Balad, is a tangle of streets around the Grand Husseini Mosque. Wander the gold souq, the spice and vegetable markets and the second hand bookstalls. Eat at Hashem, an open air institution for falafel and hummus, then queue at Habibah for hot kunafa.

Rainbow Street and the hills

Jabal Amman, the hill above downtown, holds Rainbow Street, lined with cafés, small shops and old houses, and the First Circle, a good area to stay. Nearby Jabal al-Weibdeh is the creative heart of the city, with Darat al Funun, the National Gallery and small independent cafés. Both are lovely for slow walks, especially at dusk when the call to prayer rolls across the hills.

Museums and mosques

The Jordan Museum in Ras al-Ain is the best place to understand the country, with the ancient Ain Ghazal statues and fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The blue domed King Abdullah I Mosque welcomes visitors outside prayer times; women are lent a robe and headscarf. Families enjoy the Royal Automobile Museum and the Children's Museum in Al Hussein Park.

Food and evenings

Amman is the best place in the country to eat. Try mansaf, the national dish of lamb cooked in fermented yoghurt over rice, at Sufra or Al Quds, mezze and grills at Reem Al Bawadi, and refined Levantine dishes in the garden of Fakhr El-Din. Abdoun and Sweifieh have bars and modern restaurants; alcohol is served in many hotels and licensed venues.

Where to stay

Downtown suits budget travellers who want to be in the thick of it. Jabal Amman and Weibdeh suit those who want character and walking. Abdali and Shmeisani have big international hotels, and the West Amman districts have newer hotels close to malls.

Getting around

Amman is hilly and spread out, so walking works within one area but not between them. Use taxis, which should run on the meter, or ride hailing apps such as Careem and Uber. The airport is about forty five minutes south, linked by the Airport Express bus and taxis. A new bus rapid transit line serves some main roads.

Day trips from Amman

Jerash is under an hour north, the Dead Sea and the Baptism Site about an hour west, Madaba and Mount Nebo forty minutes south, and the desert castles of Qasr Amra and Qasr Kharana an easy half day east. Plan the longer journeys with our free trip planner and find food and stays on our places to visit list.