Amman travel guide
Roman stones, hillside cafes and the start of every Jordan trip
Amman is a hilly limestone capital with a Roman theatre, a citadel and a lively old downtown, and it is the natural base for Jerash, Madaba and the Dead Sea. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable months; plan two or three days. Prices are moderate, and a Jordan Pass covers the visa fee and most site tickets.
Amman is Jordan's capital, a city of pale limestone spread across a cluster of hills, or jabals, between about 700 and 1,100 m. Roughly five million people live in the greater city, which makes it one of the largest in the Levant. Most visitors arrive here first and use it as a base for the rest of the country.
The city is far older than it looks. Ptolemy II renamed it Philadelphia in the 3rd century BC, and the Romans rebuilt it in the 2nd century AD. Their theatre still faces the downtown valley, and on Citadel Hill above it stand the columns of the Temple of Hercules and an Umayyad palace from around AD 700.
Downtown, called al-Balad, is the noisy, cheap and walkable heart: souks, falafel counters and the King Hussein Mosque. Up the hill, Jabal Amman and Jabal al-Weibdeh hold the cafes, galleries and old villas, and Rainbow Street draws a young crowd in the evening. West Amman is newer, richer and built for cars.
Jerash, Madaba, Mount Nebo and the Dead Sea are all within an easy day trip, and buses leave for Petra and Aqaba each morning. Many travellers spend their first and last nights in Amman, and find the city more rewarding than they expected.
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Top things to do in Amman
Roman ruins, museums and old neighbourhoods, mostly between downtown and the hills just above it.
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Best time to visit Amman
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
Mild days, green hills and wildflowers on the Jerash and Madaba roads.
Warm and dry, ideal for combining Amman with Petra and Wadi Rum.
Hot and dry, though Amman's height keeps evenings bearable.
Cool and rainy, with occasional snow on the higher hills.
During Ramadan many restaurants close by day and the city comes alive after sunset; check the dates before you book.
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Getting there
Queen Alia airport and the desert highway
Queen Alia International Airport, south of the city, is Jordan's main gateway and the hub of Royal Jordanian. Visas on arrival are sold at the counters before passport control. From there, airport express buses and taxis reach central Amman in under an hour, depending on traffic.
- Queen Alia International (AMM)
- Main airport, about 35 km south of the city
- Airport express bus
- Runs to the city through the day
- King Hussein Bridge
- Land crossing from the West Bank; rules differ, so check ahead
- JETT buses
- Intercity coaches to Petra and Aqaba
- Buy the Jordan Pass online before you fly; show it at the visa counter.
- Use metered taxis or ride-hailing apps from the airport.
- The Abdali area has the main JETT station for Petra and Aqaba coaches.
Where to stay
Downtown, Jabal Amman or Weibdeh
Where you sleep decides what kind of Amman you see. Downtown puts the theatre and souks at the door, with cheap hotels and noise. Jabal Amman and Jabal al-Weibdeh are a short climb above, with boutique guesthouses, galleries and cafes. Business hotels cluster around Abdali and the western circles.
- Downtown (al-Balad)
- Budget hotels next to the Roman theatre and souks
- Jabal Amman
- Rainbow Street, old villas and mid-range boutique stays
- Jabal al-Weibdeh
- Quiet streets, art spaces and small guesthouses
- Abdali and Shmeisani
- Chain hotels, malls and business districts
- Ask about stairs: many hillside guesthouses have no lift.
- Friday mornings are quiet everywhere, which suits a late breakfast.
Getting around
Taxis, apps and steep stairways
Amman sprawls over many hills, so you will use taxis more than in most cities. Yellow cabs run on meters, and ride-hailing apps work well. In the centre, old stone stairways connect the jabals to downtown, and walking them is one of the best ways to see the city.
- Taxis
- Yellow cabs with meters; cheap by Western standards
- Ride-hailing
- Careem and Uber operate
- Bus Rapid Transit
- Links central Amman with Zarqa
- On foot
- Rainbow Street to the theatre via the stairways
- Have small notes ready; drivers rarely carry change.
- Avoid driving in the rush hours around the circles.
Know before you go
Reasons to give Amman more than a night, and what tends to surprise first-time visitors.
Why travelers love it
- Sunset from the Citadel, when the call to prayer rolls across the hills and the theatre lights come on below.
- Breakfast at a downtown falafel counter, with hummus, bread and sweet tea for very little.
- Kunafa from Habibah, the cheese pastry served hot from a stall behind the Arab Bank.
- Jabal al-Weibdeh, its old houses, small galleries and the Darat al Funun arts centre.
- The Jordan Museum, with the 'Ain Ghazal statues, among the oldest human figures ever found.
Good to know
- Fridays start slowly. Many shops and sites keep short hours until after midday prayers.
- Addresses are vague. Directions use circles, landmarks and the name of the jabal.
- Alcohol is available in hotels and some bars, but not everywhere.
- Bring a jacket in winter. Stone houses are cold, and heating is uneven.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Amman, month by month
Amman has dry, hot summers and short, wet winters; the panel gives the averages for each month.
Climate figures are long-term averages for Amman Civil Airport, 1989 to 2018 (Jordan Meteorological Department, via Wikipedia). West Amman is cooler and wetter.
Two days from the Citadel to Rainbow Street
Two days are enough for Amman's main sights. Spend the first in the old downtown and on Citadel Hill, and the second in the museums and the hillside neighbourhoods.
Day one. Start at the Roman theatre, built into the hillside in the 2nd century AD, with the small Odeon beside it. Walk through the souks and past the Grand Husseini Mosque, then take a taxi or the stairways up to the Citadel for the Temple of Hercules, the Umayyad palace and the archaeological museum.
Day two. Spend the morning at the Jordan Museum in Ras al-Ain, then visit the blue-domed King Abdullah I Mosque. In the late afternoon, wander Jabal al-Weibdeh and finish on Rainbow Street, where cafes and rooftop bars look across the valley.
Mansaf, falafel and kunafa
Jordanian food is generous and best eaten in company. The national dish, mansaf, is lamb cooked in jameed, a sauce of dried fermented yoghurt, and served over rice and thin bread on a shared platter.
Downtown, Hashem has served falafel, hummus and fuul to everyone from labourers to royalty for decades, and it stays open late. For something sweet, queue for kunafa, a hot pastry of soft cheese under shredded dough soaked in syrup.
Breakfast is often manakish, flatbread topped with za'atar and olive oil. In the evenings, restaurants in Jabal Amman and Weibdeh serve mezze, grills and fresh juices on terraces with long views over the city lights.
Jerash, Madaba and the Dead Sea from Amman
Amman sits within easy reach of several of Jordan's best sites. Most can be seen in a day with a hired driver, and some by public bus.
Jerash, north of the city, is one of the best-preserved Roman provincial towns anywhere, with a colonnaded street, an oval plaza and two theatres. Go early, before the heat and the tour coaches.
Madaba, to the south-west, is known for its mosaics, above all the 6th-century map of the Holy Land in St George's Church. Mount Nebo, nearby, looks over the Jordan valley. Continue downhill to the Dead Sea for a float in the salt water at the lowest point on land.
East of the city, the desert castles, including the frescoed bathhouse of Qusayr Amra, a UNESCO site, make a loop of about half a day.
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How we research our Amman travel guide
Visa, Jordan Pass and transport details are checked against the Jordan Tourism Board and the Jordan Pass website. Climate figures come from the Jordan Meteorological Department.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Answers to the questions travellers ask most before visiting Amman.
Visa & documents
Many nationalities can get a visa on arrival for 40 dinars. The Jordan Pass, bought online before travel, waives that fee if you stay at least three nights.
General
The visa fee plus entry to Petra, Jerash, the Amman Citadel, the Roman theatre and many other sites. It pays off for most visitors who include Petra.
Downtown and the mosques call for covered shoulders and knees. West Amman is more relaxed, but modest dress is always the safer choice.
Yes, it is open to non-Muslims outside prayer times. Women are given an abaya to wear at the entrance.
JETT buses leave Amman each morning for Wadi Musa and take about three to four hours. A hired driver can stop at Kerak or the Dead Sea on the way.
Taxis and ride-hailing apps are cheap and widely used. Walking between the hills is steep, so most visitors combine both.
Amman is best known for:
- Sunset from the Citadel, when the call to prayer rolls across the hills and the theatre lights come on below
- Breakfast at a downtown falafel counter, with hummus, bread and sweet tea for very little
- Kunafa from Habibah, the cheese pastry served hot from a stall behind the Arab Bank
- Jabal al-Weibdeh, its old houses, small galleries and the Darat al Funun arts centre
- The Jordan Museum, with the 'Ain Ghazal statues, among the oldest human figures ever found
Where you sleep decides what kind of Amman you see. Downtown puts the theatre and souks at the door, with cheap hotels and noise. Jabal Amman and Jabal al-Weibdeh are a short climb above, with boutique guesthouses, galleries and cafes.
- Fridays start slowly. Many shops and sites keep short hours until after midday prayers
- Addresses are vague. Directions use circles, landmarks and the name of the jabal
- Alcohol is available in hotels and some bars, but not everywhere
- Bring a jacket in winter. Stone houses are cold, and heating is uneven
Getting there
About 35 km south. Airport express buses and taxis run to the city; allow 45 minutes or more by road.
Health & safety
Jordan is generally considered one of the safer countries in the region. Check your own government's travel advice before you go.
Booking
Two days covers the city itself. Add a day each for Jerash and for Madaba with Mount Nebo or the Dead Sea.
Timing & weather
December to February, when nights fall close to freezing and snow falls in some years. Pack a warm layer.
The best time to visit Amman is Mar to May, Sep to Nov. Warm days and cool evenings for walking the hills.
- Spring: March - May (Mild days, green hills and wildflowers on the Jerash and Madaba roads)
- Autumn: September - November (Warm and dry, ideal for combining Amman with Petra and Wadi Rum)
- Summer: June - August (Hot and dry, though Amman's height keeps evenings bearable)
- Winter: December - February (Cool and rainy, with occasional snow on the higher hills)
Prices & payment
The currency of Amman is the Jordanian dinar (JOD). Cards in hotels and malls; cash downtown.
