How to Spend One Day in Amman, Jordan

Planning a trip to Jordan soon? Be sure to include Amman in your travel plans. This comprehensive travel guide will show you how to spend one day in Amman, allowing you to immerse yourself in the local culture and make the most of your visit. We’ll also share other tips that might be useful to make the most out of your time in Amman.

Amman, the capital city of Jordan, often remains overlooked by most travelers when planning their Jordan itinerary. However, if you have the chance, spend at least a day here. It offers a different, more genuine experience of Jordan’s culture. The locals are known for their kindness, making you feel truly welcome in their country. Additionally, Amman has a lot of history to explore, like the Citadel and the Roman Theater, and vibrant local markets where you can immerse yourself in the local culture.

Planning a trip to Jordan? Check out our Jordan Ultimate Guide and Detailed Itinerary.

Guide to the Dead Sea, Jordan: Where to Float, Stay, and Things to Do.

Visiting Jordan: Practical Information

Best time to visit: Spring (March to May) and Autumn (September to November)
Currency: JOD (Jordanian Dinar)
Language: Arabic, but English is widely spoken in tourist areas
How to get there: Amman or Aqaba airport
Visa: the best way is to get the Jordan pass
How to get around: renting a car, bus, or organized tours. Hitchhiking is very common.
How to pay for stuff: cash (local currency, JOD) is preferred, but card is also accepted in most tourist areas
Plugs: types C, D, F, G, and J, so bring a power adapter
Safety: very safe for tourists, no scams, no pickpockets

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How to Spend One Day in Amman – Table of Contents

In this Amman travel guide, we’l cover the following topics:

Is One Day in Amman Enough?
Things to do in Amman
How to Get to Downtown Amman from the Airport?
How to Get Around Amman?
Where to Stay in Amman?

Is One Day in Amman Enough?

If you have one full day in Amman, starting early in the morning, you’ll probably have time to cover all the highlights we mention in this guide. We also recommend spending at least one night in Amman.

We got really bad weather during our time in Amman, so we didn’t see everything we wanted. If the weather is not on your side, you’ll probably need two days.

Amman can also be a good base for day trips to explore other popular sites like the Jerash archaeological site, the Dead Sea, or Mount Nebo.

Things to do in Amman

Here’s a list of 7 things you should not miss when you visit Amman:

Explore Amman Local Markets with a Local Guide
Discover the Amman Citadel
Visit the Roman Theatre
Jordan Folklore Museum and the Jordanian Museum of Popular Traditions
Eat Falafel at the Most Famous Restaurant
Try Jordan Local Sweets
Explore the Rainbow Street

1. Explore Amman’s Local Markets with a Local Guide

We recommend going on a walking tour with a local guide to explore the city and the local markets. We booked our tour using GuruWalk and our guide was Mohammad Ezzat. The tour started at the rooftop of the Amman Pasha Hotel which gives you amazing panoramic views of the city of Amman.

The tour was divided into two parts. In the first part, our guide explained the history of the city of Amman. In the second part, we explored the most popular local markets. Exploring the local markets with a local guide was a great experience and we visited some places and stores that we wouldn’t have had the opportunity to see if we were by ourselves. The walking tour took us all morning.

You’ll find several tours on the GuruWalk app. You pay based on your satisfaction with the tour. We paid 15 JOD for the two of us.

2. Discover the Amman Citadel

The Amman Citadel sits on the highest hill in Amman about 850 meters above sea level. Even though it is at the top of a hill, you don’t need a taxi to get there. There are some (a lot) stairs you can use to reach the top (simply ignore Google Maps) and climb the stairs that start right in front of the Roman Theatre (you can find the stairs here). Using the stairs to reach the top is a great way to get to know some authentic narrow alleys.

The Amman Citadel is an archaeological site with a great history. It has been occupied by many different great civilizations since the Middle Bronze Age. In the Amman Citadel, you can see the Temple of Hercules (the most famous site in the Citadel), the Umayyad Palace, and a Byzantine church.

The entrance to the Amman Citadel is included in the Jordan Pass.

Additionally, inside the Amman Citadel, you’ll find to the Jordan Archaeological Museum which has a collection of artifacts found in the Citadel and other places in Jordan.

One of the great things about the Amman Citadel is the great views of Amman Downtown and the Roman Theatre.

You can visit the Amman Citadel on your own, get a guide at the entrance, or you can go on a prearranged tour. There are several tour options that include the Amman Citadel and other places of interest in Amman.

3. Visit the Roman Theatre

The Roman Theatre in Amman is an ancient structure dating back to the end of the 2nd century AD, a period when Amman was under Roman influence. This theater can accommodate around 6,000 spectators.

Today, the Roman Theatre serves as a venue for various performances and is also home to two small museums: The Folklore Museum and the Museum of Popular Traditions. Admission to the Roman Forum and the museums is included in the Jordan Pass.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have the time to visit the Roman Theatre from the inside. If you have more time in Amman, definitely visit this place and the museums to get to know better about their traditions and culture.

4. Jordan Folklore Museum and the Jordanian Museum of Popular Traditions

As previously mentioned, the Roman Forum houses two small museums that offer a deeper understanding of Jordanian culture: the Jordan Folklore Museum and the Jordanian Museum of Popular Traditions.

The Jordan Folklore Museum showcases costumes, daily life items, weapons, and musical instruments from the 19th and early 20th centuries. You’ll see mannequins dressed in traditional costumes displayed in scenes from daily life.

The Jordanian Museum of Popular Traditions features the heritage of both Jordanians and Palestinians, including traditional costumes, headdresses, textiles, jewelry, cosmetics, household utensils, and food preparation items.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have spare time to visit those museums during our time in Amman.

5. Eat Falafel at the Most Famous Restaurant

When in Amman, you must try the falafel at Hashem Restaurant. The restaurant operates 24/7, and we visited around midnight after a long flight. It was packed (probably because it was Ramadan). This is a typical local place that specializes in serving falafel accompanied by hummus, pickles, various spreads (whose names I’m not familiar with), and flatbread. Of course, they also offer tea during or after your meal.

Although the falafel and hummus at Hashem were quite good, we had better falafel and hummus in other restaurants in Jordan, like in Wadi Musa. Nonetheless, Hashem is an affordable place to eat and it’s featured in many Jordan travel guides, so it’s definitely worth adding to your itinerary.

6. Try Jordan Local Sweets

When in Jordan, you should definitely try Middle Eastern sweets. The most famous ones are Kunafa and Baklava. These sweets are very very sweet because they are typically soaked in sugar syrup. We bought our sweets from a shop whose name I can’t recall, but the most well-known and recommended place is Habibah Sweets. There’s usually a line at this shop, but it moves quickly. Our guide, from the walking tour, also recommended this place.

7. Explore the Rainbow Street

The Rainbow Street in Amman is a lively and busy street (especially at night) known for its diverse collection of shops, cafes, restaurants, and souvenir shops. It’s very popular among tourists and locals. Unfortunately, our time in Amman was marked by very heavy rain, so we didn’t have the opportunity to explore this street. However, it’s very close to downtown, so you can easily walk there.

How to Get to Downtown Amman from the Airport?

The closest airport to the Amman city is the Queen Alia International Airport, located 35km south of Amman. The easiest and fastest way to reach downtown Amman from the airport is by taxi. It takes approximately 45 minutes. We paid 22.50 JOD using the airport taxis.

Alternatively, you can also use the shuttle bus to the city centre bus station. More information about the airport express bus and timetable here. You can buy the tickets at the official kiosks at the airport. Once at the city centre bus station, you’ll need to get on a taxi to the downtown area.

How to Get Around Amman?

Traffic in Amman is chaotic. The best way to get around is on foot, as most attractions are within walking distance of each other. Additionally, there are plenty of taxis that will slow down and honk to let you know they are available for service. You can also use the Careem app (also widely used in Dubai) to request a ride, similar to Uber.

We don’t recommend driving in Amman due to the chaotic traffic. If you’re planning a road trip in Jordan, it’s best to rent a car after your visit to Amman. Alternatively, you can choose to stay in a hotel a bit further from the downtown area and then take a taxi to the city center.

We rented our car after our visit to Amman, picking it up within the city rather than at the airport. In theory, it would have been easy to get out of town but it was pouring rain when we got our car and the traffic was so chaotic that it was a bit of a challenge to leave the town.

Where to Stay in Amman?

We recommend staying near the old town historic center so that you can visit all the attractions on foot or with a short taxi ride. Our accommodation was right next to the Roman Theatre.

We stayed at the Almidan Hotel.

The place we stayed at was the Almidan Hotel. While it was not the most charming place, the owners were very nice, the prices were very reasonable, the beds were clean, breakfast was included, and it was very well located. The only downside was the bathroom, which was in need of some serious maintenance.

Alternatively, I’ve heard very good things about the Nomads Hotel, which is also super well located.

In Jordan, you’ll find the most hospitable, humble, and nice people, so we recommend staying in guesthouses or family hotels to have a more authentic experience.

If you have a car during your visit, you might want to consider staying in a hotel a bit farther from the downtown area and then taking a taxi to the city center.

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Wrapping Up

To wrap up, I really enjoyed our time in Amman. It’s often overshadowed by popular destinations like the Dead Sea, Wadi Rum, and Petra and therefore it tends to be left out of typical itineraries. However, I strongly recommend dedicating at least a day to exploring this city if you have the time. Amman provides a distinct and immersive experience, and it’s definitely a great place to get more into the local culture.

Other Jordan travel guides:

If you’re planning a trip to Jordan, be sure to check out our detailed itinerary.

Jordan Detailed Itinerary

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