Jordan
Amman
A Roman theatre in the middle of downtown, Umayyad ruins on the hill above, and the Dead Sea an hour away.
Amman is Jordan's capital, a sprawling city of pale limestone houses spread across a crowd of steep hills, or jabals. At its heart the Citadel and the Roman Theatre recall ancient Philadelphia, while the downtown below is all souqs, mosques and some of the region's best street food. Many visitors treat it as a base for Jerash, the Dead Sea and Madaba, but the cafe-lined hills of Jabal Amman and Jabal al-Weibdeh give it a relaxed modern side worth a couple of days of its own.
Suggested stay
2–3 days
Language
Arabic
Currency
JOD
Timezone
UTC+3
Why you'll love Amman
Ancient core the Citadel and the Roman Theatre face each other across downtown, with temple columns and an Umayyad palace on the hilltop
Street food falafel, hummus, ful and syrupy kunafa from downtown counters, and mansaf, the national dish, at home-style restaurants
Hillside quarters Jabal Amman and Jabal al-Weibdeh mix old stone villas, long staircases, galleries and cafes with views over the city
Easy base Jerash, the Dead Sea, Madaba and Mount Nebo all sit within about an hour
Best time to visit
Feb-Dec
14-33° days
31.952° N, 35.924° E
UTC+3 · Asia/Amman
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Weather & when to go to Amman
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best Feb-Dec
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Amman
There is no real bad season for the city itself. January is the coolest, wettest month, when winter rain and the odd snowfall can briefly snarl the hilly streets. Summer stays dry and warm at Amman's height, but the Dead Sea and the desert below are far hotter. During Ramadan, which moves through the calendar, daytime life slows and opening hours shift.
Top things to do in Amman
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Amman Citadel - the Temple of Hercules and the Umayyad Palace
history 👍 PopularThe city's highest ancient hill, Jabal al-Qal'a, carries the standing columns of a Roman temple of Hercules, fragments of a giant marble hand, a Byzantine church and an 8th-century Umayyad palace with a rebuilt dome. The views over downtown are the best in Amman.
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Roman Theatre - the 2nd-century theatre in downtown
history 👍 PopularA steep Roman theatre cut into the hillside opposite the Citadel, built in the 2nd century AD when the city was Philadelphia. Climb to the top rows for the view, and look into the small folklore and popular traditions museums in its wings and the neighbouring Odeon.
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Jordan Museum - the 'Ain Ghazal statues and the Dead Sea Scrolls
history culture arts ⭐ Highly recommendedThe national museum tells Jordan's story from prehistory onward. Its stars are the plaster figures from 'Ain Ghazal, a Neolithic site on the city's edge and among the oldest large human statues known, and material from the Dead Sea Scrolls.
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Downtown (Al-Balad) - souqs, falafel and kunafa
food culture arts ⭐ Highly recommendedWalk the market streets around the Grand Husseini Mosque for spice, gold and vegetable souqs, then eat the way locals do: falafel and hummus at Hashem in its alley, and a slab of hot, cheese-filled kunafa from Habibah.
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Rainbow Street - cafes and staircases on Jabal Amman
food culture arts 👍 PopularThe main street of Jabal Amman runs from the First Circle past old stone houses, cafes and rooftop terraces. Steep public staircases drop from here down into downtown, and the evening crowd makes it the city's easiest place for a stroll.
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King Abdullah I Mosque - the blue-domed mosque
culture artsA large modern mosque known for its blue mosaic dome, one of the few in Amman that welcomes non-Muslim visitors outside prayer times. Dress modestly; women are lent a cover at the entrance.
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Darat al-Funun - art and ruins on Jabal al-Weibdeh
culture artsAn arts foundation spread through restored early 20th-century houses on the Weibdeh hillside, showing contemporary Arab art, with the remains of a Byzantine church in its terraced garden. The National Gallery of Fine Arts is a short walk away.
Best areas to stay in Amman
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Downtown (Al-Balad)
Budget travellers $Souqs, mosques and ruins at street level
Explore hotels in Downtown (Al-Balad) →
Jabal Amman
First-time visitors $$Rainbow Street cafes and old stone villas
Explore hotels in Jabal Amman →
Jabal al-Weibdeh
Slow travellers $$Leafy, artsy old residential hill
Explore hotels in Jabal al-Weibdeh →
Shmeisani
Hotel comfort $$$Business hotels, restaurants and offices
Explore hotels in Shmeisani →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Amman
Getting to & around Amman
Getting there
Fly into Queen Alia International, about 35 km south of the city and roughly 40-50 min by road
Flight
Queen Alia International Airport (AMM)
Queen Alia sits on the desert highway south of Amman. A taxi or ride-hail car takes about 40-50 min to the centre, and an airport express bus runs into the city.
Coach
Abdali
JETT coaches connect Amman with Petra, Aqaba and the Dead Sea; minibuses also leave from the North and South bus stations
Drive
King Hussein Bridge
Buses and shared taxis climb from the Jordan valley crossing to the city in about an hour; entry rules differ from the airport, so check them first
Getting around
Taxi
Yellow metered taxis are everywhere; insist on the meter, and give a landmark or circle rather than a street address
TBC
Ride-hail
Careem and Uber work well and avoid meter haggling, useful for crossing the city's spread-out hills
TBC
Service taxi
White shared taxis run fixed routes between downtown and the surrounding hills, leaving when full
TBC
Walk
Downtown, Jabal Amman and Jabal al-Weibdeh are walkable, linked by steep public staircases
Free
Day trips from Amman
Jerash
Half dayRoman city
One of the best-preserved Roman provincial cities anywhere: Hadrian's Arch, the oval plaza, a long colonnaded street and two theatres. Pair it with the hilltop castle at Ajloun to make a full day.
Getting there
car | bus
About 1 hr north by car, or bus from the North Bus Station
Dead Sea
Full daySalt lake, float
The road drops to the lowest point on land, where the water is salty enough to float in. Resort and public beaches have showers for washing off, and the Bethany baptism site is nearby.
Getting there
car | tour
About 1 hr by car or tour
Madaba and Mount Nebo
Half dayMosaics, biblical lookout
Madaba's St George's Church holds the 6th-century mosaic map of the Holy Land, and the town is full of Byzantine mosaics. Mount Nebo, where Moses is said to have seen the Promised Land, looks out over the Jordan valley.
Getting there
car | tour
About 45 min by car or tour
Desert Castles
Full dayUmayyad desert palaces
A loop into the eastern desert to the fortress-like Qasr Kharana, the frescoed bathhouse of Qusayr Amra and the black basalt castle at Azraq, where T. E. Lawrence spent a winter.
Getting there
car | tour
About 1.5 hr east by car or tour
Umm Qais
Full dayBasalt ruins, valley views
The ruins of Gadara, a Decapolis city built of black basalt, on a ridge in Jordan's far north with views across the Jordan valley to the Sea of Galilee.
Getting there
car
About 2 hr north by car
A little history of Amman
Amman is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the region. On the Citadel hill it was Rabbath Ammon, capital of the Iron Age Ammonites, and the Ptolemies later renamed it Philadelphia. Under Rome it became a prosperous Decapolis city, and the theatre, temple and colonnades date from that time. The Umayyads built a palace on the Citadel, but after an 8th-century earthquake the town faded to a small village among the ruins.
Circassian settlers revived it in the late 19th century, and in 1921 Emir Abdullah made it the capital of Transjordan. Refugees arriving after the wars of 1948 and 1967 swelled it rapidly, and the city has grown ever since across hill after hill.
A Neolithic village at 'Ain Ghazal, on the city's edge, produces some of the oldest large human statues known
Rabbath Ammon is the capital of the Ammonite kingdom
Ptolemy II Philadelphus renames the city Philadelphia
Roman Philadelphia builds its theatre and the Temple of Hercules on the Citadel
The Umayyads build a palace complex on the Citadel
A major earthquake strikes, and the town declines into a village
Circassian settlers re-found the town by the old Roman ruins
Emir Abdullah makes Amman the capital of the Emirate of Transjordan
Transjordan becomes an independent kingdom with Amman as its capital
Know before you go
Payment
Cards & cash mixed
English
Widely spoken
Wifi
Reliable
Power
Type C / F / G
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+962
Mobile network & SIM card
Get an eSIM before you fly
A Jordan eSIM installs in minutes and works the moment you switch off flight mode. No SIM swap, no roaming bill.
FAQs about Amman
▸ When is the best time to visit Amman?
February to December all work well. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable for combining the city with the Dead Sea and Petra, and summer stays dry and warm up at Amman's height. January is the coolest and wettest month, with occasional snow.
▸ How many days do I need in Amman?
Two days covers the Citadel, the Roman Theatre, the Jordan Museum and a long walk through downtown and Jabal Amman. Add a third, or base yourself here longer, for Jerash, the Dead Sea and Madaba.
▸ Can I visit Petra as a day trip from Amman?
It is possible but tiring: Petra is around three hours south by road each way. Most travellers move on and sleep in Wadi Musa, then continue to Wadi Rum and Aqaba.
▸ What is the Jordan Pass?
A pass bought online before you arrive that bundles the tourist visa fee with entry to Petra, Jerash, the Citadel, Wadi Rum and many other sites. The visa part applies only if you stay a minimum number of nights, so check the current terms.
▸ What should I wear in Amman?
West Amman is relaxed, but downtown and the mosques are more conservative. Covering shoulders and knees is the safe default, and women need a headscarf inside mosques.
More in Jordan
Aqaba
Jordan's only coastline, with coral a swim from the beach and Wadi Rum an hour inland.
✓ best Oct-AprDead Sea (Sweimeh)
The lowest shore on earth, where the water is so salty you float whether you mean to or not.
✓ best Oct-AprPetra (Wadi Musa)
An entire city cut into desert cliffs by the Nabataeans, then lost to the outside world for a thousand years.
✓ best Sep-Jun