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Sightseeing in Amman

Start your tour of Amman in the Old City of Al-Balad. Take a stop for a strong Arabic coffee and a delicious kanafeh dessert.

The Jordan Museum is situated next to the town hall and is one of the best museums in the Middle East. Housed in a state-of-the-art building, its mission is to introduce you to the history of Jordan. Here, you will marvel at the famous and striking – and ultra-modern if you consider that they are 9,500 years old – 'Ain Gazal statues, Dead Sea scrolls as well as finds from Petra (Address: Ali bin Abi Taleb Street, Ras Al-Ayn Area). To learn more about the country’s customs and traditions, visit the Jordan Folklore Museum and ponder at the traditional costumes, jewellery, embroideries and pottery.
Address: Roman Theatre complex, Al Hashimi.

The Roman Theatre of Amman, with a capacity of 6,000 spectators. Restoration work began in 1957 but, unfortunately, during the reconstruction different materials were used from the original ones. As a result, today’s image of the theatre is not entirely accurate in comparison to the historical one. Nonetheless, the final result is certainly impressive.
Address: Taha Al Hashemi.

The cultural activity of the country today can be seen in the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts, in which over 2000 works of contemporary art by artists from the Arabic and Islamic world can be viewed.
Address: Hosni Fareez St., Amman, www.nationalgallery.org.

The Royal Automobile Museum. You don’t need to be a big fan of cars to enjoy seeing the 70 cars and motorcycles that are part of the personal collection of King Hussein. The collection includes cars that were made before the 1950s and military motorbikes from the Second World War, to modern sports cars and the aristocratic Rolls Royce.
Address: King Hussein Park, Umm As-Summaq, Amman, www.royalautomuseum.jo.

Things to do in Amman

Relax in the cobbled Rainbow Street, where you will find many cafes and galleries.

Do the same in the public Al Hussein Park, where you can participate in many activities: the park has basketball courts, football pitches and tennis courts, a children’s museum and the Royal Automobile Museum mentioned above.

Take a “bath” in the Dead Sea. Its waters are six times saltier than any other body of water and contain high concentrations of sodium chloride, calcium chloride, magnesium bromide, sulphur, potassium chloride and magnesium chloride. Since antiquity, the Dead Sea has been the most famous beauty, health and relaxation centre. Even Cleopatra, famous for her youthful appearance, was captivated by the mysterious healing powers of the Dead Sea. Immerse yourself (so to speak, as so much salt creates such buoyancy that it is not so easy to be submerged) in the salty waters – so salty that fish do not live here - and smother yourselves with the rich clay healing mud.

Entertainment in Amman

There are so many things you can do in Amman during the day, that often you will forget that there are also things you can do at night. The country may have strict rules in relation to alcohol consumption, but despite this there are several trendy bars and places with live music in Amman. Many bars and restaurants do not serve alcohol while almost nothing remains open after 01.00-02.00 in the morning.

The cuisine of Jordan has a pronounced Middle Eastern flavour. As such, the country’s national dish of mansaf is nothing other than lamb cooked in yogurt and served on rice with nuts. Falafel, hummus, kebab, Arabian pies and other Middle Eastern flavours are popular too.

Shopping

Amman is considered a shopping paradise, where you can buy anything, from handmade and local items (carpets, silverware, jewellery, ceramics, Dead Sea salts) to designer clothes.

Jabal al Hussain is the most popular shopping district in Amman, while the first pedestrianised street in the city, Wakalat Street, also maintains a lively shopping pace. The best-known shopping malls in this area are the Mecca Mall and the City Mall.

Abdoun is one of the richest neighbourhoods in the city, where you can go shopping, dine and then go to the cinema. In the Taj Mall shopping mall in Abdoun you will find high-end brands, such as Louis Vuitton, to affordable chain stores.

“Must” purchases in Amman are gold and silver jewellery, which you can buy by the gram (in the gold souk of Amman), spices and dried fruits, which you can purchase in many of the city’s souks.

Excursions near Amman

Make sure to arrange a trip to Petra, one of the finest and best-known archaeological sites on the planet and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Completely carved into the soft sandstone rock, it was built by the Nabataeans and has many features that are typical of the Hellenistic period.

In the Wadi Rum desert, which became famous the world over thanks to the film “Laurence of Arabia”, the “stone skyscrapers” are not made by human hands but are the result of the spectacular sculpting of the monoliths by the forces of nature. You can visit and go camping beneath the stars, as well as walking, climbing and take a camel ride!

Useful tip: Don’t photograph the Bedouins without first asking for their permission.

Very close to Petra is the ancient city of Gerasa (Jerash), with a history of 6,500 years, the best moments of which were under Roman rule. Today it is one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the world. Hidden for many years under the sun, it came to light approximately 70 years ago.

Getting from the airport to Amman

Bus, taxi and rental car (choose from one of the seven car rental agencies in the airport) are the choices available to you once you land in the capital of Jordan to cover the 30 kilometres to the city centre.

If you are not planning to limit yourselves just to Amman but also intend to visit the surrounding areas, then the best choice is to hire a car.