10 Things to Do in Amman, Jordan

Amman, Jordan is a city I had spent 3 days in. I had used it as a “home base” for seeing many of the sights of Jordan. After the chaos of Cairo, Amman was a welcome change of pace. The city is much calmer, so to speak, and also safer. (We were fine wandering Amman by ourselves at night after we were done touring.) Unfortunately, I did not spend nearly as much time exploring the city itself as I did touring its surrounding area, though.

Luckily, fellow travel writer Deepak Gupta offered to write this post about Amman for me. (I wish I would have read it before I went to Amman, though!) He’s sharing 10 things you can do in Amman while you’re visiting. And then, next week, I’ll be sharing my blog posts about the other sights to see in the beautiful country of Jordan.

Guest post by Deepak Gupta

If you want to explore the beauty and historical richness of the Middle East, you will definitely have plenty of options in Amman. Amman is not only the most populous city of Jordan, but it is also a financial and cultural hub of the country. Amman has long been one of the most favorite tourist destinations in the region and now it has become quite easy for tourists to visit the city and explore its cultural heritage. (Thanks to affordable flights by Saudia airlines and convenient flight ticket and hotel booking website Cleartrip.ae.) Let us talk about the 10 most amazing things you should do when visiting Amman.

10 Things to Do in Amman, Jordan

See the Citadel Sites of Amman

If we talk about the new city of Amman, the city is comparatively “newer” than other Middle Eastern cities in the region. However, the Citadel is one of the historic sites of Amman that tells a lot about the historical richness of the city.

Located nearly 850 meter above the sea level, the Citadel is the two ancient pillars that are believed to be the remains of Temple of Hercules, the Roman God. The temple was built between AD 161 and 80 by the Roman rulers. You can also find the remains of some historic structures of the Bronze Age.

Check out an Art Gallery on the Hill

If you are fond of arts, then you should not miss this spot. Darat Al Funun is the place you should pay a visit when in Amman. The art gallery is located in the hillside area of the city and it is considered great in terms of contemporary arts. The art gallery features some of the spectacular works of Jordanian and Arab artists as well.

This art gallery is one of the must-visit places in Amman, as it is the home of workshops, art library and wonderful sculptures and paintings. Apart from being an art gallery, Darat Al Funun has its other side. At the base of the building, archaeologists found a base of a 6th-century church built by Byzantine emperors!

Search for Spectacular Street Art

If you are in Amman, you will always find a great piece of street arts everywhere. If you are walking across the city or several parts of the downtown area, you will find some good pieces of artworks. It will make you feel like you have visited a themed city.

Amman is one of the older cities in the world and its street arts come with historical significances. You will find many ancient ruins just located beside the regular houses. Painted portraits can be seen everywhere and it will be a great chance for photography.

Enjoy Climbing the Stairs

If you do not like climbing stairs, you will not be able to enjoy the best of Amman. Stairs are some of the most indispensable parts of the city and they will help you to explore many unknown areas. Some of the stairways of the city are ancient and they connect many important parts and tourist areas. You can start your city tour with Kalha stairs that will take you to the downtown area, where you can visit places like Jabal Al Weibdeh, Al-Shamsi and Al-Balad.

Visit an Ancient Theatre with 6,000 Sitting Capacity

Believe it or not, Amman is the home of an ancient Roman theatre that can still hold more than 6,000 people. There is no scarcity of ruins from the Roman era in the city of Amman, but this theatre is quite active and it still serves the people of Amman on many occasions. The magnificent remnant of the Roman era, which was built during the reign of Roman emperor Antoninus Pius, is now used as a venue of different musical and cultural shows.

Explore the Jordan Museum

If you are in the city of Amman, you should not miss the Jordan Museum. The popular museum is located next to the City Hall, and it is considered as one of the best museums in the entire Middle East. It houses some of the oldest known statues, including the 9500-year-old sculpture of Ain Ghazal. The museum also features Dead Sea Scrolls, remains of Petra and more.

Try Seasonal Drinks

If you want to get the taste of Jordan’s amazing drinks, visit Amman’s downtown areas and find plenty of stands and shops offering drinks. You can taste the regular drinks, but the seasonal offerings are really what you should try. If you are visiting the city in summer, then you can try sugarcane juice, but in winter, it can be the Sahleb that comes with a blend of coconut, vanilla and cinnamon.

Visit the Automobile Museum

You don’t need to be a car enthusiast to enjoy a car museum, as the Royal Automobile Museum of Amman will be sure to impress you. The museum houses more than 70 cars and motorbikes from the classic era, and they are all from the collection of King Hussein. Here, we can see cars even from the time before 1950. You can also enjoy a glimpse of modern sports cars and other automobile-related items.

Relax in the City

If you want to take some rest from the hustle and bustle of the main city, you can visit some particular areas for relaxation. There are a number of quiet spots in the city, where you can enjoy the view and spend some time in relaxation. You can visit the top of Amman Citadel or the King of Bahrain Forest, which is located on the airport road.

Don’t Miss the Restaurants and Street Foods!

The city of Amman comes with a range of quality restaurants, where you can enjoy relaxing and luxurious dining. If you are looking for some international food items, you will get plenty of restaurants serving the same. However, local and regional foods are what you should try. Stuffed falafel, moutabel, hummus, ful medames, kanafeh dessert, Arabic coffee and shisha are some of the most popular local foods, you can taste when in Amman.

It is quite easy to visit the city, as Saudia Airlines operate a number of flights to and from the city of Amman. You can get the cheapest airfare of the airlines on Cleartrip.com and Cleartrip.ae. On this travel website, you can not only book flight tickets but also book hotels in Amman as per your budget. So plan well, book in advance and have a wonderful time!

Thank you to Deepak for writing this post! I’ll be kicking off my own posts on Jordan next week.