Flight time
5h 00m
Best season
March–May & October–November
Budget
Budget–Mid-range
Best for
History, food, Petra day trips
Overview
Why Amman for a city break?
Amman is one of the most underrated city breaks from the UK — a hillside capital of white limestone, ancient Roman ruins, extraordinary food and warm Jordanian hospitality, at the gateway to one of the great archaeological wonders of the world. The Roman theatre still stands at the city's heart; the Citadel hill looks out over a city that has been continuously inhabited for at least 8,500 years; and Rainbow Street in the Jabal Amman neighbourhood is one of the most characterful streets in the Middle East. Jordan is consistently rated among the safest and most welcoming countries in the region for Western tourists.
Direct flights from London Heathrow and Gatwick with Royal Jordanian and British Airways take around five hours; connections from Manchester and other UK airports are available with a change. The Jordanian dinar is strong but the country remains genuinely good value — restaurant meals of high quality cost a fraction of European prices, and the hospitality culture means being fed extraordinarily well at every turn. Petra, one of the true wonders of the ancient world, is three hours south by road — a day trip from Amman that alone justifies the flight.
Where to stay & explore
Amman’s best neighbourhoods
Jabal Amman / Rainbow Street
The original expat and creative quarter — Rainbow Street is Amman's most atmospheric neighbourhood, lined with independent cafés, bookshops, galleries and restaurants occupying old limestone villas. The Citadel is a 15-minute walk uphill.
Downtown (Al-Balad)
The old city below the Citadel — the Roman theatre, the Husseini Mosque, the gold souk, the falafel stands of Hashem Restaurant (legendary, open since 1952). The most densely historical part of Amman, best explored on foot in the morning.
Abdoun & Shmeisani
Amman's modern districts — the international restaurants, the upscale hotels, the shopping malls, the contemporary art scene. Less historical but essential for understanding how Amman actually lives. The Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts is here.
Things to do
What to see in Amman
1
The Citadel (Jabal al-Qal'a)
The Citadel hill has been occupied since at least the Bronze Age and is now an open-air museum of extraordinary range — the Temple of Hercules (2nd century AD, with a giant stone hand the only surviving fragment of what was once one of the largest Roman statues in the empire), the Umayyad Palace (8th century, with a remarkable dome reconstructed from the original stone), and the Archaeological Museum of Jordan, which holds some of the finest ancient artefacts in the region. The view over Amman's limestone hills from the Citadel is the finest in the city. Arrive early; the site is open by 8am and the light is extraordinary before 10.
2
Roman Theatre
The 2nd-century Roman theatre at the heart of Downtown Amman seats 6,000 and is one of the best-preserved in the Middle East. Built during the reign of Marcus Aurelius, it is still occasionally used for performances. The two small museums flanking the stage — the Jordan Museum of Popular Traditions and the Folklore Museum — are worth 30 minutes each. The theatre is at its most atmospheric in the early morning before the tour groups arrive. The colonnaded agora and nymphaeum fountain to the south are frequently overlooked by visitors and worth 20 minutes.
3
Jordan Museum
The finest museum in Jordan and one of the best in the region — the Jordan Museum in Ras Al Ain houses the Dead Sea Scrolls (some of the most important documents in human history, discovered in 1947 in the caves of Qumran), the 'Ain Ghazal statues (9,000-year-old plaster figures, the oldest large-scale human statues ever found, discovered in Amman during road works in 1985 and now among the most significant Neolithic artefacts in existence), and an outstanding collection of Nabataean artefacts that provide context for a Petra visit. Allow two hours minimum.
4
Petra day trip
Petra — the Nabataean city carved entirely into rose-red sandstone cliffs — is three hours south of Amman by road and is one of the genuine wonders of the ancient world. The approach through the Siq (a 1.2km narrow gorge between 80-metre walls) and the first sight of the Treasury (Al-Khazneh) emerging from the crack in the rock is one of the most dramatic moments in world travel. A full day is needed for Petra; the Treasury, the Royal Tombs, the Byzantine Church and the Monastery (Ad Deir, reached by 800 steps, well worth the climb) are the essential sites. Go-Petra.com offers excellent day trips from Amman; alternatively hire a car or use the JETT bus from Amman's 7th Circle.
Food & drink
Where to eat in Amman
Sufra
Traditional Jordanian / Jabal Amman
The finest traditional Jordanian restaurant in Amman — occupying an old limestone villa on Rainbow Street, Sufra serves the full range of Levantine and Jordanian cuisine: mansaf (the national dish — lamb slow-cooked in jameed fermented yoghurt on rice), maqluba (upside-down spiced rice), kibbeh and mezze of extraordinary range. The rooftop terrace with views over the Citadel is the finest dinner setting in the city. Book ahead.
Hashem Restaurant
Legendary falafel / Downtown
Open since 1952 and still serving the best falafel in Amman — possibly in the Levant. A simple operation: falafel, hummus, ful medames and bread, for almost nothing. The restaurant is legendary; King Abdullah is said to eat here regularly. No reservations, cash only, open from early morning until it runs out. The queue moves fast; join it.
Fakhr El-Din
Classic Lebanese / Jabal Amman
Amman's oldest and most celebrated restaurant — a 1950s villa in Jabal Amman serving classic Lebanese and Levantine cuisine to a mixed local and international clientele. The mezze spread (hummus, baba ganoush, kibbeh nayeh, vine leaves, fattoush) is excellent; the grilled meats are outstanding. One of the places in Amman where the city's political and business establishment gathers. Reserve well ahead for dinner.
Itinerary
3 days in Amman — a suggested itinerary
Day 1
The Citadel, Rainbow Street and Downtown falafel
Arrive, check in to one of the boutique hotels in Jabal Amman (the Luzmila Hotel or Hayloft Hotel are excellent mid-range options). Walk up to the Citadel — the Temple of Hercules, the Umayyad Palace and the Archaeological Museum (2 hours). The view over limestone Amman from the top is the city's best. Walk down through the old stone steps to Downtown — the Roman Theatre (30 minutes), then to Hashem Restaurant for the best falafel of your life. Afternoon: walk Rainbow Street, browse the independent bookshops, sit in one of the rooftop cafés. Dinner at Sufra — the mansaf, the mezze, the rooftop terrace.
Day 2
Jordan Museum, local markets and a long lunch
Jordan Museum first thing (open 10am) — the Dead Sea Scrolls, the 'Ain Ghazal statues, the Nabataean galleries. Two hours minimum. Walk through the gold souk and spice markets of Downtown — the Husseini Mosque, the Al-Pasha Turkish Hammam (built 1940, still operating as a traditional bathhouse; a hammam session with scrub costs around JD 20–25, about £22). Lunch at Fakhr El-Din — the mezze spread and grilled meats. Afternoon in the Abdoun area — the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts (free, open afternoons). Dinner: explore the independent restaurants of Jabal Luweibdeh, Amman's arts district.
Day 3
Petra — the full day
The Petra day trip. Leave Amman by 7am (car hire, JETT bus from 7th Circle, or organised tour — all work). Arrive Petra by 10am. Walk the Siq and reach the Treasury — allow yourself the moment; it is extraordinary. Beyond the Treasury: the Street of Facades, the Roman Theatre, the Royal Tombs (the finest are the Corinthian Tomb and the Palace Tomb, walk up to them). The Monastery (Ad Deir) is 800 steps from the main site and takes 45 minutes each way — worth every step for the scale of it and the dramatically quieter atmosphere. Allow 6–7 hours in Petra. Back in Amman by 8pm. Optional: stop in Madaba (the 6th-century mosaic map of the Holy Land in St George's Church) on the way back.
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