Discover Jordan: Amazing Adventures in Amman

The Gateway to Jordan

Like most countries, the capital city is the gateway in for most international travelers. Amman is no exception, with one major caveat; the large number of tourists that enter from Israel.

At first glance, Amman doesn’t seem all that attractive for visitors.

• The international airport feels a bit too far outside of the city

• It lacks a solid public transportation infrastructure

• It’s on opposite side of the country from its biggest tourist draws

• It lacks any significant sights to see

• It’s chaotic

Love or hate Amman, this is its first impression.

First Impressions Are Only Skin Deep

Let’s cut through all the noise to see what’s true and what’s more of a half-truth. 

It’s true that Amman can really be off-putting to a lot of tourists. There’s a lot of unfocused energy that gives the city a very lawless atmosphere. Because of this, I think Amman is a bad place to start your adventure in Jordan. There is just too much happening to get a handle on. Rather, it’s a great place to end your trip. After enduring the desert, Amman is a place where you can pamper yourself a bit. There are awesome cafés to explore, superb food options, upscale hotels, a few top rate sights to explore, and so on.

Fortunately, there is a fantastic solution to this “issue.”

An Alternative to Amman: Madaba

If you have to fly into Amman but you don’t want to stay there, you could opt for Madaba instead. It’s actually closer to Queen Alia International Airport than central Amman. You can even arrange a pick up or drop off from most hotels, but they are likely to charge a fee for this. We were able to arrange a pick up from our hotel for slightly under $20.

We stayed at The Mariam Hotel (read our review here), which was pleasant enough.

Madaba is far more relaxed than Amman, and is a good place to stay when you first arrive in Jordan. It’s more of a town than city. Everything you need is within walking distance and you get none of the hassles you have Amman, like the intense traffic, pollution, and overcrowding.

Being that this is a small place, they’ll be much less choice with restaurants, hotels, and sights to see. This is exactly what makes a good alternative to Amman when you first arrive. There is nothing to overwhelm you here.

Eating & Sightseeing in Madaba

We did try to go some restaurants we scouted before arriving, but either they went out of business or the location information was wrong. It is easy enough to find kabobs and street food, especially in the center near all the sights. There was some price gouging in the center, but that’s to be expected.

Madaba isn’t just a good option because it’s small and more peaceful. The town actually has a few choice attractions to check out and makes for a great introduction to life and travel in Jordan. Best of all, you can cover most everything to do in the town in less than a day.

Beyond this major sights, there are also a few smaller ones to fill out your day, if you have time. These would include the Madaba Museum, Church of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist, and the Burnt Palace. All of these are free or part of a join ticket with another sight.

The main sights you shouldn’t miss are:

• Saint George’s Church

• The Archaeological Park

• Church of the Apostles

Pro TIP:  If you’re planning to drive, like we did, Madaba is an extremely attractive option. There are a number rental places here, there isn’t much traffic, it’s simple to get out of town, and getting onto the highway or auxiliary roads is really easy. This is a major plus over Amman and will save you at least an hour and a headache.

When Amman?

Saving Amman until the end of your trip makes a lot of sense. For starters, you’ll be acclimated to the weather. You’ll also most likely have gone with some creature comforts in the desert, making the cafés, restaurants, and energy of Amman feel more like a reward.

Surprisingly, there is quite a bit to keep you busy in the capital. The lack of a metro or rail system can make jaunts across the city punishing. The traffic and road manners are hair-raising, and yes it’s polluted. This means you have to plan on it taking longer to get where you go. This also means you’ll need to use taxis. If you can manage that, it’s actually a really enjoyable city.

The Best Sights to Explore in Amman

Amman actually has some choice sights to see. I actually wasn’t expecting much, and I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. You should make some time to just get lost downtown and explore. Hitting up Souk Sukkar for some shopping, browsing, or just soaking in the atmosphere. The can also check out Quraysh street for more shopping. Spending time on Rainbow street is must as well. You should give yourself some time to duck into some mosques.

Amman’s liveliest quarter follows the course of the the Roman decumanus maximus, which was the main east-west road in Romans cities. The official name is now Quraysh, and it runs parallel to King Talal Street. The area is full of hawkers selling their wares on the street. It’s a good place to get lost for a few hours.

You absolutely shouldn’t skip these sights, so if you’re short on time do these first.

• The Citadel/Temple of Hercules/Umayyad Palace/Jordan Archaeological Museum

• Roman Theater

I didn’t make it to the Jordan Museum as I didn’t have enough time. The entry fee isn’t included in the Jordan Pass, so I made less of an effort to get there. I’ve got to balance my budget somehow. I was also a bit lukewarm on what was on offer. After having been to all the major sights in the country, it didn’t seem like the museum offered anything unique. So, the museum might be a good stop if you can’t see most of what the rest of the country has to offer. As for me, I have no regrets.

Pro TIP: Head to the Citadel Hill for a spectacular view of the sunset. Easily the best place in Amman to see it from.

Where to Eat in Amman

There are tons of great options in Amman. It certainly be your best access to coffee in the country.

There is anything you could really want, from inexpensive street foods to lavish five star restaurants. You will find plenty of western food, but this won’t be as good as home. You’ll best off sticking with local fair.

If you’re looking for coffee, head for Rainbow Street to get your fix. There are some nice shops here, and choice restaurants as well, but the people come for the coffee.

Best to start on the west end of Rainbow and walk east, as it’s downhill and you’ll end up near the amphitheater at the end.

Here are all the places we dropped into while in town. They are listed alphabetically, and not by any ranking system. Just click on the link to read our reviews.

• Bakdash

• Caffeè Strada

• Fakhreldin Restaurant

• Hashem

Where to Stay in Amman

There are no shortage of hotels and places to stay in Amman, but we didn’t stay in a hotel while we were in town. We did some couch surfing, so unfortunately we can’t recommend a hotel based on our first hand experience.

Getting Around Amman

Getting around town is a drag, and is one of the major drawbacks to being a tourist in Amman. There is no metro system, but there is a public bus system. Good luck figuring it out. I tried and failed.

Taxis are plentiful, but the traffic is horrible. You can use Uber in Amman, and it’s just easier than hailing a taxi on the street. Safer too.

I’ve said it other places, but allow me to repeat. Driving in Amman is not recommended unless you are a very skilled and experienced driver that understands how Jordanians drive. Even then, you’ll be in for one hell of an experience.

I did some inner city hitchhiking and was quite successful. I even had a taxi pick me up and drive me for free when I was thumbing it around the city. The driver hung out with me for about an hour, just talking about life. It was really cool.

Nothing beats using your own two feet to get around in Amman. Fair warning; they city is very hilly. A great strategy is to get a taxi to take you up hill, and then explore going down hill.

How Long Is Too Long for Amman

Honestly, if you have the time, you should spend three days in Amman.

I know that might sound a bit excessive, but the city does have a lot to offer and it does reward travelers who take the time to give the city a bit of love.

As mentioned, you will have a bit of a handicap dealing with transportation. Even if you don’t mind using taxis for every trip you take, you still need to deal with the insane traffic.

Amman is also the best place to meet Jordanians, whom are among some of the nicest people in the world. Many will give you the shirt off their back to help you, which is a bit atypical for the Middle East in our experience.

I was there about two and half days and I felt like there were a few smaller sights and museums I missed out on.

Scams, Dangers, & Annoyances

As far as big Middle Eastern cities go, Amman is pretty innocuous. There is the horrendous traffic and the pollution it causes. I would advise against driving in Amman unless you are a very confident and skilled driver with lots of city driving experience. Even then it’s a really intense experience. I was more than overjoyed when I finally returned the rent-a-car after a day and half of having it in Amman.

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Taxis will try to fleas you by not using their meter. They will always try to arrange a price that is far above the going rate. For any short trips you shouldn’t pay more than a dollar. It’s better to use an app like Uber rather than deal with the shifty drivers that hang around the tourist hot spots.

• Scam: Broken Taxi Meter

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As mentioned above, hitchhiking was safe enough. I met some really nice Jordanians this way. I actually got picked up by a taxi that drove me for free. Most Jordanians are friendly, and a good number of them of speak English to some degree. Surprisingly, a lot of the locals I met told me they lived in the US or visited for an extended amount of time.

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There is quite a bit of urban sprawl, making some of the out of the way places daunting to get to. This is less of a danger and more of a major annoyance.

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Generally, you won’t have too much trouble in Amman. Just watch out of the typical scams, especially in the tourist sections, and you should be fine.

Getting Out of Amman

Getting out of Amman can be a little tricky.

There is public transportation out of the city, but it’s limited. You need to check around about timetables and I highly recommend purchasing your ticket the day before you leave, if you can. Their are daily bus that from the 7^th Circle JETT bus station in the western center of Amman that head towards Petra in the south.

There is also a south bus station and a north bus station. One would assume that the south bus station has buses to Petra and Wadi Rum, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. For Wadi Rum you need to go to the north bus station. You can also get a bus to Jerash or the western boarder with Palestine from the north bus station. I have no idea what the south bus station is for.

Alternatively, you could also book a tour package, which should have all the transportation arranged for you.

Tour packages are the easiest way to do, but probably the least satisfying, in our humble opinion. However, for those short on time or less able, this might be the only way. As always, you should choose the best option for yourself. 

By far the best way of getting out of Amman, if you’re planning to see the country, is to rent a car and drive. You can reach most places that are north of the city in under 90 minutes. You can reach everything south of Amman in about 5 hours. Highways are well constructed and have little traffic.

Heading to Palestine/Israel

Planning to cross over the land boarder to Palestine/Israel, then check out this post explaining how I did it on your own.

• Jordan/Israel Border Crossing

Need more information about Jordan?

Read about our amazing miscellaneous adventures off the beaten path HERE.
See our full write up on Wadi Rum HERE.
Read our full write up on Petra HERE.