Best Things to Do in Amman for the Unimpressed
Let’s start with the typical best things to do in Amman.
Yes, you will find them everywhere, ChatGPT included, but I have to mention them because I did them too, so it’s only fair. But Amman is much more than that.
Inside this guide
The classic Amman
Beyond the usual list
Day trips from Amman
Plan your stay
I believe most tourists only pass through Amman because it’s the gateway to international flights. If Petra had an airport, barely anyone would visit this city. I wasn’t overly hyped about Amman until I got there.
I arrived at night, and as my taxi driver was approaching the city centre, I started noticing the hills, the graffiti on the walls, and the silence of the night. That’s where it kind of hit me. The more I explored the city, the more I fell in love with it.
So yes, one night here is fine, but two or three if you can will change your perspective completely. At least, it changed mine.
If you’re planning to stay in Jordan, here’s an overview of all the hotels.
Amman Citadel
The most important site in Amman. The queen of the queens, especially if you have limited time: Amman Citadel. And guess what… it’s in downtown Amman. How convenient.
I am far from being a historian, but the place feels old. Ancient old. I love walking through old settlements, touching a rock and wondering how many people from ancient times touched that same rock. I know… but this is me.
But let me tell you what I do know about the Citadel.
It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited urban settlements in the world. That alone sounds cool. Most of what you see today is from the Roman and Umayyad periods, so yes, very old. It sits at the top of the city, and the views are honestly impressive.
I still wonder why they went uphill to build the city. Extra cardio, I suppose.
Your Jordan Pass covers the entry fee, and inside you will find a museum for those interested in its history, plus a café and a souvenir shop. I walked there because my accommodation was very close, but I didn’t expect the hill. It was worth the exercise, though.
It is bigger than it looks, usual.
Amman Roman Theatre
How lucky was I choosing by mistake a hotel that directly faced the Roman Theatre? It was just across the street, and visible during my morning breakfast. But crossing the street was a challenge, thankfully I am Moroccan and we are professionals when it comes to crossing streets, just walk in with confidence, cars will stop. They do, honestly.
Anyway, this theatre is just downhill The Amman Citadel. So you can go walking after, at night has a nice atmosphere, kids playing, families walking, man smoking shisha… very relaxed. And by the way, you can climb up and sit down pretending you are some kind of a roman emperor. You have to pay a small fee for that, but worth it, of course.
I am not good at posing…
The famous Rainbow Street Amman
Rainbow street after dark, best time to visit it.
I trusted Google Maps here and walked from my accommodation. Again, I didn’t see the hills coming. Actually, not hills this time. Stairs. I promise it felt like over 1,000 steps. Amman really said: you wanted views? Earn them.
But once I got there, the vibe changed.
It was a different Amman. Some kind of bohemian, strangely European atmosphere with “habibi” in the background and Arabic writing everywhere. Shisha bars, cafés, restaurants, bookshops, rooftops, little corners that feel more alive at night.
I recommend coming to Rainbow Street after visiting Amman Citadel and the Roman Theatre, because this place lights up later in the evening. Very common in the Middle East and North Africa.
I sat down, had tea, smoked shisha on a rooftop facing the city, opened my book and started reading. It was August, but there was a nice breeze. Then I walked back through a main street, vibrant and full of food stands. I bought myself a nice knafeh and kept walking back to my accommodation.
I must say, it was around midnight and it felt very safe. As a woman alone, that felt good.
Do Hamman & soap workshop.
Start a day with a full hammam at Al-Pasha Turkish Bath, steam, scrub, black soap massage, the whole “please reset my entire body” situation. Then you make your own olive oil soap to take home, which is cute and actually useful, unlike half the souvenirs humans keep buying at the airport.
After that, you walk through the Circassian Quarter, learning about the community that helped shape Amman, then pass old villas, Rainbow Street, and the Duke of Mukhyber’s House before ending with lunch at Sufra.
Cultural, relaxing, and very Amman without being the obvious Amman.
All rights to Al Pacha Hammam
Hammam in Amman
Steam, soap and old-city dust.
A softer way into Amman: Al-Pasha hammam, olive oil soap-making, old streets, hidden corners, and lunch without the brochure noise.
See the hammam experienceTake an Arabic calligraphy class & art walk.
I mean, why not? That is an art worth experiencing, it’s historical and it’s beautiful. This place is located in Deewan Institute, founded by teachers from all over. With them you can create your own calligraphy pieces, names, places… whatever you fancy. A souvenir made by you. Then you walk through Weibdeh’s murals, painted stairs, Darat Al Funun, hidden Byzantine ruins, and old streets before finishing with lunch at Rakwet Arab. It’s very close to Downtown, just a 5 min Uber. No excuse.
Arabic calligraphy in Amman
Letters, murals and a softer way into the city.
A quiet cultural walk through Weibdeh, with Arabic calligraphy, painted stairs, old streets, art spaces and lunch after your hands have done something more useful than scrolling.
See the calligraphy walkDabke dance class before dinner.
This is where we cultural immersion gets fun. Dabke dance which is basically a Levantine folk dance, but with so much footwork that even a boxer would find it hard. You get the basics, dance a bit with the drums, learn it’s history and have fun. After that, you walk down the Al-Khalha Stairs into Downtown, with murals, cafés, old stone steps, and cats doing unpaid surveillance.
Then you end at Hashem with falafel, hummus, plastic chairs. Perfect day!
Reminds me of freedom, maybe it’s just me
Dabke class in Amman
Dance first, dinner after.
A simple way to experience Amman beyond sightseeing: learn basic Dabke steps, walk into Downtown, then finish with a casual local dinner.
See the Dabke experienceLawrence fortress day trip from Amman
Birdwatchers… I see you!
If you choose this day trip you get picked up and drive to Azraq Wetland Reserve with an ornithologist guide, walk the boardwalks, spot birds, and learn how this desert oasis is being restored after humans did what humans do best: damage nature and then act surprised.
Then you visit Qasr Azraq, a black basalt fortress with Roman, Umayyad, and Arab Revolt history, including the room linked to T.E. Lawrence. You finish with lunch at a local Druze family home in Azraq.
Wetlands, birds, conservation, desert fortress, and proper food. Very good if you want Amman beyond Amman.
Day trip from Amman
Azraq Wetland, Lawrence’s fortress and lunch in town.
A different kind of Amman day trip: birds, desert wetlands, black basalt history, Qasr Azraq, and a local Druze family lunch.
See the Azraq day tripWadi Mujib day trip
I recommend to do this hike while staying in the Dead Sea, it’s closer and it can be added to the itinerary but if you do not stop by the Dead Sea, it can be done from Amman. So, let me explain that this was honestly one of my favourite things I did in Jordan.
Wadi Mujib looks like a fun little water hike, but don’t be fooled. It is harder than people think. You climb rocks, pull yourself up ropes, walk against water, and at some point your arms will ask why you hate them. But it is so worth it.
Then you finish at the Dead Sea, floating like a useless salty potato after all that canyon drama. Adventure first, full body reset after. Perfect day.
I look happy, but I was scared and overwhelmed by the beauty of this place
Where to stay in Amman so this actually works.
Downtown is a must. I mostly walked to all main attractions that Amman has to offer, because my location was the best. I must say, not the best hotel in Amman, budget hotel instead, and still was an amazing choice. Not only convenient, the centre is vibrant, full of life, markets, streets vendors, weird little streets where getting lost is not scary but exciting. So, if you want cheap food, culture, art… the best of Amman, stay downtown.
How many days in Amman?
I had two full days in Amman, and that is what I recommend. One day is enough if you only want the classic Amman attractions: Citadel, Roman Theatre, Downtown, Rainbow Street, food and maybe a mosque or museum.
Two days is better if you want to slow down, walk more, explore cafés, do a workshop, visit Weibdeh and actually feel the city. Three days works well if you want to use Amman as a base for a day trip, like Azraq Wetland, Jerash, Madaba, Ma’in Hot Springs, the Dead Sea or Wadi Mujib.
I personally did not need Amman day trips from the city because I travelled south after and visited other parts of Jordan separately. But if your itinerary is shorter, Amman can work very well as a base.
Is Amman safe?
I personally found Amman not just safe, but very welcoming to strangers. I walked alone at night around Downtown and Rainbow Street and had no bad vibes at any moment. No strange encounters. No uncomfortable feeling. Honestly, as a solo female traveller, that felt good.
That said, safety is never the same for everyone I suppose. Use normal city awareness. Take an Uber or taxi late at night if you are far from your hotel. Dress with cultural respect. Avoid isolated streets. Keep an eye on your belongings in busy areas.
But my honest feeling? Amman felt calmer and kinder than many European cities I have walked through at night. Make of that what you will.
Final Thoughts: Is Amman Worth Visiting?
Yes, Amman is worth visiting. Not because it is the most beautiful place in Jordan. It is not. But Amman is the city that gives Jordan some context.
It is hills, ruins, rooftops, calligraphy, traffic, cafés, old stones, loud streets, soft nights, shisha, markets, cats, Roman columns and modern life all squeezed together in a city that does not beg you to like it.
And that is exactly why I liked it.
So do the typical best things to do in Amman. Visit the Citadel. Sit in the Roman Theatre. Walk Rainbow Street. Eat the falafel. Buy the knafeh. But don’t stop there.
Because the better Amman starts when the checklist ends.
