The 17 best things to do in Amman, Jordan
Discover the 17 best things to do in Amman, from ancient ruins and vibrant souqs to buzzing cafes, live music, and thrilling outdoor adventures.
A relaxed and under-appreciated capital city, Amman, Jordan, is only now showcasing its complex flavors to travelers and is the ideal start and end point of any Jordanian adventure. The city features a still-active Roman Theatre and Neolithic-era ruins within the Citadel, offering history enthusiasts a fascinating glimpse into the past. Beyond the historical treasures, you'll find a vibrant mix of bars, restaurants, and cafes (don’t miss Rainbow Street!), creating a lively and energetic atmosphere perfect for unwinding and exploring. For the outdoors-inclined, the outskirts have great hikes, horseback riding and go-karting.
The city defies all logical urban planning and exists as a set of neighborhoods that overlap, sometimes confusingly, to ensure that there’s something interesting everywhere. The center of the city, the balad or Downtown, is the division between East and West Amman, and it and the nearby Jebel Lweibdeh contain many of the local historical spots of interest, alongside book kiosks, perfumiers and spice shops.
While the following are our recommendations of the best things to do in Amman, approach the city with an open mind and a fluid schedule, and allow Amman to show you around.
1. Enjoy dinner and a show on Rainbow Street
Rainbow Street is aptly named after the Rainbow Cinema. While the original closed down long ago, an homage has been rebuilt in the form of the Rainbow Art House Theater, a small cinema and theatre showing Hollywood films and local productions.
Along Rainbow Street you’ll find a stretch of shisha cafes – interesting to look at but it’s better to skip these. Slightly further down the road, Salam Kanaan Gallery has comfortable couches, a piano that guests are welcome to play and the aesthetic of an Arab grandparent’s house.
Detour: Take the stairs down at the very end of Rainbow Street. Here, you’ll find the main road of the Downtown and the Grand Husseini Mosque, one of the first modern mosques in the city.
2. Wander ancient ruins at Amman Citadel
Sat upon the highest hill in the city of seven hills is a small barren plateau littered with relics of all types, ages and sizes known as the Citadel (Jabal al-Qal'a). Fragmented and indistinguishable from the sediment are the Neolithic shards from before 5000 BCE, but massive and awe-inspiring are the ruins of the Roman Temple of Hercules, with its massive archway that has stood since 160 CE.
Additionally, there’s a garden plaza that houses a small museum with smaller, better-preserved artifacts, including Ammonite burial vessels and life-size Roman statues. Around the plaza are even more relics, including the massive marble fingers of a martyred monument.
Detour: It’s not easy to find the entrance of Jasmine House, about a mile from the Citadel, but it’s strongly recommended that you make an attempt. Art gallery during the day, and possibly the best Italian restaurant in Jordan at night, Jasmine House wears many hats.
3. Uncover ancient wonders at the Jordan Museum
Walking around the Jordan Museum creates a cognitive dissonance unique to the experience of viewing unimaginably old artifacts within a modern structure. Although the museum’s interior is creative, with different walls and flooring to reflect the periods on display, it pales in comparison to the exhibits.
The vaguely creepy Ain Ghazal statues are among the oldest human figurines ever found, more than 9000 years old, and the black room they are kept in only accentuates the ages between us and them. The museum also boasts a few of the famed Dead Sea Scrolls.
Detour: Directly across the street, you’ll find Amman City Hall, which houses the Mayor’s office but also includes public spaces like an exhibition area and a cafe and could make for an interesting albeit quick stop.
4. Experience history at the Roman Theatre
Much of Amman is built on a succession of older cities, which themselves are built on even older cities. The 6000-seat Roman Theatre was likely built in the 2nd century during the reign of Antoninus Pius (138-61 CE). Flanking the theatre and around the Hashemite Plaza, which itself is dotted with eroded Roman ruins and columns, is another 500-seat Roman Odeon, built around the same time. Additionally, close by are the remains of a bathhouse called the Nymphaeum.
The plaza and theatres are still in use today, with the former full of children playing football and the theatres often used for concerts, which you should attend if the opportunity presents itself.
5. Nosh on the best kunafeh in town
Legendary hole-in-the-wall Habiba has been selling exactly one item for more than 70 years: kunafeh. For the uninitiated, kunafeh is a Levantine dessert with a stretchy, gooey mild cheese base topped with sweet, crispy fried pastry, pistachios and syrup. Habiba, which always has a very long line, makes the best kunafeh in Amman. It is a must-try.
6. Admire the beauty of King Abdullah I Mosque
The King Abdullah I Mosque, locally referred to as the Blue Mosque, isn’t known for being ancient or historically significant (it was built in the 1980s) – it is admired simply for being beautiful. The outer courtyard is entirely built in white stone, with calligraphy in blue mosaics along the edges. The dome is enormous, though it seems even more so from the inside of the mosque, which you can enter outside of prayer times.
Aside from the vast and awe-inspiring Blue Mosque itself, there are two small Islamic museums on the premises, which showcase Muslim miscellanea. For those interested in Islam, it’s well worth a visit.
Planning tip: Mosques are places of worship and should be treated as such. Prayer areas are divided by sex, and women must cover their heads on entry regardless of whether or not they are praying. Shorts are also frowned upon. Always take your shoes off before entering the carpeted area of the mosque. 
7. Explore creativity at Darat al-Funun
Straddling a public staircase with lush semi-public gardens and fountains on either side, it is difficult not to feel inspired in Darat Al Funun, translated as “House of the Arts”. Primarily a contemporary arts center, Darat Al Funun showcases everything from classic visual arts to other more experimental projects. Some of these take place in the performance area called “The Lab,” a sparsely designed concrete box on the street below, while others are in one of the six restored historical buildings that make up the bulk of the space.
Planning tip: If you’re planning to visit Amman during the summer months, note that Darat Al Funun is closed for the entire month of August.
8. Take a grandma-style cooking class at Beit Sitti
Beit Sitti is a heritage house, which now hosts cooking classes so popular that even Jordan’s queen and famed Chefs José Andrés and Gordon Ramsay have participated. The courses are run by charismatic women who teach in the Arab grandma style – humorously, patiently and without reference to anything so blasphemous as measuring tools. The courses cost JD20 to JD30 (US$28 to US$42), and all participants eat together at the end.
Planning tip: Reservations must be made in advance, and guests will prepare a main course, a salad, a side dish and a dessert during every lesson and meal.
9. Roam around the Boulevard, Abdali’s luxury promenade
On Rafiq Al Hariri Ave is an enormous and chic compound known simply as the Boulevard, a landmark in Abdali’s landscape. The Boulevard is modeled on the massive semi-open plazas of Dubai and hosts numerous hotels, cafes, restaurants and expensive shops. The main draw is an open-air pedestrian-only stretch that weaves in and out of the various underground parking lots and the Abdali Mall.
Detour: After sufficient hobnobbing in the Boulevard, walk a couple of blocks to Amman’s main road, Suleiman Al Nabulsi St for a more authentic take on the city. It features street vendors, fast-food stalls and coffee kiosks.
10. Grab Arabic breakfast at downtown’s Hashem Restaurant
Hashem has provided classic Arabic breakfasts for locals, travelers, kings, presidents and celebrities for more than 65 years, and it does not seem like they will be changing that soon. Renowned for their hummus, fuul (fava bean paste) and falafel, most of their menu is vegetarian and all of their food is good and cheap. The open-air seating area has the aesthetic of an Orientalist bathhouse, with shining black-and-white tiles lining the floors and walls.
11. Immerse yourself in Lweibdeh’s off-kilter art scene
The generally funky nature of Lweibdeh has led to its colonization by hordes of artists who are establishing some of the most interesting spots in the country. These places are largely informal with no clear aim or pricing, which exist mostly to provide a location for artists to avoid spending money while still meeting people. They tend to have events like tarot card reading classes, or flyers on the wall for small-scale film festivals, as well as questioning capitalism’s usefulness.
Keep in mind that these are not service establishments per se; they are often passion projects and should be approached as such. They are also often great fun.
Planning tip: The best of these spots are Jadal and Gilgamesh Art Cafe. Hidden in an alleyway covered in street art is Gilgamesh Art Cafe, and closer to the Downtown, tucked away behind an unassuming blue door in a stairwell, is Jadal for Knowledge & Culture.
12. Unwind in the courtyard of Shams al-Balad
Off Rainbow St and on the cusp of the Downtown is Shams El Balad, an entirely outdoor cafe and bar that hosts weekly or bi-weekly events. Not many places in Amman can match Shams’ relaxed atmosphere, punctuated by calming jazz music and a rustic garden aesthetic. This is unsurprising given its huge secluded courtyard, with dried flowers hanging from the ceiling and your choice of couches or standard chairs. Although the service can be a little inattentive due to the online ordering, this is made up for by the atmosphere and the mezze, which are fantastic. 
13. Shop handmade treasures at Souq Jara
Every summer, from around the start of June to the end of August, Rainbow Street transforms into Souq Jara, an open-air souq that takes place every Friday from 10am to 10pm. Stalls sell handmade goods, ranging from embroidery to pickles, and there’s the sound of gentle haggling and an ever-present feeling of friendliness – everybody under the colorful cloth canopies of red and yellow seems happy to be there.
Planning tip: Most of the merchandise is cash only and there’s a festival-style food court at the end.
14. Feel the beat of live music in Amman
If you’re looking to immerse yourself in more modern-day pursuits, such as listening to the tunes of local musicians, Corner’s Pub, Maestro, The Cellar and C.LING Rooftop come highly recommended. Corner’s has live music every Saturday, one of which is often an open mic. Maestro has live jam sessions every Monday and hosts ticketed concerts on weekends.
If you feel like listening to some really cool electronic music, try Cellar. On the roof of the same building is C.LING Rooftop, which is more pop-oriented with occasional live bands and a crowded dance floor.
15. Discover ancient elegance at Umayyad desert castles
Leave the city behind and explore the nearby desert, where the Umayyads found Jordan so captivating that they built numerous hunting lodges and palaces across the country. These structures are scattered throughout the region, and many may not appear to be ruins at first glance, with their dark brown bricks and arch-heavy architecture resembling storehouses from the outside. However, the interiors are usually stunning. Qasr al-Mushatta, on Airport Rd about 40 minutes from Amman, is the exception. Known for its beautiful facade, particularly appropriated by the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, it was never completed and is barren inside. It’s free to enter and worth a visit.
Planning tip: Many of the castles are open and unguarded, while some are more strictly monitored; however, they are all technically supposed to charge an entry fee. You can just walk in with the Jordan Pass, which starts at JD70 (about US$100).
16. Rev up the excitement at the Royal Automobile Museum
The Royal Automobile Museum, located in the al-Hussein Public Parks, is a treat for auto enthusiasts. The exhibit is taken from the late King Hussein’s personal collection and displays more than 80 of his vehicles, all in perfect condition, including some dating back over 100 years. Inside, you’ll find awe-worthy vintage Rolls-Royces, motorcycles and sports cars.
Detour: For more museums with a twist around Amman, head to the Duke’s Diwan and the Martyrs’ Monument Museum, both of which are free. The renovated 1930s house in Duke’s Diwan in Downtown is meant to be sat in and experienced, while the Martyrs’ Memorial is a melancholic military museum with an outer park that contains early modern military equipment.
17. Sip your way through Amman’s coffee culture
Some rare Arab cafes share a timeless quality, with hazy air and the smell of shisha and burnt coffee wafting over the sound of an argument probably initiated by a game of cards. Most Downtown cafes are tourist traps and cater to the perception tourists have of Jordan. If you’d like a midday siesta with the certainty of an English speaker, a refreshing glass of lemon mint and a bite, try Jafra.
For the courageous and curious, there are more authentic cafes hidden away in the nooks and crannies of Downtown. Here, you’ll find coffee that could run a car, and shisha that could spontaneously combust your lungs. In stark contrast are the newer Lweibdeh cafes. Painted in garish colors, usually with outdoor or on-street seating, these cafes cater to artist hopefuls, expats and students. Though not stereotypically Jordanian in appearance, these cafes are Arab to the core, evident through their musical choices and experimental aesthetics. They are often modeled on Rumi – as it was the first of them.
Other favorites include Aristotle Cafe, a rather standard, if still funky cafe. Dali is the closest Amman has to an arthouse cafe, while Manara Arts & Culture is pricey but has great views. Parallel to these are more classically Arab joints that offer backgammon and playing cards, such as Cafe Kepi.
This article was adapted from Lonely Planet’s Jordan guidebook, published in December 2024.
