What to do in the capital of Jordan: Amman?!

Amman is a good start to get to know Jordan.

In 2018 we spend one whole week in Amman and I really felt at home here. Mostly because the people here are very nice and welcoming. You will hear ´Welcome to Jordan´ everywhere. Actually, this is not just in Amman, but all over Jordan.

Amman is a bubbly city with over 4 million citizens and there is a good combination between old and new.

We went to Jordan in August and we did not notice at all that there are so many people living here. We also noticed it wasn´t packed with tourists, at all! This could of course also be, because Jordan is located between not the safest countries (Syria and Iraq), which might scare people of. But I never felt unsafe in Jordan at all, especially in Amman I felt pretty safe.
I can not say if I would feel the same way if I had been to Jordan independently, as a girl. But traveling with my dad felt safe.

What to expect in this article:

Don't forget the Jordan Pass!

This pass gives you free entrance to over 40 attractions in Jordan which is really worth it. The entrance to Petra was free for us and even our visa was included!

‘The Jordan pass is the ultimate sightseeing package that has been especially tailor-made for visitors to the country. It gives pass holders the ability to make the most out of their trip visiting top sights and attractions whilst saving time, money and efforts’

See this website for more information. You won’t regret it.

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What to do first?

There a few great things you can’t miss when you visit Amman. With the Jordan pass it is even free to visit!

First thing you can do is to go to the most famous place, the Citadel. This is a really impressive place with old Roman ruins. How is it possible it is so silent and not crowded with tourists at all?
We had the whole place for ourselves and the view over Amman is absolutely stunning! Besides that, it was free for us to visit, because we bought the Jordan pass.

After that the Roman Theatre is nice to visit. When seeing this, it really feels like you are somewhere in Italy or Greece. So crazy if you think its pretty far from both places!

The museum of Popular Traditions that is located at the Theatre (which is also free with the Jordan Pass) is really interesting if you want to know how people used to live in the past in Jordan. You will get to know more about their traditional costumes. I think it was pretty interesting and of course free to visit!

All 3 of these things are about the history of Jordan and a good way to see how beautiful Amman is.

Downtown

Next, go Downtown. The inhabitants here are still dressed traditional, like I did expect in a Middle Eastern country. People are selling their stuff and there is a big market close to one of the mosques. It´s fun to walk around here and see everyone coming to life. You can’t return without having bought something.

There are also colored streets Downtown, a bit touristy, but a good photo spot! One of the things you have to try here is sugarcane juice. It has a unique, nice taste and I have not had that before.

I think the view over Downtown from other parts in the city is incredible to see. Definitely one of the most beautiful things of Amman!

The Boulevard & Fooooood

If you want to go to a place a bit more modern, The Boulevard is a great place to go. The usual shops, like H&M and Zara, are here and also some Western food companies like McDonald´s.

Mansaf & Kabsa
We spend over a week in Amman and visiting The Boulevard, was just because we were out of options on where to go more. We were looking for more Western food for once, although we love, love, love the food from Jordan. Mansaf with lamb is one of the dishes I am always looking for whenever I go to a Middle Eastern restaurant. Or Kabsa. Kabsa is also bloody good.

Mansaf is a dish made of lamb cooked in a sauce of fermented dried yogurt and served with rice or bulgur. Kabsa is a mixed rice dish, served on a communal platter. I think Mansaf is a dish that originated from Jordan, while Kabsa isn´t.

Mosque

If you have never visited a mosque I advise you to go to the blue mosque (King Abdullah) around 8 PM to see the people pray. It’s a very unique experience. Especially when you have not seen this before.
I have been to temples and churches, but not to such a big a mosque before.

Be aware that women have to wear a long black dress (burka), but they will give this to you in the souvenir shop below the mosque.

Best - restaurant - ever!

Then a restaurant I advise everyone to go to is Tawaheen–al-Hawa. The food is incredible and not expensive at all.
One plate can be shared with two persons. The restaurant is awesomely decorated with a small fountain, a huge camel in the middle and you can also sit outside. The staff is kind and speaks English.

But the best thing is: as a dessert you get free Baklava and fruits. If you can not eat that anymore, you can even take it home. We went here twice during our two-week trip! Not just because of the free delicious baklava and fruits, but also because the biryanis are so good!

The story about how we found this restaurant is pretty funny. We were just walking outside and looking for a good restaurant. Then we asked a random girl. She immediately invited us to her car to take us to this restaurant and gave her number if we have any other questions. This is just one example of how sweet the people in Jordan are! I still have her number, so if I ever go again to Jordan… I hope she doesn’t mind I will bombard her with questions 😉

Information:
Address: Wasfi al-Tal Rd, Jubilee Gardens, Amman
Website