One Day in Amman: The Perfect Itinerary

When visiting Jordan you will most likely fly into Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, the country’s capital.  Understandably,  with so many amazing sites to see in Jordan,  you are probably ready to just set off and explore the rest of the country.  However, don’t dismiss Amman as just a city to skip over.  Instead, spend at least one day in Amman and don’t miss these places to visit in our itinerary below!

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Best Places to Visit in Amman Squeezed into One Day

Since we only had one week in Jordan we decided to just spend one day in Amman.  There is a lot to see in Amman and the surrounding area but we managed to squeeze in all the Amman highlights into one day and one night.  However, if you have a little more time in your Jordan itinerary we recommend staying two days in Amman.

Since we are foodies, our Amman itinerary centers around food, and lots of it.  The local food is absolutely delicious so if you are a foodie, you will especially love this itinerary!

Where to Stay for One Day in Amman

Toledo Hotel

We chose to stay at the Toledo Hotel for its good price and location and we were totally happy with our choice!

The Toledo Hotel is a mid-range hotel, located on the edge of the old city centre, right across from the King Abdullah Mosque.  It is within walking distance to the new downtown area and Abdali Mall.

We loved the fact that this hotel is very eco-friendly.  In fact, it was the first hotel in the Middle East to receive a “Green Key” certificate.  For example, they have motion-sensor lights in the hallways and the rooms require your keycard to turn on the lights.

The rooms are very clean and spacious!  And we loved the Moorish decor in the lobby and dining area.  A breakfast buffet is included and the spread is pretty incredible!

 

What to Do in One Day in Amman

Enjoy a Middle Eastern Breakfast in Amman

Middle Eastern food is one of our favorites so we were excited to start the day off with some delicious local flavors!

The breakfast buffet at the Toledo Hotel is actually very good and has a lot of variety consisting of both Middle Eastern and Western options.  To save on time, dig into a delicious breakfast here before exploring the rest of the city!

Drive from Amman to Jerash

Jerash is located 50km from Amman, in northern Jordan, and is one of the best preserved Roman cities in the eastern Mediterranean.  These spectacular ruins really do deserve a full day of exploration, but with only one day in Amman you’ll have to make do with just devoting the morning here.

The Toledo Hotel actually has a tour service that you can book at the front desk.  Since you are short on time, just ask them to book you a driver to take you to Jerash and back. That way you can explore at your own pace and head back when you want.  We found the price to be quite reasonable.

The Jerash entrance fee is JD10. For up to date entrance fees for all of Jordan’s tourist sites click here.

Jerash Highlights:

Once we arrived at Jerash we took ourselves on a self-guided tour, using our Rough Guide to Jordan.  There were a number of friendly locals who were quite eager to guide us around.  However, we declined because we unfortunately did not come prepared with enough cash to tip with.  They seemed very disappointed, so be aware of this in case you encounter the same thing.

Below are some of the monuments we found most impressive while exploring Jerash:

Hadrian’s Arch

As soon as you enter Jerash you will be greeted by the gorgeous Hadrian’s Arch, an 11 metre-high triple-arched gateway originally built to honor the visit of Emperor Hadrian in 129 AD. 

It is one of the largest known arches of the Roman Empire.  Today it is known locally as “Bab Amman”, meaning “Amman Gate” in Arabic.

The Hippodrome

Just a little further inside the gate you will find the Hippodrome. 

This is where the chariot racing was held 1500 years ago, and still is to this day!  Thought to have been completed in the early 3rd century, it is the best preserved hippodrome of the Roman Empire and held up to 17,000 spectators.

The Oval Plaza

This was my favorite part of Jerash!  The design of this huge plaza is quite impressive. 

We were there during the call to prayer so one of our shots captured a local man praying right in the middle of the plaza.

The South Theatre

Jerash has three theatres, with the South Theatre being the largest.  It was originally built in the 90s AD but has been extensively restored. 

When we were there, there was a school group watching a bagpipe performance.  The way the sound traveled throughout the theatre as if there were a PA system was quite amazing!

 

 

The Temple of Zeus

What once must have towered over the city now lays in ruins, with toppled over columns left untouched since a catastrophic earthquake back in the day.  It was originally built in 162 AD and was intended to be visible from all over Jerash.

The Cardo

This Colonnaded Street runs about 800 metres long and was the main boulevard of ancient Jerash.  It was built at the start of the 2nd century AD.

The Nymphaeum

This beautiful, finely-carved public fountain was originally built in 191 AD and is still an impressive monument today, even without water.

 

Have a Late Lunch at Hashem

Head back to Amman and enjoy a late lunch.  This is one of our favorite meals we’ve had around the world!  The food is super simple and inexpensive, and it may be because we were really hungry, but our meal was amazingly delicious!  Hashem is open 24 hours and is an Amman institution, popular with both locals and tourists alike.

It is a hole-in-the-wall/alley restaurant. There is no menu and they only serve two things: fuul and hummus, with a side of onions, tomatoes, mint and bread.  Our server did not speak any English so we just pointed to the table next to us, assumed he asked if we wanted the same thing and we said “yes!”

We honestly want to go back to Amman just to eat here again.  Try it – you won’t regret it!

Enjoy Dessert at Habibah

Being the sweets-lover that I am, we of course had to head to Jordan’s best patisserie, Habibah, located not too far from Hashem.  Again, the staff here did not speak English, so we just got by with pointing at everything that we wanted.  There were no English labels so we didn’t know exactly what we were ordering but that’s part of the fun!

There is a huge variety of sweets to choose from, but make sure to try the kunafeh!  It is a Palestinian dessert, made with goat cheese and smothered in hot honey syrup, and it’s our favorite!  In all honesty though, I don’t think you can go wrong with anything you order here.  It’s all delicious.

I’ve tried to order these treats elsewhere in the world, and even other places in Jordan, and nothing has come close.  The treats at Habibah are just so fresh and delicious.  And inexpensive, too!

You can take the treats to go, or eat upstairs in the dining area.

 

Visit Citadel Hill

Citadel Hill, or Jabal al-Qal’a, towers over downtown Amman and is where you will find the impressive Temple of Hercules and The Umayyad Palace.  It is a quick taxi ride up the hill from downtown, or if you prefer a good workout, you can walk up the very steep steps in about 20 minutes.

Tip: The taxi ride should only cost JD1.  However we had issues with taxi drivers trying to overcharge us by telling us their meter didn’t work.  Always make sure to confirm price before setting off on your journey.  If they refuse to use the meter or give a decent price, just ask to get out of the car (we had to do this a couple of times).

If you can, try to time your visit so that you will be there for sunset as the views of Amman from up above are quite beautiful.  However, just make sure you are conscious of the closing time, which varies depending on day and season.  The last entry is one hour before closing.  We made the mistake of arriving too late to make it in time for the last entry 🙁

The entry cost is JD2, or free with the Jordan Pass.

Explore downtown

After visiting Citadel Hill, head back downtown and enjoy exploring the old city by foot.  We chose to walk down the steep steps, rather than take a taxi back down. 

We weren’t sure the exact route to take, but just kept taking whichever roads/staircases headed in the direction of downtown.  This is such a fun way to explore and a great way to encounter locals.  As we walked past people’s homes, they came out to say “Welcome to Jordan!” and invite us in for tea.  People were so genuinely warm and welcoming – it was such a lovely experience.

The highlight of downtown is experiencing the people and street life.  Make sure to try some street food, too.  We of course had to stop for a little cup of local coffee, as well as try some juice from one of the street-side juice bars.

Check out the Roman Theatre

While exploring downtown, you obviously have to stop in to see the Roman theatre.  If you are coming from Citadel Hill, we recommend directly going here, to ensure you can visit before it closes at 5pm (4pm on Fridays).  Entry costs JD1.

The impressive Roman Theatre, originally built between 169 AD and 177 AD, is cut into the hillside and offers a very nice view from the top. 

There are also two small museums located on either side of the stage: the Folklore Museum  and the Jordanian Museum of Popular Traditions.

Just outside the Roman Theatre, facing the forum area, you will find The Odeon, a smaller, free-standing theatre.

Shop

There are many shops downtown selling everything you could imagine: clothes, scarves, CDs, trinkets, shoes, housewares, etc. 

We actually ended up buying our souvenirs here and everything was a good price.  I managed to buy a number of nice scarves and the traditional Jordanian head scarf.

Tip: Use the ATMs here in downtown to take out cash if you need it!  You may not come across many once you set off to explore other parts of the country.

If you fancy buying some gold, or just want to browse, there is the Gold Souk here as well.

Visit Grand Husseini Mosque

Right in the heart of downtown Amman is this pink and white striped mosque built in 1932.  It is one of Amman’s most important places of worship and is often the place where many political demonstrations occur.

You are free to look inside as long as you are respectfully dressed.  Just ask at the gate on the right-hand side – entrance is at their discretion.

Eat Dinner at Abu Jbara

After all that walking, next on your Amman itinerary is dinner!  Flag down a cab and head to Abu Jbara.  This is a local chain with locations all around the city, but we went to the one by the 2nd Circle.  The restaurant is known for its delicious, inexpensive hummus, fuul and falafels. 

It is so popular, in fact, that there are often little traffic jams in front of the restaurant as people pull over to pick up food to go.

Eat the best shawarma at Reem

Save some room for part 2 of your dinner: shawarma from Reem!  Located just a short walk from Abu Jbara, by the 2nd Circle, is this hole-in-the-wall shawarma stand, also known to hold up traffic.

The shawarma is only around JD1 and is super flavorful, much better than the shawarma we tried elsewhere in the city.  Even if you are full from Abu Jbara, you’ve got to at least buy one to try!

 

Check out one of the many malls

After all the food, walk it off at the mall to end your one day in Amman.  I always love checking out malls around the world, not so much to shop, but just to see how they differ or compare from country to country.  And in Amman there is no shortage of malls! 

We caught a cab and went to the large, modern City Mall.  It’s a great place to people-watch and it has many of the popular international brands like Adidas, Nike, H&M, GAP, Victoria’s Secret and Zara.

Tip: If you collect Starbucks mugs like I do, the mall is a good place to pick one up! 

You can also check out the newer, upscale Abdali Mall, which is located close to the Toledo Hotel.

There is of course still a lot more to see, but with only one day in Amman this itinerary should give you a good taste of the city and its cultural highlights!  Enjoy your visit and don’t forget to subscribe for more Jordan itineraries and tips, coming soon!

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Map of all the Highlights of One Day in Amman

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