When I first stumbled on the picture of Amman, Jordan I instantly want to teleport right away. The raw stacked buildings were just so cool and fascinating! I’ve seen places with similar vibes, but the hilly contour and the scale of the city is what makes it special. Unlike other country capitals that I usually want to skip quickly, this one made me stay for more than just a couple of days.
I arrived in Amman, 5 am in the morning on Friday. The Airport is small so I got thru all the arrival hassle easily, only a bit hiccups at the immigration when they asking me too many curious questions. Well, it’s actually the ‘business as usual’ if you got yourself a green passport like mine, irritating but no surprised at all.
I took a shuttle bus from Queen Alia International Airport of Amman to the downtown that only cost me 3,3 JOD (USD 5). The bus counter ‘Sariyah Express’ is located just around the exit door, nearby ‘I ❤️ QAIA’ sign. The bus runs every 30 mins so it’s pretty convenient, and the distance to the city center is around 45 mins. It’s the cheapest option compared to Uber/Careem which can cost 25 JOD (USD 35). I don’t know why but figuring out the public transportation from the Airport to city center is like a small win for me, it’s like I can yelling ‘ha! see! I can survive without you!’ to all the rip-off taxi drivers that queuing outside.
Pro tip : Get off of the bus in any stop before the North Bus Station (their final stop), if you don’t want to deal with taxi drivers with high possibility of scam. And nope, Uber or Careem is not allowed inside the station.
WHERE TO STAY
After spending a total 5 days in Amman, with 3 days at the beginning and 2 days at the end of trip, I think the most vibing neighborhood in Amman is Jabal Al Lweibdeh. Amman was built across 7 prominent hills, or people here called it ‘Jabal’, but now it expanded into 22 hills. Jabal Al Lweibdeh is one of them, it is an area where cool things are happening, like art galleries, cool murals, aesthetic cafes and restaurants, bar, etc. The place also always packed during weekend nights so bear with the traffic.
Unfortunately, I booked everything before knowing this, so I ended up staying only in Jabal Amman, around the famous Rainbow Street. Still nice place to stay, but not as lively as Lweibdeh. I would’ve stayed in both if I knew about it earlier.
Anyhow, I stayed in 2 different Airbnbs and each of them offers pleasant experience, so no regret at all though both are located in same area.
Dar Medusa
My first stay was at Dar Medusa and I absolutely loved it. Their quirky design got my attention first, but when I found out they have a very cool rooftop that overlooking the stacked buildings along the hills of Amman, I immediately booked it for 3 nights in a row. It got a guest-house style, that consist of some cool boho style rooms with cozy community spaces. I think it really suits for a long stay, as you can still have privacy while making one or two new friends in the community area.
Not to mention, the host were also amazing and very accommodating, they have many good recommendations even help me to arrange a car for a day trip to the Dead Sea.
Nu Fifty Two
For my final two nights, I stayed at Nu Fifty Two in Jabal Amman. It’s a self-check-in apartment, which gave me a whole different vibe—like living as a proper Ammani local. Clean, stylish, convenient, and in a walkable area. So many food options within walking distance, and my favorite is just lounging on the sofa in the living room since it feels like real home. Too bad I did not have any documentation for this stunning place 🙁
WHERE TO HANG / EAT
Staying over a couple of days, I’ve tried several cafes and restaurant around Amman, both the recommended ones or the ones that I randomly found through a swift browse on my phone. And I do have favorites, as below :
Rumman Collective
Discovered this gem on Google Maps. It’s shockingly pretty for a random find only few steps away from my hotel door in Dar Medusa. I came here twice for coffee and for breakfast. Their service is excellent with a great food and drink options as well. Price wise is a bit high but I think its dance along with the ambience and the service we got.
We sat on the terrace and honestly the feeling just to sit there and have a chat over breakfast with besties was just one of my favorite moment!
Mijana
By the end of the trip, I wasn’t prioritizing local food anymore, but international food options near Jabal Amman are limited, so we ended up here. Surprisingly, it was one of the most immersive local dining experiences I had in Jordan. — Local families hanging out, group of woman in hijab enjoying shisha, and an old man peacefully smoking alone. The waiters even dressed in local attire with a cool Arabic oud performance in the background! Everything was blended perfectly, building the whole authentic vibe altogether.
Manara Art Space
Found this unintentionally while searching for a sunset spot in Lweibdeh. My original plan was to go to a little coffee stall on a hill that overlooking the city of Amman on from its yard. But when we got there, it unfortunately looked dull. So I quickly checked the map to see what’s around, and there I found Manara, just a few meters away. It has a balcony overlooking the city, perfect for a golden-hour hang.
The Local Legends
Well anyway, Amman is a well-developed city, so you can easily find cool places to hang out. Just open your map, check the reviews, and you’ll be fine—it rarely disappoints. But between all the contemporary cafés and trendy spots, make sure to save some space for the local legends, like Al Quds Falafel on Rainbow Street or Hashem Falafel in Downtown.
I tried Hashem Falafel and it was delicious—the hummus and the sauce were my favorites. I also grabbed a slice of Kunafa from the famous Habibah Sweets, and even as someone who’s not a sweet-tooth, I’d say the sugar level was still pretty considerate… I could almost finish a whole slice by myself.
WHAT TO DO
King Abdullah I Mosque
If you asked me if it’s a very special mosque, I would say it is not – appearance wise. It does look pretty in the picture because of its blue mosaic dome that stand out amongst other similar beige-color buildings. It is not a must visit mosque, but since I was in Amman anyway, so why not?
The entrance for visitors is through a gate across the Orthodox Church. You will be guided in to basement area where they will borrow you Abaya (a fully cover cloak for woman) for free and pay the ticket for 2 JOD.
The mosque is not big, it will only need half an hour to circling through all the area. The main hall seems not open for visitors. But I managed to peek the interior inside, and found the style reminds me to mosque in Türkiye, with a huge round chandelier hanging from the ceiling and soft lighting.
The Amphitheatre
Located in Al Balad. Traffic is chaos on weekends, and sometimes it’s closed for events, so check before going. I had to visit twice—first time failed because only event ticket holders could enter; second time I made it in.
It’s not the biggest amphitheatre I’ve seen, but I think it is my most favorite. Since it has the iconic stacking buildings of Amman as the view from or towards the Amphitheatre. Also, it feels more vibrant since it often used for community events and concerts . I wish I had the chance to experience the concert or orchestra, must be amazing!
The Citadel
Hands down, this is indeed the most fascinating spot in the entire city. Nothing’s beat its 360° view over endless Amman fascinating sea of buildings! If you try to find the most picture perfect of Amman or if you are the sunset hunter, trust me, this is the place!! I’ve walked around from Jabal to Jabal, the view of the stacked buildings never stop to get me fascinated but, from The Citadel, the entire Amman really looks drop dead gorgeous! I could spent all day just to look over the sea of buildings and chit chatting about anything. Which I did with my friends.
Pro Tip : Come before 4 PM. Sometimes they close the gate earlier for no clear reason. Once you’re inside, you can stay until sunset. I spent nearly 3 hours here and would happily do it again and again! Definitely the loveliest place to chase for the sunset in Amman!
The Day Trips
Planning day trips from Amman without renting a car was honestly a bit of a challenge. While joining a tour felt pricey, but figuring out public transportation was equally difficult because the information available is so limited. Out of all the options, I finally decided to do a simple one-day trip to Wadi Mujib and the Dead Sea—where it turned out to be easy and very reasonable.
There were other places I skipped, like Jerash, which I felt looked a bit too similar to Greece, and Salt, which seemed a little too much to reach by taxi.
All in all, I super loved my experience in Amman! It is the city that never stop to get me fascinated, I really enjoyed every moment and every corner of the city and oh! also, the weather when I was there was very pleasant! I went in early October, the temperature was around 20s°C, a bit breezy but still sunny, I think it helps to elevate the whole experience too!
As somebody who loves small towns over big cities, I think it’s very rare for me to speak highly about a capital. And Amman is that one exceptions!
Amman, Jordan
