How to Spend One Day in Amman Jordan

Jordan is stacked with incredible highlights. Many people bypass Jordan’s bustling capital city Amman and hot-step it to the country’s more exotic locales like Petra or upscale destinations like the Dead Sea. However, we decided to spend one day in Amman at each end of our 10 day Jordan tour.

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As is often the case with low travel expectations, we ended up loving Amman! There’s plenty of things to do in Amman, whether you have one day or one week to spare.

This Amman 1 day itinerary will show you the best things to do in Amman if you only have a day or two in the city. If you have longer, Amman is also a great base for day trips. You can take day trips from Amman to the Dead Sea, Jerash, Ajloun, Madaba, the Desert Castles and more! 

With only one day in Amman, you should focus on Amman’s Downtown area. Downtown Amman is full of character and contains the city’s star attractions. We love to explore on foot, and you can easily walk between all these locations. Be warned, the city has a few hills. If you’re legs aren’t up for a workout, take a taxi when you visit the hilltop locations of the Citadel and Rainbow Street.

We started the self guided Amman city tour below around midday after an overnight flight. We covered all of this ground in the afternoon and early evening. 

Amman Itinerary Morning – Roman Ruins

In the morning of your Amman itinerary, get acquainted with a bit of Jordanian history in the old Downtown area. It’s not only Petra that holds the country’s architectural gems!  

Amman Nymphaneum

First, walk past the Nymphaneum. The Nymphaneum is a crumbling fountain that was excavated in the 1990s, with restoration continuing today.

While there’s only a few columns and alcoves to see today, the fountain must have been magnificent in its day. (Disclaimer: You may need to use your imagination!)

Amman Roman Theatre 

Next, walk 5-10 minutes to the Roman Theatre (JD2, free with Jordan Pass). The Roman Theatre is a well preserved 2nd century AD theatre with seating for 6000, and was my favorite activity in Amman.

The Roman Theatre looks all the more spectacular nestled in the heart of the city. I spent a good 30 minutes walking up, down and sideaways along the (steep!) steps, as the views and photo opps were all the more impressive every which way I turned.

I expected to be competing with throngs of tourists for space in the Roman Theatre, but was pleasantly surprised to find that the theatre was pretty quiet in the middle of a beautiful Saturday. In fact, this was true of most attractions in Jordan (other than Petra soz). There’s also a smaller theatre and a small but interesting Jordanian history museum on site.

Amman Citadel

From the Roman Theatre, it’s a relatively steep 15-20 minute walk uphill to the Amman Citadel (JD3, free with Jordan Pass).

We didn’t know the exact route to take, and simply started walking uphill towards the Citadel, which is visible from the Roman Theatre. We were totally unawares that we were taking the wrong street until some helpful locals provided unsolicited (but correct!) directions.

The Amman Citadel is a historic hilltop site that was occupied by different civilizations throughout the times, and is now home to a few archaeological wonders. Clearly I didn’t do my research, as I only had the Romans in mind.

However, the information boards reveal a rich history with evidence of settlement dating all the way back to the Neolithic period (that’s earlier than 4000 BC folks!). Most of the visible remains are from the (relatively speaking) more recent Roman, Byzantine and Ummayad periods.

Today, the architectural highlights of the Citadel are the majestic 2nd century Temple of Hercules (above) where a few lone pillars remain and the 8th century Ummayad Palace.

But don’t worry if you’re not a history buff. The panoramic views over the Roman Theatre and the city are enough to make the Citadel a worthwhile visit.

You’ll probably only need to spend 45 minutes to one hour at the Citadel unless you’re a history Harry hardcore or a slow poke Rodriquez. (Translation: History geek or slow walker.)

Amman 1 Day Itinerary Afternoon – Food and Downtown (Al Balad)

From the Citadel, it’s an easy walk down the other side of the hill back to Downtown Amman. Spend some time walking around the streets of the old town, checking out the local souqs (markets) and sampling local delicacies.

For excellent local food in Amman, you can’t go past Hashem. Hashem is a bit of an old town institution, and is frequented by locals and tourists alike. The place does get busy, but turnover is quick. We had no trouble getting a table for a late lunch one day and an early dinner another day. Try to get a seat in the alleyway and watch the world go by.

There’s no menu at Hashem, but the helpful staff will happily run through the vegetarian offerings. The house meal is falafel accompanied by dips (hummus, baba ganoush, some kind of chickpea / flava bean combo), tomato salad and of course bread and tea.

I’m gonna call it – this is quite possibly the best falafel I’ve ever eaten. Imagine all deep fried crispiness on the outside and perfectly moist on the inside. (If there ever was a time to use the dreaded word moist, this is it.)

On our first visit, we were slightly wary that the lack of a menu was a pricing stitch up. We were a little shocked when the total bill came at the absolute bargain price of JD4.5! On our second trip, we splashed out with additional dips for a total of JD6.

Amman Nightlife – Rainbow Street and Rooftop Bars

Now it’s time to move from the old town to modern Amman. A short walk uphill will take you to Rainbow Street. Here, Amman suddenly changes from chaotic alleyways and tiny shops into refined cobblestone streets with a little la-di-da thrown in. Take a walk up Rainbow Street and the surrounding streets and stop wherever you fancy for a tipple or meal.

This area is littered with trendy rooftop bars with views over the old town. (Warning: Expect western alcohol prices here, JD5-8 per drink.) Sure, it’s pretty international, but you’ll have tonnes of time to eat traditional foods and go dry on the rest of your trip. The perfect time to arrive is early evening for a sunset drink followed by dinner.

Cantaloupe rooftop bar

We were pretty stuffed from Hashem (on both our nights in Amman!) so opted to imbibe booze instead of eating. (Hey, we were about to go dry for 5 days.)

Our favourite rooftop bar was Cantaloupe gastropub at the start of Rainbow Street. Cantaloupe has a chilled vibe, good cocktails and intoxicating views of the hills and old town. We felt like we could be in any European old town, but with distinctly local views of the Citadel and the illuminated Temple of Hercules.

We also had a drink at the trendy District rooftop bar just beyond Rainbow Street. District is tres chic but a little upmarket for our liking.

Amman Accommodation 

Gallery Guest House – sweet spot for breakie

I recommend staying in or near Downtown Amman. From Downtown, you have easy access to the Citadel and Roman Theatre and can enjoy excellent food and the eclectic downtown vibes. Plus, there’s plenty of good value places to stay in Downtown Amman, from small guest houses to boutique hotels.

We stayed at Gallery Guest House which was an excellent choice. It’s a great location in the heart of the old town, is good value for money and has comfortable rooms. Best of all, breakfast is served on the hotel’s charming rooftop terrace.

For other Downtown Amman mid-range hotels, check out Shams Alweibdeh Hotel Apartments and The Boutique Hotel Amman. For a hotel outside Downtown Amman, try The Conroy Boutique Hotel. These hotels are all very well reviewed and reasonably priced, and were my back ups if Gallery Guest House hadn’t been available.

After our rooftop breakie, it was time to hit the road for the rest of our Jordan 10 day driving adventure! However, with the luxury of time, I would have happily whiled away a few more days soaking up Amman’s old town. All the more reason to return for more than one day in Amman next time…

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