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Best Things To Do In Amman Jordan

Planning a trip to Amman, Jordan? Use this guide to help plan your itinerary so you don’t miss any of the best things to do in Amman, the capital of Jordan!

Amman Jordan Travel Guide

How Many Days to Spend in Amman Jordan?

If you’re planning a trip to Jordan, there’s a good chance you’ll fly in and out of Amman, the capital of Jordan. The Amman airport is the main airport in Jordan. Many people skip Amman and head straight for the Dead Sea, Petra, and Wadi Rum. But Amman is definitely worth visiting on its own.

We recommend at least one full day to explore Amman, and two more full days for day trips from Amman.

Read More: The Two Best Day Trips from Amman

Roman Theatre in Amman Jordan

Best Things To Do In Amman Jordan #1 — Roman Theatre

The two most prominent landmarks in Amman are the Roman Theatre and the Amman Citadel. We recommend to visit the theatre in the morning, when it is less crowded. If you get there first thing in the morning you can have the whole theatre to yourself!

Roman Theatre in Amman Jordan

Fun Tricks to Try at the Roman Theatre in Amman Jordan!

There are two fun acoustics tricks you should definitely try at the Roman Theatre! I’ve illustrated in the photo above where to stand for each trick.

Talk Through The Walls

Have one person stand at one end of the semi-circle, and a second person stand at the other end of the semi-circle. Crouch down and speak in a normal volume into the wall. Have the other person put their ear close to the wall. You should be able to easily hear each other and have a conversation back and forth!

Echo Echo Echo

There is a drain in the middle of the semi-circle (circled in pink above). If you stand on the drain and talk loudly or sing, you can hear an echo!

Roman Theatre in Amman Jordan

Roman Theatre Fun Facts

The Roman Theatre in Amman was built in the 2nd century AD. It could seat about 6,000 people.

Roman Theatre in Amman Jordan

Did you know? During the Roman period, Amman was known as Philadelphia.

View of Roman Theatre in Amman Jordan

Best View of Roman Theatre in Amman Jordan

After visiting the theatre, make your way to the Amman Citadel. On the way there’s a great place to stop with a view of the Roman Theatre!

Here is the exact GPS Location of the viewpoint of the Roman Theatre in Amman.

Girl standing between columns at Amman Citadel

Best Things To Do In Amman Jordan #2 — Amman Citadel

The Amman Citadel is the second most prominent landmark in Amman. It sits high on a hill with 360 degree panoramic views all over Amman. The location was almost certainly chosen because the high vantage point made it easier to defend from attacks.

Temple of Hercules at Amman Citadel
Temple of Hercules at the Amman Citadel

The Citadel is one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited places. Evidence of people living here has been found from over 6,500 years ago! Many different civilizations throughout the years built their cities here, and you can see buildings and architecture from multiple time periods that are still standing.

View from Citadel in Amman Jordan
View of Amman Jordan from the Citadel

What is there to see at the Amman Citadel?

You can see evidence from different eras including the Roman Temple of Hercules (from the 100s), a Byzantine church (from the 500s), a palace and huge water cistern (from the 700s), and a watchtower (from the 1200s).

View of Roman Theatre from Amman Citadel
View of the Roman Theatre from the Amman Citadel

How to long spend at the Amman Citadel?

Give yourself at least 2 hours to fully explore the Citadel, all the ruins, and take in the views of the city.

Abu Darwish Mosque in Amman Jordan

Best Things To Do In Amman Jordan #3 — Abu Darwish Mosque

After visiting the Roman Theatre and the Citadel, you will still have plenty of time left in the day to explore other areas of Amman if you wish!

The Abu Darwish Mosque is one of the most beautiful mosques in Amman. The mosque sits atop one of Amman’s seven hills, and if you look closely you can see the mosque and its unique black and white stones from all over the city.

The mosque is not open to visitors, but it’s still very beautiful to see from the outside.

Umbrella Street in Amman Jordan

Best Things To Do In Amman Jordan #4 — Explore the Old City

While visiting the Abu Darwish Mosque is optional, exploring the old city of Amman is an absolute must!

There are so many beautiful streets, bustling souks, colorful alleys with vibrant street art, and rainbow stairs hidden all over Amman.

Below I will show you some of the most beautiful rainbow stairs in Amman, and their exact GPS location so you can find them too. We did all the work of hunting down these rainbow stairs so you don’t have to!

Umbrella Street in Amman Jordan

Umbrella Street in Amman Jordan (Zajal)

This colorful umbrella street in Amman is located right in the heart of the old city. It’s about a 20 minute walk from the Roman Theatre.

Definitely take some time to explore this area on foot. You’ll find plenty of street art, boutiques, and cafes!

Amman Jordan Umbrella Street GPS Location — Zajal

Umbrella Street in Amman Jordan
Umbrella Street in Amman Jordan
Rainbow Stairs in Amman Jordan

Rainbow Stairs in Amman Jordan (Zara Center)

These stairs next to the Zara Center are some of the most beautiful and colorful rainbow stairs in Amman Jordan!

They’re not really close to the old city, so you’ll need to get here by taxi or Uber. We highly recommend Uber in Amman. Use the code amandab85 to get your first ride free.

Amman Jordan Rainbow Stairs GPS Location — Zara Center

Rainbow Stairs in Amman Jordan

These stairs have the shade in the morning and sun in the afternoon, depending on which lighting you prefer for photos!

Rainbow Stairs in Amman Jordan

Rainbow Stairs in Amman Jordan (Hussein Street)

This is another really colorful set of rainbow stairs in Amman. You’ll also need a taxi or Uber to get here. Again, there is morning shade and afternoon sun here.

Amman Jordan Rainbow Stairs GPS Location — Hussein Street

Rainbow Stairs in Amman Jordan

Geometric Rainbow Stairs in Amman Jordan (Old City)

Here’s another fun set of geometric rainbow stairs located in the old city of Amman. These steps are only a 15-20 minute walk from the Roman Theatre.

Amman Jordan Geometric Rainbow Stairs GPS Location

Rainbow Stairs in Amman Jordan

Rainbow Stairs in Amman Jordan (Manko Souq)

These colorful rainbow stairs are less than a 10 minute walk from the Roman Theatre!

Amman Jordan Rainbow Stairs GPS Location — Manko Souq

Rainbow Stairs in Amman Jordan

Rainbow Stairs in Amman Jordan (Rainbow Street)

You may have heard of Rainbow Street in Amman. It’s a fun walking street lined with shops and restaurants. There are no rainbow stairs on Rainbow Street, but at the end of the street there’s a view over Amman. If you look closely you can spot this long, tall set of rainbow stairs. If you want to visit these beautiful stairs themselves, check the GPS location below!

Rainbow Stairs in Amman Jordan GPS Location — Seen from Rainbow Street

Rainbow Stairs in Amman Jordan

Rainbow Stairs + Umbrella Street (Burger Corner)

Here’s one final set of Rainbow Stairs with an Umbrella Street to match. These stairs are in the old city, less than a 10 minute walk from the Roman Theatre, right next to the Manko Souq stairs.

Rainbow Stairs + Umbrella Street in Amman Jordan GPS Location — Burger Corner

Umbrella street and Rainbow Stairs in Amman Jordan
Rainbow Stairs + Umbrella Street in Amman Jordan (Burger Corner)
Girl in colorful dress on Rainbow Stairs in Amman Jordan

What to wear in Jordan?

The majority of people in Jordan (especially women) dress more modestly than most western countries. However in the summer it can get very hot in Jordan, and dressing modestly but comfortably for the heat can be a challenge.

If you’re looking for lightweight dresses that will help you stay cool, but modest, I found several cute dresses by searching for “drawstring caftan” on Amazon.

Here’s an exact link to the dress pictured above.

It’s actually a bathing suit cover up! But it’s not too see-through, so as long as you’re not wearing your brightest red polka dot underwear, you shouldn’t have a problem seeing through it.

However I do recommend wearing a sports bra or tank top underneath the dress. As you can see, the neck opening is a bit large and low cut, and would sometimes slip off my shoulders. I felt more comfortable with a sports bra showing (looked more like a tank top) than a regular bra.

Amman Marriott Hotel

Hotels in Amman Jordan

If you’re looking for the best hotels in Amman, we highly recommend the Amman Marriott Hotel.

The spa at the Amman Marriot Hotel is AMAZING. After a long day walking all over the hills and stairs of Amman, we loved relaxing by the pool in the afternoon and in the hot tub and sauna in the evening.

Amman Marriott Hotel

The rooms are bright, spacious, and fully equipped with all the modern amenities to make you feel right at home.

The breakfast buffet has a wide variety of options. We LOVED the waffle station!


Do you have any other questions about Amman Jordan?

If you have any other questions about Amman, please don’t hesitate to ask us in the comments! We are happy to help in any way. Have a great trip!


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Amman Jordan Travel Guide
Where to find the Rainbow Stairs in Amman Jordan
Amman Jordan Travel Guide
Amman Jordan Travel Guide
Amman Jordan Travel Guide

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Meet Kevin & Amanda

Kevin and Amanda

We love to travel and to eat! Here we share our favorite quick and easy recipes, plus travel tips and guides for our favorite places around the world. If you have any questions about what camera I use or how I edit my photos, check out my photography tutorials.

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