2 days in Amman

Day by day

1. Day 1: Amman Citadel and Roman Theatre and Odeon

   Amman Citadel, Roman Theatre and Odeon, Jordan Museum and Downtown souqs and Grand Husseini Mosque, then Downtown street-food trail in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Amman Citadel

      The small Jordan Archaeological Museum on site and the views down to the Roman Theatre make it the best first stop in the city.

   2. Late morning

      Roman Theatre and Odeon

      Small folklore and traditional-costume museums occupy rooms in its wings, and the smaller Odeon stands beside the Hashemite Plaza in front.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Mansaf

      Traditional Jordanian restaurants in downtown and Jabal Amman, often served at lunchtime and on Fridays.

   4. Afternoon

      Jordan Museum

      It is air-conditioned and a good introduction before travelling around the country.

   5. Late afternoon

      Downtown souqs and Grand Husseini Mosque

      It is busiest on Saturdays and in the late afternoon.

   6. Evening

      Downtown street-food trail

      Eat hummus and falafel at a busy counter, then queue for knafeh in the lane off King Hussein Street.

2. Day 2: King Abdullah I Mosque and Rainbow Street

   King Abdullah I Mosque, Rainbow Street, Jabal al-Weibdeh and Darat al Funun, then Citadel-view sunset from Jabal Amman in the evening.

   1. Morning

      King Abdullah I Mosque

      A small Islamic museum is attached.

   2. Late morning

      Rainbow Street

      It fills with families and young Ammanis in the evenings and on weekends, and side streets have views down over downtown.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Falafel

      Long-running counters in downtown's lanes and stands around the city.

   4. Afternoon

      Jabal al-Weibdeh

      Paris Circle has cafés and a small park, and the neighbourhood is home to two of Amman's main art spaces.

   5. Late afternoon

      Darat al Funun

      It hosts changing exhibitions, talks and film screenings, and entry is free.

   6. Evening

      Citadel-view sunset from Jabal Amman

      Walk the stairs down from Jabal Amman to downtown at dusk, stopping at the terraces along the way.

Before you go

If it rains

• Swap in Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts (Jabal al-Weibdeh): Pair it with Darat al Funun, a 10-minute walk away, for an afternoon of art.
• Swap in Royal Automobile Museum (King Hussein Park): Combine it with the Children's Museum Jordan in the same park.
• Swap in Children's Museum Jordan (King Hussein Park): Weekday mornings can be busy with school groups; afternoons are calmer.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 12–16 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.1 hours in December to 14.2 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Walking. Downtown, Jabal Amman and Jabal al-Weibdeh are connected by public stairways; the Citadel to the Roman Theatre is about 15 minutes on foot, downhill.

More or fewer days

• One day in Amman
• 3 days in Amman

Questions travellers ask