Most tourists are not breathlessly enthusiastic when they describe their visits to Amman. For many visitors to Jordan, it’s a crowded port of arrival and departure on route to more scenic destinations. But – and I cannot emphasize this enough- that is a huge missed opportunity. Amman, while not exactly beautiful at face value, offers so much to visitors who are willing to explore this strange, kind, chaotic city. Do yourself a favor if you visit Jordan, and be sure you have three days for Amman. Here’s how to spend those 72 hours in Jordan’s capital.

What and where to eat:

• Shaherazade:- A recommendation from an employee at the hostel we stayed in. I wish very good things in life to that man, because the food was incredible. I almost cried (I really did have tears in my eyes) over the chicken shishtaouk and the kofta (beef) baked in tahini. The restaurant is down an alley, and all the way back. (We missed it on our first try and just asked someone for help.) Unless you speak Arabic, just stand around until someone gets you a table. Roughly $10 USD for two people to eat.
• Hashem : A 24 hour- a-day institution, Hashem is the reason we didn’t go hungry after arriving in Jordan at midnight. It’s also the reason I believe hummus has healing powers. It’s seriously so tasty here. It’s also really affordable. Hummus, eggplant, salad, falafel, and french fries, with tea, costs less than $8 for two.

• Al Quds: the falafel spot on Rainbow Street, not the restaurant. The falafel sandwiches at Al Quds cost less than $1 USD each, and are one of the most delightful snacks I’ve ever had. Get there early if you want the sesame bread.
• Fakhreldin: Since we were well within budget after eating so many impossibly cheap meals, we decided to make up for it by going to one of the nicest restaurants in town. A far cry from a back alley barbecue spot, we were wildly underdressed for this beautiful restaurant. The prices are high for Amman, but the menu is diverse and the food is amazing. And there’s wine (alcohol is rarely available in Jordan.)

• Habibah Sweets: everyone recommends getting a pastry called knafa (or kunafa or kanafa,) and it’s worth a try. But it is heavy and you can really only eat so much before you’re overhwhelmed. The dessert that I would recommend instead is malabi, a delicate rosewater flavored milk pudding. It is so refreshing and light after a heavy meal or a hot day. And, like a lot of food in Jordan, it’s quite affordable.

What to do:

Amman is not a particularly beautiful city. Rapidly built and now rapidly expanding, the old city and the new city are at odds with eachother. But Amman is full of a beauty all its own, and has so much to offer. 

• See the Citadel and the Roman amphitheater: These are ancient ruins that the city has built around and carefully left in tact. By each site (a 20 minute walk from one another,) there’s a small museum where you can walk around to learn more about Jordan. 

• Take a day trip to Jerash: Amman is well positioned for day trips all around Jordan, but unless you rent a car, it isn’t the easiest to get to and from the city. We hired a driver to take a trip to Umm Qays, Aljoun and Jersash for about $125. It was a long day but absolutely amazing seeing ancient Greek and Roman cities preserved so beautifully. Absolutely worth the cost.

• The Wild Jordan Center: Unfortunately, we didn’t actually get to experience this ourselves (I didn’t know about it until our last day!) But this is a nature preservation organization that also runs tours to nature reserves around the country. I fully plan on going back to Jordan one day, and I definitely want to try this out.
• Museums: We also didn’t get to see all of the museums we wanted because we planned to go to a couple on a Tuesday, and they were all closed. Rookie mistake, man.
• Turkish baths at Alf Layla Wa Layla: Similar to Japanese onsens, Korean spas, etc., this is a gender-separated bathhouse/spa experience. It is to die for. You’ll feel like royalty for around $40 USD. (If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, I recommend reading up on what a Turkish bath is first. You want to know what you’re getting into.)

Pro Tips:

• Jordan is both very cheap and quite expensive. Local meals are very affordable, local taxis can get you all around town for $5-$10 (you can also use uber,) but “foreign” food and long distance travel costs around ten times as much. Budget accordingly.
• Get a Jordan Pass. It costs about $100 USD and includes entry to all the sites I mentioned, Petra AND your visa entry fee. It saved us at least $100 each, easily making up for the cost.
• The Jett bus is the only exception to long distance travel costs. It is not exactly nice, but if you don’t want to spend $100 on a taxi/driver to various sites (such as Petra), this is the way to do it.
• If you’ve been following this blog, you know that I love traveling the Middle East. Embrace the diversity, the food and the culture. You will fall in love.

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