Amman Governorate · Jordan
Amman travel guide
Amman is a city in Amman Governorate, Jordan, home to about 4,008,000 people.
- Best months
- all year
- Nearest airport
- ADJ6 km · Marka International (Amman Civil) Airport
- Currency
- JODJordanian dinar
- Time zone
- Asia/Amman
- Language
- Arabic
About
About Amman
Amman is the capital and the largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of five million as of 2026, Amman is Jordan's primate city and is the largest city in the Levant region, the seventh-largest city in the Arab world, and the eighth-largest metropolitan area in the Middle East.
A city built of white stone, Amman's growth has skyrocketed since it was made the capital of Trans-Jordan in the early 1920s, but especially after the 1948 and 1967 wars with Israel when hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees settled there. Another wave arrived after the second Iraq war, with Iraqi refugees forming the majority of newcomers. Its history, however, goes back many millennia. The settlement mentioned in the Bible as Rabbath Ammon was the capital of the Ammonites, which later fell to the Assyrians.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Amman
See
Although the capital of a diverse kingdom, Amman is not what one would call "packed" with things to see, making it a great gateway to explorations further afield. Even so, the city does hold a few items of historical and cultural interest (allow maximum 2 days to see them).
- Amman Citadel
- Jordan Archaeological Museum
- Temple of Herakles
- Umayyad Palace
- Byzantine Church
- Roman Theater
- Roman Nymphaeum
- Ammonite Watchtower
- Rainbow Street
- Darat al Funun
- Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts
- The Jordan Museum
Do
- Balad
- Amman Waves Aqua Park and Resort
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Amman to stay in
Amman has the full range of accommodation options from very basic 1-star accommodation to luxurious 5-star facilities.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Amman
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Amman are all year. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 28 °C; January is the wettest, with about 70 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Amman: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Marka International (Amman Civil) Airport (ADJ), about 6.0 km from the city centre in a straight line; Queen Alia International Airport (AMM, 26 km) and Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV, 99 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
for comprehensive and complete visa details when entering Jordan in Aqaba or Amman, and possibilities to waive your visa fee.
Getting around
Some areas of Amman are not easily navigated on foot. Be aware when walking through areas of Amman that are not familiar to you because the walkable route might be inconvenient. Unlike other cities frequented by tourists, tools such as Google Maps may not provide an easily traversable route even when used in walking mode. In this case, a walk that appears to be only a few minutes on Google Maps may take half an hour or longer due to unforeseen obstacles.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
ADJ · Marka International (Amman Civil) Airport
AMM · Queen Alia International Airport
TLV · Ben Gurion International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Amman
Eat
Amman features many different styles of restaurants, from traditional Middle Eastern fare to more familiar Western fast food and franchises. Prices range from ultra-cheap to moderate, depending on one's taste buds. For those on a budget, Arabic food is very affordable and can be obtained everywhere. Arabic food generally consists of several general basic groups. Meat dishes will generally consist of lamb or chicken; beef is more rare and pork is never offered. Shwarma, which is cooked lamb meat with a special sauce rolled in piece of flat bread, is a local favorite. Rice and flat bread are typical sides to any meal.
Drink
For the coffee lover, Amman's Starbucks locations (Swefieh, Abdoun, Taj Mall, City Mall, Mecca Mall, Abdali Mall) offer various mugs, tumblers, and to-go cups with distinctive Jordanian and Middle Eastern flair. Those who crave gourmet coffee have a number of choices along Rainbow St. off of First Circle in Jabal Amman with other shops sprinkled throughout the city. Alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, liquor), can be purchased in liquor stores across the city. Most are distinguishable by an advertisement for Amstel or some like beverage outside. There are also bars up and down Rainbow St. in Jabal Amman and throughout Abdoun.
Stay safe
Compared with other capital cities, Amman is a very safe place to visit. Jordanian police and the military maintain a tight grip on law and order. Personal safety is high in Amman - it is safe to walk anywhere in the city at any time of day or night. Serious crime is extremely rare. In 2005, some major hotels were targeted by bombers (connected with the conflict in Iraq). Security measures at all major hotels were increased as a result. LGBTQ travellers: While laws criminalising homosexuality have long been repealed in Jordan, before even most of the West, Jordanian society at large remains broadly more socially conservative and LGBTQ acceptance is still rather low.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Amman: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Amman?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Amman are all year. August is the warmest month, with average highs of 28 °C; January is the wettest, with about 70 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Amman?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Marka International (Amman Civil) Airport (ADJ), about 6.0 km from the city centre in a straight line; Queen Alia International Airport (AMM, 26 km) and Ben Gurion International Airport (TLV, 99 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Amman?
Jordanian dinar (JOD).
Nearby
Destinations near Amman
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.