Cheap Flights to Amman Jazeera Airways Tickets from USD 440*

Discover Amman

Amman is the capital and largest city of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Steeped in history, modern-day Amman is an exciting city and one of the friendliest in the Middle East. Tourists are surprised as to how lively and open-minded the city is. Downtown Amman in particular is well worth a visit, and renowned for its laid-back cafe culture.

Western Amman is more urban and boats of green residential districts, malls, art galleries, cafes and bars; whilst the eastern side of the city is clearly more conservative. Amman is the perfect start to your tour before you head off to Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea.

Hilly in character, the city features spectacular Roman ruins, a well-stocked museum, and plenty of souqs, boutiques, and coffee houses.

Citadel

The area known as the Citadel sits on the highest hill in Amman, Jebel Al Qala'a (about 850m above sea level). This is the site of ancient Rabbath-Ammon and is surrounded by a 1700m-long wall that's been rebuilt many times during the Bronze and Iron Ages, as well as the Roman, Byzantine and Umayyad periods.

Darat Al Funun

Translated as the 'small house of the arts' the building is situated in Jabal el Weibdeh. The works are spread across three adjacent villas from the 1920s and has a permanent collection plus regular new exhibitions.

Jordanian National Gallery Of Fine Arts

If you're interested in contemporary Jordanian art this is the place to be. You'll also see stunning sculptures, paintings and pottery, and the beautiful layout of the gallery is a showcase of contemporary art from around the Middle East and the Muslim world at large.

The Roman Theatre

This spectacular theatre bears testimony to Roman Philadelphia, and is the highlight of Amman for most foreign visitors. The restored theatre itself is cut into the northern side of a hill, and has a seating capacity of 6000.

Shopping

City Mall is Jordan's biggest shopping mall selling well-known international brands. You also have the more upmarket Taj Mall in Abdoun and Mecca Mall, the other large mall on Mecca Street.

A must-visit for every tourist is the old Downtown area. Make sure you walk through the network of streets with their quaint alleys whilst you bargain with the friendly vendors. Here you'll find everything from spices, fruits, souvenirs, clothes and ornaments.

Then there's the large outdoor Abdali Market - a popular haunt for visitors. The market sells mainly second-hand clothing and shoes. Don't forget to haggle for prices. Baraka Mall in Sweifiyeh is small but as a bonus it has an in-house multiplex cinema. You might want to try Majdi Mall located close to the University of Jordan on Wakalat Street or the street in Sweifieh with big western stores, selling mainly international clothes labels.

Food And Drink

Amman is a gourmet's paradise with a whole range of restaurants from traditional Middle Eastern to international fast food chains. The Arabic food particularly is delectable and affordable. Make sure you try 'mansaf', the country's local favourite. It is a sumptuous lamb dish mixed with rice and served with plenty of fresh salad. Other favourites include foods made from chick peas like hummus, falafel, and full.

La Maison Verte is an outstanding French restaurant, serving excellent food in a relaxing atmosphere. Not to be missed. Also recommended is Entrecote, a steak and sea food restaurant. Also, Levant is a very comfortable restaurant which serves authentic Arabic food. For atmosphere there's nothing better than Kan Zaman - a restaurant set in a medieval castle on top of a hill. Make sure you ask the waiter for their red wine called 'Kan Zaman'. Before you leave, you can't ignore the numerous shawarma shops with their down-to-earth prices.