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Colorful hanging lanterns and baskets canopy a lively, plant-lined street in Amman's Rainbow Street district.
middle east

AmmanTravel Guide

Jordan9 stories

Jordan's hillside capital layers Roman ruins, Ottoman-era stairways and a hospitable modern café culture across a cluster of limestone hills — and serves some of the best hummus in the Middle East.

Is Amman right for you?

When to come

Spring and autumn

Around 33°C by day in August, 13°C in January — recorded at the local weather station.

What it costs

Mid-range. Comfortable without planning around money, expensive if you stop counting.

What we've planned, and who for

No hour-by-hour route here yet — the guides below cover it by subject instead.

When to go
January: around 13 degrees by day, 4 at night, 61 millimetres of rain, some rain.
February: around 14 degrees by day, 5 at night, 58 millimetres of rain, some rain.
March: around 18 degrees by day, 8 at night, 31 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
April: around 24 degrees by day, 11 at night, 8 millimetres of rain, dry. We recommend this month.
May: around 28 degrees by day, 15 at night, 3 millimetres of rain, dry and hot. We recommend this month.
June: around 31 degrees by day, 19 at night, 0 millimetres of rain, dry and hot.
July: around 33 degrees by day, 21 at night, 0 millimetres of rain, dry and hot.
August: around 33 degrees by day, 21 at night, 0 millimetres of rain, dry and hot.
September: around 31 degrees by day, 19 at night, 0 millimetres of rain, dry and hot.
October: around 27 degrees by day, 15 at night, 5 millimetres of rain, dry. We recommend this month.
November: around 20 degrees by day, 10 at night, 21 millimetres of rain, dry. We recommend this month.
December: around 15 degrees by day, 6 at night, 47 millimetres of rain, some rain.
Cold to hot, by dayDry to wetWhen we would go

Spring and autumn

Average daily highs, recorded at East Amman, Amman Civil Airport (779 m), 1989-2018.

Where this comes from

Jordan Meteorological Department; NOAA (English Wikipedia, 'Amman') — Article carries two boxes: East Amman (Amman Civil Airport, 779 m) and West Amman (University of Jordan, 1000 m, cooler and much wetter). Used the East Amman airport station.

Budget level

Mid-range

Typical cost profile for visitors

Combine it with
  • Petra190 km

    a short hop — comfortable overland · both good in March, April, May

  • Wadi Rum270 km

    a short hop — comfortable overland · both good in March, April, May · a different price level (mixed)

  • Paphos, Cyprus450 km

    half a day's travel · both good in April, May, October

  • Cairo, Egypt490 km

    half a day's travel · both good in March, April, October · a different price level (budget)

Plan itWhere to stay in Ammanad · Booking.comTours and tickets
On the map

Finding Amman

Open in Google Maps Larger map
The stories

Reading Amman

The Roman theatre below the Citadel, Amman
01
Stays

In Amman, Your Hotel Is a Transport Decision

Amman is built on steep hills with cheap taxis at the bottom of them, so the room you book quietly decides how much of the city you ever see on foot.

Jordan · 9 min
The towering columns of the Temple of Hercules on the Amman Citadel at golden hour, a lone visitor standing on the podium at their base for scale against a deep blue sky.
02
Destinations

Amman for First-Timers: The Complete Guide to Jordan's Underrated Capital

Most travelers race through Amman on their way to Petra. Slow down: the Citadel, the Roman Theatre and the falafel of downtown reward a proper stay.

Jordan · 2 min
The blue and white mosaic dome of the King Abdullah I Mosque in Amman rising above its pale limestone portal, seen from below against a sky graduating from deep blue to gold at sunset.
03
Stays

Amman at Three Prices: Where the Money Actually Goes

Budget, middle and grand are not three versions of the same stay in Amman - they are three different hills, three different mornings, and three quite different relationships with the taxi app.

Jordan · 10 min
Dried dates heaped high on a stall at a local market in Amman, Jordan
04
Stays

Which Hill to Sleep On in Amman

Amman's neighbourhoods sit on separate hills, and the wrong one adds a taxi ride to every plan. Here is what downtown, the Jabal Amman ridge and the western circles actually deliver, at three budgets, with the caveats.

Jordan · 9 min
A Levantine mezze spread photographed in Amman, Jordan - grilled halloumi, stuffed vine leaves, hummus and foul pooled with olive oil, spiced potatoes, pickles, tomato salad and pink pickled turnips served in small black pans
05
Destinations

Everything Within Two Hours of Amman, and the Point Where Day Trips Stop Working

Jerash and Ajloun in one day, Madaba and the Dead Sea in another, the desert castles in a third — and then the point, somewhere around Karak, where day-tripping stops working and you have to pack the car and head south.

Jordan · 9 min
Aerial view over the ruins of the Amman Citadel hill with the pale-stone city and modern skyline beyond, Amman, Jordan
06
Itineraries

Two Days in Amman, in the Order That Works

Amman rewards two full days if you walk them in the right sequence: downhill from the Citadel, uphill only by taxi, and never with the museums on a Friday.

Jordan · 10 min
The hills of Amman covered in sand-colored buildings, with the giant Jordanian flag flying above the city on its towering flagpole
07
Destinations

The right time for Amman: a candid season-by-season guide

Amman's altitude, not the desert, sets its calendar - which month to choose, how long to give the city, where to base yourself, and what it actually costs.

Jordan · 12 min
Shoppers and stallholders crowding a produce alley in an Amman market, crates of leafy greens, carrots and onions spilling toward the walkway under the awnings.
08
Food

The markets of Amman: what to taste and when to wander in

Amman's old downtown is one continuous market, and the best way to understand the city is to eat your way downhill through it, from the spice lanes to a slice of knafeh eaten standing in an alley.

Jordan · 12 min
A floodlit stone landmark with corner minarets and a lantern-topped tower in downtown Amman at night, its arcade lights reflected on wet paving with only a few people crossing the empty square.
09
Hidden Gems

Amman off-season: when Jordan's capital is quietly at its best

Spring and autumn belong to the Petra coaches; for the capital itself, late November through February is when Amman is most itself, and cheapest.

Jordan · 10 min
In pictures

Amman, framed

Rainbow-painted stone steps climb past a mural and trees under a blue sky on Amman's Rainbow Street.
Photo: Dilip Poddar / Unsplash
Colorful woven lantern decorations hang over a sloping café-lined street on Amman's Rainbow Street.
Photo: Dilip Poddar / Unsplash
A curved glass skyscraper rises above a fabric shade sail and greenery under a deep blue sky in Amman.
Photo: Muna AbuDhair / Unsplash
Colorful woven lanterns hang over an outdoor café table on Amman's Rainbow Street under a bright blue sky.
Photo: Dilip Poddar / Unsplash
Our picks

What we'd do in Amman

See and do

Eat and drink

Where to stay

Before you go

Practical essentials for Jordan

Money

Jordanian dinar (JOD)

Language

Arabic; English is widely spoken in Amman, Petra and throughout the tourist trade.

Power

Type B/C/D/F/G/J, 230V 50Hz

Getting around

There is no useful passenger rail - JETT coaches link Amman, Petra and Aqaba, Uber and Careem work in Amman, and most visitors hire a car or a driver.

Tipping

About 10% in restaurants, though better places already add a 10% service charge, and taxi fares are simply rounded up.

Tap water

Tap water is treated in the cities, but visitors should stick to bottled or filtered water.

Driving

Right-hand side; carry the 1949 International Driving Permit together with your national licence.

Emergency

911

Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.

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