What to Do in Amman in One Day
Introduction
If you’re wondering what to do in Amman in one day, then you’ve come to the right place! The Jordanian capital is a bit of a hidden gem with most people using it purely as a transit stop before visiting Petra.
You can go on a free walking tour that takes in the likes of Amman’s stunning Roman Theater, bustling food market Souq Al-Sukar and vibrant Rainbow Street, a place so popular that even King Abdullah and Queen Rania have been spotted there on the odd occasion. The Grand Husseini Mosque is a cool spot near the Roman Theater which is worth having a look at. If you have time after the walking tour, spend some time inside the theater, and double it up with a trip to the two museums inside: The Folklore Museum and the Jordanian Museum of Popular Traditions.
The historical Amman Citadel is a must-visit, and from personal experience I would recommend checking it out at sunset for the best views. Read on to see what it looks like at this time!
Most of these places are situated within Downtown Amman. So this is the place you should stay for convenience. It is easy to walk between all of them with a maximum of 20-25 minutes needed to walk between stops.
Let’s explore in more detail the places that should be on your Amman itinerary. These should all be possible to see even if you only have one day in Jordan. You can even save a lot of money by purchasing the Jordan Pass which I will explain in detail first.
Jordan Pass
What is the Jordan Pass?
The Jordan Pass gives you entry into 40 attractions across the country, including several in Amman. You do not have to pay any additional entry fees on top of the cost of the pass.
It also entitles you to a free single-entry tourist visa if you purchase it before arriving in Jordan and stay for at least 3 nights in the country.
If you stay for 2 nights or less, or purchase the Jordan Pass after arriving, you will NOT be eligible for this discount. The Jordan visa costs 40 Jordanian dinars (JD) (£45/$56), so it could be a great way to save some money if you plan to visit multiple attractions.
The discount does NOT apply to multi-entry visas.
What Attractions Does it Cover?
There are 40 attractions that wave the entry fee to holders of a Jordan Pass. These include some of the country’s most iconic sites such as Petra and Wadi Rum. In Amman, the Jordan Pass is valid for the following attractions: Amman Citadel, the Roman Theater, the Museum of Popular Traditions and Jordan Archaeological Museum. Many more places are easy to visit on a day trip from Amman, but since I’m sharing information specifically on what to do in Amman in one day, you won’t have much time left for other things by leaving the capital.
The Jordan Pass is only valid for a single entry to each attraction. The exception is Petra, read the next section for more information on this.
It should also be noted that you can save 4 JD (£4.50/$6) on the entry fee for Bethany Beyond the Jordan by purchasing the pass. The normal entry fee is 12 JD (£14/$17) and you can reduce this to 8 JD (£9/$11) with the pass. Although this will only be of relevance if you spend more than one day in Jordan.
How Much Does it Cost?
The Jordan Pass costs 70, 75 or 80 JD depending on what package you go for. That’s £88, £94 or £100, or US $99, $106 or $113 respectively.
What Packages are Available for the Jordan Pass?
There is only one difference between them.
For the 70 JD Jordan Wanderer pass, you get access to Petra for one day included. For the 75 JD Jordan Explorer pass, you get Petra access for two consecutive days, and for the 80 JD Jordan Expert pass, you will receive three consecutive days of Petra entry included. Please note the days must be consecutive for this to work. Petra by Night is not included in any Jordan Pass package.
How Long is it Valid For?
The Jordan Pass is valid for 12 months from the purchase date, and 2 weeks from the first use.
Is it Worth Getting a Jordan Pass if You’re Only in Amman for One Day?
The entry prices for each attraction in Amman are as follows:
- Roman Theater: 2 JD (£2/$3)
- Amman Citadel: 3 JD (£3/$4)
- Everything else: Free
- Tourist visa: 40 JD (£45/$56)
- Total: 45 JD (£50/$63)
If you only have 1 day in Amman and don’t plan on seeing other parts of Jordan, it is NOT worth purchasing the Jordan Pass. However if you wish to see other parts of the country, it is worthwhile.
For a Petra visit alone, the Jordan Pass will save you money. For an Amman day trip without seeing other parts of the country, it will not.
What to do in Amman in One Day
Grand Husseini Mosque
Entry cost: N/A
Free with Jordan Pass? N/A
Opening hours: N/A
Not to be confused with the similarly-named King Hussein Bin Talal Mosque on the opposite side of the city, this lovely architectural wonder is just a ten minute walk from the Roman Theater. If you only have a day in Amman, you don’t need to go in. In fact, non-Muslims and tourists aren’t welcome inside anyway. Just admire its beauty from the outside for a few minutes before heading to the first big stop on your Amman itinerary.
Recommended visit time: 5-10 minutes
Roman Theater
Entry Cost: 2 JD (£2/$3) – includes entry to both museums
Free with Jordan Pass? Yes
Opening Hours: Varying depending on time of year (see below)
November-March: 8am-4pm
April-May: 8am-5:30pm
June-October: 8am-6:30pm
Ramadan: 9am-5pm
The Roman Theater is a 6,000-seat arena which was built primarily for musical performances. It is almost 2,000 years old, and occasionally serves the same purpose today!
Chances are when you visit Amman, the theatre will only be open to visit, climb the steps and visit the museums. And this is still cool to do. You can get some spectacular views from the top of the theatre, but I must admit the steps are pretty steep.
When I visited, there was a man wearing traditional Arabic clothing whilst playing local music. This certainly added to the atmosphere.
The theatre itself is small and everything can easily be seen in 15-30 minutes, but there are a couple of museums included in the entry price. If you only have 24 hours in Amman then perhaps skip these unless you have a specific interest in what they have to offer. Let’s explain a little on each of them here.
Recommended visit time: 1-2 hours (including both museums)
The Folklore Museum
The Folklore Museum is small. It contains several costumes and instruments which are representative of Jordanian traditions and culture. They represent all aspects of Jordanian society from the desert to the villages and the cities.
There is a lack of information explaining what everything is however. To make the most of your time here it may be best to find a local guide who fully understands the history and can explain this to you.
Jordanian Museum of Popular Traditions
Also included with your Amman Theater ticket is entry to a second museum: The Jordanian Museum of Popular Traditions. Here you can find more costumes, jewellery and masks worn by the Jordanian people. You can also see many mosaics and artworks depicting the country in centuries gone by.
If this interests you, it’s possible to spend between 40 minutes and an hour here. If not, you can whizz through in 5 minutes. At the end of the day, the Roman Theater is the main attraction here and the museums are just bonus content.
Souq Al-Sukar
Entry cost: N/A
Free with Jordan Pass? N/A
Opening hours: 8am-5pm Saturday-Thursday (closed on Fridays)
This bustling marketplace is where you should go during your day in Amman to experience a little local life.
Fruits, vegetables and spices are the most common goods sold here. Olives can be found everywhere, and they have foods in a wide range of colours including some sort of bright pink vegetable. If you don’t have any interest in purchasing the food, I guess you can at least get some pretty pictures for the gram… On the other end of the aesthetics scale are sheep heads being sold by the market’s butchers. Pretty graphic in all honesty, but I’m sure they at least taste nice.
There are also a few small toys and assorted cheap items such as pens and mirrors here. But food is the primary offering in this market.
It gets pretty busy so perhaps give this one a miss if you don’t like crowded spaces. However, it’s a fun spot to soak in the atmosphere and get a small taste of Jordanian culture. Coming here is one of the best free things to do in Amman!
Recommended visit time: 30 minutes
Rainbow Street
Entry cost: N/A
Free with Jordan Pass? N/A
Opening hours: Open 24/7
The most famous street in Amman takes 13 minutes to walk from end-to-end. It’s easy to get to with all the hotels in downtown Amman surrounding Rainbow Street.
It’s popular for its colourful decorations, and many shops and restaurants. Come here to sample Arabian favourites such as Arabic coffee and shisha. This would be my recommendation for a lunch break during your one day in Amman. Popular Middle Eastern foods such as falafel and shawarma can be found in abundance here.
Recommended visit time: 1-2 hours (including a lunch break)
Amman Citadel
Entry cost: 3 JD (£3/$4)
Free with Jordan Pass? Yes
Opening hours: Varying depending on time of year (see below)
November-March: 8am-4pm
April-May: 8am-5:30pm
June-October: 8am-6:30pm
Ramadan: 9am-5pm
Amman Citadel is an archeological site with evidence that humans have been there for over 3,500 years. Today all that can be found is a series of ruins, mostly from the Roman period. The main structure within the citadel is the Temple of Hercules which dates back to the 2nd century.
Perhaps the best views of the city can be found from above. I recommend coming here in time for the spectacular sunsets over the Hashemite Kingdom at night. You won’t regret it.
Recommended visit time: 1-2 hours
Jordan Archaeological Museum
Entry cost: Included in Amman Citadel cost
Free with Jordan Pass? Yes
Opening hours: Same as for the Citadel
Located inside Amman Citadel, this tiny museum houses a series of artifacts including various statues, trinkets and even preserved human remains. Some artifacts even date back around 10,000 years. The Dead Sea scrolls could once be found here, but that is no longer the case. Since the museum is free to enter if you’re visiting the citadel however, it’s still worth checking out.
Recommended visit time: 30 minutes-1 hour
Amman: A Timed 1-Day Itinerary
Free Walking Tours
If you are only in Amman for a day, the best method by far to make the most of your time in the city is by taking a free walking tour. For those unfamiliar with free walking tours, these are guided tours where a local takes you to a city’s most interesting places and gives you a lot of background info on both the city and the country. Some tours include additional bonus perks, often something like sampling local food at a market in the city. In one case (Arequipa in Peru) I ended up feeding alpacas on a tour!
Please note that despite the name, free walking tours are actually tips-based and cost around £5-10 ($7-14). It is up to you what you give (and yes, it can be nothing if you’re that type of person…) but that’s a rough average.
My favourite website for finding free walking tours is Guruwalk, which offers 17 Amman walking tours at the time of writing. Speaking from personal experience, I recommend the “Heart of Amman Free Walking Tour” with Osama. It took in most of the places I mentioned in this article, and convinced me that they’re worth including in this post.
How you Should Spend a Day in Amman:
- 9:00am-12:30pm: Start the “Heart of Amman Free Walking Tour” with Osama which includes Souq Al-Sukar and Rainbow Street. You will meet Osama at Amman Pasha Hotel
- 12:30pm-2pm: Explore and eat lunch on Rainbow Street. The tour will end on Rainbow Street (or nearby Prince Mohammad Road). This gives you the perfect opportunity to check out the shops and grab falafel or shawarma for lunch.
- 2:30pm-3:30pm: After a short 20-minute walk from Rainbow Street, head to Amman Roman Theater to explore both the theater and the two museums.
- 4:00pm-5:30pm: Finish off the day by walking to Amman Citadel, visiting the Jordan Archeological Museum and staying for the sunset
My Thoughts on Amman
After visiting Amman it quickly became a contender for the most underrated city I have been to. It is overshadowed by the likes of Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi in terms of popular cities to visit within the Middle East amongst western tourists. Whilst the holy cities of Mecca and Medina in neighbouring Saudi Arabia attract the most attention from the rest of the Muslim world. Even within Jordan, many people travel just to see Petra.
It is easy to get around Amman on foot, although there are also taxis available with Uber (as well as standard street taxis). It costs just 1-2 JD (£1-2 or $1-3) to get between Amman Citadel and the Roman Theater for example.
Amman offers an insight into local life within the Arab world. It doesn’t attract the big tourist crowds of Dubai, and doesn’t have the safety issues associated with neighbours Syria and Iraq.
Yes there are other tourists in Amman and it certainly isn’t “off the beaten track”, but the numbers are still low enough for your experience in the city to feel very authentic. One day in Amman is enough to see all the highlights, especially by following the itinerary I created above. But I would recommend up to three days to make sure you see everything and soak up the culture at a relaxed pace.
I travelled solo in Amman, but this is a suitable destination for couples, families and children. Amman is an enjoyable city with something for everyone.
