Which are the top 3 things to see in Amman, the capital of Jordan?

Once again, upon arriving in Amman, I hadn’t researched any activities to do, so I was pleasantly surprised to find my hotel was just down the street from the Citadel.

The Amman Citadel is an archeological site in the center of Amman, conveniently located if you want to explore downtown. A fun fact: The L-shaped hill is one of the seven hills (jabals) that originally made up Amman.

The first time I visited Jordan, I got baptized in the Jordan River! I never expected it to turn into a spiritual journey, and I’m happy it turned out that way.

What to see in Amman, Jordan’s capital

If you only have one weekend in Amman, don’t miss out on these attractions!

Amman Citadel

So one morning I wandered over there to the Citadel and explored. It was a really nice historic site to explore and also look down on the city of Amman. The site is quite large and extensive. There are lots of nooks to explore and wildflowers growing. Plus, there’s also a church and a museum.

Roman Theater

From there, I walked to the Roman Theater which was also very cool to explore. I climbed up the steps and explored the hidden side rooms and museums showcasing the traditions of the local Bedouins. There was a small fee to enter the Roman theater, or you could enter the courtyard (but not go all the way into the theater) and that was free. There were kids playing soccer there!

King Abdullah I Mosque

On another day I also got up early and jogged over to the King Abdullah I Mosque. All visitors must borrow full-length robes to cover their clothes (even if they already have full-length clothes) in order to visit this beautiful mosque in Amman. It was the first mosque that I visited where coming in conservative clothing wasn’t sufficient. Even men had to cover themselves up with robes! In case you’re going there, keep in mind that there was a small fee to visit the inside of the mosque.

Visiting castles in the desert

It’s not a complete trip until you visit some castles in the desert!

One day I booked a tour to visit four desert castles. I didn’t realize that the tour only included transportation, but to be honest it was nice to wander around and explore on my own. Some of the castles were quite crowded by tourists coming off of tour buses. Their guide explained things to them, but I didn’t mind taking my own time to explore.

One castle had some amazing well-preserved paintings on the ceiling and walls, another was very detailed with a lot of rooms and staircases, and one was completely deserted! It was a neat day tour. They don’t know what the castles were used for, but they think they might have been used as countryside homes/retreats for wealthy families, or for hunting trips.

Have you ever visited a castle in the desert? Let us know in the comments!

Top things to see in Amman

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