Tours, sightseeing tours, activities & things to do | Viator.com
Amman
Trip Planning & Itineraries
6:48 AM Tuesday, Nov 24
Clear. Cool.
7 day forecast »
Unlike grand Islamic cities of antiquity like Damascus or Cairo, Amman is a modern, culturally diverse Arab city. Quite Western in flavor, it's light years away from the typical clichés of Middle Eastern exoticism. In fact, there are two Ammans: conservative eastern Amman (which includes downtown) is home to the urbanized general population, while western Amman is a world apart with leafy residential districts, trendy cafes and bars, and impressive art galleries. It's impossible to gain a full understanding of Amman without visiting both areas.
Best of Amman: Top 3 Must-Do Experiences
Best of Amman: Suggested Itineraries
OK, so you're keen to visit the famous city of Petra, but there's plenty to see in and around the Jordanian capital first. Our private morning tour of Amman takes you to the downtown market and city center with its traditional souks, coffee shops, restaurants, churches and mosques, with the option to stay on for a traditional lunch of Middle Eastern specialties. Or take the private evening tour with dinner as an option. If you're interested in biblical history, the morning John the Baptist Private Tour takes you to the Jordan River sites associated with the prophet, or you could climb Mt Nebo, where Moses died, and visit the mosaic city of Madaba.
The best day trips away from Amman are private tours, and we've got heaps to choose from. Top of the list is the Petra day trip, a highlight of any visit to Jordan. Accompanied by your private driver and guide, this private tour explores Petra's amazing array of temples, tombs, gorges and cliffs. Or enter the world of the Bedouin on a private day trip to the desert of Wadi Rum. Of course, Jordan is also famous for the Dead Sea, with its therapeutic salty water and mud. Or journey back to the days of Crusades on a visit to Jordan's extraordinary desert castles - Qasr Amra, Qasr Kharraneh and Qasr Azraq.
Day Three: Multi-Day Trips from Amman
Leave Amman for the night or even several days to explore Jordan's sights further afield from the capital. Experience an incredible desert sunset on an overnight tour of Wadi Rum, sleeping under a blanket of stars in a Bedouin tent. If you really want to delve beneath the exterior of Jordan's famous rose-red city, the three-day private tour of Petra gives you plenty of time to take in this UNESCO World Heritage Site. And with four days to play with you can tour Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea, or focus on the highlights of Amman, Petra and Jerash, one of the best-preserved cities of the Roman Empire.
Best of Amman: Top Hotels
One of Amman's newest hotels, the Kempinski is well located in the cafe and restaurant quarter of Shmeisani. You won't need to leave the hotel to eat though, with enticing Italian-inspired restaurants and bars to choose from on-site. Luxurious rooms and suites feature comfortable, modern decor and wireless internet.
Sleek lines and cool cream and brown decor give this comfortable four-star business hotel a surprisingly stylish twist. There's a pool, tennis court, bar and terrace, all in a quiet embassy district.
Amman doesn't get more ostentatious than this huge ziggurat-shaped palace, bustling with Gulf sheikhs and oil ministers. Facilities include three pools, a good gym, the biggest spa in Amman, a cinema, 13 restaurants (Japanese, French, Italian, Lebanese, cafe, pastry shop), a German beer hall, the funky Buddah Bar and an executive floor.
Best of Amman: Top Museums
National Archaeological Museum
Browse items spanning all eras of Jordanian and regional history, ranging from 6,000-year-old skulls from Jericho to Umayyad-period artwork. It also boasts some examples of the Dead Sea Scrolls found at Qumran in 1952, a copy of the Mesha Stele and assorted artefacts from Petra and Jerash. Most exhibits are well labeled in English.
Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts
Promoting modern art from the Islamic and developing worlds, this impressive gallery's collection includes works ranging from Brunei in the Pacific to Morocco on the Atlantic, from Turkey and Iran on the Caspian Sea to Pakistan on the Indian Ocean.
Car lovers won't want to miss this one. The late King Hussein was an avid collector of cars, and his collection provides an interesting slant on the history of Jordan since the 1920s. The museum includes spectacular examples from each decade of the 20th century, from Cadillacs to the ultimate Porsche, the super-cool 911.
