Where to Stay in Amman: Easy Area Guide (2022)

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Looking for the best areas to stay in Amman? Below you can find a detailed area guide to ensure you find the best place to stay for your visit.

Knowing the best area to stay in in Amman can make or break your trip. 

Before we visited, we had no idea about the different circles and neighbourhoods, and it took me a while to get my head around what Amman is all about.

If you haven’t been to Jordan yet, you’ll want to budget for a trip to the capital city. Located in the north of the country (with the biggest international airport) it’s a great place to start your trip and your get used to some of the local customs.

Amman is known for its good balance of tradition and culture. With a mix of ancient remains and historical ruins, as well as vibrant city life, it really does have something for everyone.

Whilst it’s not as modern and tech-savvy as neighbours like Tel Aviv and Neom (you won’t find many chains or brands) it has a lot to offer and is definitely worth at least 2-3 days of your time. 

Over the past few years, Amman has become more and more of a tourist hotspot, and accommodation has popped up all over the place. That’s why I’ve written this guide to ensure you pick the best neighbourhood for your trip.

Ooh, and if you’re visiting Jordan for the first time, don’t forget to check out my dreamy 7-day itinerary!

Where to stay in Amman: A Quick Guide

Generally speaking, Western Amman is more liberal and visited by tourists than Eastern Amman. Most of the hostels, hotels and nightlife are located in Western Amman.

It’s important to know that the city is built on seven hills. These hills are made up of circles (roundabouts), which are named the First – Eighth Circle.

We stayed in a few different areas, and it’s pretty easy to get around using Uber or your hire car. Just be prepared for a bit of traffic!

🌎 If you’re looking for a new backpack or suitcase, I highly recommend the Osprey 65L wheeled backpack. It’s a mix between your classic traveller backpack and an easy pull-along suitcase, so you get the best of both worlds!

If you’re visiting Jordan, you’ll need to purchase a visa before arrival. The easiest and cheapest way to do this is by buying a Jordan Pass. I’ve written a guide explaining this here!

Main areas to stay in Amman and what they’re known for:

• Jabal Amman: Think nightlife, backpacker hostels, good food, coffee shops and rooftop bars. Home to Rainbow Street, one of the most popular tourist destinations for its quirky shops and creative cafes. Jabal Amman is located in the 1st Circle.

• Shumaysani (Shmeisani): A good budget location if you still want to be in the heart of the city. A multi-cultural hub full of locals and expats, with all major attractions like the Jordan Museum and National Art Gallery close by.

• Jabal Al Weibdeh (Paris Square): The most ‘hipster’ and bohemian area, and one of the oldest. Perfect for cute coffee shops, galleries and its unique art scene. Jabal Al Weibdeh is located in Paris Square, which is actually a circle. Confusing, I know!

• Old Downtown Amman (Wasat Al Balad): The oldest area in Amman and has looked the same for over 60 years! Historical ruins mixed small shops, decade-old mosques and quirky bazaars. Located in the 1st Circle.

• New Downtown (Abdali): The most modern area. Think skyscrapers, business districts, office buildings, high-end restaurants and shopping malls. Often referred to as ‘a city within a city’.

• Al Swaifyeh: Where to stay in Amman if you are on a backpacker budget. Known for its great nightlife. Close to Abdoun (see below). Located in the 7th Circle.

• Abdoun: Abdoun is the most affluent area of Amman. It is known to be home to many ex-pats and is a large residential area. Think big houses with luxurious front gates and backyard swimming pools. Great for high-end nightlife, restaurants and bars. Located in Abdoun Circle.

Where to stay in Amman for first timers: Shmeisani

Shmeisani is the perfect place to stay in Amman if you are visiting for the first time. It is located in the heart of th city, and is close to most of the main attractions.

Even if you wanted to travel a bit further out, you can easily find transport from here. You’re well connected to the rest of the city too.

Shmeisani has a vibrant Jordanian culture with traditional restaurants and a Middle Eastern atmosphere (expect loud music and all round good vibes). It’s full of fun and quirky cafes and bars, and one of the biggest shopping malls in Amman.

Throughout Shmeisani, there are a number of luxury hotels and apartments. Althoughbut you can find backpacker hostels and budget hotels amongst the mix. It’s a great area in Amman to stay if you’re visiting for the first time.

🚌 If you don’t feel like hiring a car, you can hire a private driver or do a tour. This tour is great if you just want to see Petra from the capital!

Where to Stay in Amman for Backpackers: Jamal Amman

Personally, I recommend staying in Jamal Amman if you’re visiting Amman as a backpacker.

Jamal Amman still has the ‘old town’ feel of Amman to it. Although there are some more modern cafes, bars and restaurants, so you get the best of both worlds. It’s also close to the old downtown and is a good base for the ancient ruins in the city.

You’ll also find Rainbow Street, which is one of the most popular tourist streets in Amman. Walk along the cobbled streets lined with colourful lanterns and aesthetic rainbow steps. Mingle with friendly locals and quirky shops with singing parakeets out front. It’s definitely an experience!

TOP TIP: Most of the graffiti in Amman has a story. Take a graffiti or walking tour to learn about its history first-hand. Some tell heartbreaking stories of loss and war, whilst others show metaphors of how they’ve interpreted their lives. It’s definitely one to add to the list.

Where to stay in Amman for nightlife: Al Swaifyeh

Al Swaifyeh (often referred to as Swefieh) is perfect for budget backpackers. Here you will find cheap accommodation and late-night venues if you want a bit of a dance.

Accommodation here is on the cheaper side, and the nightlife brings in locals from all over the country! If you’re visiting, check out G Club Lounge for late-late night dancing, or Dubliners for an Irish pub experience in the Middle East!

🏛️ You need to make sure you have enough time to enjoy Petra, the Dead Sea and Aqaba. This tour takes 3 days from Amman so you can make sure you experience each area properly!

Where to stay in Amman for culture: Al Madinah

Al Madinah surrounds the Citadel, the historical centre of the city. Here you can find the only ancient Roman ruins outside of Italy in the world.

You will also find some of the oldest buildings in Amman, ancient stonework and some of the colourful and bustling markets.

It’s a great place to stay in Amman if you would like old and new, and it’s centrally located.

TOP TIP: Markets in Amman are called Souks.

Handy tips for visiting Amman

• Driving in Amman can be pretty hectic. Unless you are a confident driver, I recommend leaving your hire car at the airport and grabbing a taxi in. Saying that, we did drive in Amman, and found it to be ok. We just hit a lot of traffic! If you’re unsure, I’ve written a whole driving in Jordan guide to help you!
• Jordan is an Islamic country, and it’s important to dress respectfully when visiting. Even if you’re in a more ‘westernised’ area, it doesn’t hurt to still wear clothes that would be acceptable anywhere else in the country. I’ve written a ‘what to wear in Jordan‘ guide here (which doesn’t include ugly clothes, I promise.)
• West Amman is typically more ‘tourist-y’ and well visited than East Amman. Most expats live in West Amman.
• Wifi can be sketchy, so I’d recommend buying a SIM card when visiting Amman. We went with Orange and paid around £15 for 20GB of data.
• The main language spoken in Amman is Arabic, but most people will speak basic English.
• Currency is Jordanian Dollar (JD), and is a similar exchange rate to GBP. This makes it easy to convert quickly!
• Whilst you won’t want to be glued to your phone whilst travelling Jordan, I highly recommend carrying a power bank. Losing battery in the Middle East and not having a map would not be ideal! It also gets super hot so your battery will drain faster than normal. I use this power bank, and it’s not let me down yet!
• The tap water in Amman isn’t safe to drink, so I used my filter water bottle pretty much every day to keep myself hydrated. I take it everywhere with me, and it works in every country where you can’t drink tap water! You can grab yours here.

Getting to Amman from the Airport

🚗 By car: Amman International Airport to the city centre is around a 30 minute drive (traffic dependent). It is a direct straight road (as most driving in Jordan is) all the way from the airport to Amman. Check out my driving in Jordan guide here.

🚕 By taxi: It will cost around £20 for a one-way trip from the airport to Amman city centre.

🚎 By public transport: There is a public bus (Sariyah Airport Express Bus) running from the airport to Amman city centre, but it does take around an hour. However it will only cost you roughly £3 for a one-way ticket.

​​Visiting Jordan? Check out my other posts below:

• Is The Jordan Pass Worth It? A Must-Read Before Purchasing!
• Tipping in Jordan: Everything You Need To Know
• Driving in Jordan: The Ultimate Car Hire Guide
• Jordan 7 Day Itinerary: A Perfect Trip to the Middle East
• Is Petra Worth Visiting? A Must-Read Before You Go!
• Where to stay in Wadi Rum: Best Desert & Bubble Camps Explained
• Where to Stay in Petra: Best Places Near the Entrance

Top 5 Things to Do in Amman

Before you leave Amman, make sure you do at least a few of the following!

• Visit the Citadel, home to the city’s ancient Roman ruins including a Roman Theatre and the iconic Umyadd Palace
• Head downtown for The King Abdullah Mosque, which tourists are allowed to enter for a small fee
• Experience the nightlife. Whether it’s on Rainbow Street or Al Swaifyeh, make sure to get out after dark to see how it all kicks off
• Walk around the hustle and bustle of the colourful souks (markets). Souk Mango, Gold Souk and Souk El-Khodra are all located downtown, so you can easily visit all three.
• EAT! Eat, eat and eat some more. Some of the best food we had in Jordan was in Amman. I’m a vegetarian and found so many options! Ooh, and make sure you try a Knafeh for dessert!

Amman is a city full of life, and to be honest, some of my favourite memories are just when we walked around the streets, spotting good viewpoints and meeting the locals. We felt so welcomed in every corner we explored and just enjoyed an aimless wander to see what we could find.

Even if you don’t plan a hundred things to do in Amman, or are on a tight budget, just walking around and getting a feel for the city is enough.

Best Day Trips from Amman

If you have a bit of extra time in Amman, I would recommend the following day trips:

• Amman to Jerash Day trip: Either hire a private driver or hire a car to visit the ancient ruins in Jerash. Jerash was a Greek and Roman settlement, founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC. You can see well-preserved Roman architecture including temples, the amphitheatre and plazas.
• Amman to Petra: Amman to Petra is a bit of a journey, and will set you back a few driving hours. If you want to see Petra properly, I’d recommend staying overnight. I’ve written about what you can expect in Petra here and listed the best places to stay when you visit.
• Amman to the Dead Sea: The Dead Sea isn’t too far from Amman, and it’s one I do recommend going on a tour for. Finding a public beach at the Dead Sea can be time-consuming, and you can end up at one of the ‘not-so-nice’ ones. We visited the Dead Sea via the Crowne Hotel (we did not stay here, just paid for a day pass to access their beach). You can either do that or book a Dead Sea tour here.

Is Amman safe?

Amman, like all other cities in the world, will have a varying degree of safety to it depending on where you go.

We felt completely safe the entire time we visited Amman, but we were still vigilant. Not walking alone at night, keeping our valuables close and staying aware, just like we would in any other city.

In general, the locals in Amman are kind, welcoming and friendly. But of course, if you looked deep enough, I’m sure you’d find someone that’s not!

Overall, I would say it is a safe city to visit and is safe for solo female travellers. If you’re worried, stay in a backpacker hostel to make friends and tour the city with a pal.

Is Amman Worth Visiting?

I’m really not a big fan of cities, but Amman completely captured my heart. It is a city of culture, history, buzzing atmosphere, welcoming locals and must-see attractions. We absolutely loved it.

It really depends on your preferences, but if you like cities with bustling markets, old buildings, a lot of tradition and good food, you’ll like Amman!

Is Amman a walkable city?

Amman is built on seven hills, and you can definitely feel them when you’re walking around. However, if you’ve got good shoes on and don’t mind a bit of an incline, Amman is totally walkable.

However, it’s is a big city, so if you want to go from one side to the other, it’s best to either hire a car or book an Uber.

We walked everywhere, and it just gave us extra opportunities to pop into falafel stops and eat more. Dreamy, right?

How many days do you need in Amman?

I would recommend spending at least 2-3 days in Amman. There is just so much to see, from ancient ruins to quirky bars, colourful souks and incredible viewpoints, to traditional restaurants where the Royal family eat!

Budget for at least 2-3 days to experience it properly.

Can you drink alcohol in Amman?

Even though Jordan is an Islamic country, alcohol is allowed. However, it can be hard to find.

You will have to dig out some bars and restaurants that serve alcohol, as a lot won’t (we found this to be the same all over the country). However, most will have shisha!

Where to stay in Amman: In A Nutshell

Well, you should well and truly be on your way to visiting or booking your trip to Amman now.

I’d like to finish on how wonderful I found Amman to be. Like I said, I’m not usually a big fan of cities, but it just has something special about it. A kind of magic.

It’s somewhere that I know I’ll visit time and time again, to get to know each neighbourhood better, and to meet more of the welcoming locals. And of course, eat more falafel.

So if you’re deliberating on visiting, go for it. And let me know what you think, after!

As always, if you have any questions about where to stay in Amman, let me know on Instagram, or write in the comment box below.

Happy travelling!

Jennie 😀 x

​​Visiting Jordan? Check out my other posts below:

• Is The Jordan Pass Worth It? A Must-Read Before Purchasing!
• Petra: Best Places to Stay Near the Entrance
• Tipping in Jordan: Everything You Need To Know
• Driving in Jordan: The Ultimate Car Hire Guide
• Jordan 7 Day Itinerary: A Perfect Trip to the Middle East
• Is Petra Worth Visiting? A Must-Read Before You Go!
• Where to stay in Wadi Rum: Best Desert & Bubble Camps Explained