I love this city and I love all it has to offer. I don’t believe I need to spend excessive amounts of money to enjoy myself here. And since I am always asked what should one do in the city – well here are 10 ideas that cost less than 10 JD to enjoy. Some of them even cost less!
1- Take any one of tens of stairs leading downtown from the surrounding Jabals- the ones in Jabal Amman are especially charming.
Cost: Zero
2- Enjoy a meal at any one of these restaurants- they have all been around for ages and are considered institutions amongst Ammannis:
• Hashem, downtown- 24 hour service in the heart of the city
• Al Quds restaurant, downtown- great traditional foods- must try the molokhia, & the crème caramel
• The Orient Bar aka Abu Ahmad, downtown- amazing grilled meats – must try the 3arayes
• Habiba, Downtown- Knafeh, knafeh, knafeh
• Tamriet Omar, Second Circle- Tamrieh and other traditional sweets
• Falafel Al Quds, Rainbow Street- Falafel sandwiches
• Shawerma Reem, Second Circle- Meat Shawerma (I’m not a fan but it’s a must to have had at least one if you live in Amman or are visiting)
Cost: Anywhere between 0.300 JD – 8 JD
3- A walk through Jabal Alweibdeh and its galleries. These include: The National Gallery for Arts, Makan, Darat Al Funun, Dar Al Anda, Darat Al Tasweer, and Mo7taref Al Rimal.
Cost: JD 3 entrance to the National Gallery
4- Making a kite in Jabal Al Qala’a- Befriend one of the kids and have them teach you.
Cost: 2- 3 JD
5- Walk through the Jabal Amman neighborhoods around the first and second circles in the cool summer night and smell the amazing jasmine bushes.
Cost: Zero
6- Sit out on a street café on Rainbow street. I highly recommend Duninde Café for the quiet cozy atmosphere and the hustle and bustle is a lot less on that end of the road.
Cost: A cup of coffee is about 3 JD
7- Sit on the hillside of Jabal Alweibdeh (the side facing Jabal Amman and the road leading downtown) and listen to the call to prayer vibrate and resonate through the valleys. Its so beautiful.
Cost: Zero
8- Find a good look out spot to East Amman in Jabal Amman and watch the day end and sunset reflected on the opposite hills. The colors are magnificent.
Cost: 0 – 5 JD depending on your choice of spot and beverage selection.
9- For an explosion of colors, sounds, smells and tastes walk through the vegetable markets of downtown. There are two a covered one and an outdoor one. Both are fun, noisy loud places.
Cost: Zero if you can resist buying the fresh produce!
10- Joining the Fast Walk on a Sunday or Wednesday evening for a power walk with over 100 people! The walks explore the city with 8 different routes leading you through the back streets of Amman on foot.
Cost: Zero
Feel free to share or start your own lists. I’d love to hear how you enjoy this city. Especially if you can do it for under 10 JD 😉
October 5, 2009 at 12:54 pm
A walk at the track in sports city, cost: free
Sweet Tea and Mana2eesh at Hashemite Square, Downtown at 7 am on a friday morning. Cost: 1 JD, you need to buy il man2ooshe on your way there, and get the tea in a Thermos. I find early morning very romantic!
October 5, 2009 at 3:45 pm
This is a really cool list, thanks! May I also add, explore the city by bus: cost 10 to 20 irsh (100 to 200 fils)?
October 5, 2009 at 4:28 pm
I’d add Abu Jbara and Jafra to the not-crazily-expensive restaurant list. And also, exploring the bookshops behind the mosque downtown; I found a collection of Shakespeare’s sonnets translated into Arabic there once.
October 5, 2009 at 4:42 pm
cycling every friday to madaba .
Cost : 10 jds
argeeleh at Tche Tche
Cost 4 jds “as far as i remember”
i dont live in Jordan , i live abroad , but am a memeber of lots of groups on fb related to activites in lovely Amman ..
Gob bles this amazing city.
October 6, 2009 at 8:23 am
Great list. I would add:
Walking along Khirfan Street (which I refer to as Amman’s corniche) in Jabal Amman, and enjoying the view of downtown Amman on one side and the beautiful old homes on the other, then taking the stairs down to the Balad Cost 0
Eating soft-serve (merry cream) icecream at Ghazi in Jabal Hussein. Delicious and been there, and just as good, for years and years. I would go for the lemon-strawberry combination, butvyou can also have chocolate-vanilla or apple-mango Cost JD 0.20
Rollerblading at King Hussein Gardens’ outdoor rink Cost 0
Meeting and chatting to random people on the streets of Amman Cost 0
Exploring one of the areas you wouldn’t normally go. Take a cab, bus or service to Jabal Nathif, Jabal Qalaa, Jabal Jofeh, Jabal Akhdar, Hay Nazz etc. Walk aroud and meet people. Cost JD 0.20- 3 depending on the ride
Fresh and delicious manaqeesh from Khamis Bakery in Sweifieh on a Friday morning. You can also pick up your weekend newspapers from the shop next door. JD 0.50 to JD depending on the number of manaqeesh and newspapers you buy!
October 20, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Absolutely loved this post!!
I have arrived to Amman 10 days ago (staying for around 6 months) and this is fantastic guide 🙂
thanks a lot!
December 13, 2009 at 3:27 am
Thanks for this list. I was in Amman for a month last year and I might be heading back this year. I’ll have to try some of these things!
September 1, 2010 at 4:05 am
how about the water..do i need to bring some water with me if i visit jordan i heard it turns off for days so how can i take showers
October 20, 2010 at 5:16 pm
x
January 31, 2011 at 4:00 pm
To Jamal: so let me get this straight… you heard water turns off for days, so your concern is how to take showers…. That is a valid concern… But what I don’t understand is how on earth are you planning on taking enough water on you from wherever u live to SHOWER????
On a serious note, yes water is on by the authorities once a week, but smart Jordanians have come up with an astounding brilliant scheme to tackle that issue…. I don’t know if you have ever heard, Jamal, of a neat invention called a water tank!!! The water tank stores water so that it can be used for prolonged periods of time! I don’t know if in your country, Jamal, people are developed enough to tackle water shortages using this tricky and very complicated method
May 10, 2011 at 2:28 pm
How do we find out where the fastwalk is going to take place? I’m new here and want to join. Is there a sign up list or a website to visit?
May 11, 2011 at 11:05 am
@sandy Fastwalk have a facebook group that announces the time, location and route. I think it also has contact information. Enjoy
January 15, 2012 at 11:33 am
I LIVE IN joRDAN LOL
September 9, 2012 at 6:55 pm
Im new in Jordan so i need to know wich school is the best to get in it…
December 20, 2012 at 1:47 pm
[…] giorni di soggiorno non siamo riusciti a farle tutte, per questo vi lascio una semplice Top 10 come quella di Shalabieh, quella di Luma e quella di Roba. Dieci cose si riescono a fare in un giorno, o quelle due mezze […]
January 7, 2013 at 12:07 am
Ok..! Anything other that Jabal amman!
Walking throgh it or going down from it or stairing at it!!
January 8, 2013 at 1:25 pm
@zaid, the list is three and a half years old… and includes weibdeh, qalaa and downtown, as well as fast walk which is all over the city.
Anyways feel free to give feedback and write up your own version :).
January 30, 2013 at 1:32 pm
amman sucks
January 30, 2013 at 1:34 pm
does any one know how much it costs to dental work in amman