What you need to know before you go

Before you set out on your 2 perfect days in Amman, Jordan here are some things you should know. The common language here is Arabic, however English is widely used. The currency is Dinar which at the time we travelled was .53 on CDN and .71 on USD. The best time to travel is the fall and spring, you will avoid the high temperatures, trust me it gets very hot here. We travelled in the beginning of May and found some of the days to be too much, 36 degrees and not a cloud in the sky.

Jordan Pass

When planning your 2 perfect days in Amman, Jordan you should get the Jordan Pass before you arrive. The Jordan pass is a must if you are venturing out on your own. If you are with a tour group this is not necessary. The Jordan Pass gives you access to over 40 attractions across Jordan, including the 4 places in this blog, as well as your Visa if you are staying a minimum of 3 nights.

Tour or no tour

This is a personal preference. For me, as you know if you have read any of my previous blogs, I love to plan and do things on my own. However, this time we went with a luxury tour for our entire stay. I will say it is doable to do it on your own but with all the amazing sites to see it is better to not be behind the wheel. We did our vacation with Jordan Direct Tours and they were amazing, I can’t recommend them enough. There are day tours you can choose from I would suggest private so you are not stuck on a bus and you will be able to arrange your own times.

Where to stay

For our 3 nights in Amman we stayed at AlQasr Metropole Hotel. This is located in the financial district of Amman, about a 15 minute drive to downtown. Normally I would like to be closer to the main area but I would say this was the prefect location. The hotel was lovely, secure and very quiet at night. The price was also quite low for a 4 star hotel. I would definitely recommend it as the views from the rooms are amazing!

2perfect days in Amman, Jordan

There are so many places to visit, however for your 2 perfect days in Amman, Jordan these are what I would suggest. We did these in this order and never felt burnt out and it was just the right amount of activities to do each day.

Day 1

On the first day we visited 3 places as well as a walk around downtown. This was about a 6 hour day however you can make this shorter or longer pending how long you spend at each of the places.

King Abdullah I Mosque

The perfect first stop is the King Abdullah I Mosque. If you are like me and have never been to one, this is a great place to start your journey. This is the only Mosque that allows non-Muslims to enter. The entry fee is 2 Dinar, and for the ladies you will be given a rob that must be worn, including covering your hair. You are able to walk to grounds as well as enter the main building, the dome. Please remember to remove your shoes before you enter.

King Abdullah I Mosque was built between 1982 – 1989 and can hold 10,000 people. The dome area can hold 3000 worshipers and there is a women’s prayer area which can hold 500. You will also find a museum and a small gift shop.

Amman Citadel National Historic Site

Amman Citadel are Roman ruins that sit above the city. From here you will get amazing views of the city as well as our next stop the Roman Theater. The Citadel will get busy but with the size of the grounds it will not show. As you make your way up the short incline you will get a full view of the Roman Temple of Hercules.

There are many pathways to take getting around. We started at the Temple then made our way to the back of it and to then to the left path to have a look over the city. This will bring you to the museum which holds some amazing finds from around the site. Once you leave here you will see the stone hand. I couldn’t image the size of the statue in it’s glory days.

You will also come across the Monumental Gateway to the Umayyad palace. I really loved the carvings and workmanship that was done here. I would suggest taking a little extra time here and really look around.

Roman Theatre

Next up on our first day of the perfect 2 days in Amman, Jordan was the Roman Theatre. This is the theatre which could be seen from the Citadel. This is the largest theatre in Jordan, which would seat 6000 spectators.

For those of you with a fear of heights or short legs like myself I would suggest taking your time and not pushing your limits. The views from the top are amazing and worth it, but the climb is steep. From the top you can also see the smaller theatre, not sure what this is but if you know leave a comment below.

Now make sure you hold onto your ticket as you will need it to see the smaller one. We had ours taken but didn’t have any problems getting into the next one. Now the smaller one may not be as glorious as the larger but it still has so much beauty.

Now before you enter either you will see a small courtyard (square), this a great place to sit under a tree and take what you just seen all in. You will find kids playing football, families having lunch and other travelers taking a rest.

Snack time

We truly had the best guide. Once we left the theatres we made out way along the city streets. Now I know I will mention this more that once in my blogs about Jordan, but there is an amazing smell here. Most cities you visit have not so great smells, but the aroma of Amman is sweet, spicey and will just make you hungry.

Our guide brought us to 2 amazing places. One was for falafels. The name of this place is Alqadeseeh, you will not find it on google maps but below is where you need to mark it. It was amazing and after eating 2 I was darn near full. However that was not the end of the delicious treats.

Next was kanafa. Oh my goodness, if you’re a cheese lover you must try this!!! Be prepared as this is a well known place for locals and visitors and there will be a line. Habeba is not far from the theatre as seen below. There is also a great place to get some refreshments and the young man that works there is a sweetheart.

Now there is one more place to visit and that’s Hashem Restaurant. Now I had no room left in the belly to try anymore food, but from other bloggers and vloggers this is a must stop if you are planning a dinner or lunch in this area.

As Salt

It is time to head to the city of As Salt. This is short tour of the town as we checked out the local museum and some of the architecture from the Ottoman period. This town back in the day was a very important settlements betweeen the Jordan Calley and the Eastern desert.

The Museum

We started at the As-Salt Archaeological Museum which gives you the history of the area. During the Ottoman period this area was it’s most prosperous. With it’s bazaars and amazing buildings it was the highlight of Jordan.

Ottoman buildings and market

Next up was looking at the buildings and walking the markets. I was so pleasantly surprised, being a big touristy area, that we were not haggled. Again, the air was filled with the most amazing smells. This is a great place to get some spices and herbs.

That’s the end of day 1 of your 2 perfect days in Amman, Jordan.

Day 2

It is day 2 of the perfect 2 days in Amman, Jordan. I would suggest getting up early for this one. Here is how we did our day and at the end I will tell you how I would change it. Our driver picked us up at 8am and we made our way out of the city.

Ajloun

Our first stop was the castle of Ajloun. Now this is a smaller site to explore so you will feel it when it’s busy. This castle was built in 1184 and was built over an old Monastery. The castle has been used as a way to protect the fields, city and mining over the years.

There are great views from the top portions of this fortress and the halls are lit perfectly to give you that old feel.

It has seen it’s far share of damage throughout history from wars and earthquakes. But with watchful eyes and pristine care it was rebuilt and fixed over time.

Jerash

Be prepared to be wowed! This next stop and our final for the day was amazing. Welcome to Jerash the city of a thousand columns. The Roman city of Jerash is also referred to the Pompeii of the east. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I closed my eyes trying to see what it would have looked like back in the day.

*NOTE : It is very hot here from May to October. Be sure to bring sunscreen, a hat and lots of water!!!!!

You will enter Jerash through the Hadrian’s Arch, a very grand entrance I may add. As you make your way under this marvelous monument it is clear right away the damage that was caused by earthquakes.

Now, I don’t want to show you everything here but I will give the highlights. The reason is, I truly believe this is a place that pictures will not do it justice and I really want you to come here and visit.

The Oval Plaza is another grand marvel. It is mind blowing to me that precise workmanship that went into making these amazing monuments.

Next you will come to the Forum Cardo with columns lining the street. As you walk down this street you will find inlets, each one having it’s own story and purpose.

You are only 1/4 a way through and it’s here will you will really feel the heat and sun. Make sure to bring lots of water with you. At around this point you may be lucky to find someone selling cold water. It was so hot that my camera over heated so it was a great time to take a break.

Next up is the theatre, no, even at this point I have not got sick of seeing them. Each one has it’s own character and design. I also love that this one you can hike the stairs inside out of the sun and cool down a little.

Now I could be wrong with my location on this one, but I do believe this was the Cathedral. Please let me know below if that is not correct. You will see so many butterflies around here.

Now there is so much to see here and yes, I will be doing a vlog on it so you will see more. The last place in this stunning site is the Temple of Zeus. If you have made your way here, see if Victor is around, he will take some stunning pictures for you.

What would I change

For the 2 perfect days in Amman I would change a couple things. On the first day I would have gone a little earlier. The reason was jet leg. We got up so early that day that by 5pm I was exhausted. On the second day we did Ajloun castle first then Jerash. I would do Jerash first to try and avoid the midday sun and heat. Yes, the castle will be busier in the afternoon but it’s a cooler spot and mostly indoors. Jerash is no joke when it comes to heat from May to October. The day we went the temp was 36-38 degrees and with not a lot of shade it can be very taxing on the body.

For the first 2 days of our vacation in Jordan these are the perfect and top spots you will want to visit.

Did you stay here longer? What places did you love near Amman? Leave it in the comments below.