Amman

By air

Queen Alia International Airport (AMM)

AMM to Amman: one ride-hailing car or airport taxi, 40–70 minutes — the airport is 35 km out, so the risk is the ride at night, not the queue.

By rail and road

Typical fares

Queen Alia → central Amman, ride-hail or taxi

About JOD 20–28, 40–60 min

Queen Alia → centre, airport bus

About JOD 3–4 (check)

Ride-hail across the centre

JOD 2–4

Fares are estimates; check before you ride.

Passes

No pass. Short car rides inside the centre are cheap; use the meter or see the fare in the app.

Late at night

No metro. Ride-hailing runs all night; availability drops in heavy rain and snow.

Books@Cafe

A Rainbow Street bookshop-café with a rooftop terrace over the hill: coffee, an international and Middle Eastern menu, and one of the better skyline views in the evening. Walk-in for coffee; book ahead for a rooftop dinner table on weekend nights.

Fakhr El-Din

A long-running upmarket Levantine restaurant in a converted Jabal Amman villa: mezze-led menu, quieter dining room than Rainbow Street's cafés, and reservations recommended for dinner.

Falafel Al-Quds

A Downtown falafel-and-hummus counter near the souq, a cheaper alternative to Hashem when its tables are full: walk-in, cash, eat standing or on plastic stools.

Habibah Sweets

A Downtown knafeh counter open into the night: order a slice at the counter, eat standing or on a shared bench, cash in hand — no reservation, no sitting menu.

Hashem Restaurant

Walk-in hummus, falafel and tea at shared tables downtown; go before 11:30 or after 14:00; no reservation, cash likely.

Sufra

A restored Rainbow Street house serving a full Jordanian menu — mansaf, mezze and grills — with a garden courtyard; book ahead for dinner, especially Thursday and Friday nights.

Downtown (Al-Balad)

Cheaper rooms next to the Roman Theatre and the souq; loud early and late, and the hills start at the door.

Jabal Amman (Rainbow Street)

First-timers: restaurants and cafés at the door, quieter nights, a taxi ride down to Downtown; choose a hotel with a 24h desk and a lift.

Etiquette

• Mosques: Shoulders and knees covered, shoes off inside, headscarf for women; no entry during the five daily prayers.
• Greetings: A handshake is common between men; wait for a woman to offer her hand first. 'As-salamu alaykum' (peace be upon you) is a standard greeting.
• Ramadan: No eating, drinking or smoking in public in daylight, even if you are not fasting; many restaurants close until sunset.
• Right hand: Use the right hand, or both hands, to give or receive money, food or a business card.
• Hospitality: Coffee or tea offered by a shopkeeper or host is a courtesy, not a hard sell; a light tap or wave over the cup signals you have had enough.
• Photos: Ask before photographing people up close, especially women; never photograph military or government buildings and checkpoints.
• Dress: Modest dress (shoulders and knees covered) is respectful citywide, not just at religious sites; West Amman cafés are more relaxed than Downtown or mosques.

Red lines

• Mosques: covered shoulders and knees, scarf for women, shoes off; do not enter during prayer.
• Do not photograph military or government sites, or people without asking.
• Ramadan: no eating, drinking or smoking in public in daylight.

Scams and watch-outs

• Unmetered taxis quoting a flat 'tourist' fare: ask for the meter (ir Kayed) or use a ride-hailing app instead.
• Souvenir sellers near the Citadel and Roman Theatre naming a first price several times the local rate: counter hard or check a shop with printed tags first.
• 'Free' guiding offers at the sites that end with a demand for payment: agree a price and scope first, or decline.
• Money-changers offering a rate notably better than the board: count your dinars before you walk away.