Visiting Amman, Jordan: Street Markets, Luxury Stays, and Local Flavours

In this episode of Travel in 10, David and Tim dive into the vibrant capital of Jordan: Amman. Often described as a city like an onion — the more layers you peel, the more you uncover — Amman offers a blend of ancient history, buzzing modern neighborhoods, and exceptional hospitality that makes every visit feel both surprising and welcoming.

Highlights from this Episode

First Impressions of Amman

• David shares his recent visit, arriving on the inaugural nonstop Royal Jordanian flight from Washington, D.C.
• Both hosts reflect on Amman as a calm, welcoming modern city

Where to Stay in Amman

• St. Regis Amman – A classic luxury choice with sweeping city views, one of the best rooftop bars in town, and a unique spa where guests can reserve private spa suites with steam rooms and pools at no extra cost.
• W Amman – A stylish, centrally located hotel near the city’s top restaurants and shops. Notable for “The Canyon,” an art installation evoking Petra, and a lively pool scene.
• Fairmont Amman – A polished luxury property with a standout spa (though spa pool access requires booking treatments).
• Soho Midtown – A new boutique option in a trendy district filled with art galleries and cafés, perfect for travelers seeking a stylish, lower-cost base.

What to Do in Amman

• Wander the city’s souks and markets, especially around the Roman amphitheater, which stays lively well into the night.
• Explore Rainbow Street for indie theater, live music, and nightlife.
• Discover Jabal Amman, home to street art, artisan shops like the J.O. Shop, and cultural tours.
• Take a guided Underground Amman street art tour with local artists to see the city from a creative perspective.
• Visit the Citadel, a hilltop archaeological site with Bronze Age, Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic layers of history.

Food & Dining Experiences

• Hashem – A legendary falafel spot beloved by locals (and even the King of Jordan).
• Sufra – A must-visit on Rainbow Street for traditional Jordanian cuisine in a historic setting.
• Iraq Al-Amir Women’s Association – Offers immersive cooking classes where visitors prepare Jordanian meals alongside local women while supporting a sustainable community project.
• Jordan also surprises with a small but excellent wine scene and a growing specialty coffee culture.

Can’t Miss

• Sweifieh Village – A trendy new district with cool restaurants, an ice cream favorite (Gerard Ice Cream), and a speakeasy-style bowling spot called the Bowl Room.

Note: Some links above are affiliate links. By booking or visiting through them, you...

Episode Transcript

(00:45):
It's a city I visited threetimes and in my experience, it's
a bit like an onion.
The more you peel, the moreyou find and the more you explore
and dive in the cooler it gets.
David, today we're talkingabout Amman.
This is a city that in Jordanthat you have been to very recently,
right?

(01:06):
I am literally just back from Amman.
I got to take the inauguralfirst flight, actually direct flight
going from Washington directlyinto Amman, Jordan with Royal Journey,
which was an awesome experience.
They were kind enough toinvite me over to experience that
first flight and try out theirbusiness class product there on Royaltree,

(01:28):
which was pretty incredible.
And a city that, you know, areally interesting part of the world.
The first time I reallystarted traveling in the Middle east
was really just over the lasttwo years or so.
And I have found it as part ofthe world that in terms of the gap
between perception, reality,after actually traveling there, the
biggest gap I have everexperienced, I mean, there is just

(01:48):
so much going on.
It is such a rich culture,incredibly friendly people, but it's
also an area where there is alot going on.
I mean, I think our tour guidebest described it as we first touchdown
as a, as a quiet house in avery loud neighborhood.
And we got, we got toexperience a bit of that during the
trip as well.
I love, I love that depictionand I mean that squares with my experience

(02:11):
as well.
I know we have a lot to talkabout, but just a quick story before
we dive in on my very firsttrip to Amman.
So this is several years ago.
I don't know why, but for somereason I needed to go to the mall
and get something, one of themalls in Amman.
And I went down to try to geta taxi at rush hour and it was very,

(02:31):
very difficult to get a taxi.
And a random silver MercedesBenz pulled over on the side of the
road with two distinguishedlooking gentlemen in the front seat
and they said, would you likea ride somewhere?
And I said, well, I'm going tothe mall.
They said, no problem, we'llgive you a ride.
And I wouldn't necessarilyrecommend this for all of our readers
to get into.
Random silver Mercedes Benz inthe, you know, Benz is in the Middle

(02:54):
east.
But I think I learned more inthat they had a couple stops to do
along the way and they gave methe whole history and an overview
of the culture of Jordan on myvery first day in the country.
And I think I learned more inthat maybe half hour ride than I
did in the following, youknow, seven days in the country and
safe Friendly, warm.

(03:16):
It is an amazing place.
Yeah.
What do you want to talk about first?
You know, Jordan is a placethat you've got a ton of outdoor
adventure, a lot of culture, alot, A lot, really, to see and do.
And it tends to be a place,you know, one of the things I discovered
when I was there, that a lotof the visitors are, you know, people
coming from.
From Europe or North Americawho are, you know, coming often to

(03:38):
the Middle east for the firsttime and hitting two or three countries,
maybe they're doing Egypt andAmman and Israel, some combination
of those.
And given what's happening inIsrael right now, that's.
That certainly had a hugeimpact on tourism in, in the region
and something we really saw abit of the impacts of when we were
there.
I mean, tourism at some of theplaces, you know, the resort that

(03:59):
we were staying at, they weresaying is down 80, 90% right now
because of what's happeningnext door.
But it really is in prettystark contrast to what conditions
are like in Amman, where itwas, you know, a very calm and safe
visit during the.
Time we were there.
And I can definitely second that.
I believe my first visitthere, and it's not my most recent
visit, but my first visit wasduring the Arab Spring, so another

(04:24):
event that.
That definitely had an impacton tourism in Jordan.
And I think the idea was tobring people over and show them that
things were still safe andcalm in Jordan, even though the region
more generally was an upheaval.
And again, I found the samething where it was calm and safe
in Jordan, even though.

(04:45):
Yeah, maybe not the case insome of the other countries in the
Middle.
East and just super welcomingand friendly people.
I found too, like, they, theyare just so willing to go out of
their way to make yourexperience there exceptional.
Right.
And I found, I foundeverywhere that I've traveled so
far in the Middle east, youknow, particularly when you get that
kind of.
They do that luxury end of thespectrum very well.

(05:05):
A lot of really, really nice hotels.
I know we're going to talk alittle bit about that as we, as we
get into the where to stay,but I think few parts of the world
do that sort of luxury end ofthe spectrum better than it's done
in this part of the world.
Definitely couldn't agree more.
Yeah.
And you really do.
I think that is something,having been to well over a hundred

(05:25):
countries, I think it issomething that really sets destinations
apart.
When you feel welcome, whenyou feel like it's not just about
separating you from yourmoney, it's about making sure that
you feel like you're at home abroad.
And that is definitely thecase in Jordan.
And speaking of a home abroad,let's, let's talk about where you

(05:50):
like to lay your head.
Maybe we'll start off at aplace that I know both of us have
had a chance to spend sometime at, which is the St. Regis there,
which definitely, you know, aswe're talking about that luxury end
of the spectrum.
This is like a classic, youknow, luxury hotel.
It has from.
In terms of facilities at thehotel, I think probably one of the
best rooftop bars in the city.

(06:12):
An amazing view of the city up there.
So that, that's definitely onething to very much recommend it.
And one of the really uniquethings there was around their spa.
I always love going to a hotelwhere if you're staying at the hotel,
you can access the spafacilities and pools and things like
that.
And they had kind of anunusual take on that at St. Regis,

(06:32):
where you could book out theseprivate spa rooms if you're a hotel
guest for no additional costthat included your own private steam
room, private sauna, pools,all in this quite large, you know,
kind of basically private spafor you and your party up to, I think
four to six people orsomething that could, that you could
all be together and enjoy.

(06:53):
And, and it was just includedas part of your stay at the hotel.
They had a great, really niceoutdoor cabana, pool area as well.
Although we were, we were alittle earlier for that.
It's, it's only open sort ofas you get later and go later in
April.
But I know you had a chance tostay there as well.
I did, yeah.
And it's really a great hotel.
I mean, I love the views.

(07:13):
You know, it's got thosesweeping views out over the minarets,
over the sweep of the city.
I think Amman is one of themore impressive cities to see from
above all those whitebuildings and it just stretches as
far as the eye can see, see.
And we, I, we did spend alittle bit of time, I was with a
group, I believe it's called Zenith.
It's the, the rooftop restaurant.

(07:33):
And I wanted to ask you if you tried.
We did try the hookah, youknow, which is this sort of like
cigarette machine that theyhave in the Middle East.
You know, this with the hoses.
Did you, we tried it.
I will say, not my veryfavorite thing, but I don't know.
Did you try it and did youenjoy it?

(07:53):
Yeah, I did try.
No, I didn't try it in rain inAmon I tried it a few days earlier.
We were out in the middle ofthe desert at a desert camp in Wadi
Rum where I gave it a try forthe first time.
And I'm probably with you.
It's not my fear.
It was interesting.
It's a good cultural experience.
It was worth trying.
I thought it was definitelyworth trying.

(08:14):
It's not like I'm going to buyone for home use or anything like
that, but it was definitelysomething that, that was a cultural
experience.
Do you want to talk aboutother places to stay in Amman?
Well, maybe just a couple morethat I'll call out.
I had a spare day in Amman andbecause I'm weird I went and looked
at hotels.
I guess I love seeing greathotels and there were a few that
I went and checked out that Ithought were really interesting properties.

(08:37):
One was the W Amon, which Ithink, you know, if I was coming
back, this is probably onethat I would gravitate towards because
just its location, it wasright in kind of an area of the city
where you'll find some of thebest shopping and restaurants and
right, right within immediatewalking distance.
So I think for a first trip toAmman this would be an ideal location.

(08:59):
And the W Hotel is always kindof cool, modern, modern design and
something quite unique thatthey had there was this, they called
it the Canyon, which was thisart installation as you walk in that's
made to look very much like,reminiscent of the entrance to Petra
as you're walking in there.
And it's really, really quitestunning this art installation that

(09:20):
you walk in as you enter the hotel.
And it's known for having kindof one of the best pool bars in the
city as well.
A bit of a scene there forsure during the summertime.
So that was one more I would recommend.
And then two more that jumpedout that I thought were quite cool
was the Fairmont Amman.
Again, very well done, verykind of standout luxury hotel in

(09:42):
the city with againexceptional spa experience there
and a huge spa complex.
The one downside I discoveredwith their spa is it's not included
for guests.
So if you want to swim in thespa pools, you have to have booked
in for a treatment there.
I never liked that.
I always like the hotels thatlet you experience the spa when you're
staying.
But it was a pretty stunningspa so I can see why they're maybe

(10:03):
limiting access to it a little bit.
And then one other that wejust on our last night through was
a place called Soho Midtown,which again, I mean I didn't get
A chance to look through thisone as much as the other, other properties.
But what, what would recommendit is again, location like this was
in kind of the very much the,you know, the, the part of the city
where you're going to find allthe cool kind of art galleries and

(10:27):
coffee shops.
And so if you gravitatetowards more of that on your trip,
this would definitely be moreof a stylish boutique option, brand
new hotel and in that part ofthe city as well.
And I think a little bit, alittle bit lower from a price perspective
than some of the others as well.
We're, we're moving into thewhat to do category now and let's
talk about some of the thingsto do in the Jordanian capital for

(10:49):
sure.
And I think one of the thingsthat really jumped out to me in Amad
is just the number of reallysort of bustling packed souks.
These, these markets that theyhave throughout the city.
Particularly, you know,there's one right around the iconic
sort of amphitheater, thisRoman amphitheater that's in kind
of the center of the city andmarket area all around that where

(11:10):
you can really find anythingyou could want, right from street
snacks to cool souvenirs andclothes and just a massive, massive
market that was open quitelate into the evening as well.
And I don't know if that's, Idon't know if you had a chance to
go check out some of those.
I don't know if it was becauseI was there during Ramadan, which
is a huge celebration in the city.
But like all the markets wereopen till at least midnight, if not

(11:32):
later sub nights.
So you know, the really kindof vibrant atmosphere and I really
enjoyed that part of the city.
I also found Amman is a citythat's got a lot happening culturally.
You know, there were a coupleof different really cool neighborhoods.
One called Rainbow street,which was is known for kind of indie
theater and live music andcomedy nights, stuff like that.

(11:55):
So a lot going on from that perspective.
You've got Jabal Aman, that'sanother area what's got a lot of
street art.
It's got a really cool shopthat we went to called the Jo Shop
that folks does just on kindof artisan things, all made in Jordan.
And we did a really, reallygood tour that I would highly recommend

(12:17):
called Underground Amon, whois a local sort of beatboxer street
artist who takes you out andshows you kind of a deep dive into
the street art scene in the city.
And maybe we'll just play aLittle bit of a clip from a conversation
I had with him talking alittle bit about the street art scene
in Amman.
When did the street artmovement really.

(12:37):
Start here in Amman?
Yeah, it started early 2000sand it became very popular after
2010.
And this is because there is astreet art festival established at
that time and became morepopular all around the city.
And for people who arevisiting here for the first time.
Yeah, if they really want toget a bit of a taste for culture.

(12:59):
First of all, your tour isprobably one of the best things they
can do.
Where can they find you?
They can find us in social media.
It's called Underground Ammanand we have a website which is underground
amman.com.
Okay.
And beyond your tour, couplequestions, two or three of your favorite
places to eat in the city.
Places that you would recommend.
Friends come into town.
Maybe not so many tourists going.

(13:20):
So what are some of the best ones?
So I think the three forfalafel and hummus you go to Hashim
in downtown.
Okay.
And also for like meal I willgo to Shahrazad, also in downtown.
Okay.
And my third one is called Chapters.
It's in Jebel Webde area.

(13:40):
Highly recommend to come toJebel Webdeh which is very, very
nice and chill neighborhoodand there's many nice hotels here
and very good price also.
So Jabal Webde is the way to.
Go time of year.
Is there any like bigfestivals events you talked about?
The street art festival is onegood time.
Any other summer?
Summer.
Summertime is the best time in Jordan.

(14:00):
And when is summer here?
That runs when?
Yes, that's like end of April.
Okay.
Till October.
Till October is kind of thebest time to come visit.
Yeah.
Okay.
Any other final insider tips?
What do people don't knowabout Jordan that they should?
Jordan is very beautiful country.
It has so much diversity andpeople here are very generous, very,

(14:22):
very welcoming.
So wherever you are from,you're welcome in Jordan.
Awesome.
Love that.
I love, I love getting voices,you know, local voices in.
That's, that's fantastic.
Yeah, I was, I was going tosay, you know, the Citadel, that
hilltop.
Citadel is really definitely aplace where you can.
It dates back to the Bronze Age.
You've got those layers of history.

(14:43):
I love places where, you know,you can see Rome and Byzantine, you
can see, you know, just layerupon layer upon layer.
Things that don't belong,things that are together, things
that are hundreds of yearsapart in terms of history.
Any just as we wrap up anycan't miss.

(15:04):
Well, what I would throw outis a place that I actually stumbled
across my last night inJordan, an area called Suifei Village.
This was like a brand new,really trendy kind of marketplace
with a lot of really cool restaurants.
They had a great ice creamplace, Gerard Ice Cream.

(15:24):
They had this really cool kindof speakeasy bowling lame place called
the Bowl Room.
But it was just like if you'relooking for more of, like the trendy
cultural aspects of Jordan, itwas a lot different than what I saw
anywhere else in the city.
And quite a cool spot.
So definitely a campus I wouldrecommend to go seek out.

(15:46):
Sounds good.
Sounds good.
All of this makes me want togo back to Jordan, you know, I mean,
definitely, that's a place I'dlove to visit.
Again, thanks so much, David.
And I guess we want to directlisteners to the show notes and to
subscribe.
Yeah, absolutely.
So, yeah, if you're interestedin digging into more of any of the

(16:07):
places that we've talkedabout, for sure we'll put links in
the show notes for today's show.
And as always, if you want tocheck out all of our travel podcasts
from around the world, we'vehad a few great new shows to the
Boyscape Podcast Network inthe last little bit.
The Fromers Travel show is oneof our newest ones, hosted by Pauline
Frommer, probably one of themost trusted names in travel, who

(16:29):
we've now got hosting a weeklyshow on Boy Escape.
We got some great content onPoints and travel with Frequent Miler,
another new podcast that we'veadded on.
So.
And just continuing to buildup a bank of great content of from
cities and destinations allaround the [e-mail] that

(16:50):
people can come check out.
Absolutely.
Very excited about the networkand all the exciting new podcasts
that we're adding and veryexcited to talk about our next destination,
which we'll do next week.
Always a pleasure, David.
Thank you so much.