The Levant is home to intriguing, vibrant and historical capital cities, of which Amman is the largest. Yet despite its size and population, it's arguably the least familiar to a global audience.
Like Damascus, it's one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities. Jerusalem might be most famed for its religious significance, but the Jordanian capital has this in abundance too. While Beirut often comes to mind for its nightlife and coffee culture, Amman also has plenty of character.
What Amman shouldn't be is a stepping stone to Petra. The mistake many travellers make is to go through rather than to the city, even if it's for a short visit.
9am: Caffeine-hit at Sina coffee house
I start my day early with a short walk from The Ritz-Carlton, Amman for coffee. I admire the patterned-tile pavements with overgrowing tree roots bursting through as I take the backstreets to Sina.
Inside, I order an oat flat white before appreciating the decor: retro prints on the wall and Jordan-themed books on the shelf. Outside, I watch as two fluffy ginger cats welcome themselves into the patio and take up a seat not far from me, where they are welcomed by the staff.
It's the perfect quiet spot to start my day and map out my next moves.
Open from 8am daily, Samouraa Street, 5th Circle, Umm Uthainah
11am: Explore the ancient Amman citadel
First visit of the day has to be the citadel, which is a 25-minute drive from Sina. To get there, it's easy to flag down a local, metre-run minicab, but you will need cash, so use Careem, Uber or local ride app Jenny if you've not been to an ATM.
There's an argument for visiting the citadel any time of day, with sunset hours being a strong contender, but I think beating the crowds is always a win.
Located on one of the city's highest hills, Jebel al-Qal'a, Bronze Age ruins are encased by a 1.7km wall. Within that wall lies more history (millennia!) than I could do justice to here, but highlights include the Temple of Hercules, the Umayyad Palace and the Byzantine Church.
It's a place where locals gather to sit, read and be, as well as a tourist destination. During my visit, I'm joined by tour guide Abdullah – born and raised in Jordan – who brings colour to stone ruins with historical context, local tales and personal anecdotes.
History obsessives, take your time here. Drink it in. Definitely visit the Jordan Archaeological Museum on site. Everyone else, make the most of the elevation and look over the limestone buildings that earned Amman its nickname, The White City.
Open from 8am and 4pm during winter, extending to 7pm during the longer days in summer. Tickets 3 Jordanian dinars ($4.20 / Dh15.5) for tourists.
2pm: Snack on street food and kunafa
Walk around 20 minutes or drive 10 (time of day and traffic dependent, of course) and you'll arrive at the city's bustling heart. Here, Abdullah takes me to Souq Al-Sukark, a vibrant market but enclosed spot that could be missed.
First, we pass a stand serving freshly-baked bread. Abdullah doesn't hesitate to help us both to some pitta, nodding at the seller standing guard. The same goes for olives, dates, grapes and nuts we pass. He assures me that a 'try-before-you-buy' approach is generally accepted in the market.
While I don't recommend that approach, unless you have a guide, we're barely noticeable among the families and cooks filling baskets and bags with ingredients to prep their evening meal. If you're after a heartier meal, cafes and street vendors are on the surrounding streets.
We take a turn on to King Faysal Square, where we find Habibah Sweets. First established in 1951, it's now a treasure hidden from tourists along a side street. Although the menu is simple – traditional kunafa is the main draw – there is a queue snaking around the corner.
4pm: Stop by the amphitheatre
A short walk away is the superbly preserved Roman Amphitheatre. Here, the atmosphere is calmer, although it still functions as a venue for live music.
With cars whizzing by and a lively market not too far away, it's incredible to think this sits at the heart of the metropolis and, with a little imagination, easy to picture it as a buzzing Roman settlement.
Built in the second century when the city, then known as Philadelphia, was part of the Roman Empire, it could hold as many as 6,000 people and served as the setting for musical performances and plays.
As a tourist, you can get a glimpse of this in less than 10 minutes, take pictures and move on to the next activity. Or, you can take a seat up top, admire the view, find the acoustic sweet spot which allows voices to echo and, if you're so inclined, pet the local cats that make the theatre their sleeping spot.
Two small museums are close by: the Jordan Folklore Museum and the Jordanian Museum of Popular Traditions. Each is small enough to whizz through if time is limited.
Opening times between 9am and 8pm, depending on the season. Tourist prices from JOD 2
7pm: Dine at Sufra at the heart of Rainbow Street
At nightfall, I head to Rainbow Street, about a 25-minute walk or 12-minute drive from the Roman Theatre.
You might think its name comes from brightly coloured shop fronts or houses, but it's actually derived from the old movie theatre at the top of the street, Rainbow Cinema. The playful moniker caught on, and locals now call the street by that name, which today serves as a popular spot for art galleries and cafes.
Sufra comes highly recommended. The restaurant is located in a transformed villa, and I take a seat outside on a cool winter evening. Wooden tables stand on the patio, with palm trees dotting the garden, while shrubbery bearing red and pink blossoms hangs overhead.
The menu is diverse, and includes traditional Jordanian dishes such as fatte (casserole and flatbread crumbs), sajeyat (meat cooked in a saj pan over wood fires), fukharat (slow-cooked clay pot dishes), mashawi (grilled meats over an open coal fire) and jameed karaki, a Jordanian staple of fermented and salted sheep or goat's milk.
We tuck into a selection of the mezzes such as hummus sufra with aubergine and walnuts (JOD 5.50) and sufra salad with courgette, cauliflower, cabbage and picked cucumber in tahini (JOD 5.50), followed by fattet beitinjan (JOD 6), aubergine in tomato sauce, served with tahini – bookended with traditional Arabic coffee.
I only have one evening on Rainbow Street and regret not having time to explore more of what it offers, from unique souvenirs to contemporary art galleries. If you have time, spend a little more of it here.
Sufra is open daily between 1pm and 11pm
Bonus time
Extra day? If you have an extra day in Jordan, it absolutely must be spent with a trip to Petra. It takes about three hours to drive there, or a coach from the capital to the historic city costs about JOD 10 and takes about four hours.
Tourists can enter Petra for JOD 50, but if you want to make the most of seeing one of the wonders of the world, I advise going with a guide to learn in depth about the carved city's creation and discover things you might otherwise miss.
Price from JOD 50. Opening times between 6am and 6.30pm, season-dependent
Extra night? There are plenty of places to grab a bite in the city, from mall restaurants to market stalls. But if you're looking for a serene spot for a meal, I recommend the Lebanese eatery Kenz. I visited several times because it is located where I'm staying for the weekend, The Ritz-Carlton Amman.
Some of my favourites include the spinach fatayar (JOD 4.50), the large stuffed vine leaves (JOD 4) and a vegan-friendly aubergine kofta presented as a tart, saucy main. Oh, and the cute felafel slider burger is a welcome extra treat.
Open 12.30pm to midnight daily
