Manara Arts & Culture
Jabal Al-Weibdeh
A café and gallery with a view. Monday to Saturday, 09:00 to 23:00.
Explore Amman
Our favourite places first, then day trips for the free day.
These are our own picks, the places we take friends.
Cafés and places with a view
Darat al Funun
Jabal Al-Weibdeh
Art in old villas and gardens above downtown. Usually Saturday to Thursday, 10:00 to 19:00.
Dar Ne'meh
The Citadel
A café up by the Citadel, looking over the old city.
The Duke's Diwan
Downtown
An old house kept as a salon, above the downtown bustle. Hours vary.
Habibah Sweets
Downtown
The classic knafeh. Eat it warm, standing up.
Signs of Amman Museum
Downtown
The city's old shop signs and lettering. Check the hours before you go.
Al-Kalha Stairs
Downtown to Weibdeh
The shortcut between Weibdeh and the old city: about 11 minutes down, longer up.
Street food and old streets
Al-Quds Falafel
Rainbow Street
A falafel sandwich for under a dinar, two minutes from the venue.
Salaheddin Bakery
Below Weibdeh
Ka'ak and pastries from the oven.
Hashem Restaurant
Downtown
Falafel, hummus and foul in a downtown alley.
Shahrazad Restaurant
Downtown
Simple Jordanian food, downtown.
Da7berha
Sulayman Al-Nabulsi Street
Our pick for the best mansaf.
Malls
Abdali Mall
Abdali
Taj Mall
Abdoun
The Avenue Mall
Sweifieh
City Mall
Umm Al-Summaq
Modern Amman
Sweifieh Village
Sweifieh
Shops, cafés and the newer side of the city.
Abdali Boulevard
Abdali
Amman's new downtown: towers, cafés and a long pedestrian street.
Day trips
Thursday the 17th is free. Distances and drive times are from Weibdeh without traffic; add a quarter. For Petra, the JETT bus leaves Abdali at 06:30; for the rest, a tour or a driver for the day is easiest.
| From Weibdeh | Worth knowing | |
|---|---|---|
| Jerash | 48 km, 40 min | A whole Roman city. An easy half day. |
| Madaba, Mount Nebo, the Baptism Site | 36 to 56 km | One easy day together. The Madaba Map is the mosaic our Dead Sea panel is stitched from. The Baptism Site is 12 JOD (8 with the Jordan Pass). |
| Ajloun | 67 km, 1 h | A castle in pine forest. |
| Petra | 235 km, 3 h 10 | Open 06:30 to 17:00 in winter. 50 JOD if you spend a night in Jordan, 90 on a day trip; covered by the Jordan Pass. JETT bus from Abdali at 06:30, back at 17:00. |
| Wadi Rum | 311 km, 4 h | Stay the night if you go. December nights are near freezing. |
| Aqaba | 332 km | The warmest option, on the Red Sea. |
| Wadi Mujib | 85 km | The Siq trail is closed in winter; only the dry trails are open. |
| Umm Qais | 111 km, 1 h 40 | Near the Syrian border: check the travel advice first. |
Sources
Checked in November 2026. Rules change: check the official pages before you travel.
Next: Wedding culture