Places to Visit in Amman Governorate

Amman Governorate (al-Asimah) is the administrative region around Jordan's capital, and it is home to the country's largest urban area, with a metropolitan population of roughly four million. The city was founded on seven hills (jabals) in antiquity, including Jabal al-Qal'a, the Citadel hill, and has since spread across many more; the older districts around Downtown (Al-Balad), Jabal al-Weibdeh and Jabal Amman hold the museums, Roman remains and cafe streets that most visitors want. The governorate is a highland plateau of limestone, with dry hot summers, cold wet winters and occasional snow, and March to May and September to November are the most comfortable months. Many sites that visitors associate with Amman lie in neighbouring governorates but are treated here as day trips from the capital: Jerash (Jerash Governorate) is about 48 kilometres north, Madaba and Mount Nebo (Madaba Governorate) are 30-40 kilometres south-west, and the Dead Sea beaches at Sweimeh (Balqa Governorate) are around 60 kilometres away. Petra and Wadi Rum lie 3-4 hours south and are best treated as overnight trips. Queen Alia International Airport, about 35 kilometres south of the centre, is the main entry point, and Airport Express buses and taxis serve the city.