The capital of Jordan is a modern, bustling place. Most of the architecture is concrete and steel, circa 1960, but there are the odd dramatic exceptions, such as the King Abdullah Mosque.
The city is not entirely the product of the late 20th century and remnants of its history are a pleasant surprise to stumble across, such as the Roman amphitheatre and attendant Odeon found at the heart of downtown Amman.
The citadel sits atop a hill overlooking the amphitheatre and is a patchwork of archaeological digs of Roman, Byzantine and Islamic remains.
Amman has several excellent museums, such as the Jordanian Archaeological Museum on the citadel, but perhaps one of the most interesting is the much less visited Royal Automobile Museum, a fantastic collection of the late King Hussein’s cars.
Walking tours
Walking tours of Amman and Madaba are a recent innovation from Audley.
The tours reward those prepared to dig under the skin of these underrated cities.
A standard whistle-stop tour of Amman doesn’t enable you to sample a traditional Jordanian pastry whilst admiring the façade of the Husseini Mosque, and a walking tour is really the only way to appreciate just how many churches and ancient mosaics are crammed into Madaba.
Typically your walking tour of Amman will be accompanied by a guide, whilst in Madaba it is easy enough to guide yourself around: a fantastic chance to explore on your own.