Rainbow Street

The basics

Home to a wealth of restaurants and cafés, at price points from simple falafel and shawarma joints through to elite fine dining and delicious dessert specialists, most every Amman food tour will swing by Rainbow Street for tea, coffee, and a nibble or two. But you can also visit on a downtown walking tour, a neighborhood walking tour, or a self-guided tour, while most city highlights tours stop by. On Fridays during the summer season, the Souk Jara market adds to Rainbow Street’s souvenir shopping scene.

Things to know before you go

*The Rainbow Street area is a great choice for observational photography. There are lovely shots to be had down stepped side streets and residential streets alike. *Amman is built around seven hills so most parents will want to use back carriers or slings over strollers. *A cobbled, often very crowded roadway and rough sidewalks make Rainbow Street challenging, but not impossible, in a wheelchair.

How to get there

Rainbow Street is in downtown Amman, only a few hundred feet southwest of the Citadel as the crow flies. It runs west from just by the First Circle roundabout to Othman Ben Affan Street. Catch service taxi route 2 from Basman Street or Second Circle to First Circle, or book a tour: Rainbow Street’s choked traffic means driving is best left to the experts.

When to get there

For the best people-watching, visit Rainbow Street on a Thursday night, the start of the Jordanian weekend. Shopping is at its best on summer Fridays when Souk Jara is in full swing.

Downtown Amman’s Must-See Sights

Even if you only have a short time in Amman, don’t miss the Amman Citadel, topped with ruins including the Roman-era Temple of Hercules and the early Islamic Umayyad palace. Also be sure to see the Roman Theater (sometimes also known as the Roman Amphitheater), magnificently restored with space for thousands.