Middle East - Anthony Ham [295]
There are semiregular service taxis to Karak (JD2, two hours), Ma’an (JD3, three hours) and also infrequently to Aqaba (JD5, five hours).
To reach Wahadat station, take a service taxi or bus 23 from Abdali station, or service taxi 27 from Italian St (Map). A private taxi here will cost around JD1 to JD2 from downtown.
FROM OTHER BUS STATIONS
For the Dead Sea, minibuses leave from the small station opposite the Al-Muhajireen Police Station. You may find a local bus direct to Suweimeh (JD1, 1 hour) or even Amman Beach – if not, you’ll have to go to Shuneh al-Janubiyyeh (South Shuna; 1JD, 45 minutes) and change for Suweimeh, from where you’ll have to hire a taxi or hitch for the last stretch. Minibuses also leave frequently for Wadi as-Seer (less than 1JD, 30 minutes).
The newly renovated Raghadan station in Downtown hadn’t fully reopened at the time of research, but you can expect it to hold service taxis (for nearby suburbs), local city buses and, probably, minibuses to Madaba, Salt and Wadi as-Seer.
Car
All the major hotels have car rental offices. The largest selection of rental companies is at King Abdullah Gardens (Map). Click here for details.
Service Taxi
Service taxis cover much the same territory as the minibus for slightly higher fares but faster services. They depart from the same stations as the minibuses. You’ll find that departures are more frequent in the morning than in the afternoon.
Train
Click here for information on the train between Amman and Damascus.
GETTING AROUND
To/From the Airport
Queen Alia International Airport is 35km south of the city centre.
The Airport Express bus (Map ; 0880-022006, 4451531) runs between the airport and the upper end of Abdali bus station, passing through 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Circles en route. The service (JD2, 45 minutes) runs every half hour or so between 7am and midnight. The last buses to the airport leave at 10pm and midnight; the first bus leaves at 6am.
A taxi costs JD15 to JD20 from the airport to Amman, slightly less in the opposite direction.
Private Taxi
The flag fall in a standard taxi is 150 fils, and cross-town journeys rarely cost more than JD2. Make sure your driver uses the meter, although most will do so automatically.
Service Taxi
Most fares on service taxis cost a few hundred fils per seat and you pay the full amount regardless of where you get off. After 8pm, the price for all service taxis goes up by 25%. Some of the more useful routes include the following (Map):
No 2 From Basman St, for 1st and 2nd Circles
No 3 From Basman St, for 3rd and 4th Circles
No 6 From Cinema al-Hussein St, for Abdali station and JETT offices
No 7 From Cinema al-Hussein St, past Abdali station and King Abdullah Mosque to Shmeisani
No 27 From Italian St for Wahadat station
No 35 From Quraysh St for Al-Muhajireen Police Station
AROUND AMMAN
WADI AS-SEER & IRAQ AL-AMIR
The narrow, pretty and fertile valley of Wadi as-Seer is a contrast to the bare and treeless plateau to the east of Amman. The caves of Iraq al-Amir (Caves of the Prince) and the ruins of Qasr al-Abad (Palace of the Slave) are a further 10km down the valley from the largely Circassian town of Wadi as-Seer.
The caves are arranged in two tiers – the upper forms a long gallery along the cliff face. The small but impressive ruins of Qasr al-Abad, thought to have been a 2nd-century-BC villa or minor palace, can be found about 700m further down the valley. The palace was built out of some of the biggest blocks of any ancient structure in the Middle East – the largest measures 7m by 3m.
Opposite the caves is the village of Iraq al-Amir, which is home to the aptly named Iraq al-Amir Handicraft Village ( 8am-4pm, closed Fri). Here you can buy handmade pottery, fabrics, foodstuffs, carpets and paper products. The project was founded by the Noor al-Hussein Foundation, which supports the initiatives of local women.
Minibuses leave Amman regularly for Wadi as-Seer (30 minutes) from the station opposite the Al-Muhajireen Police Station. From the town of Wadi as-Seer, take another minibus (100 fils)