Amman, Jordan — Activities
Amman Culture
Music and Dance
Royal Cultural Center
The Royal Cultural Center, just off the Interior Circle in Shmeisani and near the Regency Palace Hotel, is the number one venue for most cultural events. Classical and Arabic music is performed here as well as folk dancing and appearances by solo performers.
Al-Malekah Alia Street, Shmeisani
Tel: (06) 566 1026.
Arts
Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts
The Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts is a complex of cinemas, theaters and exhibition space. It hosts activities for which they produce a monthly program. Details can also be found in the Jordan Times (www.jordantimes.com). This is also the venue for the Jordan Film Festival each May.
Jabal Al-Waibdeh
Tel: (06) 463 0128.
Website: www.nationalgallery.org
Cinemas
The main cinemas are the Galleria in the Sheraton Entertainment Center, Abdoun Circle (tel: (06) 593 4793), Cinema City in the Mecca Shopping Mall (tel: (06) 551 9711), Grand Cinemas in the Zara Center, Wadi Saqra (tel: (06) 461 3260) and Cine Le Royal, Third Circle Le Royal Hotel (tel: (06) 460 3022). These tend to have the latest releases but have been censored. Throughout downtown is a plethora of small cinemas showing dated movies that have been badly dubbed and heavily censored.
Amman Tours
Walking tours
Walking tours of Dana Biosphere Reserve or the other wildlife and nature reserves can be arranged by your hotel or directly with the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature.
Tel: (06) 533 7931/2.
Website: www.rscn.org.jo
Bus and driving tours
All of the luxury hotels and a number of the budget and backpacker haunts have links with travel agents and can arrange guided tours of Amman by private car or group tours by bus. This also applies to cultural tours to historic sites like Jerash, the desert castles, Jesus Christ's baptism site and Petra, and diving trips to the Red Sea. Good operators include Abercrombie & Kent Jordan and Jordan Circle Tours.
Abercrombie & Kent Jordan
Tel: (06) 566 5465.
Website: www.akdmc.com
Jordan Circle Tours
Tel: (06) 464 3017.
Website: www.jct.com.jo
Others tours
Saleem Ali and his family operate Jordan Tracks, the only Bedouin-owned tourist agency in Jordan. Based in Wadi Rum they can organize guided tours and excursions throughout the country and specialist overnight visits to stay with the Bedouin of Wadi Rum.
Tel: 07964 82801.
Website: www.jordantracks.com
