Aqaba travel guide

Why go to Aqaba

After days of ruins and desert, Aqaba is where Jordan exhales. The city has a relaxed, holiday feel: families stroll the corniche in the evening, fish restaurants grill the day's catch and the mountains of Sinai turn pink across the water at sunset. Egypt, Israel and Saudi Arabia are all in view from the beach.

Underwater, the Gulf of Aqaba is the main attraction. The fringing reef runs along the south coast towards the Saudi border, much of it protected in the Aqaba Marine Reserve. Visibility is often excellent, currents are generally mild and many sites can be reached from the shore — ideal for beginners and snorkellers as well as experienced divers.

Aqaba has a long history too. Ancient Ayla, an early Islamic port, lies in ruins near the corniche; the Mamluk-era Aqaba Fort was taken by Arab forces in 1917 during the Arab Revolt, a story told on the giant flag that flies over the Great Arab Revolt Plaza.

Snorkelling and diving

Most dive centres are on the south coast road, between the port and the Saudi border, beside the sites they use. Popular names include Japanese Garden (colourful hard and soft corals), the Cedar Pride (a cargo ship scuttled as an artificial reef in 1985), the Tank (an M42 anti-aircraft tank sunk as a reef), the Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft sunk in 2017 and the coral pinnacles of the Seven Sisters.

Snorkellers can enter from public and hotel beaches along the south coast, or take a glass-bottom boat from the city to the reefs. Wear reef-safe sunscreen, do not stand on coral and keep your fins up.

The UK FCDO notes that diving operator standards vary: dive with a buddy, check accreditation (for example PADI) and ask about equipment and emergency procedures.

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Red Sea

Aqaba: private diving tour with optional transfer

≈ 3–5 h

Shore or boat dives on Aqaba's southern reefs and wrecks with a private instructor; beginners can do a try-dive. 4.9/5 from about 260 reviews (as of November 2026).

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Snorkelling

Aqaba: glass-boat snorkelling with Berenice beach-club day use

≈ 4–6 h

Glass-bottom boat ride over the coral with a snorkelling stop, then the rest of the day at the Berenice beach club.

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Beaches

City beaches near the centre are free and lively but basic; families often prefer the clubs on the south coast with day passes, sunbeds, showers and direct reef access. Resort hotels in the centre and in Tala Bay have private beaches. Modest swimwear is normal on public beaches; bikinis are fine at hotel and private clubs.

In the city

• Aqaba Fort and museum area: a Mamluk fort from the early 16th century, restored, near the archaeological museum.
• Ayla: excavated remains of the early Islamic town by the corniche.
• Great Arab Revolt Plaza and flagpole: one of the tallest flagpoles in the world, flying a huge flag of the Arab Revolt.
• Souk and corniche: spice shops, sweets, seafood restaurants and evening promenades.
• Duty-free shopping: Aqaba's special economic zone status makes some goods cheaper than in Amman.

Day trips from Aqaba

Wadi Rum is about an hour away and makes a perfect overnight trip; Petra is about two hours. Ferries run to Taba and Nuweiba in Egypt's Sinai (check schedules with the operator). The Wadi Araba border crossing to Eilat is just north of the city.

From Aqaba

Ancient Wonders & Saltwater Secrets: 3-day Jordan journey

3 days

Three-day trip linking Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea, popular with travellers starting in Aqaba.

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Tour listings are on GetYourGuide. Prices, times and cancellation terms are shown live on each listing and can change; JordanTravel.com may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Where to stay

Stay in the city centre for restaurants and the corniche, in the Saraya / Ayla area for big new resorts, or at Tala Bay on the south coast for diving. Compare on where to stay in Aqaba.

How many days in Aqaba?

Most travellers give Aqaba one or two nights at the end of a trip south — enough for a morning on the reef, an afternoon on a beach and a fish dinner by the souk. Divers stay three nights or more, because each day usually includes two boat or shore dives and you should not fly or drive up to Petra's altitude straight after diving. In winter, when Amman is cold and grey, Aqaba makes a warm base for a longer stay with day trips to Wadi Rum.

• 1 night: afternoon snorkel at a south-coast beach, sunset on the corniche, early start for Wadi Rum or Petra.
• 2 nights: add a glass-bottom boat or a try-dive, the fort and Ayla ruins, and a lazy beach-club day.
• 3–5 nights: a PADI course or a dive package, Tala Bay, and a night in a Wadi Rum camp in the middle.

A sample day in Aqaba

Aqaba for families, couples and budget travellers

Families like the resort districts of Saraya and Ayla, with lagoons, kids' pools and calm, shallow lagoon swimming, and the beach clubs on the south coast where children can snorkel from the shore in clear water. Couples tend to choose Tala Bay or a quiet south-coast resort; note that some resorts are adults-only or have minimum ages. Budget travellers stay in the centre, where small hotels and shawarma and falafel shops keep costs low, and take a taxi to a beach day pass.

Aqaba is a conservative Jordanian town outside the resorts: swimwear belongs on the beach, and on public city beaches many local women swim fully covered. Alcohol is served in hotels and some licensed restaurants. Aqaba lies inside the Aqaba Special Economic Zone, which has its own tax rules and is a popular place to shop.

Getting there and safety

Flights land at King Hussein International Airport, about 10 km north of town; the drive from Amman takes about 4 hours on the Desert Highway, and JETT runs coaches from Amman. Details on getting to Aqaba.

Aqaba is calm and used to visitors. As across the region in November 2026, follow current government advice: the UK FCDO warns of possible short-notice flight disruption linked to regional tensions.

Plan your visit to Aqaba

• Things to doAqaba's best dive and snorkel sites, beach clubs, glass-bottom boats, the fort and…
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• Getting thereFlights to King Hussein Airport, buses and driving from Amman, routes from Petra and…
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• When to goAqaba month by month: air and sea temperatures, winter sun, summer heat and the best…