Aqaba in Jordan - Sights and travel tips

What else you should know:

What else you should know:
Aqaba in Jordan – Arrival
Airport transfer
Book a rental car
Best time to travel to Aqaba
Hotels in Aqaba, Jordan
Safety in Aqaba
Money & Currency
Food and drink
Sights in Aqaba
Beaches & Swimming
Excursions in the surrounding area
Aqaba, Jordan – Our conclusion

Aqaba, Jordan – Arrival

We flew with Easyjet from Berlin-Tegel to Aqaba. For us, this was the best connection, as we could get to Berlin from Rostock quite quickly. The flight to Aqaba only took around 4.5 or 5 hours; we don’t quite remember the exact flight time. Easyjet connects Cologne and Berlin with Aqaba. There are also direct flights from Memmingen with Ryanair to the capital, Amman.

jordan-round-trip-arrival-plane-view

Alternatively, you can also fly to Amman with Royal Jordanian from Frankfurt or Munich. However, these flights are significantly more expensive than Ryanair and Easyjet flights. We paid €195 (€97.50 per person) for our round-trip flight (+ 1x 15kg luggage) from Berlin-Schönefeld to Aqaba. Reason for the low price: We traveled during the absolute off-season (January). To enter the country, you need a passport valid for at least 6 months with at least two blank pages.

Airport transfer

If you don’t pick up your rental car directly at the airport in Aqaba, you can take a taxi to the city center for a reasonable price. The ride shouldn’t cost more than 10 JD (per car). Immediately upon arrival, you’ll be approached by several drivers. We couldn’t find a bus or anything similar. We picked up our rental car directly at the airport and drove the 10 km to the city center. We can definitely recommend it; it wasn’t a problem at all.

Booking a rental car

As already mentioned, we booked a rental car for this round trip through Jordan. As always, we booked the car at www.billiger-mietwagen.de*. We paid €197 for 8 days, including all important and necessary services. We weren’t pressured into taking out additional insurance or anything similar on site; everything was handled very professionally. You can find out more about this topic here: Driving & Rental car in Jordan.

Best time to travel to Aqaba

Let’s take a look at the climate tables you can find online. They clearly show that you can generally travel to Aqaba year-round. However, if you can’t handle very high temperatures, you should especially avoid the summer months of June, July, August, and September. We were in Aqaba in January and, despite it being “winter,” had temperatures of up to 28°C. Crazy, right? Even the water was a pleasant temperature, so we even jumped into the Red Sea shortly before our departure.

Hotels in Aqaba, Jordan

For our trip, we focused on simpler homestays, as we were only staying one night in most places anyway. After arriving, we drove to the first accommodation in our rental car, which was basically sufficient, but we wouldn’t book it again. Our room consisted of a bed, a closet, and an air conditioner, which unfortunately didn’t provide much warm air. We were freezing cold all night. The bathroom didn’t make a good impression; everything seemed a bit run-down. But in the end, it was enough, as we were starting our trip the next morning.

We unintentionally spent the last night of the trip at the 5-star InterContinental Hotel*. Unintentionally, because our flight was canceled and all our guests were brought to this hotel. We had absolutely no problem with this delay and were happy about this unexpected luxury. We used the wellness area, relaxed on the beach chairs by the Red Sea, enjoyed the excellent food, and simply had a great time. We can absolutely recommend the hotel, even though we didn’t pay anything for this overnight stay (although it’s cheap compared to Europe).

Other accommodations in Aqaba

We’ve selected a few more accommodations for you and researched them to the best of our knowledge. The following hotels are highly recommended according to reviews and opinions from former guests:

Homestay Relax House Aqaba
Book a room here*

The Relax House Hotel is located just 150 meters from the beach and offers very simple rooms, but with a terrace and a view. The rooms are equipped with a TV, kettle, and air conditioning. Breakfast is available for a small additional charge.

3* La Riva Hotel
Book a room here*

This small hotel is located directly on the water, just 450 meters from the nearest beach, and is one of the so-called “bestsellers” in Aqaba. It features a restaurant, lounge, garden, and accommodations with a terrace. The rooms are equipped with air conditioning, a TV, refrigerator, hairdryer, and desk.

This 4-star hotel is just 100 meters from the beach and offers a shared lounge, a restaurant, air-conditioned rooms with sea views, and a bathroom. A delicious breakfast buffet is available to guests in the morning.

The 5-star Mövenpick Resort is located in the city center of Aqaba, just 500 meters from the beach. It features a large outdoor pool, a private beach, a restaurant with a terrace, and bright, comfortable rooms with a balcony or terrace.

The 5-star Al Manara Hotel is located on Aqaba’s beachfront and offers a private beach, outdoor pool, garden, restaurant, sauna, and tour desk. The rooms are chic and modern, equipped with air conditioning, a TV, desk, bathroom, and possibly even a terrace.

Safety in Aqaba

We never felt uncomfortable or unsafe in Aqaba, Jordan. The people are generally very friendly and open-minded. During our entire trip, we never had a strange feeling in the country—quite the opposite. Although Jordan is located in the midst of the crisis regions of Iraq, Syria, and Saudi Arabia, there’s nothing to fear here. Unfortunately, Jordan suffers from this bad reputation, but maintains peaceful relations with neighboring regions. The country is arguably one of the most stable and safe countries in the Arab world. You can read more about this here: Safety in Jordan.

Money & Currency

In Aqaba and in Jordan in general, you pay with the Jordanian Dinar (JD). Currently, you get around 0.80 JD for 1 € (as of July 2020). The currency is available in coins (1, 5, 10, 20, 25, and 50 piastres) and notes (1, 5, 10, 20, and 50). We think the banknotes look really nice. We withdrew money from an ATM right at the airport and managed well with the money for the first few days. You’ll also find ATMs and banks in Aqaba itself (Bank al Etihad, Bank of Jordan, Arab Bank, etc.). More on this topic here: Currency & Money in Jordan.

Food and Drink

We love oriental cuisine, especially falafel and hummus. If you like that too, you’re in good hands here in Jordan. You’ll find sweet pastries, flatbreads, fruit, and vegetables on almost every corner. Incidentally, people here drink an enormous amount of black tea, usually with a lot of sugar. The main meal usually consists of many sauces, chicken, lamb, olives, cheese, rice, various salads, vegetables, oil, spices, and so on. Stroll through the markets and try a variety. More about this here: Food & Drink in Jordan.

Hashim Sons (Humus & Falafel)
Souq Al Rowaq (Markets)
Bakary Al janob (delicious fresh baked goods)
The Cookie (Bakery)
Ella Café at the harbor (cool little café)
Tikka Chicken Plus Restaurant
Sushi Corner
Baba Za’atar – Popular for pizza
Pistachio Sweets & Cafe – Sweet Pastries

Sights in Aqaba

Aqaba is not a huge city, so the sights and highlights are limited. We find the city itself fascinating because it’s a different culture, and we love observing people and just going with the flow. We’ve noted a few “sights” for you in the following paragraph.

1. Central Mosque

We passed by the Central Mosque (Sharif Hussein Bin Ali Mosque) quite by chance. Because construction work was underway, we couldn’t see the mosque in all its glory. Despite the construction site, one could sense what a beautiful complex it would become one day. Apparently, even non-Muslims are allowed to enter the mosque if they’re dressed appropriately.

2. Sheik Zayed Mosque

The Sheik Zayed Mosque is located east of the city center. It’s about a 5- to 10-minute drive to the entrance gate. We asked the security guard if we could take a few photos, and he agreed. However, we weren’t allowed to run around much and had to stay somewhat in the background. The mosque is truly beautiful; it’s a shame we didn’t get to see it from the inside.

3. Markets in Aqaba, Jordan

Let yourself drift and stroll through the city streets. You’ll repeatedly pass shops and lively markets; boredom won’t stand a chance here. Many shops may seem a bit run-down, but they offer practically everything you can imagine. You’ll find clothing, toys, electronics, spices, groceries, shoes, household goods, and much more. On the day of our arrival, we visited the Souq Al Rowaq and the streets directly behind the Central Mosque.

4. Snorkeling & Diving

According to the Jordan Tourism Authority, Aqaba is home to some of the most beautiful snorkeling and diving spots in the world. Most tourists who come to Aqaba come for the numerous water-related activities. You can discover an incredible variety of marine life and corals, as well as mysterious wrecks lying on the seabed. Dolphins and sea turtles are frequently spotted. There are more than 25 spots and various diving schools with professional instructors.

Popular Diving Spots in the Red Sea

The sunken C-130 Hercules aircraft on South Beach
Taiyong Shipwreck & Cedar Pride
Yellowstone Reef, Rainbow Reef
M42 “Duster” Aircraft Tank
The Seven Sisters
Coral Tour on a Glass-Bottomed Boat & Open Buffet*
You can find more spectacular spots here: Arab Divers

Beaches & Swimming

Aqaba is located directly on the Red Sea, so it’s only natural that you can jump into the water here. In the evenings, many locals gather on the public Al-Ghandour Beach, smoking shisha, enjoying the sunset on wide blankets, and listening to music. It’s the central meeting place in Aqaba, with views all the way to Eilat. Kids jump around in the water, and you could, of course, too. But it’s better to go swimming on private beaches and resort beaches. There, it’s no problem to go into the water in a bikini.

Further south, you’ll find the 12 km long South Beach with its many bays and shallow sandy beaches. This is also where some of the best snorkeling and diving spots in Aqaba are located. Important for you: There are only a few public beaches, and many charge an entrance fee. Very popular are the Berenice Beach Club (entrance fee 10 JD), the Tala Bay Beach Club (entrance fee 20 JD), and the Royal Diving Beach Club (entrance fee 10 JD). The price usually includes a beach towel, access to various pools, and access to the Red Sea.

Excursions in the surrounding area

Aqaba is an excellent location for exploring the surrounding area or starting your road trip. Of course, you shouldn’t miss the trip to the Wadi Rum Desert. From Aqaba, it’s only 70 kilometers to the village where you started your trip. A fantastic desert landscape awaits you here, with rocky mountains up to 1,000 meters high and desert camps. You have to see it. More about this here: Our tips for the Wadi Rum Desert.

From Aqaba, it’s only 2 hours to the rock city of Petra. This is arguably one of the most beautiful highlights in the entire country. While it’s bustling with tourists, you shouldn’t miss this ruin site. We can hardly describe how magical this place simply is. You should allow yourself at least 4 hours to see at least a few of the highlights at the beginning of the complex. More time is, of course, much, much better. More about this here: All about the rock city of Petra & tips.

Aqaba: Discover diving with hotel pickup & Lunch*
From Aqaba: Panoramic tour to Wadi Mujib and the Dead Sea*
2-hour jeep tour to Wadi Rum from Aqaba*
Guided day tour to Petra from Aqaba*

Aqaba in Jordan – Our Conclusion

We found Aqaba to be the perfect starting point for our tour through the country. Firstly, you don’t immediately land in a metropolis, and secondly, you’re right on the beautiful Red Sea. The waterfront city isn’t too hectic, not too big, and not too loud. While there isn’t much to see in Aqaba, the activities around the Red Sea are certainly an experience.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have time for snorkeling or diving. We’ll definitely do that on our next trip. It’s also really cool that Aqaba isn’t far from the Wadi Rum Desert and the rock city of Petra. We didn’t regret starting our trip there. Of course, you can also start your tour from Amman.