Aqaba

Jordan

Aqaba city view Aqaba (العقبة al-ʿAqabah) is Jordan's only port city. It is on the Gulf of Aqaba in the extreme south of the country.

Aqaba is Jordan's window on the Red Sea. Historically the same city as Eilat on the Israeli side of the border, plans for a shared international airport and other forms of cooperation have cooled down in the past few years during a period of political tension. Aqaba has seen a lot of development. This has improved the infrastructure and facilities. Be prepared for road maps to be incorrect or out of date.

As of December 2018, the staff at the information center near the castle claims that there is no place to use Jordan Pass in Aqaba, even though two museums are listed on the official website of Jordan Pass.

  • Aqaba Castle. under reconstruction as of December 2018. It dates to the 14th century, although the present structure was built by the Mamluke sultan Qansawh el-Ghawri (1501-1516) and has been revised many times since then. The archeological museum which used to be here no longer exists. 3 JD.
  • Aqaba Heritage Museum. A simple museum on local history and people.
  • Ayla. The old city that was established when Islam came to the area in 622 AD. 1 JD.
  • Fourth-century Roman church. The oldest purpose-built Christian church in history. A posted sign (viewed in the right angle) gives a little bit of information on the church and its age.
  • Aqaba Flagpole. The fifth tallest freestanding flagpole sits at a height of 130 metres high. It carries the flag of the Arab Revolt. Sheik Zayed Mosque
  • Sheik Zayed Mosque. This mosque in the east beyond the highway gives a great overview of the area and Aqaba.
  • Marine Science Center Aquarium. Small aquarium with a few local and exotic fish. Very small aquarium with limited information, not worth the high price for foreigners, but Jordanians (1 JD) might want to take their kids. 7 JD.

Aqaba Castle. under reconstruction as of December 2018. It dates to the 14th century, although the present structure was built by the Mamluke sultan Qansawh el-Ghawri (1501-1516) and has been revised many times since then. The archeological museum which used to be here no longer exists. 3 JD.

Aqaba Heritage Museum. A simple museum on local history and people.

Ayla. The old city that was established when Islam came to the area in 622 AD. 1 JD.

Fourth-century Roman church. The oldest purpose-built Christian church in history. A posted sign (viewed in the right angle) gives a little bit of information on the church and its age.

Aqaba Flagpole. The fifth tallest freestanding flagpole sits at a height of 130 metres high. It carries the flag of the Arab Revolt.

Sheik Zayed Mosque. This mosque in the east beyond the highway gives a great overview of the area and Aqaba.

Marine Science Center Aquarium. Small aquarium with a few local and exotic fish. Very small aquarium with limited information, not worth the high price for foreigners, but Jordanians (1 JD) might want to take their kids. 7 JD.

Except the sea and diving, Aqaba doesn't have a lot of things to offer. The following can be of interest but are easily done in one day.

There is a public beach between the city and the fort, although it can be very dirty. There are several public beaches south of Aqaba, which also can be dirty. Beaches generally have eating and showering facilities and sometimes watersports.

  • Mount Um al Nusaylah. Hike this mountain for a great view of the Aqaba area, Eilat on the other side of the Red Sea and the valley behind the mount.
  • Zara Spa, Mövenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay Aqaba, South Beach Road - Tala Bay Area, +962 3 209 0300. 09:00-21:00. As well as a sauna, steam room and a hydro pool with skylight, Zara Spa Tala Bay offers the latest in spa facilities. Included is an "ice fountain" designed to stimulate circulation and tighten the skin. A variety of fragrances and coloured lighting effects are available for showers and also supposedly designed to increase blood circulation. A hair salon, a nail studio and a shop with a variety of beauty care products are also on premises.

Have a look at an online map south of Aqaba, many dive centers can be found there. Diving in Jordan is very expensive considering the low prices of other goods and services in this country, even compared to other countries. Two simple shore dives will set you back 50 JD - same for all dive centers and not negotiable. A boat tour including 2 dives is approximately twice of that.

  • Arab Divers, South Beach Road (South Of Aqaba, +962 7964 120 32. 24/7. Established and well known dive centre, with air conditioned bungalow accommodation on site (40/50/65 JD for Single/Double/Triple, good discounts on offer when taking a dive package as well). Breakfast included, free wifi in public areas, on site pool and shuttle bus down to the beach (abt. 5 min). Many dives on offer, including technical dives to the Taiyong and some deeper reefs, as well as beginner-friendly coral garden dives. Also run an active litter clean up programme on the reefs. PADI training available from Open Water to Divemaster and technical courses. Dive packages include air fills, tanks and weights. Nitrox and Trimix available. Full kit hire and boat dives available, though almost all dives can be done from shore. 1/2 day shore (1 dive) 30 JD; 1 day shore (2 dives) 40 JD; 2 days shore (4 dives) 76 JD; 3 days shore (6 dives) 108 JD; 4 days shore (8 dives) 136 JD; 5 days shore (10 dives) 160 JD.
  • Ahlan Aqaba Scuba Diving Center, Al Nahda St., Hotel area in the heart of the city (The road behind the Mövenpick Hotel, +962 3 2062242. 24/7. Adventurous diving trips in the Red Sea area. Highly committed to the conservation of the local reef. Perform weekly surveys of the rubbish on particular dive sites for the PADI Dive Against Debris project. Snorkeling, try dives, fun dives for certified divers, shore and boat dives and beginners courses through to Dive masters. Digital Underwater Photography (which only 4% of instructors can teach!)
  • Red Sea Dive Center, South Beach Road (south of Aqaba, +962 3 2022323. 24. 40 JD for introduction dive, 50 JD for 2 dives.

Arab Divers, South Beach Road (South Of Aqaba, +962 7964 120 32. 24/7. Established and well known dive centre, with air conditioned bungalow accommodation on site (40/50/65 JD for Single/Double/Triple, good discounts on offer when taking a dive package as well). Breakfast included, free wifi in public areas, on site pool and shuttle bus down to the beach (abt. 5 min). Many dives on offer, including technical dives to the Taiyong and some deeper reefs, as well as beginner-friendly coral garden dives. Also run an active litter clean up programme on the reefs. PADI training available from Open Water to Divemaster and technical courses. Dive packages include air fills, tanks and weights. Nitrox and Trimix available. Full kit hire and boat dives available, though almost all dives can be done from shore. 1/2 day shore (1 dive) 30 JD; 1 day shore (2 dives) 40 JD; 2 days shore (4 dives) 76 JD; 3 days shore (6 dives) 108 JD; 4 days shore (8 dives) 136 JD; 5 days shore (10 dives) 160 JD.

Ahlan Aqaba Scuba Diving Center, Al Nahda St., Hotel area in the heart of the city (The road behind the Mövenpick Hotel, +962 3 2062242. 24/7. Adventurous diving trips in the Red Sea area. Highly committed to the conservation of the local reef. Perform weekly surveys of the rubbish on particular dive sites for the PADI Dive Against Debris project. Snorkeling, try dives, fun dives for certified divers, shore and boat dives and beginners courses through to Dive masters. Digital Underwater Photography (which only 4% of instructors can teach!)

Red Sea Dive Center, South Beach Road (south of Aqaba, +962 3 2022323. 24. 40 JD for introduction dive, 50 JD for 2 dives.

Mount Um al Nusaylah. Hike this mountain for a great view of the Aqaba area, Eilat on the other side of the Red Sea and the valley behind the mount.

Zara Spa, Mövenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay Aqaba, South Beach Road - Tala Bay Area, +962 3 209 0300. 09:00-21:00. As well as a sauna, steam room and a hydro pool with skylight, Zara Spa Tala Bay offers the latest in spa facilities. Included is an "ice fountain" designed to stimulate circulation and tighten the skin. A variety of fragrances and coloured lighting effects are available for showers and also supposedly designed to increase blood circulation. A hair salon, a nail studio and a shop with a variety of beauty care products are also on premises.

In the centre of the city you can find very good hummus, falafel and shawarma (lamb meat in pita bread) places in many local restaurants. Prices start from 1.5 JD for a shawarma dish.

  • Arabic Moon Restaurant. Delicious falafel and hummus. 1-2 JD per dish.
  • Syrian Palace Rest(aurant), Raghadan St, Hayl al madina, Al Awsat (at the right side of Al Shuala Hotel when you are looking to the hotel.
  • The Royal Yacht Club, +962 3 2012900. One of the finest places to eat is situated next to the water in an upmarket neighbourhood. They serve exquisite fare (mostly seafood fresh from the sea) for prices that are reasonable by Western standards. Service is fast and courteous. They are closed all afternoon and reopen for dinner, thus unavailable for a mid-afternoon snack after coming from the beach.

Arabic Moon Restaurant. Delicious falafel and hummus. 1-2 JD per dish.

Syrian Palace Rest(aurant), Raghadan St, Hayl al madina, Al Awsat (at the right side of Al Shuala Hotel when you are looking to the hotel.

The Royal Yacht Club, +962 3 2012900. One of the finest places to eat is situated next to the water in an upmarket neighbourhood. They serve exquisite fare (mostly seafood fresh from the sea) for prices that are reasonable by Western standards. Service is fast and courteous. They are closed all afternoon and reopen for dinner, thus unavailable for a mid-afternoon snack after coming from the beach.

You can ask for fresh fruit juices in most restaurants, and they are a treat! Many also serve the lemon juice with fresh mint in it, which is very delicious.

Not many restaurants outside of the resorts serve alcohol (Ali Baba does and they charge a lot for it) but there are many wine shops, e.g. along An-Nahdah Street, selling alcohol much cheaper than elsewhere in Jordan.

Taxis at the border from Eilat belong to one company, which has a monopoly, and is therefore much more expensive than a typical Jordanian taxi: 11 JD (Feb 2014) for a 15-minute ride to the Aqaba bus station. This is no matter how many people go in the car, be insistent if you are told that sharing a taxi is not allowed. Also as of October 2014, there is a sign listing fixed prices to various destinations (8 JD to the airport, 11 JD to Aqaba, 55 JD to Petra, etc.) Once you get in to Aqaba, however, taxis to Petra are 35 JD, and the Wadi Musa taxi drivers will offer the same price back. Going the other way from Aqaba city centre to the border can be done for 8-10 JD (6-8 JD if you're lucky, Feb 2014).

The taxi company, just outside the customs gate, belongs to a problematic man running this border taxi service, which has been linked to the mafia. Also, if he sees you call your hotel or any other car to come and pick you up, it may be stopped and forced to go back to Aqaba. To try to avoid this, call your hotel or private car while still in the customs area, before being seen by the taxi man.

For those trying to walk the 500 m to the main road, the taxi mafia has connections with the military personnel and may have you brought back. One does not simply walk into Aqaba.

You can ride right past the taxi "mafia" if you have a bicycle. One does simply bicycle into Aqaba. Note that you'll have to cross the border by foot. Even though bicycles are vehicles in the eyes of the road laws, they will force you to dismount and pass the border as if you were a pedestrian.

It is possible to bargain them down, but you will need to be persistent and enlist the help of the border police to mediate. Don't try and set the price too low. 5 JD to the airport is about as low as they'll go - 10 JD to Aqaba is most likely. Stay polite, but be firm and explain to the border police that it is not a good first impression for tourists to have and that you will write to the Ministry of Tourism. This threat normally sees the taxi mafia back down, but there are no guarantees.

Riding back to the border from city center can be a problem when you pick up people on 2 (but very close hotels). Should they have to wait, they'll try to switch on the taximeter and ask for 25-30 JD instead of the arranged 10 JD. Don't get intimidated, the driver will call the problematic man and try to pressure you. Insist on the agreed pricing and when it gets hot, offer 2 JD on top of the 10 to quiet things and get rid of the taxi mafia.

It can difficult to get mini-bus on Friday which is prayers' day, and on Friday and Saturday when there is no school. Try to check it with tourist information, bus station, police and your hotel.

Many destinations that are not north of Amman can be reached on a day trip. You can set up your own flexible day trips by hiring a taxi for the day. However, some require more than one day, especially Petra and Wadi Rum. Make sure when you set up the trip that you have agreed on the destinations to be included in the trip (or you may need to discuss your price while on the road and do not have other options that your current driver). Alternatively, there are a lot of tour companies around town who would happily arrange excursions, in particular to Wadi Rum.

  • Wadi Rum — barren, isolated and beautiful, granite cliffs contrasting with desert sand, 50 km north of Aqaba. A trip here is only really complete with an overnight stay at one of the numerous camps.
  • Petra — Jordan's top attraction, 2.5 hr north of Aqaba. An ancient city carved out of sandstone and one of the new 7 Wonders of the World. Can be done in a day if you are good on foot, but most people spend two days.
  • Dana Nature Reserve — Stay in a local village within the Nature Reserve, and enjoy unforgettable hiking in an offshoot of the Great Rift.
  • Kerak — site of a once-mighty Crusader castle.
  • Madaba — known as the 'City of Mosaics' for its Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics, especially a large Byzantine-era mosaic map of Palestine and the Nile delta at St. George Church.
  • Dead Sea — The lowest point on earth and the most saline sea, letting you float on top.

The Israeli border at Arava (for Eilat) is only a short hop away. As of December 2018, no exit fee is charged to people with Visa on Arrival from other parts of the country or ASEZA visa. According to some people from the city, the situation changes very often, so it is possible that the 10 JD exit fee will be introduced again. Your accommodation might have the correct information about the situation, so ask them to be sure. You can also just take an extra 10 JD banknote to the border, in case no exit fee is collected, you can exchange it at numerous money exchange machines in Eilat. Note, you have to pay a fee if you stayed less than 4 days—see Jordan#Visa.

Basically, there might be another counter after the passport control, which collects the fees, both for paying the exit fee or stayed less than 4 days. There is a white page with big writing in English stating something like this. But no one really seems to care, just walking by without looking at it, might save you some money.

Getting to the border is not as expensive or thrilling as getting from the border (see #Stay safe). Any green taxi in the city will be willing to take you there. The price they offer first is 7 JD or 10 JD, you can haggle it down to 5 JD if you haggling skills are good. Or you just walk from the edge of the city.

The border itself is rather quiet, given the fact it is a border between an Arabic country and Israel. Just follow the marks and you might get to the other side in under 30 minutes, depending on the size of the queue and Israeli border procedures. Nevertheless, note that it can easily take up to 2 hr if the Israeli side does apply a more thorough screening to you.

The Saudi Arabian checkpoint is visible on a clear day, but visitors without a visa can only look.

Ferries to Egypt are operated by AB Maritime. The schedule changes rapidly with cancellations common, so its recommended to check it when you arrive in Aqaba. As of November 20, 2011

  • The fast ferry is not operating
  • There is a slow ferry departing Aqaba at 13:00
  • There is a slow ferry departing Aqaba at 01:00 This will change based on seasonal loadings. The approximate cost for foreigners is USD65 + 5 JD departure fee. Pay the departure fee on the ground floor of the terminal building, then take the coupon upstairs for immigration purposes. After copious amounts of stamping, you can go and wait outside.

It is also recommended that you ring the AB Maritime ferry office to confirm the departure time for that day. Delays of several hours are common and sometimes known in advance.

Also ferries to Taba and Sharm el-Sheikh are available from Aqaba.