Aqaba

Understand

thumb|Aqaba city view 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 Be prepared for road maps to be incorrect or out of date.

Get in

When entering Jordan in Aqaba you may be entitled to a free visa. Further details you can find in the Jordan article.

See

thumb|300px|Sheik Zayed Mosque. thumb|300px|Aqaba's Castle. thumb|180px|Marine Science Center Aquarium.

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.

Do

thumb|260px|Al-Ghandour Beach, near downtown Aqaba. 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.

Aqaba Castle Aqaba museum Fourth century Roman church

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.

Buy

thumb|240px|Local shops around midtown Aqaba All ATMs charge a relatively high fee for withdrawing money. In Jordan you can withdraw money from your credit card in various currency exchange places. A reliable and low-priced currency exchange service is Alawneh Exchange in the city center. They charge a low percentage fee for withdrawing money from your credit card. Many locals use that agency. You need to show your passport.

Aqaba is a tax-free zone so prices for expensive consumer items tend to be lower than elsewhere in Jordan. Hence, the high number of shops specialized in nuts and sweets, catering for Jordanian tourists.

Beware however should you depart by plane from Aqaba: the Aqaba airport security check mafia will confiscate many types of goods on departure. See the note on the Aqaba airport security check mafia below.

Eat

thumb|310px|Deep-fried shrimps/calmari, grilled sea beamer fish and a traditional rocket salad at a local "fish shop" ("masmakeh"). Such meals are freshly-prepared all over the city's fishmarket ("Souq As-Samak").

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 0.20 JD for stuffed pies (fatayer), 0.50 JD for a falafel sandwich, 1 JD for ful, baba ganous or hummus and pita, 1.50 JD for pizza-like snacks and 1.50 JD for a shawarma dish. Walk around to find the hole-in-the-wall eateries.

For local seafood, head to the Al-Afran street (locally known as the "fishmarket" or "Souq As-Samak"), which is located near the citadel and the beach area. The street is lined up with dozens of local fish shops ("masmakeh" in Arabic) that sell all kinds of seafood, and the majoity of customers are locals. In most shops, you can select your preference from the fresh catch of the day and specify how you want it to be cooked (e.g. grilled or deep-fried). You can also select standard meals from a fixed menu, such as sayadieh. Prices will vary according to the selected fish, but usually range from 5 to 10 JD per person. As of 2022, there's a new fishmarket building under construction just south of the citadel, to which some of the shops may relocate in the future.

More fancy seafood restaurants are located around downtown (especially to the North). Some of those ar…

Drink

You can ask for fresh fruit juices in most restaurants, and they are a treat! Many also serve 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.

A good, cheap variety of different teas (0.5 dinars) such as Karak tea and ginger tea can be had in long park area immediately east of the Ayla Circle. It's a nice, lively place to relax beneath the trees that is very popular with locals. They also sell very cheap shisha for 2 dinars each (updated January 2023)

Go next

It can be 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 la…