Places to Visit in Aqaba | Aqaba Travel Guide

Aqaba was the final point of our 7-day Jordan trip. Meeting the sea after arid lands and deserts gave us life. Our purpose in coming to Aqaba was to dive here rather than to visit places in Aqaba. I think your goal should be the same. Because if you are going to come to Aqaba for the places to visit, I think you will leave here unhappy. Instead of places to visit, I think you should definitely come here to dive.

Those who know me know me. I am an Aegean lover and I have been living in Muğla for about 7 years. Therefore, I have been swimming in many bays and beaches in the Aegean, especially in Muğla. Let me state that the sea of Aqaba, that is Kizıldeniz , is very different from these places. We felt this very much when we scuba dived. I will give the details below.

Note: Before you go to Jordan, be sure to take a look at my article titled Jordan Travel Guide where I try to write every detail. I am sure my tips will be useful for you in Jordan.

Map of Places to Visit in Aqaba

Aqaba Attractions Map (You can click on the numbers and zoom on the map)

Map of Places to Visit in Aqaba

1. Coral Garden Diving Centre
2. Aqaba Fortress
3. Aqaba Archaeological Museum
4. Arab Flag Pole
5. Sharif Hussein bin Ali Mosque
6. Ayla Islamic City
7. Aqaba Roman Church
8. Aqaba Marine Park

Places to Visit in Aqaba | Aqaba Travel Guide

Aqaba is the only place where Jordan and Jordanians meet the sea. When you enter the city, you witness the greening and beautification of the surroundings. Palm trees, humidity in the air and the changing climate make you feel the presence of the sea coming out of the desert. The sea has changed Aqaba in the same way it changes a settlement. Both the environment and the spirit and perspective of the people.

One of the points that make Aqaba popular besides the sea is that it is closer to Petra and Wadi Rum than Amman. You can easily reach these beauties from Aqaba. Just buy a plane ticket to Aqaba. Aqaba has beautiful coral reefs above all. Very beautiful wrecks have been created for diving. Don’t worry about the negative opinions about diving here and continue reading my article 😊

Apart from diving, there are not many places to visit in Aqaba. I think you can quickly tour these places after scuba diving or snorkelling. We did so and easily completed our list. Places to visit in Aqaba are very close to each other in terms of location. Although some lists include Petra and Wadi Rum in the list of places to visit in Aqaba, these places are a different world and will not be on my list. If you are going to these places, be sure to check out my separate articles.

• Petra Ancient City Travel Guide & Places to Visit
• Wadi Rum Travel Guide & Places to Visit

Coral Garden Dalış Merkezi

Yes, as I said, you should definitely come to Aqaba for diving. Here, the beautiful coral reefs of the Red Sea literally fascinate people. When you dive into the sea, you can see quite clearly at least 10 metres below. But at this point, it is important to find the right company and the right place for diving. The rest comes automatically.

There are a total of 23 sites for diving in Aqaba. While some of them have a completely natural underwater world, in others you can dive in artificially created wrecks such as aircraft, ships and tanks. We dived in the aircraft wreckage and it was very nice. We chose Coral Garden Diving Centre as a company. Everything went so well that we had a wonderful experience. Everything was very nice, from the places the company took us to the interest of the employees. You can find the details in my article titled Our Diving Experience in Aqaba. (https://bujuyollarda.com/en/scuba-diving-in-aqaba/)

Coral Garden Diving Centre Contact Details:

• Adres: Bor Sa’ed Street، Aqaba 77110, Ürdün
• Phone: +962 7 9001 5103
• Web Site: https://www.dive-inaqaba.com/
• Location: Coral Garden Diving Centre

Aqaba Fortress

After the dive we jumped in our car and had a short trip to Aqaba. As it was the last hours of the day, it was a pleasant trip accompanied by the sunset. Our first stop was Aqaba Fort.

The history of the Aqaba Fort dates back to the Mamluks. The fortress was used and renovated under many historical dynasties, from the Mamluks to the Ottomans. Since it is located on the coastline, it later became an important base to overthrow the Ottoman Empire.

The fortress was a point of pilgrimage and was once used as a caravanserai. Given its location on the Red Sea, Aqaba Castle is larger than the other castles in its neighbourhood.

There is a mosque inside the castle. The surviving structures of the mosque are the qibla and the mihrab. Due to its location, the castle was generally used for accommodation. When there was an Arab Revolt during the Ottoman rule, some rooms of the castle were converted into military barracks. You can see the Hashimi Coat of Arms written on the main gate of Aqaba Castle.

Note: The castle was under renovation when we went. If the renovation is not finished, there is not much you can see.

• Aqaba Castle does not have any entrance fee.
• Location here.

Aqaba Archaeological Museum

Aqaba Archaeological Museum is located in the immediate vicinity of the citadel. In the museum, artefacts from the excavation sites in the Aqaba region are exhibited. Bronze Age artefacts dating back to 4000 BC and recently discovered in the archaeological site of Tall Hujayrat Al-Ghuzlan near Aqaba, one of these sites, are also shown in this museum.

The building that houses the museum was the palace of Sharif Hussein, the founder of the Hashemite State, and was rebuilt after the First World War. The museum was founded in 1989 and is still in operation.

The Archaeological Museum of Aqaba is located here.

Arab Flag Pole

The Aqaba flagpole is also known as the flagpole of the Great Arab Revolt. With a height of 132 metres, it was the tallest flag in the world in 2004 when it was erected, but now ranks sixth in terms of height.

On the mast is a 60 metres long and 30 metres wide polyester flag. It weighs 172 tonnes and is 132 metres high in 11 sections. The Jordanian flag can be seen from the neighbouring countries of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel.

Location of the Arab Flagpole (Aqaba Flagpole) in Arab Revolt Plaza here.

Sharif Hussein bin Ali Mosque

We continue the list of places to visit in Aqaba with Sharif Hussein bin Ali Mosque, the largest mosque in Aqaba. We came here at sunset and had a beautiful view.

The mosque was named after Hussein bin Ali, the Sharif and Emir of Mecca from 1908 to 1917. Known as the initiator of the Arab Revolt, El Sharif Hussein Bin Ali collaborated with Lawrence and led a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire during the First World War.

Sharif Hussein bin Ali Mosque has the largest dome among Jordanian mosques. It is considered the main mosque for the citizens of Aqaba. Location here.

Ayla Islamic City

Built by Prophet Osman around 650, Ayla is known as the first Islamic city built outside the Arabian Peninsula. There is nothing but ruins in this city. If your time is limited, you can pass by.

It is known that the Umayyads built the city. Later, the Crusaders attacked and destroyed the city. Since Aqaba was a harbour city, it was also an important trade city in its time. The city, which served as a harbour for Palestine, was also a place of accommodation for Hejaz.

It was once an important stop for Egyptian pilgrims on their way to Mecca. Historical artefacts from the Islamic City of Ayla are on display in the Aqaba Archaeological Museum.

The location of the Islamic City of Ayla is here.

Aqaba Roman Church

Old Roman Church, founded in the 3rd century. According to archaeologists, it was one of the oldest churches in the world. After the Romans came here, they destroyed the church.

The church was built in basilica form. Excavations in the church yielded 24 human skeletons, pottery and some coins.

There are no standing structures in the church. The existing ruined structures are made of mud and rock. When we went, we just took photos and left. If you don’t have time, there is no need to waste time.

The Old Roman Church of Aqaba is located here.

Akabe Marine Park

The Aqaba Marine Park, which has a length of about 7 km, is located south of Aqaba. The park has 19 diving areas. We dived in this area with the company we participated in diving. Of course, we reached here from the sea. We don’t know much about the situation inside the park.

Aqaba Marine Park is managed by ASEZA. Entrance to the beach is free. If you are not going to scuba dive, you can snorkel here. It made more sense for me to snorkel here rather than in the centre of Aqaba. Do not try to touch anything you see underwater while snorkelling. This rule was reminded to us at least 10 times during the dive.

If you go here by land, I would appreciate it if you share your experiences in the comments section below. For better facilities, you can choose Berenice Beach Club which is located near the park. The location of the park is here.

Brief Information About Aqaba

Where is Aqaba?

Aqaba is located just south of Jordan. Aqaba, a city of Jordan, is the only place with a sea in Jordan. When I say sea, I mean Red Sea. It is such a different geography that there are Jordan on one side and Egypt, Israel and Saudi Arabia on the other side.

We travelled to Aqaba from Wadi Rum. When travelling to Aqaba, you pass through a police checkpoint. Here they check your passport and vehicle documents. As I mentioned in my article, if you come to Aqaba, come for diving. Location of Aqaba on the map here.

How to Get to Aqaba?

The easiest way to get to Aqaba is of course by plane. There is an international airport in Aqaba. The airport is called King Hussein Airport. The location of this airport on the map is here. There are also direct flights from Turkey. The flight from Turkey to Aqaba takes approximately 2,5 hours.

There is no visa problem for Aqaba. You can stay in Jordan for 90 days without a visa. If your destination is only Petra and Wadi Rum, you may prefer Aqaba Airport in terms of proximity. But in our research, Aqaba flight tickets were generally more expensive than Amman. For cheap flights, be sure to read this my article.

When to Go to Aqaba?

Aqaba has a mild climate. The sea has a great effect on this. While winters are mild, summers are hot. While it can be cold in the evenings throughout Jordan, the temperature in Aqaba hardly drops below 15 degrees.

Aqaba has rainy and mild weather from October to April. June to August is extremely hot and humid.

If you are coming to Aqaba, you may prefer spring months. Don’t forget to check the weather forecast in advance for diving. If you are going to come for diving, it is better not to choose the winter months.

What to Eat in Aqaba?

When you come to Aqaba, you cannot return without tasting Jordan’s famous food. When we dived, we had delicious meals on the boat. We did not have any restaurant experience in Aqaba. But we saw many places on the coast.

In the answer to the question What to eat in Aqaba, there are famous flavours of Jordan. We saw these flavours everywhere in the morning, lunch, evening.😂 Here is the answer to the question of what to eat in Aqaba below.

What to eat in Aqaba, Jordan

1. Shawarma
2. Humus
3. Mansaf
4. Moutabel
5. Maklube
6. Tea with sugar and mint
7. Künefe
8. Galaya
9. Tabbouleh

Aqaba Attractions F.A.Q.

We have come to the end of my article on places to visit in Aqaba. I hope it was a useful article. Do not plan to Jordan without reading my other Jordan articles. Have a nice trip in advance.😊