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Voykit pocket guide · Jordan

Aqaba

العقبة

Use Aqaba for Red Sea diving and reef snorkelling, or as an overnight base before or after Wadi Rum: one to two nights covers the fort, the Corniche and a dive or boat trip.

Aqaba is Jordan's only coastal city, on the Red Sea at the meeting point of the borders with Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. It is a working port and dive resort with coral reefs and wreck dives close to shore, so it suits divers and snorkellers more than sightseers. Wadi Rum is about an hour's drive inland.

AmmanWadi Musa (Petra)JerashAqaba100 kmdots: other places in this guide
Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.
Country
Jordan
Local name
العقبة
Best months
Mar–May, Oct–Nov (warm sea, bearable land temperatures)
Avoid
Jun–Aug (regularly above 38°C)
Stay
1–2 nights

Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.

Essentials

Currency
JOD
Money
Jordanian dinar (JOD) is divided into 1,000 fils (or 100 piastres); one dinar is a high-value note.
SIM and data
Zain, Orange and Umniah sell tourist SIMs at Queen Alia arrivals; passport registration is required.
Emergency
Police, ambulance and fire 911 · Country code +962
Plugs
Types C, D, F, G, J · 230 V · 50 Hz · European two-pin plugs fit most sockets; UK three-pin (G) is common in newer hotels. Bring a universal adapter.
Tipping
Restaurant: Round up or 5–10% if no service charge; many mid-range places add 10%.; Taxi / Careem: Round up to the next half or whole dinar.; Guide, half day: JOD 5–10 per person.; Driver, full day: JOD 10–20.; Wadi Rum camp staff and jeep driver: JOD 5–10 per group, per day.; Hotel porter: JOD 1 per bag.
Water
Treated at source but stored in rooftop tanks; drink bottled or filtered. Water is scarce — short showers help.
Toilets
Western toilets in hotels, malls and restaurants; squat toilets at some bus stations. A hose replaces paper in many places. Petra has toilet blocks along the main trail.

Get in

By air

AQJ · King Hussein International
About 10 km from the city centre; taxi 15–20 min.

Get around

Taxis and rental cars cover the city easily; ride-hailing coverage is patchy so agree fares in advance. Buses and shared taxis link Aqaba with Amman, Petra and Wadi Rum; check the JETT or minibus schedule.

See and do

Known for

  • Red Sea coral reefs and wreck diving
  • Aqaba Fort (Mamluk-era)
  • Wadi Rum access
  • Duty-free shopping zone
  • Ayla waterfront marina

Sleep

Corniche and city centre
Restaurants, shops and the fort within walking distance.
South coast
Resort hotels, dive centres and quieter beaches, a short taxi from downtown.
Ayla waterfront
Newer marina district with a man-made lagoon beach and higher-end hotels.

Language

Arabic is the language; the spoken Jordanian dialect is Levantine, close to Palestinian and Syrian speech, with Bedouin dialects in the south. English is common in hotels, tourism and among educated Amman residents, much less in villages and with taxi drivers.

  • Useful words: marhaba (hello), shukran (thank you), la shukran (no thanks), yalla (let's go), addesh? (how much?), inshallah (God willing — often means 'maybe').
  • WhatsApp is the default channel for hotels, drivers and camps.

Etiquette, safety and scams

Etiquette

  • Greeting: Salam alaykum or marhaba; handshake between men; wait for a woman to offer her hand; avoid: Kissing or hugging someone of the other sex in greeting
  • Hospitality: Accept tea or coffee; eat a little when invited; avoid: Refusing all food and drink outright
  • Right hand: Eat, pass things and pay with the right hand; avoid: Using the left hand to offer food
  • Feet: Keep soles on the ground when sitting; avoid: Pointing the soles of your feet at people
  • Mosques: Covered arms and legs, headscarf for women, shoes off; avoid: Entering during prayer times unless invited
  • Dress in town: Long trousers or skirts, shirts with sleeves; avoid: Shorts and swimwear away from resorts
  • Photography: Ask first, especially with women and Bedouin families; avoid: Photographing police, soldiers or checkpoints
  • Politics: Listen; opinions on Palestine run deep; avoid: Joking about the King or the royal family

Scams and watch-outs

  • Summer heat is severe and humid near the water; plan outdoor time for morning or evening.
  • Dress modestly away from the beach resorts, including in the town centre and at the fort.
  • Do not touch or stand on coral, and use reef-safe sunscreen; several sites are protected marine areas.
  • Agree taxi and day-tour prices before you set off, especially for Wadi Rum add-ons sold from hotel lobbies.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Aqaba yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

  • Red Sea coral reefs and wreck diving
  • Aqaba Fort (Mamluk-era)
  • Wadi Rum access
  • Duty-free shopping zone
  • Ayla waterfront marina

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

Aqabaالعقبة

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

  • Police, ambulance and fire911
  • Country code+962

Voykit · checked 2026-09

Printed from Voykit (/aqaba). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.