Jordan's only seaside city: Red Sea coral reefs start a few metres from shore, so snorkelling, diving and glass-bottom boats work even for families with small children. The water stays 21–22°C in winter, with warm sunny days. Wadi Rum is ~1 hour away and Petra ~2 hours. No direct flights from Ulaanbaatar — connect via Istanbul and Amman. Mongolian citizens cannot get a visa at the border and are not covered by Aqaba's free visa, so they need prior approval.
🛂 Visa: Visa required · 30 days✈ Flight: 24h☀ Best months: March, April, October, November
#Red Sea#coral reefs#diving#beaches#Wadi Rum#visa in advance
Orange — daytime average, blue — night, grey bars — rainfall, green — sea temperature. Best months: March, April, October, November, December.
Things to see (12)
📍🧸 for kids
Aqaba Marine Park: Japanese Garden and the Cedar Pride wreck★ 4.6 (3,000)
NatureShore nearby free; snorkel gear and guide 10–30 JDAll day (dive centres ≈8:00–17:00)
The protected reefs of the south coast: table corals and parrotfish at 2–8 m in the Japanese Garden, and the 85 m Cedar Pride freighter, scuttled in 1985, whose upper parts are visible even when snorkelling. You walk straight in from the shore.
Like a well-travelled friend for a first-timer: before you go, landing, SIM, transport, money, food, safety, manners, apps, leaving — step by step.
🧳Before you goMongolian citizens cannot get a Jordanian visa at the border and are not covered by Aqaba's free visa — get approval before you buy the ticket.+
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Visa: prior approval (eservices.moi.gov.jo)
Mongolia is on the Jordanian Ministry of Interior's 'restricted' nationalities list, so a visa on arrival is not possible. Apply on the MoI e-services portal with your passport, photo, return ticket and hotel booking; a single-entry tourist visa costs 40 JD. Approval can be slow, so apply at least a month ahead.
Tip: Don't buy a non-refundable ticket before the approval comes through.
Entering and leaving through the Aqaba Special Economic Zone gives some travellers a free visa, but only nationalities eligible for a visa on arrival. Restricted nationalities such as Mongolia still need prior approval and a visa even when entering via Aqaba. The Jordan Pass is not sold to Mongolians either.
The regional conflict has brought strikes around Aqaba, and airspace can close at short notice. Get insurance covering cancellation, medical care and diving, and check the UK FCDO's Jordan advice in the days before you leave.
🛬Arrival and getting to the cityMost Mongolian travellers land at Amman's Queen Alia airport and continue to Aqaba by domestic flight or bus.+
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From Amman: RJ flight or JETT bus
Royal Jordanian flies Amman–Aqaba several times a day in ~55 minutes. The cheaper option is the JETT bus from Abdali: 11 JD one way, 4–5 hours; book ahead on jett.com.jo.
King Hussein airport is ~10 km north of town: a fixed-fare taxi is ~10 JD and about 15 minutes; to Tala Bay ~18 JD. There is no bus, so take a taxi or a hotel pickup.
Zain, Orange and Umniah shops (at Queen Alia airport or in central Aqaba) sell a tourist 'visitor line' with your passport. Zain's 7-day bundle is ~8–11 JD (10–30 GB).
If your phone supports eSIM, install a Jordan or Middle East plan from Airalo, Holafly or similar before flying. On Aqaba's south coast phones can latch onto Egyptian or Saudi networks and run up roaming — select the network manually.
Tip: Signal is weak deep in Wadi Rum — download offline maps.
🚇Getting aroundPublic transport in Aqaba is thin — use taxis and Careem. For Wadi Rum and Petra: a taxi, a car with driver or a tour.+
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Taxis and Careem
The town centre, seafront and fort are within walking distance. For the south beaches and Tala Bay take a taxi or Careem; if a yellow taxi won't use the meter, agree the fare first.
Tip: Taxis are scarce on the south coast for the trip back — take your driver's number.
JETT runs no direct buses from Aqaba to Wadi Rum or Petra. Book a private taxi, a car with driver or a Bedouin camp pickup; a night in Wadi Rum followed by Petra is a common loop.
The dinar is pegged to the US dollar: $1 ≈ 0.709 JD. Hotels, restaurants and dive centres take cards; the souq, taxis, boats and Bedouin camps prefer cash.
Aqaba is a special economic zone, so some goods and alcohol cost less than elsewhere in Jordan. Your luggage may be checked at the customs checkpoint when you leave the zone.
Tip: A 10% tip is customary in restaurants; check whether a service charge is already added.
🍜FoodSeafood and Levantine cooking: sayadieh (fish with spiced rice), grilled fish, hummus, falafel.+
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Sayadieh and grilled fish
At the downtown seafood restaurants you choose your fish, have it weighed, then grilled or cooked as sayadieh. Prices go by weight, so ask before you order.
Falafel, shawarma and hummus are cheap and fast; in the evening, kunafa and fresh juice. Wadi Rum camps cook 'zarb' — meat baked under the sand, much like Mongolian khorkhog.
Tip: Drink plenty in the heat — bottled water, not tap.
🛡️Safety and health+
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Emergency number 911
Police, ambulance, fire and Civil Defence are all on 911.
According to the UK FCDO, since July 2026 Iran has struck US facilities in Jordan, and in early September there were renewed strikes and interceptions in and around Aqaba. Keep away from military and port facilities; if sirens sound, stay indoors away from windows and never touch debris.
In summer stay in the shade at midday and use reef-safe sunscreen. Watch out for coral, sea urchins and stonefish — wear water shoes, and never touch or stand on the coral. Dive only with a licensed centre.
Swimwear is normal at beach clubs and hotel beaches. On public beaches local women swim clothed, so be discreet; in town, the souq and mosques cover shoulders and knees.
During Ramadan avoid eating and drinking in public by day. Alcohol only in bars, hotels and restaurants — not on the street or public beaches. Carry your passport for checks.
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Photos and bargaining
Don't photograph people, especially women, without permission; photographing the port and military sites is forbidden. Haggling in the souq is normal.
📱Useful apps+
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Transport
Careem for city rides; JETT for the bus to Amman; Royal Jordanian for domestic flights and status.
The Aqaba–Amman bus takes 4–5 hours, so moving to Amman the day before your international flight is safest; better still, book the RJ domestic flight on the same ticket as your international one.
AI answer: double-check anything beyond our researched facts with an official source.
The public beach along the marine park, ~12 km south of town: clear water and coral right below the rocks. Little shade and few toilets, so bring water and an umbrella; with children a beach club is more comfortable.
Beach≈13–15 JD (cheaper booked through a hotel)≈8:00–18:00
The best-known beach club on the south coast: loungers, umbrellas, pools, a restaurant and a dive centre, with reef snorkelling straight off the jetty. More comfortable than the public beach for families.
A 16th-century Mamluk fort, taken by Lawrence and the Arab forces in the 1917 Arab Revolt. The museum in Sharif Hussein's house next door shows finds from Ayla. About an hour for both.
A giant Arab Revolt flag on one of the world's tallest flagpoles (130 m), visible from Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The seafront plaza is a pleasant family stroll in the evening.
Kids≈10–20 JD per hour (per boat, negotiable)≈9:00–sunset
See the reef and fish from a glass-bottomed boat leaving the town-centre beach — ideal for small children and older relatives who won't swim. Most stop for a snorkel. Agree the price before setting off.
Ruins of early-Islamic Ayla (7th century): walls, gates and the Egypt Gate, in the middle of the seafront streets. Information boards; 20–30 minutes is enough.
A quiet resort district ~15 km south of town with hotels, a marina, cafés and restaurants; the beaches of the Mövenpick, Radisson and others. Calm and safe for families.
Narrow downtown lanes of spices, dates, Dead Sea cosmetics and souvenirs. Pick your fish at the market, have it grilled at a restaurant, and order sayadieh (fish with spiced rice).
Nature5 JD (jeep tours and Bedouin camps extra)Visitor centre 8:00–18:00
About 1 hour from Aqaba: red sand, sheer cliffs, natural rock bridges and 'Martian' landscapes. Take a 2–4 hour jeep tour, ride a camel, and sleep in a Bedouin camp for an incredible starry sky. Go by taxi or with a tour from Aqaba.
Culture50 JD (children under 12 free)6:00–18:00 (winter 6:00–16:00)
The Nabataeans' rose-red rock city, a UNESCO site: through the Siq to the Treasury (Al-Khazneh) and 800 steps up to the Monastery. About 2 hours from Aqaba; staying overnight in Wadi Musa is more relaxed. No direct JETT bus from Aqaba — book a taxi or tour.
