Aqaba Red Sea
3
Day Itinerary •
Jordan
Three days in Aqaba and the Red Sea gives you the finest diving and snorkelling destination in Jordan, a UNESCO protected coral reef environment with extraordinary biodiversity and water clarity at the northern tip of the Red Sea where Jordan, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt meet in a remarkable four-country bay. This route covers the complete Aqaba Red Sea experience. The extraordinary South Beach reef snorkelling with its remarkable coral gardens and diverse marine life, a dive to the Cedar Pride wreck, the finest Red Sea fish on the Aqaba waterfront, the extraordinary Wadi Rum desert just 60 minutes from the sea and the Aqaba Fort from the Arab Revolt of 1917.
Best Time To Visit
Year round; October to April ideal for diving
Getting There
Fly into Aqaba (AQJ) or drive 4 hours south of Amman
Getting Around
Taxi in Aqaba; rental car for Wadi Rum day trip
Budget Per Day
Approx 80 to 150 USD per person per day
Difficulity
Easy; snorkelling and diving available all levels
DAY 1
AQABA
MORNING
AQABA FORT AND THE ARAB REVOLT
The Aqaba Fort at the waterfront is the extraordinary site where T.E. Lawrence and the Arab forces of Prince Faisal captured Aqaba from the Ottomans in July 1917 in the most dramatic cavalry charge of the Arab Revolt. The 16th-century Mamluk fort contains the extraordinary Aqaba Archaeological Museum with the finest collection of Islamic period artefacts in southern Jordan. The view from the fort walls over the extraordinary Red Sea bay to Saudi Arabia and Israel beyond is remarkable. Entry approx 2 JOD. Drive: 15 min drive
MIDDAY
SOUTH BEACH AND THE FIRST REEF SNORKELLING
The South Beach reef at Aqaba's southern marine reserve is the finest snorkelling site in Jordan, an extraordinary coral reef system beginning just metres from the shore with remarkable biodiversity including sea turtles, eagle rays, moray eels, lion fish and extraordinary schools of reef fish. The JREDS marine protected area south of the main resort zone has the finest coral in the Aqaba bay with extraordinary water clarity. Mask and snorkel hire from approx 5 JOD. Drive: 15 min drive back
AFTERNOON
AQABA WATERFRONT AND THE FOUR COUNTRIES VIEW
The Aqaba waterfront corniche gives the most extraordinary geopolitical view of any shoreline in the world, with Israel's Eilat visible just 3km to the west, Saudi Arabia's Haql visible 10km to the east and Egypt's Sinai mountains visible across the water to the southwest. The extraordinary flagpole of the Arab Revolt, one of the tallest in the world at 136 metres, dominates the waterfront. The evening waterfront restaurants serve the finest Red Sea fish in Jordan.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary underwater military museum at Aqaba consists of several military vehicles including a tank, armoured car and helicopter deliberately sunk in shallow water to create artificial reefs accessible to snorkellers and divers. The combination of military hardware covered in coral and surrounded by reef fish is extraordinary.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Hotel in Aqaba Jordanian hotel breakfast overlooking the extraordinary Red Sea bay. | Lunch: Restaurant near South Beach Fresh Red Sea fish grilled at the beach. Whole fish and mezze by the sea. | Dinner: Ali Baba Restaurant, Aqaba The finest traditional fish restaurant in Aqaba. Sea bass, hammour and fresh mezze.
DAY 2
RED SEA DIVING
MORNING
CEDAR PRIDE WRECK DIVE, THE FINEST WRECK IN THE RED SEA
The Cedar Pride is the most extraordinary wreck dive in Jordan, a Lebanese freighter deliberately sunk in 1985 to create an artificial reef, now encrusted with extraordinary coral and home to remarkable marine life including giant grouper, lion fish and extraordinary schools of glassfish. The wreck sits in 5 to 27 metres of water and is accessible to both scuba divers and snorkellers. The dive operators on the Aqaba waterfront offer fully guided dive trips from approx 45 JOD including equipment. Drive: On boat
MIDDAY
CORAL GARDEN BOAT SNORKEL TRIP
The boat snorkel trips from the Aqaba dive centre take snorkellers to the finest coral gardens in the marine reserve, including the extraordinary Japanese Garden coral reef with its remarkable diversity of hard and soft corals and the extraordinary turtle cleaning station at the Seven Sisters dive site. The boat trip gives access to sites unreachable from shore and the extraordinary clarity of the Red Sea water at these sites is remarkable. Boat trip approx 20 JOD. Drive: Back to shore
AFTERNOON
AQABA MARINE RESERVE AND SUNSET
The Aqaba Marine Reserve is the finest protected reef system in Jordan, its extraordinary coral ecosystems protected since the 1990s from the fishing and development that has damaged so much of the Red Sea coast. The evening snorkel from the shore in the late afternoon light gives extraordinary visibility and the reef fish are most active at dusk. The sunset over the Saudi Arabian mountains from the Aqaba waterfront is extraordinary.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Blue Hole dive site at the southern end of the Aqaba marine reserve is one of the most extraordinary dive experiences in Jordan, a perfectly round circular coral formation at 6 metres depth surrounding a deep central shaft. The extraordinary visual effect of looking down into the deep blue centre with reef fish circling is remarkable.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Hotel in Aqaba Early breakfast before the dive departure. Dive operators leave by 8am. | Lunch: Dive boat lunch Simple lunch on the boat between dives. Sandwiches and fresh fruit. | Dinner: Red Sea Restaurant, Aqaba The finest seafood restaurant on the waterfront. Whole Red Sea fish grilled to order.
DAY 3
WADI RUM DAY TRIP
MORNING
WADI RUM DAY TRIP FROM AQABA
drive Wadi Rum is just 60 minutes from Aqaba, making a day trip from the Red Sea to the extraordinary desert entirely feasible. The UNESCO protected desert of rose-sand plains and soaring sandstone massifs is the finest contrast to the coastal experience, the extraordinary silence of the desert and the remarkable scale of the sandstone formations giving a completely different Jordan. Bedouin 4WD half-day tours from the Wadi Rum visitor centre from approx 25 JOD. Drive: Wadi Rum
MIDDAY
BEDOUIN 4WD TOUR OF WADI RUM
The half-day Bedouin 4WD tour covers the finest natural features of Wadi Rum, including the extraordinary natural arches, Lawrence's Spring, the Khazali Canyon inscriptions and the red sand dunes. The extraordinary desert landscape, completely unlike anything visible from the Red Sea shore, gives the finest one-day contrast experience in Jordan. The return drive to Aqaba gives the extraordinary view of the sea appearing below the desert hills. Drive: 1 hour drive back
AFTERNOON
FINAL AQABA REEF SNORKEL AND DEPARTURE
The final afternoon in Aqaba gives time for a last snorkel on the extraordinary South Beach reef before departure. The combination of desert and sea in a single day is one of the most extraordinary experiences available anywhere in the Middle East. The sunset from the Aqaba waterfront after a day in the desert, watching the colours change over the Saudi mountains and the extraordinary Red Sea bay, is the finest farewell to southern Jordan.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Ma'in thermal waterfalls north of Aqaba near the Dead Sea road are the finest natural hot springs in Jordan, extraordinary cascades of 63-degree mineral water falling from the cliff face into a series of extraordinary bathing pools. The combination of hot mineral falls and the cool pool below is remarkable. Entry approx 15 JOD.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Hotel in Aqaba Early breakfast before the Wadi Rum drive. Pack water and sun protection. | Lunch: Bedouin tea in Wadi Rum Sweet tea with the Bedouin guides during the desert tour. Traditional and extraordinary. | Dinner: Waterfront, Aqaba Final Red Sea fish dinner on the extraordinary four-country bay waterfront.
DAY 4
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
DAY 5
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Where To Stay
Aqaba, all nights Mövenpick Aqaba or Kempinski. Mid-range from 80 USD per night. Dive resort option Berenice Beach Club has the finest reef access for dive-focused stays. Budget option Guesthouses and budget hotels in Aqaba from approx 30 USD per night.
Top Tips
1. The Red Sea at Aqaba has the finest coral reef in the northern Red Sea. The extraordinary diversity of marine life visible while snorkelling from the shore is remarkable.
2. The Cedar Pride wreck is the finest wreck dive in Jordan. The extraordinary 62-metre freighter encrusted with coral at 5 to 27 metres is accessible to snorkellers and divers.
3. Combining the Red Sea reef with a Wadi Rum day trip gives the most extraordinary one-day contrast in Jordan. Desert to sea in 60 minutes is genuinely remarkable.
4. The Jordan Marine Reserve south of Aqaba is a no-fishing, no-anchoring protected zone. The coral here is the finest in Jordan and completely accessible from shore.
5. The Aqaba flagpole of the Arab Revolt at 136 metres is one of the tallest in the world. The extraordinary flag and the T.E. Lawrence connection give it remarkable historical weight.
6. Red Sea fish at Aqaba is the finest in Jordan. The whole hammour sea bass and red snapper grilled at the waterfront restaurants costs a fraction of equivalent quality elsewhere.
Total Budget
80 to 150 USD/day