Aqaba Red Sea
5
Day Itinerary •
Jordan
Five days in Aqaba and the Red Sea gives you the complete extraordinary range of Jordan's finest coastal destination, from the exceptional coral reef diving and snorkelling of the Aqaba marine reserve to a full day in the extraordinary Wadi Rum desert, a day trip to the extraordinary Petra rose-red city, a boat journey along the extraordinary Red Sea coast and the remarkable four-country view across the most geopolitically extraordinary bay in the world. This route covers the full Aqaba and southern Jordan experience. Two days of extraordinary Red Sea reef diving and snorkelling including the Cedar Pride wreck, the coral gardens and the extraordinary underwater military museum, a full Wadi Rum day in the desert, a day trip to Petra through the King's Highway and the extraordinary Rum village, and a final boat journey along the most extraordinary coastline in the northern Red Sea.
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
Rental car essential for Petra and Wadi Rum day trips
Budget Per Day
Approx 100 to 180 USD per person per day
Difficulity
Easy to moderate; diving needs certification for some sites
DAY 1
AQABA ARRIVAL
MORNING
AQABA FORT AND THE HISTORY OF THE ARAB REVOLT
The Aqaba Fort is the extraordinary site of the most famous episode in T.E. Lawrence's Arab campaign, the capture of Aqaba from the Ottomans on 6 July 1917 in a surprise attack from the desert rather than the sea. The 16th-century Mamluk fort and the Aqaba Archaeological Museum give the finest context for the extraordinary history of Jordan's only seaport. The view from the fort walls over the extraordinary Red Sea bay is remarkable. Entry approx 2 JOD. Drive: 20 min drive
MIDDAY
SOUTH BEACH MARINE RESERVE SNORKELLING
The South Beach reef is the finest snorkelling site in Jordan, its extraordinary coral reef beginning metres from the shore with remarkable marine biodiversity. The JREDS protected area has the finest hard and soft coral in Aqaba with extraordinary water clarity year-round. Sea turtles, eagle rays, lion fish, moray eels and extraordinary reef fish schools make this one of the finest snorkelling experiences in the Red Sea. Mask hire from approx 5 JOD. Drive: 15 min drive back
AFTERNOON
FOUR COUNTRIES VIEW AND THE AQABA WATERFRONT
The Aqaba waterfront gives the most remarkable geopolitical view of any shoreline in the world, four countries visible from a single point. The extraordinary 136-metre Arab Revolt flagpole, the waterfront souks and the evening fish restaurants make the Aqaba waterfront the finest in Jordan. The sunset over the Saudi mountains from the extraordinary bay is one of the finest natural spectacles in the Middle East.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary artificial reef created by sinking military vehicles south of Aqaba includes a tank at 5 metres, an armoured personnel carrier and a helicopter, all now encrusted with extraordinary coral and surrounded by reef fish. Accessible by snorkel and is the most unusual diving experience in Jordan.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Hotel in Aqaba Jordanian breakfast with the extraordinary Red Sea view. Fresh fruit and labneh. | Lunch: Beach restaurant Grilled Red Sea fish by the shore after the reef snorkel. | Dinner: Ali Baba Restaurant Finest traditional Aqaba fish restaurant. Whole hammour and fresh mezze.
DAY 2
RED SEA DIVING
MORNING
CEDAR PRIDE WRECK AND THE JAPANESE GARDEN REEF
The Cedar Pride wreck is the finest dive in Jordan, the extraordinary Lebanese freighter sunk in 1985 now encrusted with remarkable coral and home to giant grouper, lion fish and schools of glassfish visible at both snorkel and scuba depths. The Japanese Garden coral reef adjacent to the wreck has the finest diversity of hard coral in the Aqaba marine reserve. The combination of wreck and reef in a single morning gives the finest Red Sea experience in Jordan. Dive from approx 45 JOD. Drive: On boat
MIDDAY
SEVEN SISTERS AND THE TURTLE CLEANING STATION
The Seven Sisters dive site is the finest turtle snorkel in Jordan, a series of coral pinnacles where green and hawksbill sea turtles regularly visit the cleaning stations where reef fish remove parasites. The extraordinary interaction between turtles and reef fish visible from just above the surface is one of the finest snorkel experiences in the northern Red Sea. The boat trip from the Aqaba dive centres reaches the site in 15 minutes. Boat snorkel approx 20 JOD. Drive: Back to shore
AFTERNOON
ROYAL DIVING CLUB AND SUNSET REEF
The Royal Diving Club south of Aqaba has the finest shore diving and snorkelling access in Jordan, its extraordinary reef beginning at the beach edge with remarkable coral and marine life. The club restaurant gives the finest Red Sea view in Aqaba. The extraordinary sunset over the Saudi mountains and the four-country bay from the club terrace is the finest Red Sea evening experience in Jordan.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Aqaba marine reserve is one of the finest reef protection success stories in the Middle East. Since protection began in the 1990s the coral cover has recovered remarkably. The extraordinary diversity of 110 coral species and 1,000 fish species in Jordan's tiny 27km Red Sea coastline is a remarkable conservation achievement.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Hotel in Aqaba Early breakfast before the 8am dive departure. | Lunch: Dive boat lunch Simple lunch between dives. The boat stops at a beach with shade. | Dinner: Waterfront, Aqaba Finest fresh Red Sea fish on the extraordinary four-country waterfront.
DAY 3
WADI RUM FULL DAY
MORNING
WADI RUM, THE VALLEY OF THE MOON
drive Wadi Rum is just 60 minutes from Aqaba and a full day in the extraordinary UNESCO desert gives the finest complement to the coastal experience. The rose-sand plains and soaring sandstone massifs that inspired T.E. Lawrence, David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia and Ridley Scott's The Martian are accessible on full-day Bedouin 4WD tours from the visitor centre. The extraordinary scale of the sandstone formations, up to 600 metres above the desert floor, is remarkable. Entry 5 JOD. Drive: In desert
MIDDAY
FULL DAY BEDOUIN TOUR OF WADI RUM
The full-day Bedouin 4WD tour of Wadi Rum covers the most extraordinary features of the protected desert: the Burdah rock bridge, Um Fruth natural arch, Lawrence's Spring, the Khazali Canyon inscriptions, the extraordinary red sand dunes and the vast open plains of rose sand. The Bedouin lunch under a cliff face with sweet tea and dates is the finest desert meal in Jordan. Full day tour approx 45 JOD per person. Drive: Bedouin camp
AFTERNOON
DESERT SUNSET AND BEDOUIN CAMP
The sunset over Wadi Rum's extraordinary sandstone massifs from the Bedouin camp is one of the finest natural spectacles in the Middle East, the desert turning extraordinary shades of crimson as the light fails. The extraordinary night sky above the protected desert gives the finest stargazing in Jordan. The lamb zarb dinner cooked underground in the sand oven is the finest traditional Bedouin meal. Return to Aqaba the following morning.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
Wadi Rum was used as the filming location for Lawrence of Arabia, The Martian, Rogue One and several other major films. The extraordinary landscape photographs so well because the rock formations have an other-worldly quality that no other desert quite matches. The Bedouin guides know every filming location.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Hotel in Aqaba Early breakfast before the Wadi Rum drive. Pack sun protection. | Lunch: Bedouin desert lunch Flat bread, hummus and tea under the cliff face during the tour. Extraordinary. | Dinner: Desert camp zarb Lamb zarb cooked underground. The finest traditional meal in Jordan.
DAY 4
PETRA DAY TRIP
MORNING
DRIVE TO PETRA, THE ROSE-RED CITY
The drive from Aqaba to Petra takes 2 hours through the extraordinary King's Highway highlands, the ancient trade route giving extraordinary views of the Jordanian desert landscape. Arriving at the Petra gate by 8am gives the extraordinary experience of the Siq gorge and the Treasury in the first hour before tour groups. The single greatest thing in Jordan, the Treasury emerging from the Siq gorge, is the finest archaeological experience in the Middle East. Entry 50 JOD. Drive: On site
MIDDAY
PETRA ESSENTIAL CIRCUIT
A 5-hour express Petra circuit covers the essential monuments: the Treasury, Street of Facades, Theatre, Royal Tombs and Colonnaded Street on the valley floor, with the option to climb to the High Place of Sacrifice for the finest elevated view. The Monastery circuit, which requires an additional 2 hours, can be added for a full day. The Petra basilica Byzantine mosaics are extraordinary and almost never crowded. Drive: 2 hour drive back
AFTERNOON
RETURN TO AQABA VIA WADI RUM
The return drive from Petra to Aqaba via the extraordinary Wadi Rum village road gives one last view of the desert landscape before the coast. The extraordinary combination of Petra's rose-red carved city in the morning and the Red Sea at sunset gives the finest one-day Jordan experience outside a complete itinerary. The Aqaba waterfront at night after the Petra day is the finest return experience in southern Jordan.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Siq al-Barid, known as Little Petra, is 8km north of the main Petra site and is entirely free to enter. The extraordinary narrow canyon with Nabataean carved facades and the only surviving Nabataean painted ceiling is the finest free archaeological site in Jordan. A perfect addition to any Petra visit.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Camp breakfast, Wadi Rum Bedouin breakfast before the Petra drive. Leave by 6am. | Lunch: Basin Restaurant, Petra Inside the site at the Colonnaded Street. Convenient for a full day. | Dinner: Aqaba waterfront Return Red Sea fish dinner after the extraordinary Petra day.
DAY 5
RED SEA BOAT AND DEPARTURE
MORNING
RED SEA BOAT JOURNEY, THE FINEST COASTLINE IN JORDAN
The boat journey south along the Aqaba marine reserve coastline gives the finest view of the extraordinary coral reef from above, with the remarkable underwater formations visible through the extraordinary clear water. The boat reaches the protected southern reserve where the finest undisturbed coral in Jordan grows from the sea floor. Snorkel stops at the finest sites along the route give the most complete Red Sea experience in Jordan. Boat trip from approx 35 JOD. Drive: On shore
MIDDAY
FINAL MARINE RESERVE SNORKEL
The final snorkel on the extraordinary South Beach reef gives the finest farewell to Jordan's Red Sea. The combination of extraordinary coral, remarkable marine biodiversity and the extraordinary water clarity of the northern Red Sea in the midday light is the finest natural experience in Aqaba. Returning the snorkel gear and spending a final hour on the extraordinary waterfront gives the finest conclusion to five extraordinary days in southern Jordan. Drive: Departure
AFTERNOON
AQABA WATERFRONT AND DEPARTURE
The final afternoon in Aqaba before departure gives time for a last coffee at the extraordinary waterfront cafe, the final view across the four-country bay and the extraordinary Arab Revolt flagpole above the corniche. The combination of coral reef, desert wilderness and ancient Nabataean city experienced over five extraordinary days in southern Jordan makes this one of the most diverse and remarkable short itineraries in the Middle East.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary view from the Aqaba Marine Science Station observation tower gives the finest overview of the entire Aqaba bay, four countries and the remarkable geography of where the Red Sea narrows to its northern tip. The station is open to visitors and the marine biology displays are extraordinary. Entry free.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Hotel in Aqaba Final Red Sea breakfast with the extraordinary morning bay view. | Lunch: Boat lunch on the water Fresh food on the Red Sea coastline boat. The finest lunch location in Jordan. | Dinner: Airport or Amman Departure meal. The Aqaba Airport restaurants are adequate for a final snack.
Where To Stay
Aqaba, Nights 1-4 Mövenpick or Kempinski Aqaba. Mid-range from 80 USD per night. Wadi Rum camp, Night 3 Bedouin camp in the desert. Approx 50 to 150 USD including dinner. Budget option Guesthouses in Aqaba from approx 30 USD per night. Good reef access.
Top Tips
1. Combining Aqaba reef diving with Wadi Rum desert and Petra in five days gives the most complete experience of southern Jordan's extraordinary diversity in any trip.
2. The Cedar Pride is the finest wreck dive in the northern Red Sea. The extraordinary coral encrustation after 40 years underwater is remarkable at any diving level.
3. Driving from the Red Sea to Petra via Wadi Rum gives the finest one-day experience of Jordan's three greatest sites. Desert, ancient city and sea within 12 hours.
4. The Jordan Pass covers Petra entry and most other sites. Buy before arriving. Petra at 50 JOD per day is expensive without the pass included.
5. Aqaba has year-round pleasant water temperatures of 20 to 26 degrees. The extraordinary visibility of 20 to 30 metres makes it one of the finest snorkel and dive destinations in the world.
6. Red Sea fish at Aqaba is the finest seafood in Jordan. The whole hammour, red snapper and sea bass grilled at the extraordinary waterfront restaurants costs remarkably little.
Total Budget
100 to 180 USD/day