Things to Do and See in Aqaba

Aqaba is one of the most popular places to visit in Jordan and the places to visit in Aqaba have been part of blockbuster films. The things to do in Aqaba Jordan have been done by famous actors & directors of the films shot here. Famously Aqaba attractions & especially Wadi Rum have been featured in the classic film Lawrence of Arabia. Aqaba attractions have also been the landscape in The Martian, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Aladdin, Red Planet, Passion in the Desert, Theeb, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Prometheus, Last Days on Mars, The Frankincense Trail, Krish 3, Dune, and May in the Summer. Things to do in Aqaba include rock climbing which has been famously portrayed in BBC’s The Face. One of the popular Aqaba trips include tracing down the locations of these films. It is among the most popular things to do in Aqaba Jordan. If you are making Aqaba Petra tour, you can also visit the location of the Spielberg classic Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. There are not many historical tourist places to visit in Aqaba as compared to Amman or Madaba or Jerash, but there are enough ancient & historic attractions to please your intellectual & aesthetic palate. Also a striking difference of things to do in Aqaba Jordan as compared to other locations is that the historical & ancient things to see in Aqaba are not primarily focused on Roman ruins. For instance, the most well known historical site for Aqaba sightseeing is the Ayla Ruins. These are the ruins of the first settlement of Aqaba. This tourist attraction in Aqaba was also the first islamic town built beyond the Arabian Peninsula. There are remains of houses, city entrances, markets, public gathering places, a mosque, and many such historical Aqaba sightseeing spots can be found across Ayla. Another important tourist attraction in Aqaba is the Mamluk Castle, also known commonly as Aqaba Fortress. The fortress built first by crusaders & rebuilt on command of the Mamluk Sultan, is a very popular among things to see in Aqaba. This is especially owing to its depiction in the film Lawrence of Arabia. Many people visit Aqaba to retrace scenes from the film on this location. Besides the Islamic settlements & crusaders, there is also the Nabatean people who have left their mark on Aqaba. These are the same people responsible for the iconic Petra. Aqaba used to be one of their outpost. There are two main reminiscence of the Nabatean civilization among Aqaba sightseeing: The Anfasheih Inscriptions & the Nabatean Temple. If you are combining Aqaba Petra tour, you would also be able to link patterns in the remains at two sites. Other famous things to see in Aqaba associated with Lawrence of Arabia & T.E. Lawrence are the Lawrence Spring, Lawrence House, and Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Besides the historical sites & association with cinema, Aqaba has two major reasons why people visit Aqaba, namely the Red Sea & Wadi Rum. Both Wadi Rum & Red Sea are farous tourist places for adventure & leisure activities & experiences. You have hiking, trekking, desert safari, sand-boarding, jeep rides, camel rides, and rock climbing in Wadi Rum. You can also have a nice bedouin camping experience and Hot Air Balloon ride among things to do in Aqaba Jordan at Wadi Rum. There are several popular natural wonders in Wadi Rum which are major Aqaba attractions for those with an adventurous spirit. These include Canyons, Rock Bridges, oasis, red sand dunes, and sunset points.  On the other hand, things to do in Aqaba Jordan associated with the Red Sea are diving, snorkeling, shipwreck hunts, surfing, coral reef diving and other water sports. On a more leisurely side of Aqaba trips near Red Sea include visit to beautiful beaches, a glass-bottom boat ride, beach clubs, and resorts. Aqaba is very different from other cities in Jordan. It has a historical side as well as an adventurous & blissful side.

Things to do in Aqaba, Jordan

Monuments, Museums & Historical Places to Visit in Aqaba, Jordan

1. Aqaba Fortress / Mamluk Castle
2. Sharif Hussein bin Ali Mosque
3. Nabatean Temple
4. Aqaba Church
5. Lawrence House
6. Ayla Ruins
7. Anfasheih Inscriptions
8. Sheikh Zayed Mosque
9. Aqaba Archeological Museum
10. Wadi Rum Visitors Center Museum

Nature & Wildlife Tourist Places to Visit in Aqaba, Jordan

1. Wadi Rum Desert
2. Wadi Araba
3. Lawrence Spring
4. Aqaba Bird Observatory
5. Seven Pillars of Wisdom
6. Al Ramal Red Sand Dune
7. Jabal Umm ad Dami
8. Khazali Canyon
9. Mount Rum
10. Mount Seir
11. Burrah Canyon
12. Abu Khashaba Canyon
13. Jabal Umm Ishrin
14. Jabal had al Baqir

Entertainment & Leisure Tourist Places to visit in Aqaba, Jordan

1. Aqaba Park
2. Aqaba Aquarium
3. Al Hafayer Park
4. Berenice Beach Club
5. Marine Science Station Aquarium

Shopping in Aqaba, Jordan

1. Souq by the Sea
2. Aqaba Souq
3. Raghadan Street
4. Zahran Street
5. Aqaba Gateway

Beaches in Aqaba, Jordan

1. South Beach
2. Tala Bay
3. Palm Beach / Al Hafayer Beach
4. Al Ghandour Beach
5. B12 Beach
6. Yamaniya Beach
7. Movenpick Beach
8. Intercontinental Beach
9. Japanese Garden
10. Kempinski Beach
11. Berenice Beach

Offbeat Places & Adventure Things to do in Aqaba, Jordan

1. Magic Bedoin Star Desert Camping Experience
2. Umm Sabatah Desert Camping Experience
3. Aqaba International Dive Center
4. Hercules Aircraft wreck Diving
5. Cedar Prime Shipwreck Diving
6. Wadi Rum desert safari
7. Mushroom Rock
8. Wadi Rum Sky Stargazing
9. Japanese Garden Snorkeling
10. Pharaoh’s Island Snorkeling
11. Red Sea Diving
12. Red Sea Snorkeling
13. Glass Bottom Boat tours
14. Gulf of Aqaba Boat Tour
15. Coral Garden Diving
16. Desert Adventure Tour
17. Bedouin Camping
18. Camel Ride tours
19. Sandboarding
20. Quad Biking
21. Hot Air Balloon ride
22. Watersports
23. Windsurfing

Sightseeing in Aqaba, Jordan

1. Burdah Rock Bridge
2. Ayla Oasis
3. Arab Revolt Flagpole
4. Little Bridge
5. Sunset viewpoint Wadi Rum

How to Reach Aqaba, Jordan?

By Air

Your easiest option to Aqaba is the King Hussein International Airport. You also get local flights from Amman. You can also arrange for Aqaba Petra tours from the airport itself.

By Road

The Road connectivity to Aqaba city and places to visit in Aqaba is excellent. You can arrange for Aqaba Petra Jordan tour by road as well. The sights are truly worth driving. You can also opt for public transport or taxi to get around.

By Water

You can get ferries from Egypt to Aqaba. Ferries run from Nuweiba & Taba in Egypt for Aqaba trips. If you are visiting Egypt, you can catch these ferries to score a trip to two countries or vice verse if you visit Aqaba.