What to do in Aqaba with kids? Jordan is almost completely surrounded by land, except for 1 stretch of coastline about 25 kilometers long. Here lies the Gulf of Aqaba, an offshoot of the Red Sea. On this gulf is Aqaba, Jordan’s only coastal town and port. Aqaba is a lively town an hour’s drive from the Wadi Rum desert. As a family, we found it a nice change after the dusty sands of Petra and the Wadi Rum desert. You will find mostly sea, beach and palm trees in Aqaba, but there are also really nice little streets with local stores to wander through. In addition, fine restaurants can be found in the city. In this blog, we list the best children’s activities in Aqaba.
Best travel time Aqaba with kids.
The temperature in Aqaba hardly ever falls below 15 degrees. The best time to spend wonderful time on Jordan’s only coast is during the months of March through May and September through November. In the summer, temperatures in Aqaba can reach above 40 degrees and it does get very hot in the city. Fortunately, there is usually a sea breeze in town.
In winter it is still pleasant here with daytime temperatures between 20 and 25 degrees. In the evening, however, it can cool off considerably. Also take into account, for example, Ramadan. During Ramadan, you can’t buy as much food and drink during the day, which can be inconvenient for yourself and your kids.
Bloggers Joep and Sanne visited Aqaba once during this period and it wasn’t much of a treat. All restaurants wait until it gets dark and only then can food be eaten. Of course, with kids, this can be annoying, since you won’t be able to eat until much later.
Transportation to and in Aqaba
You can reach Aqaba by plane, as there is an airport in the city. However, there are no direct flights available from the Netherlands. In addition, Aqaba is easily accessible by rental car. A rental car, especially with kids, is really nice to have in this country. That way you can explore the entire country just fine. From the Wadi Rum desert, it is an hour’s drive to Aqaba.
From the Dead Sea, Aqaba can be reached by rental car in about three and a half hours. As throughout Jordan, nature will amaze you along the way with highly varied scenery and views.
Most tourists arrive in Jordan at the Amman airport. At this Amman airport, you can easily rent a car through the organization Sunny Cars. With Sunny Cars, you have good terms in terms of cancellation and the deductible and there is always a hugely comprehensive insurance package with the car rental. Therefore, you can perfectly rent a car at Amman airport through Sunny Cars.
Children’s activities in Aqaba
Most people come to Aqaba with kids to relax, lie on the beach and snorkel or dive. Let the latter be just not so convenient with (small) kids, but still we had an incredibly good time in Aqaba with our family with small children. We undertook the following activities in the city.
#1 Center of Aqaba
Get lost through the streets of Aqaba with local bakeries, restaurants and stores selling spices and other food items. Be surprised by the (kid) friendliness of the locals. At the bakery our kids got a delicious bread and cookies in their hands, and at a souvenir store they got a keychain as a gift. You can imagine our kids loved that.
Aqaba is a tax-free zone and business owners here pay little to no tax, making prices lower than in the rest of Jordan. It is the ideal place to buy spices, fresh tea and other souvenirs. Don’t forget to haggle! If you are in Aqaba with kids in the summer try to visit this center in the late afternoon as it is a lot cooler.
The center is not super big nor is there super much to see, but it is still nice to visit briefly when you visit the city. So you can also see a large flagpole in the city. The fifth tallest flagpole in the world is located near Arab Uprising Square. Here you can visit. Nice to see but otherwise there is not much to do in this square.
#2 Boat trip on the Red Sea
You can also take a boat trip on the Red Sea in Aqaba with kids on a Glass Bottom boat. Very nice for the kids so they can also discover the underwater world without having to go into the sea with a snorkel to do so. We booked the boat trip on our own with our family.
On the beach, there are plenty of vendors and here you can also bargain a bit. Our youngest daughter was only 9 months old, but there was no problem taking her on board in the baby carriage. You can also go snorkeling with these boats. The underwater world is beautiful at Aqaba. Various types of coral and many colored fish can be seen, as well as an (express) sunken tank, an airplane and shipwrecks.
The water temperature averages 23 degrees and the sea is generally quite calm, making underwater visibility good. These snorkeling tours often include lunch. This tour usually lasts 2 hours. It is a fun activity to do in Aqaba with the family!
#3 Fortress of Aqaba
Near the square with the sixth tallest flagpole in the world is the Fortress of Aqaba, built in the 16thcentury . It is fun to visit here with the kids. You can climb the narrow stairs here with kids and enjoy the view above. Be careful, though, because there is no fence posted in some places, so you do have to keep a close eye on your kids.
#4 Beach of Aqaba
Most families with kids visit Aqaba for the beaches. When touring Jordan with kids, it’s also always nice to be able to relax on the beach. A number of private beaches can be found at resorts, where you can have a great time on a beach bed.
There are also public beaches where you can get into the sea just fine, but make sure not to dress too nude here. Aqaba is also popular with Jordanians and they can be found especially on the public beaches. If you, as a Western woman, want to lie on the beach in your bikini, then it’s really best to go to these private beaches. Indeed, here it is no problem at all.
Many of the hotels around Aqaba sell day passes to these private beaches. For example, you have Al Manara Saraya Beach Club, where you pay 25 JD for access to the beach and pool, and you get a towel for that price. This beach is open as early as 7 am. Hyatt Ayla, Mövenpick and Intercontinental hotels also have these types of packages and at each hotel it is slightly different.
Find this out in advance and send the hotel a message beforehand asking what is possible and or how much the cost is for the kids. That way you can be at a different beach and pool every day, which makes for a nice variety!
#5 Wadi Rum Desert
The Wadi Rum desert is an hour’s drive from Aqaba, which is why you can do a great tour from Aqaba with kids to this beautiful desert. These tours often start at the end of the day. You will then visit the desert by jeep and the guide will show you the most beautiful places of the desert. You can then also enjoy a beautiful sunset.
If you are only visiting the town of Aqaba with kids in Jordan, this can definitely be a fun trip to do with the family. If you are taking a round trip through Jordan, there is also added value in taking a little longer for the desert and staying overnight in the desert. That way, of course, you experience the desert just a little more.
In the desert, one of the things you can do with kids is ride a camel. If you want to know more about what you can do in the Wadi Rum desert, read the blog Wadi Rum with kids.
Family-friendly restaurant Aqaba
You can eat fine food in Aqaba with kids. There are several nice rooftop restaurants in Aqaba, which are nice for lunch or dinner with the family. We list below some of the family-friendly restaurants in Aqaba.
Segreta By The Beach: in this beautiful restaurant you can sit outside with the kids and you can eat Italian dishes like different pastas, but you can also have a burger with fries here. The restaurant is not very cheap, but kids can use the pool here.
Gaadet Jeeran: Also at this restaurant in the harbor, you have a nice view of the water from the rooftop terrace. You can eat various Italian dishes here such as pasta and pizza.
Khubza & seneya: this is a good restaurant for lunch in Aqaba. You can eat local food here for a very affordable price. This restaurant can be very busy, so you may have to stand in line to eat here.
Family-friendly hotel Aqaba
You can also stay in Aqaba with kids just fine. You have several nice family-friendly accommodations you can book here in Aqaba. We list the top rated accommodations in Aqaba. Click on the blue link for more information.
Budget accommodation: Aqaba Roza
Middle class accommodation: Luciana Hotel by Bratus
Luxury Accommodation: Cloud 7 Residences Ayla Aqaba
KIjk also for the entire list of family-friendly accommodations in Aqaba.
About the author: Roy, Laura, Maud & Gwen love to travel and explore the world. When we have a vacation, we prefer to pick a non-obvious destination where we want to travel around. We have wonderful adventures every time as a family!
