Aqaba is Jordan’s only seaport, and ships tie up at Aqaba Cruise Terminal on the Gulf of Aqaba, 2 to 4 km from the city centre. You can’t walk out of the port, so a free shuttle does the ten minutes into town. Petra is 1.5 to 2 hours inland; Wadi Rum about an hour.
Where Aqaba cruise ships dock
Aqaba sits at the northern tip of the Red Sea, where Jordan, Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia all have a coastline within sight of each other, and every cruise ship calling in Jordan uses Aqaba Cruise Terminal. Berths 1 and 2 in the main port are the ones handed over to cruise traffic.
Normally you tie up at the main passenger quay in the south-west corner of the port. If your ship gets the neighbouring cargo section instead, it’s screened off so you’re not staring at containers all morning.
Inside the terminal building there’s a passenger and luggage hall, indoor shops, free Wi-Fi and prayer rooms. The quay runs about 700 metres end to end.
MSC Splendida was the first ship to call here, and MSC’s fleet still makes up a lot of the traffic. Celestyal stops by on its Arabian Gulf runs, Emerald Cruises turns ships around here for Emerald Kaia and Emerald Raiya, and Royal Caribbean sells Aqaba as a destination in its own right. Your boarding documents will tell you which berth you’re using.
Red Sea itineraries seldom stop at Aqaba on its own. The Egypt cruise ship port guide covers the ports across the gulf, and Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast usually turns up on the same run.
Aqaba cruise port map
Ships dock at Aqaba Cruise Terminal. Tap a pin for directions.
- Aqaba Cruise TerminalWhere ships dock
- Aqaba CastleAbout 7 km from Aqaba Cruise Terminal
- Great Arab Revolt PlazaAbout 7 km from Aqaba Cruise Terminal
- Aqaba Archaeological MuseumAbout 7 km from Aqaba Cruise Terminal
- Wadi RumAbout 35 km from Aqaba Cruise Terminal
- Aqaba Cruise Terminal Shuttle Drop-off
- Wadi Rum Visitor Center
- Aqaba Marine Park
- King Hussein International Airport
- Ayla Oasis
Getting from Aqaba cruise terminal into town
You can’t walk through the port area, so the shuttle is your way out. It’s free, takes about ten minutes and drops you in the centre near Arab Revolt Square, where the taxis and tour buses are already waiting.
Some ships drop you beside the Mövenpick instead, at a bus terminal north of the centre. Look hard at where you’re standing on the way in, because that’s your pick-up point on the way back. It all looks the same after a day in the desert.
Taxis queue outside the port gate if you’d rather not hang about for the shuttle. There are no water taxis in Aqaba, in case you were hoping for a boat.
One thing catches people out: a driver in Jordan isn’t a licensed guide. If you want the history as well as the lift, book a guide properly rather than assuming one comes with the car.
Petra from Aqaba cruise port: 1.5 to 2 hours each way
Petra is 120 to 130 km from Aqaba along the Desert Highway, which is 1.5 to 2 hours in the car. There’s no train, and no scheduled public transport you’d want to bet a port day on, so the realistic options are a ship excursion, a private transfer, or a taxi booked for the round trip.
The drive out is the easy bit. The return leg is where the day goes wrong, which is why operators on this route build in a 90-minute buffer before all-aboard. That’s a minimum, not a cushion.
If your ship sails before 19:00, Petra is a tight fit, and you’ll get more out of Wadi Rum or half a day in Aqaba. If you’ve got a late departure, go, but be back at the vehicle when you’re told. Not ten minutes later.
What you walk at Petra, and how long it takes
From the Visitor Center it’s about 1.2 km through the Siq before Al-Khazneh, the Treasury, comes into view, and it stands 43 m high. Past it you’ve got the Theatre and the Colonnaded Street, and then the Monastery, which is more than 800 uneven carved steps further up.
The site opens at 06:00 in the summer season and 06:30 in the winter season, closing at 18:00 and 17:00 respectively. Take your passport, because the ticket office asks for it.
Petra is UNESCO-listed and sits on the new seven wonders list, which is why people plan whole cruises around this one port day. Of all the Middle East cruise ports, Aqaba is the one with a World Heritage site a half-day’s drive away.
Petra tickets, guides and golf carts
Tickets and opening hours are on Petra’s official site. A daytime ticket or a Jordan Pass won’t get you into Petra by Night; that needs its own ticket.
You can book a licensed guide at the Visitor Center in Arabic, English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, Dutch, Hebrew or Greek. Golf carts run daily from 07:00 to 18:00, no advance booking needed, and they take cash in Jordanian dinars or a Visa card.
Drones and commercial filming need written approval in advance. Ordinary photography is fine.
Wadi Rum from Aqaba cruise port: an hour by road
Wadi Rum is roughly an hour’s drive from the port, which is what makes it the sensible pick when your ship leaves early: you get the desert without a two-hour transfer in each direction. Same rule as Petra applies, in that you plan around the return leg rather than the drive out.
Aqaba town on foot from the shuttle stop
Most of what Aqaba has to show you is a walk from the shuttle drop, packed into the old town around the castle and the plaza.
- Aqaba Castle is a Mamluk fort from the early 16th century, later rebuilt by the Ottomans.
- Great Arab Revolt Plaza holds a 130-metre flagpole, among the tallest unsupported flagpoles in the world, and gives you the clearest view over the Red Sea and the middle beach.
- Sharif Hussein bin Ali Mosque, the white landmark with the minarets, has the largest dome in Jordan.
- Aqaba Archaeological Museum, in Sharif Hussein bin Ali’s own house, is free with the Jordan Pass.
The old town also holds Islamic Ayla, the historic settlement site, a short stroll from the castle. The world’s oldest known church, dating to the late 3rd century, was excavated in Aqaba and has been back-filled with earth to protect it. Every Friday the Souk by the Sea sets up more than 50 craft stalls with live music and traditional food.
Where to eat near Aqaba cruise port
Order sayadieh, spiced rice with caramelised onions and fish, and get it in the old town around the fish market and the old souk, a short shuttle ride from the ship.
- Sayadieh: the city’s signature seafood plate, sold around the local fish market.
- Falafel with pita and Aqaba’s “famous fries”: everyday food from the stalls in the old souk and around the fish market.
- Jordanian cookies, tea and local drinks: the same stalls, and the easiest thing to try if you only have an hour ashore.
- Spice mixes: the old souk spice shops sell the blends that go into sayadieh, and they pack better than a takeaway box.
Arab Revolt Plaza has the restaurants and cafés as well as the fish market and the fishing and glass-bottom boats that work out of the seaport.
Best photo spots in Aqaba
Start in the old town. The Great Arab Revolt Plaza gives you a panorama over the Red Sea and the middle beach, and its 130-metre flagpole frames the shot with the old port lighthouse beyond it.
Aqaba Castle and the white Sharif Hussein bin Ali Mosque, minarets and all, are the other old-town composition worth waiting for.
Out along the South Beach Road, Tala Bay is the sunset shot, with sea views over the gulf and the marine park’s coral nearby.
If you’re going to Petra, the Siq and the Treasury are the two frames everyone wants, and being there at opening, 06:00 in the summer season, is how you get them without a row of heads along the bottom of the picture.
What to wear in Aqaba: outfit ideas for a port day
What you wear depends on whether you’re heading to Petra or staying in town. For Petra, trainers with grip are the minimum and hiking shoes are better: the ground is uneven rock, carved steps, loose gravel and sand, and flip-flops are a bad idea.
Take a hat, high-factor sunscreen and UV clothing, and carry at least 2 litres of water per person, 3 if you’re doing the Monastery trail in summer. A collapsible water bottle earns its place in the day bag for that. A light fleece helps even in spring, because the Siq is shaded and cold early, and small Jordanian dinar notes are useful for vendors and animal handlers.
In Aqaba itself the dress code is a beach resort’s: water sports and snorkelling kit are normal ashore.
For more inspiration, see these casual cruise outfit ideas for women and cruise outfit ideas for men.
Getting to Aqaba: airport, coach and no trains
King Hussein International Airport (AQJ) is about 10 km north of central Aqaba, 15 to 20 minutes by car and around 15 minutes from the cruise terminal by taxi or private transfer. Taxis are not metered, so agree the fare before you get in. Seasonal charter flights from Europe come straight in here too.
By road, JETT coaches run from Amman to Aqaba in roughly four hours and arrive at the JETT office on King Hussein Street in Aqaba. By car, Aqaba is about four hours from Amman.
There’s no train service, and public transport within Aqaba is not something to build a port day around.
Parking at Aqaba cruise port
Parking near the port is arranged locally rather than through a fixed tariff, so check the current price when you book.
Car rental desks and bus parking sit close to the port, outside the terminal. Private cars cannot normally drive to the gangway: access has to be cleared in advance through the ship’s agent, so arrange it before you travel rather than turning up and expecting the barrier to lift.
Where to stay near Aqaba cruise port
If you’re starting or ending a cruise here, stay in the city itself rather than out on the South Beach road. The shuttle and taxis connect the centre to the terminal, and you’re a short ride from check-in instead of 16 km away. The same areas work on the way home.
- Mövenpick Resort & Residences Aqaba: about 400 metres from the port area and roughly 700 metres to 1 km from the city centre, with five food outlets and the Royal Yacht Club nearby.
- InterContinental Aqaba: about 1.4 km from the city centre, keeping you a short taxi ride from the terminal.
- Mövenpick Resort & Spa Tala Bay: 16.3 km from the port on the South Beach Road, with a diving centre and eight restaurants, and airport transfers at a charge. Worth it only if you’re adding beach days at one end of the cruise.
If your flight lands late or your ship sails early, ask about breakfast times and a transfer to the terminal when you book.
Luggage storage at Aqaba cruise port
There’s no left-luggage service at Aqaba Cruise Terminal, so don’t plan on leaving bags behind while you go to Petra. King Hussein International Airport has no luggage storage and no lockers either.
The Pearl Lounge in the airport’s main terminal lists luggage storage among its facilities, which covers the off-the-ship-early, flight-in-the-evening case if you’re flying out. Otherwise plan the day around your bags: keep a hotel room for the last night, or find a place to leave your bags in Aqaba before you head inland.
How to spend a port day in Aqaba
A port day in Aqaba comes down to one choice: wander the old town and seafront, or spend the day on the long drive to Petra.
Before you sail
- Book Petra tickets and a licensed guide at visitpetra.jo before you go
- Check Jordan's visa requirements for your nationality before sailing
- Arrange a private transfer or ship excursion, since there's no public transport to Petra
Short port day: under 6 hours
- On dockingTake the free shuttle into townNo walking outYou can't walk through the port area. The shuttle takes about 10 minutes to Arab Revolt Square.
- +15 minGreat Arab Revolt PlazaA short walk from the shuttle stop, with the 130 metre flagpole and views over the Red Sea.
- +45 minAqaba CastleA short walk further into the old town to the Mamluk fort, later rebuilt by the Ottomans.
- +1 hr 15 minSharif Hussein bin Ali MosqueA few minutes on from the castle, the white mosque with the largest dome in Jordan.
- +1 hr 45 minLunch near the fish marketTry sayadiehOrder sayadieh, spiced rice with caramelised onions and fish, around the old souk and fish market.
- +3 hrsAqaba Archaeological MuseumA short walk back through the old town. Entry is free with the Jordan Pass.
- All-aboard minus 1 hrBack at the shuttle stopNote your drop-off point on the way in, since pick-up spots can vary by ship.
The time on the map is the whole walk, every stop added together.
Open this walking route in Google Maps
If plans change: If the museum is closed, spend the extra time at the Souk by the Sea or the plaza's cafes.
Long port day: 8 hours or more
- On dockingTake the free shuttle into townNo walking outThe shuttle takes about 10 minutes to Arab Revolt Square, where taxis and transfers wait for Petra.
- +15 minDepart for PetraBook a guideA taxi or private transfer takes 1.5 to 2 hours along the Desert Highway. Agree the return time and fare first.
- +1 hr 45 minSiq, Treasury and TheatreWalk the 1.2 km Siq to Al-Khazneh, then on past the Theatre and Colonnaded Street.
- +3 hrsReturn drive to AqabaAllow another 1.5 to 2 hours back along the Desert Highway.
- +4 hrs 30 minLunch in Aqaba old townTry sayadiehOrder sayadieh, spiced rice with fish, around the fish market near Arab Revolt Square.
- +5 hrs 30 minGreat Arab Revolt PlazaPhoto stopA short walk from lunch. The flagpole and plaza give the clearest view over the Red Sea.
- All-aboard minus 1 hrBack at the shuttle stopBuild in a 90 minute buffer after Petra. The return leg is where the day can go wrong.
This map shows the taxi ride from the ship. The time is the drive only, not your time ashore.
Open the taxi route in Google Maps
If plans change: If the return drive overruns, skip the plaza stop and head straight back to stay ahead of all-aboard.
Aqaba cruise port FAQs
Is Aqaba Jordan’s only cruise port?
Aqaba is Jordan’s only seaport, so it’s the only place in the country a cruise ship can dock, on the Gulf of Aqaba at the top of the Red Sea.
Where do cruises to Jordan leave from?
Aqaba is the departure port. Emerald Kaia and Emerald Raiya sail round-trip and one-way Red Sea itineraries from Aqaba, and MSC and Celestyal both list Aqaba departures.
Which cruise ships are in Aqaba?
To see which ships are in port, check the itineraries of the lines that use Aqaba: MSC Cruises, Celestyal and Emerald Cruises.
Do I need a visa to visit Aqaba on a cruise?
Visa rules for cruise passengers can differ from the arrangements for other visitors to Jordan, so check your nationality’s current requirements and ask your cruise line what applies for your sailing.
What currency should I take ashore?
Jordanian dinars, in small notes. Vendors at Petra and the animal handlers take cash in dinars, and the site’s golf carts take dinars or a Visa card.
Is Aqaba worth visiting on a cruise?
The town earns the call on its own: a Mamluk castle, Jordan’s largest mosque dome, the Great Arab Revolt Plaza and a Friday craft market, all within a short walk of the shuttle stop. The coral reefs just offshore are the other reason.
Last Updated: 3 November 2026