Red Sea Snorkelling Boat Trip with Lunch in Aqaba

Aqaba and the northern Red Sea

Aqaba is Jordan's only coastal city, set at the northern tip of a narrow arm of the Red Sea framed by the mountains of Jordan, Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula. Sheltered from big waves and fed by little rainfall, this arm of the sea has some of the clearest water in the region, and visibility on the reefs often reaches well over 20 metres.

The water stays warm all year, from around 21 °C in winter to about 27 °C in late summer, which is why an Aqaba snorkelling trip is possible in every season. The best time to visit Aqaba for the sea is spring and autumn, when the air is pleasantly warm and the water is calm; summer brings very hot afternoons, so a morning departure like this one is the most comfortable choice.

Coral reefs of the Aqaba Marine Park

Most of Jordan's reefs lie along the coast south of the city, inside the Aqaba Marine Park, a protected stretch of shoreline where fishing and anchoring on the coral are controlled. Fringing reefs grow right from the shore and drop gently into deeper water, so even shallow snorkelling sites reveal healthy hard corals, soft corals in pink and purple, and sea fans swaying in the current.

Well-known reefs along this coast include the Japanese Garden, famous for its colourful soft corals, and the area around the Cedar Pride, a cargo ship deliberately sunk in 1985 to create an artificial reef. The crew chooses the two snorkelling sites on the day according to the wind and the sea, so you always swim where the conditions and visibility are best.

Reef life you can see while snorkelling

Snorkelling in Aqaba is a chance to see the Red Sea's famous marine life up close: parrotfish nibbling the coral, butterflyfish and angelfish in bright yellows and blues, clownfish hiding in anemones, schools of silvery fusiliers and the slow, spiny lionfish. Moray eels peer out from cracks in the reef, and green or hawksbill turtles are sometimes spotted grazing near the seagrass.

Your guide explains how to use the mask and snorkel and stays close in the water. Life jackets are provided, so even those who are not strong swimmers can float comfortably and look down at the reef. To protect the coral, never stand on it or touch it, and choose a reef-safe sunscreen. Each snorkelling stop usually lasts about 45 minutes.

Aqaba town and the marina

Between the reefs and the desert, Aqaba is a relaxed seaside town with a long history. The ruins of Ayla, an early Islamic harbour city, lie near the modern seafront, and Aqaba Fort, rebuilt in the Mamluk period, still stands by the shore. The corniche, the beaches and the busy markets make it a pleasant base for a few days by the sea.

How to get to Aqaba: the city has its own international airport and lies about four hours by road from Amman, and around an hour from Wadi Rum. The boat trip starts from the marina, and we take care of the transfer from your hotel and back, so you do not need to find the pier yourself. Many travellers combine a morning on the Red Sea with a Wadi Rum desert tour the next day.