Best Time to Visit Aqaba

Winter and spring: the sweet spot

From November to April, Aqaba is at its best. Days are warm and sunny, and nights cool off. January is the coldest month, with highs of 20°C and lows of 8°C. You'll want a jumper for dinner along the waterfront, but lunch is fine in a T-shirt. Rain is rare, and a shower passes quickly.

This is the season for the Red Sea itself. Diving and snorkelling at the Cedar Pride wreck and the Japanese Garden reef are comfortable, though the water is cooler in winter, so many divers wear a thicker wetsuit. It's also the best time for day trips to Wadi Rum (the red desert valley about an hour away) and Petra. Walking in either place is far easier at 22°C than at 38°C.

Expect more visitors from late October to April. Christmas, New Year and Easter are the busiest stretches, and Jordanians also come down from Amman for long weekends. Travelling with kids? Easter week is lovely, but rooms fill up first.

May to September: hot and quiet

Summer is long, dry and strong on sunshine. August is the hottest month at 39°C, with July close behind at 38°C. Nights stay warm, around 22°C or 23°C. Humidity is moderate, but the sun feels fierce for 13 or 14 hours a day.

If you hate crowds, you'll find space and lower prices. The trade-off is that sightseeing on land gets tough. Skip midday walks at the Aqaba Fort or the old town streets. Do things in the sea instead, since the water is warm and clear. Glass-bottom boats and snorkelling trips make the heat easy to handle. Wadi Rum is hard work in the afternoon, so go for a sunset jeep tour or an overnight camp if you can stand it.

May and September are a little kinder, though still Fair on our scale.

October: the easy shoulder month

October is a good compromise. Highs drop to 32°C, evenings soften, and the sea is still warm from summer. That's a strong mix for diving and beach days at the South Beach area without the winter chill. Crowds start to build, but it's still calmer than December.

Looking for events? Aqaba's calendar is mostly low-key, and dates shift from year to year, so check local listings. Ramadan and Eid, which move through the calendar, change opening hours and the feel of the town. Restaurants may close by day during Ramadan, then fill after sunset.