Amman Airport (Queen Alia) to Aqaba

At a glance

Distance from the airport

About 330 km

Usual drive time

About 3.5 to 4 hours

Where the car stops

A hotel or address in Aqaba city

Usual road

The Desert Highway; the Kings' Highway takes longer

Distances and times are road estimates from public guides, shown as ranges. Traffic, the exact drop-off and the vehicle change them.

A car to Aqaba city

Search pages mix this drive with Amman–Aqaba flights. Name the hotel if you want the Red Sea city. If you are flying south, you do not need a car from this page.

The road passes the turnings for Petra and Wadi Rum before Aqaba. A stop at either place belongs in the notes.

• How the Aqaba car ride works
• Choose the first drop-off
• The Aqaba address

The drive from Queen Alia to Aqaba

Aqaba is Jordan's Red Sea city, at the southern end of the country. By road it is about 330 km from Amman, and hotel pages describe around four hours by the Desert Highway and about five hours by the Kings' Highway. Distance lists and route planners give shorter driving times of about three and a half hours. Plan for four hours and treat anything faster as a bonus.

By car or by plane

Many people search for a way to get from Amman to Aqaba, and the answer can be a flight. A flight between Queen Alia and King Hussein International Airport in Aqaba takes about 45 minutes to an hour. This page is the road option: a private car from Queen Alia to an address in Aqaba. It suits a group, a family with a lot of luggage, or someone who wants to stop on the way.

Stops on the way

The road south passes the turnings for Petra and Wadi Rum. A stop at either place is possible if you write it in the notes, and it lengthens the day. Without a stop, the car drives straight to Aqaba.

Which address to give

Give the hotel name or a street address in Aqaba city. If you want to be dropped at Aqaba's King Hussein Airport instead, write that airport as the destination. A drop-off at the airport only happens if you name it.

Which part of Aqaba

Aqaba has hotels in the city centre, along the Red Sea shore and farther south. Write the exact hotel name and the area, and add a nearby landmark, so the driver goes to the right gate. If you will be at a resort outside the centre, say so, because the final minutes of the drive change. A hotel name alone is rarely enough in a city with several hotels of the same brand.

Road or flight: how to decide

The road takes about 3.5 to 4 hours and goes door to door. A flight takes about 45 minutes to an hour in the air, but you add the time to reach the airport, check in, and then travel from Aqaba's airport to your hotel. For one person with a small bag the flight can be faster, if a seat is available. For a group or a family with luggage, a private car often fits better, and it lets you stop for lunch or a viewpoint on the way.

A worked example: landing to the hotel

If you land at 10:00, the car leaves near 11:00 and the drive of about 3.5 to 4 hours puts you in Aqaba around 15:00. That is a comfortable check-in time for most hotels. A flight to Aqaba is faster, but only if a seat is available on the day you travel, which is why some groups prefer the road.

After the drive

Aqaba sits on the Red Sea, and the heat is high in summer. Bring water for the road and tell the driver if you want a stop on the way. If your hotel offers early check-in, ask before you leave Queen Alia, so the room is ready when the car arrives.

What to send

The Aqaba address, the flight into Queen Alia, the landing time, how many people and large bags, and any stop. Ask for the fare for the Aqaba route in the same message. The reply confirms the car.

What to send

Write the Aqaba address, the flight into Queen Alia, and how many bags. A drop-off at Aqaba’s own airport happens only if you type that airport as the destination.