Day trip to Petra by ferry from Sharm el Sheikh

Petra is the reason to take this punishing day trip. You pass through the narrow Siq, then the rose-colored Treasury appears between the cliffs. I especially like that admission, transport, and lunch are covered, and that the trip adds a short visit to Aqaba rather than making Petra the only stop.

I also like the ferry crossing, which breaks up the road journey, and the care shown by guides such as Ibrahim and Meskal. The catch is plain: this is an endurance test, with a 1 am pickup and roughly 22 to 25 hours of travel and sightseeing. You get only about three and a half to four hours at Petra.

Key points to know before booking

• Petra is the star: Walk the Siq to the Treasury, then continue to the Roman Theater, Royal Tombs, and Qasr al-Bint.
• Expect a 1 am start: Hotel pickup begins in the middle of the night, with several transfers before Petra.
• The full day can reach 24 to 25 hours: The advertised duration is about 22 hours, but delays and border procedures can stretch it.
• Aqaba adds a useful pause: You get about one hour for shopping before returning to the port.
• Lunch is included: The open buffet gives you a proper meal in Petra, but drinks and snacks are extra.
• Walking matters: The route through the Siq and Petra takes effort. Some people have paid extra for a golf cart.

Petra in one very long day from Sharm el Sheikh

This is not a relaxed excursion. It is a practical way to see one of the world’s great archaeological sites when your base is Sharm el Sheikh and you do not have time for an overnight stay in Jordan.

The price is $337.31 per person. That is a serious amount for one day, but the package covers a difficult chain of arrangements: hotel pickup, road transport, the ferry crossing, transfers in Jordan, Petra admission, a professional guide, and lunch. You are paying as much for the coordination as for the sightseeing.

I would book it only if Petra matters greatly to you. If you want a restful holiday day, stay around Sharm el Sheikh. If you have always wanted to see the Treasury and accept that most of the excursion is spent getting there and back, the cost can make sense.

The 1 am pickup from Sharm el Sheikh

Your day begins before most people have gone to bed. The stated start time is 1 am, and hotel pickup is offered. The vehicle may collect people from several hotels, so the first part of the trip is not always a direct ride to the port.

That early start is necessary because the route includes road travel, border formalities, a ferry, and another long transfer in Jordan. One family reported being collected at 1 am and stopping at four more hotels before the bus was full. That gives you a useful picture of the morning: convenient hotel service, but not a private transfer.

Bring water, snacks, and something small to eat. Soft drinks are not included, and one of the clearest practical lessons from this trip is that you should not depend on the included lunch to carry you through the entire day.

The bus is air-conditioned, which matters in Egypt and Jordan, though comfort also depends on how well you sleep and how full the vehicle is. The group limit is listed as 30 people, but one account describes a much larger combined operation at certain points. The exact vehicle and group arrangement may vary, so do not expect a small private tour.

From Taba to Aqaba by ferry

The transfer takes you to the port of Taba, where you board the ferry to Aqaba in Jordan. This crossing is one of the better features of the plan. It breaks up the long road journey and gives you a change of scene before the next transfer.

The ferry is described as beautiful, but you should still think of it as part of a working transport route, not a leisurely cruise. Border and security procedures take time. One family described the Egyptian security experience as unpleasant, so keep your documents organized and allow patience for formalities.

Once you reach Aqaba, a transfer meets you. The drive to Petra is described as taking up to two hours. At that point you have already been on the move for many hours, which is why the short stops for toilets and snacks matter so much.

Communication can be the weak point in the Egyptian part of the journey. The different vehicles and handovers are manageable when staff direct you clearly, but you need to pay attention when leaving one bus, boarding another, or moving through the port. Keep your phone charged, hold on to the contact details supplied after booking, and confirm each transfer before walking away from a vehicle.

Entering Petra through the Siq

Petra begins with a walk through the Siq, the narrow rock gorge leading into the ancient city. The approach is part of the experience. You do not simply step off a coach beside the Treasury. The cliffs close around you, and the first view of the carved monument comes at the end of the passage.

The tour description allows the route through the Siq on foot or by horse. I would plan mentally for walking unless you have clear confirmation of another arrangement. The site involves uneven ground and a great deal of time on your feet.

Then comes the Treasury, Petra’s famous facade. Even if you have seen it in films and photographs, the setting does the work. The monument is framed by stone walls, and the approach gives you a dramatic reveal rather than a flat, immediate view.

You should allow the guide to explain what you are seeing, but also protect a little time simply to look. Petra is not only a list of monuments. Its power comes from the route, the scale of the cliffs, and the way the carved facades appear among them.

The main Petra route and its limits

After the Treasury, the route continues along the Street of Facades to the Roman Theater, the Royal Tombs, and Qasr al-Bint. This gives you a solid introduction to the central part of Petra, but it is not a full exploration of the site.

The available time is generally about three and a half to four hours. That is enough to see the main sights with a guide, take photographs, and eat lunch. It is not enough to cover every path, tomb, viewpoint, or distant monument.

Your guide may explain that Petra needs several days for a proper visit. That is not an exaggeration of the site’s size. On this excursion, you need to accept a highlights tour. Do not plan to wander far from the main route or add a long climb unless the group schedule clearly allows it.

The Roman Theater gives the visit a different feel from the Treasury. It shows how the city combined carved architecture with built structures. The Royal Tombs bring you back to the cliff walls, while Qasr al-Bint adds another major point to a route already packed with sights.

Guides have a large effect here. Ibrahim has been praised for humor and clear explanations, while Meskal has been singled out for making the day memorable. Names and guides can change, but the best version of this excursion gives you enough context to understand the monuments without turning every stop into a rushed lecture.

Lunch inside Petra

Lunch is an open buffet at a restaurant in Petra. That is a useful inclusion because you do not have to spend part of your short site visit searching for food.

The meal has been described as plentiful, with enough variety for different diets. Still, the package does not include soft drinks. Carry water and budget for drinks, especially after walking the Siq and the central route.

Timing matters. One complaint about the tour involved the guide arranging lunch at an inconvenient point in the schedule, reducing the time available for the site. Most of the experience appears to run smoothly, but the limited hours mean that the order of lunch and sightseeing can affect how much you see.

If Petra is your main goal, ask the guide early how the day will be divided. You want to know when you are expected to eat, where to meet afterward, and how much time remains for the Treasury, tombs, theater, and Qasr al-Bint.

One hour in Aqaba on the way back

After Petra, you return toward Aqaba for about one hour of free time. This is mainly a chance to shop and stretch your legs before the ferry back to Taba.

Do not expect a full Aqaba city tour. The time is short, and the purpose is a pause in the return journey. If you want souvenirs, decide in advance what you are looking for. A focused hour is more useful than wandering without a plan.

This stop also helps break up the return trip. After Petra, you face the transfer to Aqaba, port procedures, the ferry, the Egyptian side of the journey, and the final ride to your hotel. The stop cannot make the day short, but it can make the sequence feel less relentless.

The return journey and the real duration

The published duration is about 22 hours to one day. In practice, you should prepare for roughly 24 hours, and some accounts put the full day closer to 25 hours. The difference comes from pickup rounds, border processing, vehicle changes, ferry timing, and road conditions.

That makes this a poor choice before an important flight or another fixed appointment. You should also avoid scheduling a demanding activity immediately afterward. The long return can be harder than the outward journey because you are tired and have already spent several hours walking.

Regular toilet and snack stops help, but they do not change the basic fact that most of the excursion is transport. One low-rated experience described the trip as 22 hours on a bus, while other accounts praised the way the boat ride and stops broke up the travel. Both points can be true. The connections may be well organized, yet the physical length remains demanding.

The biggest risk is not that Petra will disappoint you. It is that you will underestimate the travel time and arrive exhausted. Go in expecting a major expedition, not a standard day tour.

Walking, horses, and extra help at Petra

You need a reasonable ability to walk to enjoy the standard route. The Siq, the main monuments, and the movement around the site require time on your feet. The description mentions going by horse or on foot through the gorge, but it does not state that a horse ride is included.

Some people have paid extra for a golf cart and found it worthwhile when walking was difficult. That option is not listed as an inclusion, so treat it as an additional arrangement rather than part of the booked price. Ask the operator before departure if mobility is a concern.

Horse and camel rides may be offered around Petra, but they are not included in the tour details. Be cautious with unsolicited offers and ask your guide what is authorized and what will cost extra. The short schedule leaves little room for a dispute or a surprise charge.

Most people can take part, according to the stated participation information. That does not mean the day is easy. A person who can manage a long sequence of transport, border crossings, and several hours of walking will get much more from it than someone hoping for a gentle sightseeing outing.

How the $337.31 price measures up

At $337.31, this is not a budget excursion. The price becomes easier to justify when you add up what is arranged: pickup in Sharm el Sheikh, air-conditioned transport, the ferry route, Jordanian transfers, entry to Petra, a guide, and an open-buffet lunch.

You are also buying access to Petra without arranging separate hotels, transport links, border connections, and admissions yourself. For a one-day visit from Egypt, that coordination has real value.

The price is harder to defend if you judge it by time at the monument. You may spend only four hours at Petra after an entire night and day of movement. An overnight stay in Jordan would cost more in money and holiday time, but it would give you a far better pace.

The strongest value comes for someone with a short Sharm el Sheikh stay who considers Petra a must-see. If the alternative is never seeing Petra at all, this is a workable solution. If you can add a night or two in Jordan, I would prefer that option.

Who should book this Petra ferry trip?

I would recommend it to people who:

• Have Petra high on their list of places to see.
• Can cope with a 1 am pickup and a 22 to 25 hour day.
• Prefer an organized route over handling several international transfers alone.
• Are comfortable with a group tour and a short visit to a very large site.
• Do not mind carrying snacks, water, and basic travel supplies.

I would not choose it for young children unless the whole family is ready for the long night and repeated transfers. One family managed the journey with an eight-year-old, but that does not make it easy.

I would also think twice if you have mobility limits, unless the operator confirms suitable support in advance. A golf cart may be available for an additional payment, but it is not part of the listed package.

The tour is free to cancel up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund. Changes or cancellations inside that window are not accepted for a refund. The trip also depends on good weather and a minimum number of participants, so a cancellation by the operator may result in another date or a full refund.

Should you book it?

Book this excursion if seeing Petra is worth one extremely long day to you. The Treasury, Siq, Royal Tombs, Roman Theater, and Qasr al-Bint give you a memorable first look, and the included guide, lunch, admissions, and transport remove much of the planning burden.

Do not book it expecting comfort, long quiet hours at Petra, or a simple bus ride. Carry snacks and drinks, guard your energy, pay attention during transfers, and accept that Aqaba and Petra will be brief stops inside a much longer journey.

My call is simple: Petra is worth the effort, but only for a determined visitor. If you can stay overnight in Jordan, do that. If you cannot, this ferry trip offers a demanding but practical way to reach one of the world’s most remarkable ancient sites.

FAQ

What time does the tour start?

The stated start time is 1 am, with pickup from your hotel in Sharm el Sheikh.

How long does the full trip take?

The listed duration is about 22 hours to one day. You should prepare for roughly 22 to 25 hours, depending on transfers, border procedures, ferry timing, and road travel.

Is lunch included?

Yes. An open-buffet lunch at a restaurant in Petra is included. Soft drinks are not included.

What sights do you see in Petra?

The route includes the Siq, the Treasury, the Street of Facades, the Roman Theater, the Royal Tombs, and Qasr al-Bint.

Is hotel pickup available?

Yes. Pickup is offered from your hotel in Sharm el Sheikh, followed by transfer to the port of Taba.

What is the cancellation policy?

You can cancel at least 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before departure are not refunded or accepted.