From Sharm El Sheikh: Day Tour to Petra by Ferry

Petra at midnight is the travel move. This ferry to Jordan day tour pairs a long, smooth logistics plan with the wow factor of walking into the Siq toward Al Khazneh, plus a guided route that keeps you moving. I also like the English live guide and the way the trip is built for maximum time in Petra. The main tradeoff is simple: it is a very long day with a lot of waiting around borders and transfers.

You’ll start with hotel pickup from Sharm El Sheikh just before midnight, then roll to Taba for the border process with help on the ground. Once in Jordan, you’ll head to the port area, take the ferry, and continue by road to Petra for a structured visit, including the Roman theater and colonnaded street. Past groups have praised guides like Karim or Kareem, and I love that some departures add genuinely human touches, such as Imad going out of his way to make a horse-riding option feel personal.

If you have tight energy limits, plan for early tiredness. And if you care about food choices, double-check what you want at lunch, since at least one vegetarian eater reported options were limited.

Key Highlights I’d Plan Around

• Skip-the-line Petra access, so you spend more time inside the site and less time waiting at entrances
• Ferry ride between Egypt and Jordan, which makes the crossing part of the adventure instead of just a checkpoint
• A real guided route in Petra (3 hours) covering the big sights, not just a free-for-all
• Siq to Al Khazneh route, with options to walk or ride a camel to reach the canyon entrance
• Comfort-focused transport, with air-conditioned vehicles and guide support during key moments
• Lunch included inside the Petra plan, which helps you avoid hunting for food during limited daylight

The Big Picture: What Makes This Petra Day Tour Different

Petra is one of those places that can ruin other travel expectations. You plan for a “sight,” and you end up staring at cliffs like they’re a magic trick. The challenge is getting there with enough time to actually enjoy it.

This tour’s value comes from how it packages three things that are usually the hardest parts when you travel independently: the early start from Sharm El Sheikh, the Egypt to Jordan crossing, and the on-site guidance through Petra. Instead of you figuring out schedules and routes in the dark, you’re guided through border steps and moved by air-conditioned vehicles and ferry transfers.

It is also a practical choice if you want to tick off Petra while keeping stress low. The included pieces are not small: hotel pickup and drop-off, ferry tickets, Petra entrance fees, a tour guide, and lunch at a local restaurant in Petra. When you add those together, the $381 per person stops looking like just “transport cost” and starts looking like logistics you do not have to build yourself.

Still, the day is long. The round-trip timing is built around ferry schedules and border hours, so you start near midnight and return near midnight. That works best if you treat it like an all-night and all-day mission, not a casual excursion.

Midnight Pickup, Taba Border Help, and Why Timing Matters

The day begins with pickup in Sharm El Sheikh in a modern air-conditioned vehicle just before midnight. That timing is the first reality check: you are trading a normal sleep schedule for getting Petra daylight.

From there, you travel to the border area at Taba. What you’re paying for here is the assistance at the crossing. The tour includes support to help you get through, and the whole point is to reduce the “where do we go now?” moments.

Here’s the practical thing to know: border crossings can create dead time. Some past departures noted longer waits, especially on the Egypt side. You cannot control that. What you can control is how you handle it. Bring your patience, keep your documents ready, and plan to use the stops for basic needs and hydration.

One more key detail: the tour asks you to provide a copy of your passport sent to the local partner up to 2 days before the tour. That is not optional padding. It helps keep your entry smoother once you arrive at the border.

The Ferry Crossing: A Scenic Break From Checkpoints

Once you reach the port area, you hop on the ferry and sail toward Jordan. This is where the tour earns points in the “less boring than expected” category.

The ferry ride is about 2.33 hours. For a trip that starts near midnight, that chunk of time gives you something rare on border-heavy travel days: a moment where you can actually sit, stretch, and reset.

Past feedback also hints at why this part matters: some people felt time management could be better during ferry and immigration steps. If you’re traveling with kids or anyone with mobility needs, plan for extra patience around schedules that do not move at your pace.

On the Jordan side, you do have a short stop at Aqaba (about 20 minutes). It is not a long sightseeing break, but it can help you get your bearings before the drive toward Petra.

The Drive to Petra and Your First Taste of Jordan

After Aqaba, the trip continues by road with a plan that includes photo stops, sightseeing, and free time, before you reach the Petra area for the main visit.

Even though you might wish you had more time to explore the towns along the way, this structure is designed around one goal: getting you to Petra when you can still enjoy the site rather than sprinting through it. I like that the schedule doesn’t pretend travel time is optional. It builds it in.

You’ll also see a lot of people around, and the “feel” changes. Sharm El Sheikh is beach-travel mode, and this route pushes you into a more travel-by-journey rhythm. If you’re the type who enjoys watching how countries connect through movement, this part can be fun instead of tiring.

The one thing to watch: the day can feel busy and full of transfers. Wear comfortable clothes, keep your essentials easy to reach, and make shoes a priority. Petra involves a lot of walking, and the tour gives you limited time to recover after long transit legs.

Inside Petra: Siq First, Then the Sights You Came For

Petra’s layout is why the guided portion is so valuable. Left to your own devices, you can spend energy getting oriented instead of appreciating what you’re actually seeing.

The plan includes a 3-hour guided tour once you’re in. You’ll start by entering through the Siq, the natural crack in the rocks that leads you toward the main monuments. You can choose to walk or ride a camel to the Siq entrance. I’d treat that choice like energy management. Walking is more flexible, but camel rides can reduce strain if you arrive tired.

As you follow the trail, the guide brings attention to the carved details: statues, idols, and structural remnants that make Petra feel like it was designed to be discovered in stages. The canyon experience matters because it controls your view. Every few steps, the world opens differently, and that builds anticipation for the moment you finally reach Al Khazneh.

Al Khazneh and the Core Petra Route

Al Khazneh is the moment everyone remembers. More than 2,000 years old, it’s the big centerpiece you see after the Siq. Even if you’ve seen photos, it’s hard to understand the scale until you’re standing there and the rock face surrounds you.

From there, you’ll see major Petra highlights during the guided portion. The tour includes the Roman theater, the royal tombs, the Roman colonnaded street, and Qasr al-Bent. That combination is useful because Petra can feel like one long walk of cliffs if you don’t have context. With guidance, you get a sense of what each site likely represented and how the Nabateans shaped the city into a trading and cultural hub.

One practical note: the visit time is limited. So you should aim to keep your pace steady and avoid constant stops for little side routes unless you’re okay missing some major stops. The guided plan is there to make sure you hit the big targets without turning the day into a survival march.

Lunch in Petra: Convenient, but Check Your Food Needs

Lunch is included in a local restaurant after you’ve seen the main sights. I like this because it’s one less decision while you’re exhausted. It also protects your schedule so you get back on track for the return ferry.

The one caution is diet fit. At least one vegetarian traveler reported lunch options were limited beyond salads. So if you follow a strict diet, consider eating earlier than your scheduled lunch time when possible, or be ready to choose simpler items. The tour plan helps you avoid “missing lunch because you got stuck in a line,” but it cannot promise a tailor-made menu for every dietary preference.

And yes, drinks were not consistently included with lunch based on one piece of feedback, so keep small cash or a card ready for extras if you want something specific.

Return Trip by Ferry to Sharm El Sheikh

After Petra, you travel back toward the port area of Aqaba and board the ferry again. The return ferry ride is also about 2.33 hours.

Once you arrive back near the Egyptian side, you continue back to Sharm El Sheikh, with transfer drop-off around midnight. The return timing matters because it determines how you manage energy at Petra. If you plan to linger late, you’ll feel it later during the transfers.

If you tend to feel grumpy when you’re tired, I’d recommend you treat Petra like a focused visit rather than a wandering day. You’ll get more enjoyment from the moments you planned for, rather than the ones that feel like stress.

Value for Money: Is $381 Actually Worth It?

At $381 per person for a 22-hour tour, the first question is always, what exactly are you buying?

You’re buying:

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Sharm El Sheikh
• Air-conditioned transport
• Ferry tickets (both directions)
• Petra entrance fees
• An English live guide
• Skip-the-line access through a separate entrance
• 3 hours guided time inside Petra
• Lunch at a local restaurant in Petra
• Jordan entry visa included

That stack of inclusions is why I think this tour can be a good value. Independent Petra trips from Sharm can turn into a puzzle of permits, transportation, and timing, especially when you’re coordinating a crossing. Here, the goal is to handle those moving parts for you so you can spend your energy on Petra instead of logistics.

The bargain-hunter warning: you might feel like you spend extra time on travel days compared to other tours. But if you want Petra without building the entire route yourself, it is money spent on convenience and guidance, not just transport.

Who This Tour Fits Best (and Who Should Rethink It)

This is a strong fit if you:

• want one structured day to hit the biggest Petra highlights
• prefer an English guide guiding what to look for (Siq, Al Khazneh, Roman theater, tombs, colonnaded street, Qasr al-Bent)
• appreciate ferry travel and want the border segments managed for you
• can handle a long day and do not mind limited free time

I’d rethink it if you:

• have low tolerance for waiting, since border and immigration timing can stretch the day
• need lots of dietary customization at lunch (vegetarian options have been an issue for at least one person)
• have very small children or mobility needs, since some feedback suggests the logistics were not always smooth for those situations

Shoes and water matter. If you can, pack for comfort, and consider bringing a light layer. Petra tours can feel hot and dusty in daylight even if the schedule starts at night.

Practical Tips Before You Go (Based on Real-World Pressure Points)

Here are the small moves that can make this kind of day tour feel easier.

• Keep your passport ready and send the passport copy to the local partner at least 2 days before your tour.
• Bring plenty of water and a snack if you’re the type who gets hungry before lunch. The day is long.
• Wear supportive shoes. Petra walking adds up, and you do not want blisters on a midnight return.
• If you want a camel ride to the Siq entrance, decide based on energy, not just novelty.
• If you do horse riding as an option, treat it as an activity with additional time and physical effort around it.

Most importantly, go into it with the right mindset. This is a mission that trades sleep and downtime for Petra’s main sights.

Should You Book This Petra Ferry Day Tour?

I’d book if you want Petra without turning your trip into a logistics project. The combination of ferry crossing, Petra skip-the-line access, and an English live guide covering the big monuments makes it a practical shortcut to the highlights.

I would not book if you hate long travel days, dislike waiting around border processes, or have strict food needs that require more than simple menu options. In those cases, you might enjoy Petra more with a slower plan.

If you can handle a 22-hour day and you’re coming for Al Khazneh and the core Petra route, this tour is a solid way to make Petra happen.

FAQ

What is the total duration of the tour?

The tour duration is 22 hours.

What time does the pickup happen in Sharm El Sheikh?

Pickup is just before midnight.

Is lunch included?

Yes. Lunch at a local restaurant in Petra is included.

Do I need a passport?

Yes, you need your passport for the tour.

Do I need to send a copy of my passport in advance?

Yes. A copy of your passport must be sent to the local partner up to 2 days before the tour.

Will there be an English-speaking guide?

Yes. The live tour guide is English.

Is skip-the-line entry included for Petra?

Yes. You get skip-the-line access through a separate entrance.

What does the tour include for Petra sightseeing?

You’ll have a 3-hour guided tour, including major sights such as the Siq, Al Khazneh, Roman theater, royal tombs, Roman colonnaded street, and Qasr al-Bent.

How do I travel between Egypt and Jordan?

You travel by ferry from the Egypt side to Jordan and you take the ferry again on the return.

What happens if the ferry booking is urgently cancelled?

If there is an urgent ferry cancellation, you will be transferred into Jordan via the Arava border.