Sharm El Sheikh to Hurghada ferry: is it running, and how to travel by land instead

Sharm El Sheikh to Hurghada ferry: status in October 2026

Direct Ferries states on its page for this route that there are currently no ferries running between Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada and that the service is no longer available with them. We found no operator timetable or fare from 2025 or 2026, and no news confirming a restart.

The history is patchy. In 2015 the press reported the line reopening after a four-year break, in 2019 that it had been suspended for over a year, and in February 2020 that the operator Arab Bridge Maritime had revived it with a high-speed craft. All of that is old and does not prove a ferry runs today. In May 2026 the AD Ports group launched cruise terminal services at Sharm, Hurghada and Safaga and a Safaga to NEOM ferry link, but that is not a Sharm to Hurghada passenger ferry.

Conclusion: do not build a trip around this ferry until you have confirmed it yourself with the operator or the port.

From Sharm to Hurghada by land

There is no direct road. The route goes north through the Ahmed Hamdi tunnel and Suez, then south along the Gulf of Suez coast. By OpenStreetMap estimates without traffic it is about 750 km and about 9 to 10 hours of driving, so in practice longer, with stops and checkpoints.

Keep your passport at hand. An important note on the visa: the free Sinai stamp covers the resorts of Sharm, Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba. Hurghada lies outside Sinai, so according to the UK Foreign Office (FCDO) you need a full visa. Details are in our guide to entry rules and the Sinai visa.

For such a long leg consider a car with a driver for the whole day, or a rental car. Current prices are on the offer pages.

Ferries from Nuweiba and Taba Heights to Aqaba

According to the FCDO, ferries run between Aqaba in Jordan and Taba Heights and Nuweiba in Egypt, and schedules and availability should be checked with the operators directly. The aggregator Ferryscanner (page dated 13 October 2026) lists Arab Bridge Maritime as the operator and about 7 sailings a week from Nuweiba, with a crossing time of about 2 to 3 hours. Two of its pages disagree on frequency, so take it as an indication.

If you enter Egypt through the port, the FCDO gives the visa cost: 35 US dollars at Taba Heights and 30 US dollars at Nuweiba, payable at the port, and advises carrying US dollars in cash. We leave ferry ticket prices out: ask the operator. From Sharm to the Nuweiba port is about 150 km, about 2 hours of driving.

The Taba to Eilat land border

The Taba to Eilat land crossing is, according to official sources, open, but the situation can change. The FCDO warns that borders could close at short notice, including the Taba crossing, and that since early March 2026 charges at the crossing have risen at short notice. According to the FCDO (August 2026) the entry charge is low if you stay in Taba and much higher if you travel on in Sinai, including to Sharm. Figures differ between sources, so we do not give them as fixed.

The FCDO advises carrying at least 170 US dollars in cash per person, because payments are cash only and ATMs in Taba often run out. From Taba to Sharm it is about 220 km, about 2 hours 45 minutes by car without traffic. Check current rules and charges just before you go.

What about Saudi Arabia?

Looking for a ferry from Sharm El Sheikh to Saudi Arabia? We found no confirmed passenger ferry from Sharm to Saudi Arabia. The only related item we came across is the Safaga to NEOM ferry link mentioned above, launched by AD Ports in 2026, which does not start from Sharm and is not this route.

Before planning any trip to Saudi Arabia, check with the operators and ports that a connection exists, and check the visa requirements. We confirm no prices or timetables for this route.