Sharm El Sheikh to Petra: the ferry, the Taba border and what it takes
Sharm El Sheikh to Petra cannot be done inside Egypt: Petra is in Jordan, across the Gulf of Aqaba, so the trip always means leaving the country. There are two practical routes. The first is by road from Sharm to Nuweiba port (about 150 km, roughly two hours by OpenStreetMap estimates), then a ferry to Aqaba and a road to Petra. The second is by road to the Taba crossing (about 220 km), through Eilat in Israel, over the Wadi Araba crossing into Aqaba and on to Petra. Both depend on borders and sailings that can change at short notice, and the official travel advice for the region carries warnings. This guide was checked on 16 October 2026. It covers the two routes, visas and documents, realistic timing and the one part we can help with: a car with a driver to the port or the border. We do not run trips into Jordan, and we write no prices into the text.
Sharm El Sheikh to Petra: the two ways to do it
There is no road from Sharm El Sheikh to Petra that stays in Egypt, and no ferry from Sharm itself to Jordan that we could confirm. Everything starts with the Sinai coast road north towards Dahab and Nuweiba. From there you either cross the Gulf of Aqaba by sea, or carry on to Taba and cross two land borders through Israel.
The Gulf route is the simpler one on paper. The FCDO (the UK Foreign Office) says ferry services operate between Aqaba in Jordan and Nuweiba and Taba Heights in Egypt, and tells travellers to contact the ferry operators directly for schedules and availability. Wikivoyage describes the same ferries as bypassing Israel. The Taba route goes through Israeli territory and needs Israeli, Jordanian and Egyptian border formalities, which is why most people who plan this trip look at the ferry first.
Once you are in Aqaba, Petra is a road journey north. Wikivoyage's Aqaba page gives roughly two to two and a half hours by taxi or minibus, and notes that tours from Aqaba are common. Take that as a planning figure, not a promise.
Route one: Nuweiba port, the ferry and the road to Petra
From Sharm to Nuweiba port it is about 150 km and about two hours of driving by OpenStreetMap estimates without traffic, and real trips are longer because of police and military checkpoints on the coast road. Keep your passport within reach for them.
The operator of the Nuweiba to Aqaba line is Arab Bridge Maritime (AB Maritime). We could read its passenger information page, which asks all passengers to be at the departure port three hours before sailing, to hold a passport valid for at least six months and a ticket issued by the operator or an approved agent, and to have a valid visa if they belong to a restricted nationality. We could not read a current timetable, crossing time or fare on the operator's own site, so we state none. Ask the operator before you plan around a sailing, and expect delays: Wikivoyage warns that schedules change often.
The FCDO also lists a visa that can be bought at the port terminals in Egypt, in US dollars cash, for travellers who enter Egypt at the port and need a visa. On arrival in Aqaba you still need a road transfer to Petra, which you arrange yourself.
Route two: the Taba crossing, Eilat and Wadi Araba
The land route is about 220 km from Sharm to Taba, roughly 2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours 15 minutes without traffic. You leave Egypt at Taba, cross Eilat in Israel and reach the Wadi Araba (Yitzhak Rabin) crossing into Jordan, then drive from Aqaba to Petra. Our guide to the Taba border covers the Egyptian side in detail.
The FCDO says charges at the Taba crossing have increased at short notice since early March 2026, that payments are cash only and that ATMs at Taba are unreliable. Coming back into Egypt by this route you pay at Taba again. On the Jordanian side, the FCDO says the Wadi Araba crossing is open most days from about 8:00 or 8:30 in the morning and that crossings can close at short notice, including at weekends. Wikivoyage's Aqaba page gives an evening closing time and says the crossing can take from half an hour to two hours, but its figures are dated.
A stamp from Israel generally does not cause problems when entering Jordan, according to the FCDO. Israel's own entry requirements are a separate matter: check them with the Israeli authorities.
What the official travel advice says right now
Read this before you book anything. The FCDO's Jordan page (updated 10 September 2026 and still current on 16 October) says Iran has carried out strikes and retaliatory attacks across the region, including in Jordan, that the situation remains unpredictable, and that in early September renewed attacks and interceptions occurred in and around Aqaba. It advises against all travel within 3 km of the Syrian border, and warns of flight cancellations and travel disruption. The Petra area itself is not mentioned on that page.
The FCDO's Egypt page (updated 4 August 2026) says borders in Israel and Palestine could close at short notice, including the Taba crossing, and that there is a risk of more attacks and unforeseen escalation in the region. Travelling against FCDO advice can invalidate travel insurance, so check your own government's advice, not only the British one, and your insurer's terms.
Our position: this is a trip to plan flexibly. Do not schedule it for the day before a flight home.
Visas and documents: Jordan, Egypt and your Sinai stamp
Jordan: the FCDO says your passport must be valid for at least six months after arrival. A single-entry visa can be bought on arrival at a Jordanian airport or at the Sheikh Hussein crossing in the north. The Jordan Pass is meant for tourists staying at least three nights and, according to the Jordan Pass site, includes the entry visa fee and entry to Petra and other sites. The FCDO says to buy it only from the official website. The FCDO does not name Aqaba port or Wadi Araba as places to buy the visa, and we could not confirm either, so arrange the Jordan Pass or check with the Jordanian authorities before you travel.
Egypt: the free Sinai stamp you receive at Sharm airport covers the resorts of Sharm El Sheikh, Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba. We found no official text saying whether that stamp still works when you come back from Jordan. Wikivoyage's Taba page says a side trip to Israel or Jordan ends a single-entry visa, so you may need a multiple-entry one. Ask the Egyptian consulate or a visa service before you go, and carry your passport with at least six months of validity and a blank page.
How long it really takes: a day trip or two days
Add the pieces. Two hours by car to Nuweiba. Three hours at the port before sailing. A sea crossing whose length we cannot confirm from the operator. Passport control, then roughly two hours to Petra. That is already a long day before you have seen anything, and you must do it all again to get home. Petra itself needs a day: Wikivoyage says fit visitors can cover the main sights in a single day, but most people spend two.
That is why a same-day trip from Sharm is rarely realistic, and why the organised trips that exist are usually two days long. We do not name or recommend tour organisers. If you want to go, plan at least one night on the Jordanian side, or accept a very hard day. Opening hours and ticket rules for Petra change, so check the official Petra and Jordan Pass pages before you go.
Where a car with a driver fits in
We do not go to Jordan. What a car with a driver can do is take you from Sharm or from your hotel to Nuweiba port, or to the Taba crossing, so you do not drive the coast road and its checkpoints yourself.
On our pages, look for the Sharm El Sheikh to Nuweiba transfer and the Sharm El Sheikh to Taba transfer. The price per vehicle, driver included, is shown on the offer page, and you send a free request. A return after your trip is a separate booking, so add the day and time you will be back at the port or border, and ask the driver to confirm. If you travel in the morning to catch a sailing, remember the three-hour check-in rule above.