Petra by ferry is one of those trips that feels like two adventures stacked together: border crossing logistics in the dark, then the Rose City appearing through the canyon. I like that this plan is all inclusive with ferry tickets, Petra entrance, and a guide, so you’re not piecing things together at the last minute. You’re also getting a full guided walk to the big sights like Al Khazneh, with time for lunch inside the plan.

The trade-off is simple: it’s a very long day with early pickup (just before midnight), plus real waiting time at borders. If you’re going with kids, have mobility needs, or hate being stuck in transit, plan to bring patience and snacks for the ride.

Quick hits

• Overnight-style timing: pickup from Sharm El Sheikh just before midnight, back around midnight again
• Ferry crossing: Aqaba–Egypt and back by ferry (about 2.33 hours each way)
• Siq to Al Khazneh route: guided 3-hour Petra focus, hitting the canyon and the main façade
• Skip-the-line entrance: you’ll enter Petra via a separate entrance
• Ride options: walking is included; you can also choose a camel (and some groups report a horse option)
• Mixed reviews on timing and food flow: overall smooth for many, but some days run long at borders and lunch can get chaotic

The big idea: Petra without flying and with real “travel day” energy

Petra is famous for a reason, but most “day trips” don’t really feel like a day trip. This one stretches into an almost overnight rhythm: Sharm pickup just before midnight, then you move through the border, cross by ferry, and get to Petra with a guide. What that gives you is a different kind of value: you’re paying for the transport glue—everything from hotel transfers to ferries to Petra entry—so you can spend your brain on the sights.

I also like that your Petra time is guided and structured. You’re not wandering for hours hoping you picked the right trail. You go through the canyon, then you hit the major set pieces—Al Khazneh plus stops like the Roman theater and colonnaded street—so your visit feels like a walkthrough, not a scavenger hunt.

The biggest consideration is stamina. Even though Petra is “the destination,” the day is also a marathon of timing: border procedures, ferry schedules, and getting everyone through a single site. For many people it works out well. For others, border waiting and ferry/immigration timing can eat into calm sightseeing time.

From Sharm El Sheikh to Taba: the early start and why it matters

The trip begins with hotel pickup in Sharm El Sheikh in a modern, air-conditioned vehicle just before midnight. From there, you head to Taba, the border crossing area (about a 20-minute pass-by on the schedule). The key point here isn’t the road time—it’s what happens when you arrive.

You’re met and assisted at the border. That matters because you’re crossing international borders on a tight timeline, and being guided through the steps helps prevent long delays caused by confusion. Even so, one review flagged too much waiting at the border point, and another mentioned coordination could be better on the Egypt side. Translation: you should treat the border as the wild card, not the guaranteed smooth part.

Practical tip: keep your passport handy and be ready for checks. This is one of those trips where getting your documents right saves you stress.

Aqaba and the ferry ride: the Rose City on the water route

Once in Jordan, you go to the port of Aqaba and board the ferry. The sailing time is about 2 hours 20 minutes (2.33 hours). This is more than a transfer. It’s the calm breath between two hectic halves of the day, and it’s also part of why this itinerary is appealing for people already in Egypt who don’t want an extra flight.

On the “what you’ll feel” side, the ferry gives you a break from sitting. On the “what you should watch” side, the ferry schedule drives everything—so if weather or operational issues happen, you could lose time. There’s a contingency in the information you get: in urgent ferry cancellation cases, you’ll be transferred into Jordan via the Arava border. That’s not something you can control, but knowing it exists helps.

Jordan side logistics: getting through the plan with a guide

You’ll travel into Jordan with support through border processes, and then your main Jordan-time focus becomes Petra. A tour guide joins for the Petra portion, and multiple reviews praise guides and drivers for making the day run like clockwork.

Names that stood out in the feedback include Kareem and Karim (both mentioned as enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and attentive), plus Imad (praised for hospitality and even a warm mountain tea moment with a family). On the Egypt side, Wazy and Ahmed are also mentioned as excellent guide/driving partners.

That said, balance matters. Some comments point out issues like:

• Unorganized travel timing on the Egypt side (more time wasted)
• Confusion on the return when language support wasn’t present
• A lunch moment that got chaotic in at least one instance
• A driver using a phone while driving (safety concern)

So I’d go into this one with a simple mindset: you’re buying a full package, but you’re still crossing borders and sharing time with a group. If you want everything to be perfectly paced, you may be disappointed. If you can tolerate “travel day” tempo, you’re in the right place.

Petra’s canyon reveal: Siq to Al Khazneh with a 3-hour guided focus

This is the heart of the tour. Once you’re inside Petra, you have a guided exploration planned for about 3 hours. Your path begins with the Siq, a natural rock crack that acts like Petra’s entrance corridor. This matters because it shapes the whole experience: you don’t just “see a building,” you’re led into it.

You’ll see carved stone façades along the way and then reach the highlight: Al Khazneh, the iconic façade that’s been standing for more than 2000 years. This is the moment most people came for. The guide portion makes it feel more meaningful because you’re not just looking—you’re understanding what you’re seeing as you move through.

After the canyon, the plan includes key Petra sights:

• Roman theater
• Royal tombs
• The Roman colonnaded street
• Qasr al-Bent

These stops are valuable because they give you variety. Petra isn’t only one photo. You see different architectural styles and how the Nabateans and later Roman influence shaped the city.

Also worth noting: the tour description says you’ll skip the line through a separate entrance. That’s a big deal at Petra, where queues can chew up the limited time you have once you arrive.

Camel or horse option: choosing the right way to walk

At Petra, the plan offers a choice: you can go to the Siq via walking or riding a camel. At least one review mentions a horse riding option as well, so you may find a riding alternative beyond camel depending on what’s available that day.

Here’s how I’d think about it:

• If you’re short on time or want help with the “getting into Petra” energy, a ride option can be a nice buffer.
• If you want a fully self-paced visit and better control over breaks and viewing spots, walking is often the simplest choice.

Either way, wear comfortable footwear. Multiple reviews emphasize that it’s a lot of walking and that good shoes matter. Bring water too—there’s praise for “plenty of water,” and that’s exactly what you’ll want to rely on during long hours outdoors.

The meal stop in Petra: good food can still mean tight timing

Lunch is included in a local restaurant in Petra. Reviews were mostly positive about the meal being tasty, with something for everyone. One review praised the lunchtime meal as fully enjoyable.

But there are two cautions you should take seriously:

• Drinks may not be included with lunch (one comment specifically called that out).
• Vegetarian options may not be robust. One person who is vegetarian reported there was no real provision beyond salads.

Also, at least one feedback comment used stronger language about lunch being “mayhem,” with the feeling that restaurant staff didn’t clearly guide guests on what to do. That doesn’t mean lunch is bad. It means you should expect a busy, group-driven meal rather than a relaxed sit-down experience.

My practical advice: treat lunch as fuel, not a restaurant experience. Eat what you can quickly, hydrate, and be ready to move when the group does.

Shopping, free time, and an odd long window of Jordan time

The schedule includes a long window in the Amman Governorate with things like photo stops, a guided tour, free time, shopping, sightseeing, and walking. It doesn’t come with detailed names of specific landmarks in the information you provided, so I can’t promise what you’ll see.

What I can say is this: that kind of scheduled “free time + shopping” often functions as a buffer for timing. It also means you may have parts of the day where you’re waiting for the group to regroup, or you’re doing smaller stops rather than pure sight time.

So if you love shopping for small souvenirs, this may work well. If you only care about Petra and want the rest of the day to be purely scenic, you might feel the schedule stretches.

Return ferry to Taba and back to Sharm: when “midnight return” turns real

After Petra, you head back to Aqaba port and take the ferry back to Taba. The crossing time again is about 2.33 hours, then you travel back to Sharm El Sheikh for drop-off around midnight.

Several reviews emphasize that for many groups the day runs smoothly and timing feels organized. Others point out the return can be less guided on the Egypt side—one comment noted no English-speaking guide during the return portion and described confusion about when to get off for toilet breaks and when there would be time to buy a drink.

That tells me you should handle the return portion like this:

• Don’t assume toilet or drink stops will be explained perfectly.
• Stay alert for regroup moments.
• If you have specific needs, make them clear when the guide is present, early, not as an afterthought.

Price and value: $381 per person is really for the transport package

At $381 per person, this isn’t a budget “quick tour.” But when you break it down, you can see what you’re paying for: hotel pickup and drop-off, air-conditioned transport, ferry tickets, Petra entrance fees, a guide, lunch, and even an entry visa to Jordan included in the tour.

That changes the value equation. If you tried to copy this trip independently, you’d likely spend lots of time coordinating borders, transport, and ticketing. You might save money on paper, but you’d also trade that for hassle. Here, you’re buying structure.

Where the value can drop is when logistics drag: border waiting and unorganized timing can make a long day feel even longer. If you’re the type who hates delays, you’ll feel that cost more. If you’re flexible and excited about Petra, the package nature usually feels fair.

Who should book this Petra-by-ferry day trip (and who should skip)

This tour makes the most sense for you if:

• Petra is on your bucket list and you want a guided plan rather than free-form wandering
• You’re already in Sharm El Sheikh and want to get to Jordan without arranging a flight
• You’re okay with a very long day and can handle border and ferry logistics
• You enjoy having a guide who manages the flow at key moments

It might not suit you if:

• You’re traveling with very small children and need predictable, frequent breaks
• You strongly prefer short days and hate being in transit for most of the waking time
• You need extra assistance and want very high certainty about how well the group will handle accessibility needs (the tour is wheelchair accessible, but the day’s structure is still a challenge)

In other words: Petra itself is the payoff. The schedule is the part you have to love.

Practical tips to make it smoother

A few small choices can make a big difference on this kind of itinerary.

• Bring a clear passport copy plan. You need to provide a copy of your passport sent to the local partner no more than 2 days before the tour.
• Pack for heat and long walking. Good shoes, water, and basic stamina matter.
• Plan for border waiting. Even when things run well, borders can slow down. Keep your mood flexible.
• Ask about your meal needs early. If you’re vegetarian or have dietary constraints, you’ll want to flag it ahead of time because at least one meal-feedback note mentioned limited options.
• Keep valuables and documents ready. You’re doing passport-based crossing twice: going in and returning.

Should you book it?

I’d book this tour if your top priority is seeing Petra with a guide and you’re staying in Sharm El Sheikh and want a packaged, ferry-based route with Petra entrance and lunch handled. The Siq-to-Al Khazneh focus is the right use of limited time, and multiple guide mentions (like Kareem, Karim, Imad, Wazy, and Ahmed) suggest the people running the day can really improve the experience.

I wouldn’t book it if you’re sensitive to travel chaos. This is a long, logistics-heavy day with border timing as the main wild card, and the feedback includes examples where lunch flow, drink inclusion, and return guidance weren’t smooth.

If you can handle a long day for a once-in-a-lifetime site, this is a solid way to do it.

FAQ

What time do they pick me up in Sharm El Sheikh?

Pickup is from your hotel in Sharm El Sheikh just before midnight.

How long is the whole tour?

The duration is about 22 hours.

How do I get to Petra from Egypt?

You travel from Sharm El Sheikh to Taba, cross into Jordan, then take a ferry from Aqaba toward Petra’s area. The return includes another ferry back to Taba.

Is Petra entrance included?

Yes, Petra entrance fees are included.

Is there a guide inside Petra?

Yes, there is a live English-speaking tour guide, with a guided Petra portion of about 3 hours.

Can I ride a camel instead of walking?

Yes. The plan offers walking or riding a camel to the Siq (canyon).

Is lunch included?

Yes, lunch is included at a local restaurant in Petra.

Do I need a Jordan visa?

The tour includes an entry visa to Jordan.

What should I bring?

You should bring your passport.

What happens if the ferry has an urgent cancellation?

If the ferry is cancelled urgently, you’ll be transferred into Jordan via the Arava border.