Petra from Sharm El Sheikh in one day

Escursioni Sharm connects you with verified local operators for the Petra excursion from Sharm El Sheikh: the Nabataean city carved into the rock, in Jordan, visitable on one long day via Taba and the Aqaba ferry. You book with no prepayment and pay on site. It is the most demanding excursion on the list — and for many travellers also the most memorable.

How you get to Petra from Sharm El Sheikh

Petra is not in Egypt but in Jordan: logistics are the heart of this excursion. The standard route involves:

1. Hotel pick-up in Sharm in the middle of the night (usually between 2:00 and 4:00 am).
2. Bus transfer to Taba, on the border with Israel and Jordan (about 2.5-3 hours).
3. Taba-Aqaba ferry across the Gulf of Aqaba (about 1-1.5 hours).
4. Bus from Aqaba to Petra (about 2 hours) through the Wadi Rum desert.
5. Guided visit of Petra and return by the same route in the evening.

In total it is a long day, 18-20 hours door to door. We say it plainly: if you travel with small children or have mobility issues, think it over carefully. For everyone else, the Treasury appearing at the end of the Siq repays every hour of the journey.

What you will see in Petra

The guided tour covers the essentials of the UNESCO site, one of the seven wonders of the modern world:

• The Siq — the canyon over 1 km long that forms the spectacular entrance to the city.
• The Treasury (Al-Khazneh) — the 40-metre facade carved into the rock, the symbol of Petra.
• The Street of Facades, the Theatre and the Royal Tombs — the route continues through the central valley.

The Monastery (Ad-Deir) requires 800 steps and timings that rarely fit into a single day: serious operators tell you in advance. Horses and carriages are available on site for the longer stretches (extra, to be negotiated).

How much the Petra excursion costs

Indicative prices verified in October 2026: they vary by season and operator. Before confirming, always ask whether the Jordanian visa and border fees are included in the price: it is the item that varies most between operators.

Documents and visas: the part not to get wrong

You need a passport with adequate remaining validity. Two critical steps:

• Exiting and re-entering Egypt — the free "Sinai only" stamp is not designed for leaving and re-entering the country: for this excursion get the full Egyptian visa (~25 USD), which also covers your return from Jordan.
• Entering Jordan — for day trips via Aqaba the Jordanian visa is generally handled by the operator as part of the package, but rules change: always get written confirmation of what is included before you travel.

You will find the full picture in the Sharm El Sheikh visa and costs guide.

Is it worth it? Our honest opinion

Petra is extraordinary, but from Sharm it is a physically demanding tour and expensive compared to the other excursions. If you have only one "cultural" day and have never been to Egypt, Cairo by plane or Luxor give you more hours on site with fewer transfers. But if Petra has been on your bucket list for years — and for many travellers it has — this is the most convenient chance to tick it off without organising a separate trip to Jordan.

What to bring and how to prepare

The Petra day is all about preparation. Well-worn hiking or sports shoes: you walk for hours on sand, stone and steps inside the site. Light backpack with water (you will need more, purchasable on site), sunscreen, hat and sunglasses. Dress in layers: the night on the bus is cold because of the air conditioning, the afternoon in the canyon can be very hot — from November to March bring a proper jacket. Passport in a money belt, not in the backpack: you will show it several times at the borders. A travel pillow makes the bus hours much more bearable, and a power bank saves your phone on an 18-20-hour day.

How to book

Message us on WhatsApp with your dates: we connect you with a verified operator who confirms departure days (not daily), the final price and what is included between visas and borders. No deposit: you pay on site.

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