Continuing your journey in the Middle East after wrapping up your Egypt adventure? From Egypt, you can easily get to Jordan to explore Petra, yet another Wonder of the World, the Wadi Rum Desert and the Dead Sea.
In this transportation guide, we will walk you through how to get from Cairo to Petra, the fastest, the cheapest and the most comfortable way. Additionally, we will outline a more scenic travel route with stops along the way we chose when travelling from Egypt to Jordan.
This guide is everything you need to plan either a day trip to Petra or a longer backpacking trip including both Egypt and Jordan.
Key Takeaways
- Joining a Petra Tour: Best for hassle-free travel; tours handle all transport, border crossings, and entrance fees, often including flights from Cairo to Amman or Aqaba.
- By Plane: Fastest and most convenient; fly from Cairo International Airport to Amman or Aqaba, then take a bus (2.5–3 hours) to Petra. Book the Jordan Pass in advance.
- By Bus: Cheapest but complex; involves multiple buses and border crossings through Israel and Jordan, with long travel times and visa fees at each border. Not recommended for independent travelers.
- Via Ferry: Scenic but time-consuming; take an overnight bus to Nuweiba, ferry to Aqaba, then a bus to Petra. Requires careful timing and overnight stays in Aqaba.
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Where to Stay in Petra, Jordan
Planning your trip from Egypt to Jordan? These are the best hotels in Petra for you to stay at, once you have completed your transfer:
Budget | Petra Planet | from $ 15 per night | |
Comfort | Petra Moon Hotel | from $ 82 per night | |
Luxury | Mövenpick Resort Petra | from $ 124 per night |
How to Get from Cairo to Petra
Petra in Jordan is located at a driving distance of around 580 kilometres from Cairo, Egypt, with the drive taking a little more than 8 hours in total.
While this doesn’t sound to bad in itself, the two countries do not share a land border, so crossing into Jordan from Egypt entails either crossing through Israel first, or taking a ferry across the Red Sea. Surely, there is a better way to do it.
These are the 4 best travel routes for getting from Cairo to Petra, from the fastest to the cheapest and the most comfortable:
By Joining a Petra Tour: The Worry-Free Option
If you don’t want to put up with the hassle of matching transportation methods and arranging border crossings all by yourself, you can simply join a Petra tour departing from Cairo. From Cairo, you can find plenty of Petra excursions, some of them being simple day trips, while others last several days at a time.
Joining a Petra tour from Cairo has the obvious advantage of you not having to be in charge of all the planning. From transport arrangements, to border crossings, to entrance fees, your tour provider will take care of everything and you just have to show up.
Depending on the Petra trip you choose, your journey will most likely inlude a flight from Cairo International Airport (CAI) to Amman or Aqaba City. While it is possible to get to Petra from Cairo by bus, this route is much more tricky and tour operators usually avoid it. More on that later.
Would we recommend this option? If you don’t want to worry about all the tricky transport and border questions, this is an excellent option for you. Check out this all-inclusive package from Cairo to Petra we found on GetYourGuide!
By Plane via Cairo Airport (CAI): The Fastest Option
For those travelling from Cairo to Petra independently, the airplane is by far the most convenient, the fastest, and if you’re lucky, the cheapest route. Let’s break it down step by step.
From Cairo International Airport (CAI), you can get to Jordan via two international airports: Queen Alia International Airport (AMM) and King Hussein International Airport (AQJ). Technically, King Hussein Airport in Aqaba City is closer to Petra, but both airports offer direct connections to the ancient city.
Direct flights from Cairo to Petra via Amman or Aqaba can go for as little as $ 143 (or 128 €) per person. Operated by AirCairo, the flight from Cairo to Petra takes a little less than 1.5 hours. From Amman, you need to calculate with another 3 hours by bus from, or around 2.5 hours from Aqaba City.
Would we recommend this option? Getting a flight from Cairo to Amman or Aqaba, then taking a direct bus to Petra is by far the fastest option to get to Petra. Don’t forget to book the Jordan Pass before your flight.
By Bus: The Overland Option
For those who prefer to travel overland, things become a little trickier when transferring from Cairo to Petra – it’s possible, though. To get from Cairo to Petra by bus, you need to travel to the Israeli border first, cross through Israel, cross into Jordan and then hop on another bus from Aqaba to Petra.
If you decide on this route, your first step is a direct bus from Cairo to Taba. On the GoBus website, you can book your bus to the Egypt-Israel border for 755 EGP per person, with the transfer taking 10-12 hours. In Taba, walk to the border crossing, complete border procedures and board a public bus to the Yitzhak Rabin Crossing
At the Yitzhak Rabin Crossing (Arava Crossing), complete border procedures once again, head to Downtown Aqaba and board a bus to Petra from there. From Aqaba, you can take a JETT Bus to Petra costing 15 JODs per person, which takes around 2.5 hours in total.
Note: The daily JETT bus from Aqaba to Petra departs at 8 AM. Most probably, you will not make it in time after taking the night bus from Cairo to Taba. Instead, we recommend spending a day in Aqaba, before heading on to Petra.
Would we recommend this option? Not really. The full overland route from Cairo to Petra includes at leats three separate buses, two land borders and four different border procedures with entry visa fees being charged both in Israel and Aqaba. This might be too much for most travellers.
Via Aqaba-Nuweiba Ferry: The Scenic Route
The arduous overland journey doesn’t mean you have to take a flight to Jordan though. Instead of crossing two international borders in one day, you can also skip the Israel border by taking the Nuweiba Aqaba ferry instead.
On this alternative overland route, your first step is a direct bus from Cairo to Nuweiba. On GoBus, you can book an overnight bus to Nuweiba on the Sinai Peninsula for 800 EGP per person, with the ride taking around 10-12 hours. In Nuweiba, the bus will drop you only a few steps from the Aqaba Port.
In Nuweiba, you will have a few hours to spare to get some breakfast and complete all necessary procedures at the port, before the Nuweiba-Aqaba ferry departs at 1 PM. Ferry tickets to Nuweiba cost $ 85 for a single trip from Nuweiba to Aqaba.Infants of up to 2 years travel at a discounted rate of $ 15. Vehicles are not allowed on the ferry. The ferry ride takes between 2 and 3 hours.
At Aqaba Port, you need to clear immigration procedures and obtain your visa on arrival. From there, you can get a taxi to the city center and spend a night in a hotel in Aqaba, before continuing on to Petra with the JETT bus at 8 AM, costing another 15 JODs per person.
Would we recommend this option? On our Egypt-Jordan trip, we chose this route, including another stop in Dahab, Egypt’s best-kept Red Sea secret. Overall, this option can be a great choice, if you have enough time to spare to split the transfer into two or three separate travel days.
Where to Stay in Petra
Have you figured out your itinerary to Jordan? Don’t relax just yet. You still need to get a hold of a hotel reservation in Petra to kick your Petra trip off the right way.
Budget | Petra Planet | starting from $ 15 per night | |
Comfort | Petra Moon Hotel | starting from $ 82 per night | |
Luxury | Mövenpick Resort Petra | starting from $ 124 per night |
6 Things to Do in and around Petra: Wadi Rum, Dead Sea & Aqaba
Whether you travel from Cairo to Petra by plane, bus or ferry, you will most likely make a stop in Aqaba City or Amman. Instead of hopping straight on the next mode of transport, use your transfers to add more stops to your itinerary.
These are 6 things to do in and around Petra:
- Petra Archaeological Site: Hone into the soft sandstone rock of the Arabah Valley around 700 BC, the ancient Nabataean city of Petra features royal tombs, a treasury, a Roman theatre, various temples and a high monastery. To save money on the entrance fee to Petra, make sue to book the Jordan Pass, which not only waives your entry visa fee, but also your Petra entrance fee.
- Little Petra: Much smaller than the main archaeological site, Little Petra features similar architectural remains as Petra itself, but is muss less frequented and for free. This attraction is just a short taxi ride away from Downtown Wadi Musa.
- Aqaba Fort: If you are forced to spend a night in Aqaba City, you can use your spare time in Aqaba to check out the Aqaba Fort, or Aqaba Castle. Constructed as a crusader castle in the early 12th century, this castle would later play a pivotal role in the Arab Revolt.
- Wadi Rum Desert: Located in the far south of Jordan, the Wadi Rum Protected Area features dramatic sandstone cliffs and red sand dunes, with Bedouin tents and pre-historic rock art dotted in-between. Book a jeep tour of Wadi Rum to discover the most important sites in a day.
- Amman: Jordan’s capital city has quite the history of itself, dating back all the way into antiquity. If you have a day to spare in Amman after taking your flight there, check out the Amman Citadel and the Roman Theatre, and try some local street food and the Knafeh at Habiba Sweets.
- Dead Sea: Considered to be the most saline body of water in the world, the Dead Sea has become popular for its unusually buoyancy. From Petra, you are less than two hours away from the shores of the Dead Sea – the perfect excuse to spend a day in a resort hotel on the Dead Sea.
The Bottom Line
Getting from Cairo to Petra is possible 4 different ways: by direct flights, by bus w/ border crossings, by bus and ferry, and with a guided tour.
Out of these options, the direct flights from Cairo Airport (CAI) and the Red Sea crossing with the Nuweiba Aqaba ferry are the most feasible options for independent travellers. If you are comfortable shoes travelling in a group, you can also simply book a multi-day trip from Cairo to Petra online.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you get from Cairo to Petra?
You can get from Cairo to Petra in 4 different ways: a Petra tour, a direct flight from Cairo Airport to Amman or Aqaba City, a combined bus journey with two border crossings through Israel, and a mix of bus and ferry via the Nuweiba Aqaba Ferry.
Is a trip to Petra worth it?
Yes, a trip to Petra is 100% worth it. Whether you are in Jordan, or still travelling in Egypt, a trip to Petra is both feasible and totally worth it. The Rose City is not only a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but also considered one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, thanks to its unique sandstone architecture.
Is there a day trip from Egypt to Petra?
While technically, it is possible to do a day trip from Egypt to Petra, it is only feasible from the Sinai Peninsula. From Cairo, you can visit Petra on a multiple-day trip with stops in Amman, on the Dead Sea and in Wadi Rum.
How can I travel from Egypt to Jordan?
From Egypt, you can travel to Jordan via direct flights, bus rides with border crossings, and a mix of bus rides and the Nuweiba Aqaba ferry. From Aqaba City, you can get to the most popular destinations in Southern Jordan, such as Wadi Rum, Petra and the Dead Sea.
Hey! We are glad you are curious about travelling the Middle East.
We are Nancy & Elias.
Over four years of backpacking and digital nomading made us fall in love with the Middle East. We have lived on the Red Sea coast in Egypt, lived in a Bedouin Camp in Jordan and travelled 6+ Middle Eastern countries overland.
As we continue to travel, we share our battle-tested travel advice on this blog, from travel reports and transfer guides to accommodation recs and saving hacks.
