Why there is no day trip
Look at a map and Hurghada and Petra seem close: under 400 km in a straight line. But between them lie the Gulf of Suez, the Sinai mountains, the Gulf of Aqaba and an international border. By road you go north to Suez, through the tunnel under the canal, across the Sinai to Taba, through the Egyptian and Jordanian border posts, then on to Aqaba and up to Petra. That is about 800 km each way. Nobody sells it from Hurghada, and the large platforms show no Petra product starting here.
The routes that actually work
| Route | How it goes | Time one way | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Via Sharm el-Sheikh, organised tour | Get to Sharm, then a day tour: road to Taba, ferry across the Gulf to Aqaba, guided Petra visit, back the same night | ≈ 9 h road Hurghada–Sharm, then a 22-hour tour day | The Jordanian visa and Petra entry are usually included in the tour |
| Taba border, independently | Road to Taba, walk across the border, taxi to Aqaba, then about 2 h to Petra | A long day to Aqaba, about 8.5 h of driving to Taba alone | Stay near Petra (Wadi Musa) for at least one night |
| Nuweiba–Aqaba ferry | Road to Nuweiba, passenger ferry to Aqaba | Ferry about 2.5 h; foot passengers only | Sailings are infrequent, and timetables change |
| Flight to Amman | Fly to Amman, then about 3 h by road south to Petra | Short flight; nonstop service is limited | Schedule sites list some nonstop flights from Hurghada; otherwise you connect via Cairo |
Option 1: a few nights in Sharm
If you are booking a Red Sea holiday and Petra matters, the honest advice is to stay in Sharm el-Sheikh, not Hurghada, or split the stay. Petra day tours from Sharm pick you up in the early hours, drive three to four hours to Taba, cross by fast ferry to Aqaba, give you around three hours with a guide in Petra and lunch, then bring you back around midnight. That's 22 hours with two border crossings. It is tiring, but it is a proper visit to the Treasury and the Siq.
Getting from Hurghada to Sharm is the weak link. By road it is about 740 km, nine hours or more, via the Suez tunnel. A fast ferry across the Gulf of Suez has run on and off over the years, and we could not confirm a current timetable. Check flights as well; there is no reliable shortcut by sea.
Option 2: fly and stay a night near Petra
For most people this is the comfortable version: fly to Amman (some routes connect via Cairo), take a car south to Wadi Musa, the town at the Petra gate, and give Petra a full day, or two. Petra is far bigger than a day tour suggests. The Monastery (Ad Deir) alone is a climb of several hundred steps beyond the main valley, and day-trippers rarely reach it.
Option 3: overland via Taba or Nuweiba
Independent travellers can drive or take a bus to Taba or Nuweiba, cross into Jordan and continue from Aqaba. It works, but plan for at least three days in total from Hurghada, check the current border and ferry situation before you go, and look at the Jordan Pass for the visa and Petra ticket together. Amounts are on the fee card.
What to do instead from Hurghada
If you came to Hurghada for a week and wanted one big ancient site, Luxor is the realistic choice: four hours away, with tombs and temples that hold their own against Petra. Cairo and the pyramids are a long day by road or an easier day by plane. And if you only want a desert monastery and a quiet road along the coast, the St Anthony and St Paul trip is a day you can actually do from here.
