Hi,
Petra was amazing. I would definitely recommend seeing Petra if you are able to work it into your trip. I think I liked that *slightly* better than the pyramids (which was busy, noisy, dirty, and there was a huge sandstorm while I was there). Both were amazing sites though.
The quickest way would be flying into Jordan from Cairo. The land and sea route is very slow. You do go through some amazing places which are worth a visit on their own but if time is an issue then best to fly.
I took the ferry to cross the Red Sea from Nuweiba into Aqaba - should have taken 4 hrs but ended up taking 2 days (huge storm - ferry delayed 1 day and then the actual ferry itself took 12 hrs because they wait until ferry is full before leaving and not on any specific time!). The drive from Cairo to Nuweiba itself was also quite long.
Petra will take 1 full day to go through properly. How much time do you actually have?
[ 29-Oct-2009, at 20:59 by canadiank ]
I just did a trip that started in Amman and ended in Cairo all by land. It does take some time. I agree, I liked Petra better than the Pyramids. If you do get a chance to go, the best thing you can do is get to the ticket gate about 10minutes before they open. It is around 6:30am but you will have the entire place to yourself for a few hours. There are no touts or tourists and you can really appreciate it more.
To answer your original question, flying is the fastest option but not the cheapest. My guess is that it will take at least 12 hours by bus and you have to remember that you will pass through Israel on your way which can cause problems if you are planning on going to any other Muslim country. You will also have to check your egyptian visa. There are certain restictions on re entering the country. So check it out.
The best way to combine a visit to Egypt with a visit to Petra in Jordan is to fly between Cairo and Amman. Just note that flights are not cheap. For this reason many people travel overland from Cairo to Amman, but this takes time. Cairo to Amman overland with a visit to Petra takes approx. 4-5 days, so it is not a quick day trip.
If you are determined to go overland: There are two routes going overland from Cairo to Amman, one is via Israel and the other is taking the ferry from Nuweiba to Aqaba. Your best starting point is either Sharm-el-Sheikh or Dahab, take the bus from Cairo to there. Then catch the bus north to the border with Israel or to Nuweiba. IIRC there is only one bus a day, so time your departure right. In Eilat there is a bus that runs to the Taba-Eilat border crossing and it is easy to catch a taxi to the Aqaba border crossing. In Aqaba you can then catch a taxi or a minibus to Wadi Musa, the small city next to Petra.
All in all it is best to fly.
If you are flying to Cairo from your homecountry it can make sense to fly out of Amman back to your homecountry.
One word of warning: If you travel overland from Amman to Cairo you need to get a visa for Egypt before you go. If you enter Egypt through the Sinai you can only get a permit for the Sinai at the border, this permit does not allow you to go to Cairo. Thus you need to get a visa to Egypt beforehand. You can easily get the visa at the Egyptian consulate in Aqaba.
i am tour operator based in petra ,Jordan, you can either fly cairo amman or cross taba aqaba by the ferry boat; i tried nuwebei aqaba myself, it takes the whole day for one way!
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