Why the Red Sea ferry is the most unique (& slowest!) way to travel from Amman to Cairo

Now, Cairo is just less than 500km away from Amman. A 1.5 hour flight.

So when you combine it with airport and immigration time, this journey, in reality, should have only taken me 7 hours or so…

So why, then, did it take me a full 2 days – 48 hours even – to go from Amman to Cairo? BECAUSE BOAT.

That’s right, I took an Uber, then a bus, then a taxi, then a ferry, then a hired car to travel – not 500km – but 2,500km overland from Amman to Cairo!

An adventure, that’s for sure. But is it something I’d recommend? Well, yalla, follow along and you will find out!

Day 1: Journey from Amman to Aqaba

An Uber and a bus

My alarm was set for 7am to ensure I could finish packing the final essentials (phone charger: check! passport: check!) and take a short walk with my pup before I ordered my Uber to take me to the bus station in Amman.

I chose Jett bus company to transport me 5 hours on the road south to Aqaba (located at the very south of Jordan, on the Red Sea). It’s a local bus company in Amman that is incredibly comfortable, as well as affordable. My ticket cost 10 JD (~$14USD) and included an assigned seat in a cushy, air conditioned bus.

Originally, to spend less time in Aqaba, I booked my bus to leave at 11am, with an expected arrival in Aqaba at 4pm. The day before, though, Jett bus called me to inform me that there weren’t enough bookings on the 11am bus, so it was cancelled. I could choose the 7am or 9am departure on the same day.

Obviously, I chose 9am.

I arrived at the bus station 30 minutes early, as advised, but to be honest, I didn’t really need to. Even 10 minutes before the time is probably sufficient. However, the bus did depart on time, at least for Jordan timing… At about 10 minutes past 9am.

I settled into my seat, with my headphones in, for the 5 hour journey. (Note, in the car, this journey can take as little as 4 hours, but busses go slower). May have had a nap or two. 🙂

The bus itself has a toilet on board, if needed. But we did make 1 stop about halfway there for snacks and a bio-break (and smoke break for the smokers).

The bus pulled into Aqaba’s Jett bus station just after 2pm, which meant I still had the afternoon ahead of me to settle into my overnight stay.

Overnight in Aqaba

After disembarking from the bus, I found a bunch of taxis waiting, which are an easy option in Aqaba. All taxis are green, and the drivers have a good enough knowledge of English. They still don’t use taxi meters here (same as I noted in my article on Amman), and it’s quite a bit more expensive than what I’m used to in Amman.

It cost me about 15 JD to get my taxi from downtown Aqaba to my hotel in Tala Bay (about a 20 minute journey), but at least the driver waited a few minutes for me to purchase some duty free tequila at the local liquor store (alcohol in Egypt is more expensive).

The ferry left the next morning, so I booked myself into the Marina Plaza Hotel, in Tala Bay for the evening.

Tala Bay is a resort with multiple hotels, situated on the western coast of Jordan, with perfect sunset views overlooking Egypt. The Marina Plaza Hotel is among the cheaper of hotel options, but was still sufficient enough for my short stay, and I was able to access the pool at the hotel, the beach, as well as all of the restaurants and amenities available in Tala Bay while I was there.

I checked myself into my room, changed and headed out to explore Tala Bay, and to ensure I got in some good beach time while I was here. And of course a swim in the Red Sea was a requirement.

After a low-key dinner, I settled into my (air conditioned) room for the night.

Day 2: Aqaba to Cairo

A ferry journey across the Red Sea

The ferry was scheduled to depart from Tala Bay harbor (see cover photo) at 9:30am. So once again, I was up at 7am to ensure I was able to get in a cup of coffee, check out and walk myself from the hotel to the ferry departure area.

I stayed at the hotel in Tala Bay, specifically because of it’s location to the ferry. It would have been a bit risky to stay further away, and of course, I didn’t want to have to get up even earlier to make my way to the port.

I chose to take the ferry from Tala Bay, Jordan to Taba, Egypt. AB Maritime ferries is the company that runs the ferry service between Jordan and Egypt across the Red Sea (or, more accurately, the Gulf of Aqaba) here.

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Ferry Services:

A few words about the different ferry options:

Aqaba-Taba Ferry:

I chose this ferry service, colloquially known as the “speed boat”. It takes about 1.5 hours to cross the Sea, and ends up at the very north-eastern point of the Sinai peninsula, in a small village called Taba. The ticket price is $70 USD. Pluses: it’s fast, smooth and I have to say, the ferry terminal departure lounge is quite nice – even it’s own duty free zone! The boat itself even has a small snack bar. Negatives: only one journey a day at 9:30am. So timing-wise, it will almost always require an overnight stay in Aqaba…

Aqaba-Nuweiba Ferry:

The other (even more miserable) option is to take the longer ferry from Aqaba to Nuweiba, costing $80 USD. It also only departs once a day: at an alleged departure time of 10pm. I’ve taken this ferry before also, which was an experience to say the least. In many ways, this whole article is a DO NOT DO WHAT I DID. Learn from my mistakes.

On my first time crossing the Red Sea, I was staying for a week in the Sinai peninsula, in Dahab. I booked what I thought was the “speed boat”, but at 9pm, making my way down from Amman earlier in the day. Well, what I wrote above is indeed correct. That boat only leaves in the morning. I missed my “speed boat”, left with the only option of taking the longer ferry.

Thankfully I was able to book a ticket directly from the port, which is located at the Aqaba port (for imports and exports). It’s not at Tala Bay. This ferry is a big boat, and is intended to transport vehicles, as well as people and other goods, across the sea.

My story is not dissimilar from others I’ve heard.

In other words: don’t take this ferry unless you really have to. Take the fast ferry from Aqaba to Taba. Better all around.

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The Aqaba-Taba ferry departed almost exactly at 9:30 on-the-dot.

I almost miss this ferry too, but that was because of some weird, very specific, administrative stuff with my visa status and what the immigration and police officers understood. I made it in the end. Alhamdillulah (or, thank god).

Be aware that foreigners do have to pay exit fees before departing. You will need to find the man to pay (just ask for the exit visa), where you will pay him 10 JOD, to provide to the immigration officer.

After a lovely, sunny, windy, clear journey across the Red Sea, the boat arrived in Taba, we disembarked and went through immigration swiftly.

a (very) long car ride

Many nationalities can stay in the Sinai Peninsula visa free, but once you cross into “mainland” Egypt, normal visa processes are required. If I was staying in the Sinai Peninsula, I would have not needed an Egyptian visa. As I was traveling to Cairo, I had secured an e-visa before arriving; check this site for the appropriate visa fees. I got my entry stamp and went on my way.

I’d also arranged for a driver to meet me there, to take me directly to Cairo. You can find drivers through the DiDi app, and book in advance. Taxis are also available as you exit (better if you are going a shorter distance).

In terms of options to get to Cairo, you also have a few other options than a driver. There is apparently a bus, but the website indicated that it would take over 12 hours, so I quickly checked that off my list of options. You can also take a taxi to Sharm el-Sheikh and take a 1-hour flight from there to Cairo. Also indicated it would take over 9 hours to arrive in Cairo. Not for me.

A driver it was. I connected with him, and climbed into the car, as we headed on our way for the looooong journey. At this point, it’s just after 11am.

Also, due to the Israel-Iran war, the shorter road was closed to traffic, given its proximity to Israel. If we were able to use this road, it would have taken about 5 hours to get to Cairo. But…

It took about 8 hours instead.

The journey itself is surprisingly beautiful in a unique desert way. The landscape of this area is fascinating. We drove through St. Catherine, situated at the foot of Mt. Sinai. It is allegedly where Moses received the 10 commandments. It’s also the world’s oldest continuously-inhabited Christian monastery, built around 55o AD.

I wanted to get on my way, but next time I come to the Sinai Peninsula for a beach trip, visiting here will definitely be on my itinerary.

The other cool experience that this route does is to bring you under the Suez Canal, the humanmade waterway that connects the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, enabling ships to pass between the north Atlantic and northern Indian oceans without having to go all the way around the African continent. It also denotes that you have officially crossed from the Asian continent to the African continent.

The drive at the Suez Canal itself is a bit uneventful – you pass through some security checks (don’t be surprised to have your passport checked) and then drive under a tunnel – but the idea of it is quite impressive.

The driver and I stopped occasionally for a bio-break (for him a coffee and cigarette break). I was able to buy some snacks at gas station shops, but I did plan ahead and brought some food with me from the hotel buffet. It’s a long day, so I do recommend bringing something with you so you don’t arrive to Cairo completely famished.

After crossing under the Suez canal, I was still about 2 hours away from Cairo. However, the road starts to feel busier, and the roadside is no longer as barren. Eventually, there are malls and shops and the busy-ness of the city becomes evident.

I arrived at my short-term rental around 7pm, having been essentially moving since 9am. I paid my taxi driver the $100 USD we had agreed, and checked in, ready for my next Egyptian adventures, if not a little exhausted.

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Safety, as a female

A word about safety – both times I travelled this route, I was travelling on my own, as a white, American, non-Arabic-speaking woman. And both times, I felt a bit conspicuous but also incredibly safe.

The staff on the ferries looked out for me, ensuring that I knew where to go and what to do. (Just follow directions and hand motions – body language really does say a lot.) I also felt comfort being around women, particularly women travelling with families. Their eyes also told me a kindness and looking out for each other that I felt mutually.

I will say that the “speed boat” from Tala Bay to Taba was better for feeling safe though, as it departs and arrives in daylight hours…

Tips & Advice

So, like I asked at the start… would I advise this trip? Only for the most intrepid travelers.

If you are staying in the Sinai Peninsula (to experience it’s beautiful coastlines, beaches, seaside towns and diving/kite surfing cultures), taking the ferry is quite a good option.

But if this sounds like your jam – or (like in my case) you feel like you have no other choice – here’s a few tips to consider:

• Pre-book things in Egypt in advance. Both Taba and Nuweibaa are just small villages, mostly catering to seaside holidays, rather than a bustling town with amenities. Otherwise you risk being stuck (which during the summer is extremely hot).
• It’s also good to pre-book the bus, ferry and hotel in Jordan, just to be safe. Although its more likely that they will have availabilities, it’s also better to be safe than sorry. However, in this case, pre-booking could even mean the day before.
• Bring cash, specifically USD, and in small notes where possible. On the Egypt side, USD is always accepted. Card machines may be available, but might not.
• Don’t expect there to be cell network for much of the way. You are in the middle of the desert after all. I didn’t see a place to buy an Egyptian SIM card on the Taba side, but my US phone number works (weakly) in most countries. Take care, based on your phone plan.
• This area is very warm for most of the year. Dress accordingly. In the summer, highs can be well above 40°C/104°F, even approaching 45°C/113°F on some days.
• In line with that, bring lots of water and wear sunscreen – even in the car.

Honestly, though?

Next time, I’ll just fly…