Egypt and Jordan

The great appeal here is simple: in two weeks, you see the Giza Pyramids, Petra, and the Nile Valley without building every transfer and hotel booking yourself. You also get three nights on a Nile ship and three nights in Dahab, where the schedule finally slows down for Red Sea time.

I especially like the airport-to-airport support and the mix of major ancient sites with a few easier days. I also like that many entrance fees, private transfers, breakfasts, and guided visits are bundled into the $2,345 price. The catch is the pace: Cairo, Aswan, Luxor, Dahab, and Jordan require several flights and long transfers, while domestic flights, Jordan airfare, visas, tips, and some optional entries cost extra.

Key points before you book

• Three nights on the Nile: Cruise from Aswan toward Luxor with full board and visits to major temples.
• Petra in one focused day: The included local guide covers Petra’s main trail for roughly three hours.
• Two Red Sea days: Stay in Dahab, with one free day and one Blue Hole snorkeling outing.
• Private touring: Your group travels privately, with air-conditioned vehicles and English-speaking staff.
• Big sights, tight schedule: The itinerary covers a great deal, but several days run for six to eight hours.
• Check the exclusions carefully: Domestic flights, Jordan airfare, visas, tips, insurance, drinks, and some special-entry tickets are separate.

A two-country route built around the ancient world

This is a strong fit if you want the headline sights of Egypt and Jordan but do not want to arrange a complicated chain of flights, hotels, drivers, guides, and entrance tickets. The route is broad rather than leisurely. You move from Cairo to Aswan, sail to Luxor, fly to Sharm El Sheikh, transfer to Dahab, return to Cairo, then fly to Amman.

The tour costs $2,345 per person and is commonly booked about 82 days ahead. That price has real value because it covers most Egypt sightseeing, hotel breakfasts, the Nile cruise with breakfast, lunch, and dinner, many entrance fees, airport transfers, and private ground transport. Still, the advertised price is not your final trip budget. Add international flights, domestic flights, Egypt and Jordan visa costs, tips, travel insurance, personal spending, and optional excursions.

The arrangement is private, so you are not placed on a large coach with strangers. That matters in Egypt, where a private car can make airport arrivals and busy sightseeing days less tiring. It also gives your guide room to adjust the pace within the day, though the overall route itself remains fixed and full.

Cairo begins with pyramids and practical support

Your first day is intentionally light. A representative meets you at Cairo International Airport, helps with arrival procedures, and takes you to your hotel. The start time is listed as 9 p.m., so confirm your flight timing and arrival plan before you go.

Day two is the big Cairo hit. You visit the Great Pyramids of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure, followed by the Sphinx and the Egyptian Museum. This is a long sightseeing day, listed at about eight hours, then you transfer to the airport for your flight to Aswan.

The pyramids are not a quick photo stop. You can ask your guide about entering one of the pyramids, but the inside tickets are limited and are not part of the standard inclusions. Entry to the pyramid interiors and the mummy room at the Egyptian Museum must be arranged separately, often on the day if available.

The Egyptian Museum visit adds useful context after the monuments outside the city. The museum collection is described as containing more than 250,000 antiquities, so do not expect to see everything. A good guide is important here. Staff members named Hassan, Tamir, Dua, Nehead, and Wael have received particularly warm praise in past trip feedback, although your assigned guide may be different.

Aswan brings the Nile into focus

After the Cairo monuments, Aswan feels like a change of gear. You spend one night in an Aswan hotel, then visit Philae Temple on Agilkia Island. A short boat ride takes you across to the temple complex, which was moved from its original setting after the Nile was affected by dam construction.

That relocation is part of what makes Philae worth seeing. You are not only looking at carved columns and sanctuary rooms. You are also seeing how modern engineering reshaped the ancient site and saved it from rising water.

The same day includes the Old Dam and the High Dam. The older structure dates from 1899 to 1902, while the High Dam was built between 1960 and 1970 for flood control, power generation, and irrigation. These visits are less visually dramatic than the pyramids, but they explain why the river has shaped both ancient and modern Egypt.

You board the five-star Nile ship after the Aswan sightseeing. The ship is your base for three nights, with full board included. Keep in mind that the itinerary calls the cruise five-star, but no ship name or cabin category is supplied, so ask for those details before paying if accommodation quality is a major concern.

Optional Abu Simbel and the best part of the cruise

Day four is the most important planning choice on the Nile section. Abu Simbel is offered as an optional early morning trip from Aswan, roughly 300 kilometers away. It is a long road outing, but the temples are among Egypt’s most memorable sights.

The Great Temple was built for Ramesses II and honors his victory at the Battle of Kadesh in 1274 BC. The interior has a remarkable solar alignment twice a year, on October 22 and February 22. The smaller temple honors Hathor and Nefertari and adds another layer to the visit.

Because Abu Simbel is optional and not clearly included in the base price, confirm the cost, departure time, and transport before arrival. If you want a relaxed cruise day, skip it. If this is your first and only Egypt trip, the extra outing may be worth the early start and long drive.

The ship continues toward Luxor, with Edfu Temple on day five. Edfu is dedicated to Horus and is visited after breakfast before sailing onward. The schedule also lists Kom Ombo among the included sightseeing, though the day-by-day outline gives more detail for Edfu than for Kom Ombo. Ask your tour leader how both stops fit the sailing timetable.

Luxor packs the East and West Banks together

Day six covers Luxor’s major sights before you leave the ship for a hotel. On the East Bank, you visit Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple. Their scale can be hard to absorb in a short visit, so listen closely to your guide’s explanation of the processional routes, columns, and religious purpose.

The West Bank is more spread out. The program includes the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut’s Temple, and the Colossi of Memnon. Valley of the Kings entry is included for the listed sightseeing, but special tombs can have separate rules and fees. Your guide can explain what your ticket covers.

This is another eight-hour day, and the heat can make the timing feel longer. Wear practical shoes, carry water, and keep the small daily bottled-water allowance in mind. The package includes one small bottle per day in Cairo, Aswan, and Luxor, not unlimited water throughout the trip.

Dahab gives you room to breathe

After Luxor, you fly to Sharm El Sheikh and transfer by air-conditioned vehicle to Dahab. The transfer is listed at about four hours, so this is not a quick hop from runway to beach. You stay three nights with breakfast included.

Day eight is genuinely free. You can use the hotel facilities, walk into town, arrange your own snorkeling or diving, or simply recover from the ancient-site schedule. This open day is valuable because the Egypt portion otherwise moves quickly.

Day nine includes a Blue Hole snorkeling outing with round-trip hotel transfers, a guide, and lunch at a local restaurant. The Blue Hole is one of Egypt’s best-known snorkeling locations, but the package does not promise scuba diving or equipment details. Confirm what is supplied and what you need to rent before setting out.

Dahab is also where the tour becomes less controlled. That is a good thing if you want personal time, but the free day is not a guided sightseeing day. Do not expect a full program of activities unless you arrange them yourself.

Jordan starts with Petra and the Dead Sea

You return to Cairo on day ten, with a free evening before flying to Amman on day eleven. The Egypt to Jordan flight is not included, and the itinerary also lists Jordan airfare as an exclusion, so confirm exactly which ticket you must purchase.

In Amman, a representative meets you at Queen Alia Airport and transfers you to your hotel. Day twelve is the major Jordan excursion: Petra followed by the Dead Sea region. The route through the Siq leads to Al Khazneh, the Treasury, Petra’s most famous monument.

The included Petra guide covers the main trail for about three hours for groups of two to four people. A short horse ride or walk from the entrance to the Siq is described as an option, but confirm any horse-related cost and what is actually included. Petra involves uneven ground and a fair amount of walking, so sensible footwear matters.

After Petra, you drive back toward the Dead Sea through the Araba Valley. The itinerary says Dead Sea region, but it does not spell out a specific hotel, swim, or bathing package. Confirm the Jordan accommodation and exactly what your Dead Sea stop includes. The listed Egypt hotel nights are detailed more clearly than the Jordan lodging.

Jerash and Amman close the trip

Day thirteen heads north to Jerash, an exceptionally well-preserved Greco-Roman city. The visit includes the Hippodrome, Oval Plaza, colonnaded streets, temples associated with Artemis and Zeus, and the South Theatre.

A local English-speaking guide is included in Jerash for groups of two to four. Larger groups receive English-speaking guide support except during transfers, free time, and departure transfers. That distinction matters if you are booking for five or more people.

The day ends with a panoramic tour of Amman and a return to the hotel. Day fourteen is only a short transfer to the airport, listed at about 45 minutes. Your Jordan stay is brief, so this tour gives you a strong sample of Petra, Jerash, the Dead Sea area, and Amman rather than a full exploration of the country.

What the price covers, and what it does not

The package includes private air-conditioned transfers, airport meet-and-assist services, English-speaking tour leaders during transfers, local guides at major sites, many entrance fees, and the Egypt hotel nights named in the itinerary. It also includes breakfasts, four lunches, and three dinners, with full board during the Nile cruise.

The free smartphone with internet access for the length of the stay is a useful extra, especially with so many transfers. A 24-hour emergency number adds reassurance when flights or hotel changes occur.

Budget separately for:

• International flights to Egypt
• Domestic flights within Egypt
• Airfare to Jordan
• Egypt entry visa
• Tips for guides, drivers, and hotel staff
• Travel insurance
• Drinks, laundry, snacks, and personal purchases
• Abu Simbel and other optional trips
• Pyramid interiors and the Egyptian Museum mummy room
• Any Jordan meals not listed

The cancellation terms are generous only up to a point. You receive a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before the local start time. Inside that window, there is no refund and changes are not accepted. Given the number of flights and suppliers involved, I would still buy travel insurance that covers interruption and medical care.

Who will enjoy this route most

I would choose this tour if you want a guided first look at Egypt and Jordan, prefer private transport, and value having someone meet you at airports. It suits couples, families, solo visitors who want organized support, and small groups that would rather not negotiate every transfer themselves.

The route is less suitable if you want slow mornings, long stays in each city, or complete control over your meals and sightseeing. You should also be comfortable with early starts, flights, eight-hour touring days, and switching hotels several times.

The strongest feature is the staff support. Past trip feedback repeatedly praises the care provided by airport representatives, drivers, and guides, with Hassan, Tamir, Dua, Nehead, Wael, Sherif, and Ahmed among the names singled out. That kind of local help can make a major difference in Egypt, particularly when plans involve several airports and long road transfers.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if the goal is to see the great monuments, cruise the Nile, add the Red Sea, and reach Petra in one organized trip. At $2,345, it offers solid value for the guided sightseeing and included transport, but only if you account for flights, visas, tips, optional visits, and Jordan details.

Before booking, ask for the exact hotel names, Nile ship name, domestic flight schedule, Jordan accommodation, Abu Simbel price, and what is included at the Dead Sea. If those details suit you, this is a practical way to cover two remarkable countries in 14 demanding but rewarding days.

FAQ

How long is the Egypt and Jordan tour?

The tour lasts approximately 14 days, beginning with arrival at Cairo International Airport and ending with departure from Amman.

Is this a private tour?

Yes. Only your group participates in the private activity.

What meals are included?

Breakfast is included at the selected hotels. The Nile cruise includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Blue Hole outing includes lunch. Meals not listed, especially in Jordan, are not included.

Are flights included?

International flights to Egypt, domestic flights within Egypt, and airfare to Jordan are not included.

Is Abu Simbel included?

No. The Abu Simbel visit is listed as an optional trip from Aswan.

Are the pyramid interiors included?

No. Entry into the pyramids and the mummy room at the Egyptian Museum are not included in the standard package and may be arranged separately if tickets are available.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

You can cancel for a full refund at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Cancellations or changes made within 24 hours are not refunded or accepted.