I have approximately a week 7-9 days to look around Jordan and Egypt. I'd like to see Petra, Wadi Rum, the pyramids & museums in Cairo and also Alexandria.
All the tours I've seen are extremely expensive.
Can anyone recommend an itinerary for myself and idea on how best to get around?
Cheers
Hi,
In my opinion, it will be a better choice to stay for the week or even 9 days in only one country.
Bear in mind that you can visit Cairo for few days. It's the same for Petra. For the Rum, except some "tours" who are just "visiting" at the back of a Hilux, for a 2.5 hours ride, it's better to take time and stay for the night, under the sky.
You "lost" time between the different places and you need to cross an international border.
From Amman to Cairo and/or Alexandria, you have a great distance. Except if you have your own flying carpet, it will takes time to travel between places.
Michel
Where are you flying in? And where are you flying out? If it is into Cairo, then yes - Cairo, Museum, Giza Pyramids, Dashur etc - Alexandria would be easy enough in a week to 9 days, and would be reasonably relaxed.
As Michel pointed out, you could easily spend several days in each of those but if you have less time then no problem still. It gives you time to take your time and absorb where you are, and in a relaxed manner.
Attempting to combine that with Jordan is another matter though. I can only see it possible (in the time you have I mean), if perhaps you fly into Jordan from Cairo. Otherwise you'd be biting your nails the entire time, From what I've observed of the tour groups that come across from Egypt for a day to Petra, don't waste your time on those. The poor people are rushed through a small strip of the place like cattle, then bundled back onto the transport going back to Egypt. If you're desperate, I guess you could do that but it really would be an expensive fragment of Petra.
Thanks for the advice guys, we'd be in the region around the start of September. We were thinking 4 days in Jordan and around 4 days in Cairo/Alexandria flying from Amman to Cairo. We'd prefer to stay at Petra over night if we could.
If I could I'd stay for much longer but unfortunately we're working towards a definite time constraint.
P.S if anyone could recommend where to buy a flying carpet I'm open to suggestions, I spoke with Alladin but he wasn't up for selling his...
With 4 days in Jordan you could potentially see Petra.
Day 1 - Land and travel to Petra.
Day 2 - Petra
Day 3 - Petra
Day 4 - Travel back to Amman and fly out.
I guess you could add in a little time in Amman, Madaba or at the dead sea on day 1 or 4 depending on your flight times.
In that case, if flying, it could be done I reckon. From Amman, there are public buses down to Wadi Musa but perhaps if your time is so short then it would pay you to shell out for private transport to get you down there and back to Amman, so that you can spend a couple of full days (one night, two full days exploring) down in Petra and be sure that you can get away in time for your flight back up in Amman. I guess Wadi Rum is possible as a day visit, but that would be cutting things a bit close and could be nail biting movement all the time. It all of course depends on if your flight leaves in the morning,day or evening. Once over in Cairo, a relaxed 4 days is certainly very possible for the Giza plateau, the Museum etc. Alexandria is 'ok', but not essential in my opinion. It depends what you're going there for and what you're 'expecting' from it. Others may disagree, but given how short your time is then other parts of Cairo would hold more interest.