Egypt & Jordan Adventure — Self-Launched
15 days · Egypt & Jordan
G Adventures charges £2,050
No-markup version: ~£1,180 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 15-day version of G Adventures' Cairo-to-Amman "Egypt & Jordan Adventure" (DPJA). You'll see the same headline sights — Giza, the Grand Egyptian Museum, Aswan and the Nubian Village, Kom Ombo, Luxor's West Bank and Karnak, then Jerash, the Dead Sea, Madaba, Karak, Petra, Wadi Rum and Aqaba — but booking your own budget hotels/guesthouses, using the overnight sleeper train and local buses instead of private coaches, and joining shared day tours or self-booked guides at each site. Costs are approximate backpacker rates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Cairo — Downtown orientation
Cairo
Land at Cairo International, take the airport bus or Careem/Uber into Downtown (about £4-6 vs £15+ for a taxi desk transfer). Check into a budget hotel near Talaat Harb Street. Spend the afternoon wandering the Khan el-Khalili bazaar edges and the Nile Corniche; grab koshari dinner for under £2. Buy your Egyptian e-visa online in advance (about £20) or get a visa on arrival. Sort a local SIM (Vodafone/Orange, ~£5 for 10GB).
🚌Airport bus/Uber from CAI to Downtown (~£5); walkable Downtown
🛏Budget hotel Downtown Cairo, twin/dorm (~£18 pp)
- →Khan el-Khalili bazaar wander
- →Nile Corniche sunset walk
- →Local SIM + e-visa admin
Giza Pyramids, Sphinx & Grand Egyptian Museum
Cairo / Giza
Start early (7am) to beat the crowds and heat. Take an Uber to the Giza plateau (~£4), buy your own ticket (~£12 for the plateau, extra for pyramid entry). For context, book a licensed Egyptologist guide through GetYourGuide (~£25-35 pp shared) or hire on-site. After lunch, head to the Grand Egyptian Museum at Giza — book a timed ticket online in advance (~£22 with the main galleries; Tutankhamun galleries cost more). Uber back to Downtown.
🚌Uber Cairo–Giza return (~£8 total)
🛏Budget hotel Downtown Cairo (~£18 pp)
- →Giza Pyramids & Sphinx (self-guided or GetYourGuide guide)
- →Grand Egyptian Museum timed entry
Overnight sleeper train to Aswan
Cairo → Aswan
Morning free — visit the Egyptian Museum or Islamic/Coptic Cairo (Hanging Church, Ben Ezra Synagogue) on a self-guided walking loop. In the evening board the Watania overnight sleeper train Cairo–Aswan (book directly on the Watania site or at Ramses station; ~£45-60 for a single-occupancy cabin, ~£35 pp sharing a twin). Bring snacks; onboard dinner is basic.
🚌Watania sleeper train Cairo → Aswan (~£45, ~13 hrs)
🛏Overnight sleeper train cabin (~£45)
- →Islamic & Coptic Cairo self-guided walk
- →Nile-view Corniche sunset
Aswan — Nubian Village boat trip
Aswan
Arrive early morning, drop bags at a guesthouse in Aswan (walkable from the station). Rest, then take a public Nile ferry or shared motorboat across to the Nubian Village on the west bank (~£3) for tea and a wander — or book a half-day Nubian village trip on Klook/GetYourGuide (~£15 pp). Evening at the Aswan Souk for spices and hibiscus tea.
🚌Public ferry/motorboat to Nubian Village (~£3)
🛏Aswan guesthouse near the Corniche (~£15 pp)
- →Nubian Village boat crossing
- →Aswan Souk evening walk
Abu Simbel day trip, then Kom Ombo on the way to Luxor
Aswan → Luxor
Optional but highly recommended: join a shared minibus convoy to Abu Simbel at 4am (~£18-25 pp via your guesthouse or GetYourGuide, plus ~£12 entry). Back by early afternoon, then take a local train or shared minibus north to Luxor (train Aswan–Luxor ~£3-6, 3 hrs). If you're on the train, hop off at Kom Ombo to see the temple (~£5 entry) then continue — or simply stop there on a minibus. Check into a Luxor budget hotel near the corniche.
🚌Shared minibus to Abu Simbel (~£20); Aswan–Luxor train (~£5)
🛏Luxor budget hotel west/east bank (~£15 pp)
- →Abu Simbel temples (optional shared trip)
- →Kom Ombo Temple
Luxor West Bank — Valley of the Kings & Hatshepsut
Luxor
Cross by public ferry (~£1) and rent a bike or hire a shared taxi for the West Bank loop (~£8). Tickets: Valley of the Kings ~£10 (3 tombs), Hatshepsut Temple ~£6, Colossi of Memnon free. A licensed guide for the morning via GetYourGuide runs ~£25-30 pp shared. Lunch at a West Bank local family café (~£4). Evening: Luxor Temple lit up at night is free to view from outside and ~£5 to enter.
🚌Public ferry + bike/shared taxi West Bank (~£9)
🛏Luxor budget hotel (~£15 pp)
- →Valley of the Kings
- →Temple of Hatshepsut
- →Colossi of Memnon
- →Luxor Temple by night
Karnak Temple, Luxor bazaar & hot air balloon option
Luxor
Optional sunrise hot-air balloon over the West Bank — book direct with a local operator or via GetYourGuide (~£65-90; G Adventures doesn't offer this, so it's a self-launched bonus). Later morning: Karnak Temple (~£10 entry), the world's largest temple complex. Afternoon: browse the Luxor bazaar and the alabaster workshops; consider a community craft stop like the Funtasia project (ask your hotel — visits are usually free/donation). Evening train or a night's rest before the long haul north.
🚌Local taxi/microbus around Luxor (~£5)
🛏Luxor budget hotel (~£15 pp)
- →Karnak Temple
- →Luxor bazaar
- →Hot air balloon (optional add-on)
Luxor → Cairo → Amman
Luxor / Cairo / Amman
Catch a morning local flight Luxor–Cairo on EgyptAir/Nile Air (book direct; ~£50-70 one way) or the overnight train back to Cairo if you're on a tighter budget (~£35). Connect to your Cairo–Amman flight (Royal Jordanian, EgyptAir or Air Arabia; ~£90-140 one way — book early). On arrival Queen Alia airport, buy a Jordan Pass online in advance (from ~£55, includes your visa fee and Petra + Jerash + Karak entry) and take the airport bus to Downtown Amman (~£4).
🚌Luxor–Cairo flight (~£60) + Cairo–Amman flight (~£110) + airport bus (~£4)
🛏Amman budget hotel Downtown/Jabal Amman (~£20 pp)
- →Flight day
- →Buy Jordan Pass online before arrival
Jerash & the Dead Sea
Amman / Jerash / Dead Sea
Book a shared day tour on GetYourGuide covering Jerash (Roman city, ~2 hrs from Amman) and a Dead Sea beach float (~£45-60 pp including transport and entry). Alternatively, take a JETT bus to Jerash (~£3 each way) and a separate shared taxi to Amman Beach, but the combined tour is usually better value. Optional: Baptism Site at Bethany beyond the Jordan (~£18 extra) and mud baths (~£3).
🚌Shared day tour transport (~£50 pp) or JETT bus (£6 return)
🛏Amman budget hotel (~£20 pp)
- →Jerash Roman ruins
- →Dead Sea float
- →Baptism Site (optional)
Amman → Madaba, Mt Nebo & Karak → Petra
Amman → Petra via Madaba/Karak
Take an early JETT or local minibus to Madaba (~£2), see the St George mosaic map (~£3). Shared taxi or local bus to Mt Nebo viewpoint (~£1 entry) for the Jordan Valley panorama. Continue south on a local bus/minibus to Karak (~£3) and explore the Crusader castle (~£3, or covered by Jordan Pass). Then hop a minibus to Wadi Musa/Petra (~£4, 1.5 hrs). Check into a budget hotel near the Petra visitor centre.
🚌Local buses/minibuses Amman–Madaba–Karak–Wadi Musa (~£10 total)
🛏Wadi Musa budget hotel (~£18 pp)
- →Madaba mosaics
- →Mt Nebo
- →Karak Castle
Petra full day
Petra / Wadi Musa
Start at 6:30am to walk the Siq before the heat and crowds. Entry is covered by the Jordan Pass. Do the classic route: Treasury, Street of Facades, Royal Tombs, then hike the 800 steps to the Monastery (allow 5-6 hrs total). A local Bedouin guide for a couple of hours runs ~£20-25 pp — book through your hotel. Optional extras: Petra by Night on Mondays/Wednesdays/Thursdays (~£17) and a Turkish bath in town (~£20).
🚌Walk from town (~15 min) or hotel shuttle
🛏Wadi Musa budget hotel (~£18 pp)
- →Petra full-day hike
- →Monastery climb
- →Petra by Night (optional)
Little Petra & Wadi Rum desert camp
Petra → Wadi Rum
Morning shared taxi or minibus to Little Petra (~£7 entry, 20 mins) for the smaller, quieter Nabatean site. Then arrange a shared minibus or taxi from Wadi Musa to Wadi Rum village (~£10-15 pp, 2 hrs). Your desert camp will collect you — book a basic Bedouin camp with shared bathroom via Booking.com or GetYourGuide (~£25-35 pp half board). Evening 4x4 jeep tour at sunset (~£25-30 pp for 2-3 hrs) and an underground-oven zarb dinner.
🚌Shared minibus Wadi Musa – Wadi Rum (~£12)
🛏Wadi Rum Bedouin desert camp, half board (~£32 pp)
- →Little Petra
- →Wadi Rum 4x4 jeep tour
- →Bedouin camp overnight
Wadi Rum sunrise → Aqaba
Wadi Rum → Aqaba
Optional sunrise camel ride (~£15-20) or short jeep loop before breakfast. Then take a shared minibus/taxi from Wadi Rum to Aqaba (~£7-10, 1 hr). Check into a budget hotel near the beach, then walk to the public beach or book a Red Sea snorkelling boat trip (~£25-30 pp half day via GetYourGuide or a local dive shop direct) — Aqaba's coral is genuinely good. Cheap fresh fish dinner by the port.
🚌Shared minibus Wadi Rum – Aqaba (~£8)
🛏Aqaba budget hotel (~£22 pp)
- →Wadi Rum sunrise (optional camel)
- →Aqaba snorkelling boat trip
Aqaba → Amman via the Dead Sea Highway, with a South Ghour community stop
Aqaba → Amman
Take a JETT bus or shared minibus Aqaba–Amman (~£8-10, 3.5 hrs). Ask your driver to stop at Al Safi/South Ghour — the Safi Kitchen community café is a social enterprise worth an hour for lunch and to see the craft workshop. Alternatively, book a private shared taxi (~£25 pp) that allows a stop. Arrive Amman, check into your hotel and spend the evening on Rainbow Street.
🚌JETT bus Aqaba – Amman (~£9) or shared taxi with stop (~£25)
🛏Amman budget hotel (~£20 pp)
- →Safi Kitchen community lunch & crafts
- →Rainbow Street evening
Amman — Roman Theatre & departure
Amman
Morning wander through the Roman Theatre (~£2), the Citadel (~£3, or Jordan Pass) and the old Downtown souk for souvenirs. Airport bus or shared taxi to Queen Alia Airport for departure (~£4-8). Consider adding an extra night if you want a Mujib Siq canyon hike or a day trip to Ajloun.
🚌Airport bus/taxi to QAI (~£6)
🛏—
- →Roman Theatre & Citadel
- →Downtown Amman souk
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,180 | £2,050 |
| Duration | 15 days | 15 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £870 per person (42%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,180
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Egypt & Jordan Adventure — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,180 per person for 15 days in Egypt & Jordan. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £2,050 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,180 — a saving of roughly £870 (42%) per person.
How long is the Egypt & Jordan trip?+
This itinerary runs 15 days, covering 15 day-by-day stops through Egypt & Jordan.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, culture, hiking trip through Egypt & Jordan, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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