Egypt & Jordan: Pyramids, Nile & Petra — Self-Launched
11 days · Egypt & Jordan
AB Voyages Egypt charges £2,699
No-markup version: ~£1,180 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of AB Voyages Egypt's 11-day Cairo-to-Amman adventure. You'll still tick off Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum, cruise the Nile from Luxor to Aswan on a locally-booked felucca or budget dahabiya, then cross overland into Jordan for Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea. Everything is booked direct: budget guesthouses and hostels instead of tour hotels, shared/local transport instead of private drivers, and self-bookable guides through GetYourGuide or on arrival. Costs are rough backpacker estimates in GBP and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Cairo
Cairo
Land at Cairo International, pick up a tourist SIM from the airport stalls (Vodafone or Orange, roughly £8 for 20GB) and take the airport shuttle bus or an Uber to downtown. Base yourself in a downtown hostel or budget guesthouse near Talaat Harb. Spend the evening walking the Nile Corniche and eating koshari at a local spot (about £2).
🚌Airport to downtown: Uber/airport bus £4-6
🛏Downtown Cairo hostel/guesthouse, double or dorm (approx £12-18)
- →Airport SIM setup
- →Downtown Cairo evening walk
- →Koshari dinner
Giza Pyramids, Sphinx & Grand Egyptian Museum
Giza / Cairo
Take the Cairo Metro to Giza then a microbus or short Uber to the pyramids (about £3). Buy the Giza plateau ticket plus entry to one pyramid at the gate (£15-18 total) or pre-book a half-day small-group guide through GetYourGuide for about £25. Mid-afternoon, taxi to the Grand Egyptian Museum and pay the standard entry (roughly £20; Tutankhamun galleries may need a supplement). Optional extras: camel ride on the plateau (£10) or the evening Sound & Light show (£15).
🚌Metro + Uber to Giza, then to GEM, approx £8 total
🛏Downtown Cairo hostel/guesthouse (approx £12-18)
- →Pyramids of Giza
- →Great Sphinx
- →Grand Egyptian Museum
- →Optional camel ride
Cairo to Luxor — Karnak & Luxor Temple
Luxor
Take the early Egyptair or Nile Air flight from Cairo to Luxor (book direct, approx £50-65 one-way) rather than the 9-hour overnight train, which is around £20 for a sleeper. Check into a guesthouse on the West Bank or in Luxor town (£12-18). In the afternoon, walk or take a local taxi to Karnak Temple (£10 entry) and then the short avenue of sphinxes to Luxor Temple — the combined ticket covers both. Evening: buy your own supplies for a felucca or budget dahabiya departure the next morning.
🚌Cairo–Luxor domestic flight approx £55; local taxis £4
🛏Luxor guesthouse, West Bank or town (approx £12-18)
- →Karnak Temple Complex
- →Luxor Temple
- →Book Nile felucca/dahabiya locally
Valley of the Kings & Hatshepsut, then sail
Luxor / Nile
Rent a bike (£3/day) or split a taxi with other travellers (£15 total) for the West Bank loop. Valley of the Kings entry is about £10 plus optional Tutankhamun (£8) and Ramses VI (£4) tomb tickets; Temple of Hatshepsut is £6 and the Colossi of Memnon are free to view from the road. Optional sunrise hot air balloon can be booked direct with operators in Luxor the day before for £70-90. In the late afternoon, board a locally-booked felucca or budget dahabiya at Luxor dock (about £45-60 per person per night including meals when you book direct with a captain — negotiate for 2-3 nights).
🚌Bike hire or shared taxi on West Bank £4-8
🛏Overnight on felucca/dahabiya in cabins or deck (approx £55 incl. meals)
- →Valley of the Kings
- →Tomb of Tutankhamun
- →Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
- →Colossi of Memnon
- →Sail south from Luxor
Edfu & Kom Ombo
Nile / Edfu / Kom Ombo
The boat stops at Edfu — hop a shared horse carriage from the bank to the Temple of Horus (£3-5 return, entry about £7). Sail on and stop at Kom Ombo in the late afternoon for the twin temple (entry £5) — the light at sunset is superb. Meals are taken on board.
🚌Horse carriage to Edfu temple £4
🛏Overnight on felucca/dahabiya (approx £55 incl. meals)
- →Temple of Horus at Edfu
- →Kom Ombo Temple
- →Sunset sailing
Aswan & Philae Temple
Aswan
Disembark in Aswan and check into a Nubian guesthouse (£12-18). Take a public ferry or shared motorboat to Agilkia Island for Philae Temple (boat about £4 return, entry £8). Evening option: wander the Nubian village on the West Bank (public ferry £1) and eat at a family-run Nubian restaurant, or catch the Philae Sound & Light show if you pre-book (£15).
🚌Local ferry/motorboat to Philae approx £4-6
🛏Nubian guesthouse, Aswan (approx £12-18)
- →Philae Temple
- →Nubian village walk
- →Optional Sound & Light show
Abu Simbel day trip, fly to Cairo
Abu Simbel / Cairo
Catch the 4am shared minibus convoy to Abu Simbel (book locally or via your guesthouse, about £15-20 return) or fly with Egyptair if you'd rather sleep in (£70). Entry is £14. Back in Aswan by early afternoon, then late flight to Cairo (£50-60). If time allows, taxi to Khan el-Khalili bazaar for an evening of tea and shopping (free entry).
🚌Shared minibus to Abu Simbel £18; Aswan–Cairo flight £55
🛏Downtown Cairo hostel (approx £12-18)
- →Abu Simbel Temples
- →Khan el-Khalili bazaar
Cairo to Petra
Petra / Wadi Musa
Fly Cairo to Amman with Royal Jordanian or flydubai via a connection (approx £120-150 one-way; buy your Jordan Pass before arrival — from JOD 70/£77 and it covers your visa plus Petra entry). Take the JETT or Trust bus from Amman to Wadi Musa (£8-10, 3.5 hours) or a shared taxi. Check into a hostel in Wadi Musa (£12-18) and rest up for a full Petra day. Optional Petra by Night runs on select evenings (£12).
🚌Cairo–Amman flight approx £135; JETT bus to Wadi Musa £9
🛏Wadi Musa hostel/guesthouse (approx £12-18)
- →Travel day
- →Optional Petra by Night
Petra & on to Wadi Rum
Petra / Wadi Rum
Start at the Siq at opening time (6am in summer) to beat the crowds. Your Jordan Pass covers a one-day Petra entry — the Treasury, the Monastery trail (850 steps, allow 2 hours up and back) and the Royal Tombs. Hiring a local Bedouin guide at the gate for a couple of hours costs about £25. Late afternoon, catch a shared taxi to Wadi Rum village (£10) and check into a desert camp. Budget camps with shared bathrooms run £18-30 including dinner, breakfast and a short jeep ride.
🚌Shared taxi Wadi Musa–Wadi Rum £10
🛏Wadi Rum desert camp, half-board (approx £25)
- →Petra ancient city
- →Monastery hike
- →Bedouin guide (optional)
Wadi Rum jeep safari & the Dead Sea
Wadi Rum / Dead Sea / Amman
Book a 2-3 hour jeep tour with your camp for about £25 (shorter than the operator's included safari but covers Lawrence's Spring, the red dunes and the mushroom rock). Then arrange a shared taxi or camp transfer north to the Dead Sea (£25-30), pay the day-use fee at a public beach or hotel beach club (£20-30 for towel and showers — Amman Beach is cheapest). Finish with a bus or shared taxi to Amman (£6-8) and check into a downtown hostel (£12-18). Falafel and hummus dinner for £4.
🚌Shared taxi Wadi Rum–Dead Sea £28; Dead Sea–Amman £7
🛏Downtown Amman hostel (approx £12-18)
- →Wadi Rum jeep safari
- →Swim at the Dead Sea
- →Amman downtown evening
Amman Citadel, Roman Theatre & depart
Amman
Morning walk through downtown Amman: the Citadel and Roman Theatre are both covered by the Jordan Pass. Grab a final falafel sandwich and take the airport express bus from Tabarbour or a shared taxi to Queen Alia Airport (£5-8) for your flight home.
🚌Airport express bus or shared taxi £6
🛏None (departure day)
- →Amman Citadel
- →Roman Theatre
- →Downtown Amman walk
Self-launched vs. AB Voyages Egypt
| This itinerary (self-launched) | AB Voyages Egypt | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,180 | £2,699 |
| Duration | 11 days | 11 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,519 per person (56%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more AB Voyages Egypt-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: Pyramids, Nile & Petra — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,180 per person for 11 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 AB Voyages Egypt?+
Yes — AB Voyages Egypt charges around £2,699 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 £1,519 (56%) per person.
How long is the Egypt & Jordan trip?+
This itinerary runs 11 days, covering 11 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, budget 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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