Israel, Jordan & Egypt with Nile Cruise — 12-Day Self-Launched Version

Start your own version of the classic Galilee day. From Tel Aviv take the train or bus to Afula/Nazareth (Egged bus 826 from Tel Aviv Central ~£5, 2 hrs, or train to Afula then local bus). Walk the Old City of Nazareth to the Church of the Annunciation and Church of St Joseph, then take a local bus or shared taxi to Tiberias and pick up a Galilee loop. Self-book a small-group Galilee day tour via GetYourGuide or join a shared minivan from Tiberias (~£35–45) covering Mount of Beatitudes, Capernaum and the Sea of Galilee shore. Optional symbolic baptism at Yardenit is pay-on-site. Sleep in a Tiberias hostel or guesthouse dorm.

🚌Egged bus Tel Aviv–Nazareth ~£5; local bus Nazareth–Tiberias ~£3; shared Galilee minivan tour ~£40

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Tiberias (~£20/person)

• →Walk the Church of the Annunciation and Church of St Joseph, Nazareth
• →Mount of Beatitudes viewpoint
• →Capernaum ruins and ancient synagogue
• →Sea of Galilee shoreline drive
• →Optional baptism at Yardenit (pay on site)

Take an early bus down the coast to Caesarea (train/bus combo via Hadera, ~£6) and pay the small entry to the Roman theatre and hippodrome ruins. Continue by train to Haifa (~£3) for the Baha'i Gardens terraces (free, timed entry — book the free visitor slot online in advance). Local bus to Rosh Hanikra for the cable car into the sea grottos (~£10), then a short train hop to Acre/Akko (~£3). Explore the Crusader City and Knights' Halls (combined ticket ~£12) and the old port. Overnight in the Akko old town or head back to Haifa.

🚌Coastal buses and Israel Railways hops ~£15 total; Rosh Hanikra cable car ~£10

🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel in Acre/Haifa (~£25/person)

• →Caesarea Roman theatre and hippodrome
• →Baha'i Gardens terraces, Haifa (free timed ticket)
• →Rosh Hanikra sea grottos by cable car
• →Crusader City and Knights' Halls, Acre
• →Acre old port and market stroll

Train or bus to Jerusalem (~£6–8). Do the classic old-city walk yourself: enter through Damascus Gate or Lions' Gate, follow the Via Dolorosa, visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Western Wall, and wander the Cardo and markets. Get a free/cheap walking tour from the Jaffa Gate tourist office or book a small-group old-city walk on GetYourGuide (~£20). In the afternoon take bus 231 from Damascus Gate to Bethlehem (~£2), see Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity, and return before dark. Note that Israel/Palestine security conditions change quickly — check FCDO and local advice before travelling; a guided day tour from Jerusalem (~£45) is a lower-hassle alternative.

🚌Train/bus to Jerusalem ~£7; light rail and local bus to Bethlehem ~£3

🛏Hostel dorm in Jerusalem (Musrara/old city area), ~£22/person

• →Via Dolorosa and Stations of the Cross
• →Church of the Holy Sepulchre
• →Western Wall
• →Mount of Olives and Garden of Gethsemane
• →Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem

Join a shared Dead Sea/Masada day tour from Jerusalem (~£55–65 on GetYourGuide/Klook, includes transport and Masada cable car option) or DIY: Egged bus 486 from Jerusalem to Masada (~£8 each way) plus the cable car (~£12) or the pre-dawn Snake Path hike (free, ~1.5 hrs). Explore the Herod's palace, synagogue and Roman barracks on the plateau, then take the same bus or the tour van to Ein Bokek public beach and float in the Dead Sea (free beaches; ~£7 for a spa/beach with showers). Try the mud, shower off, and take the late bus back to Jerusalem.

🚌Shared Dead Sea day tour ~£58 or bus 486 ~£16 return; Masada cable car ~£12

🛏Hostel dorm in Jerusalem, ~£22/person

• →Masada plateau — Herod's palaces, synagogue, Roman barracks
• →Snake Path or cable car ascent
• →Float and mud at Ein Bokek Dead Sea beach
• →Sea Level marker photo stop

The long transfer day. Take the early bus from Jerusalem to Eilat (~£17, 4.5 hrs) or an overnight bus, then cross the Wadi Araba/Yitzhak Rabin border on foot (departure tax ~£25, Jordan visa on arrival / free with Jordan Pass) and a shared taxi to Aqaba (~£8). From Aqaba, a JETT bus or minibus runs to Wadi Musa (~£7, 2 hrs). Pre-buy the Jordan Pass (~£65–75) which covers your visa and the Petra + Wadi Rum entry. Arrive Wadi Musa, dump bags and go in late afternoon when the site is quieter: down the Siq to the Treasury, then the Street of Facades, theatre and royal tombs. A local Bedouin guide for the Siq/Treasury costs ~£15 shared.

🚌Bus Jerusalem–Eilat ~£17; Wadi Araba border tax ~£25; shared taxi Aqaba ~£8; JETT/minibus to Wadi Musa ~£7

🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel in Wadi Musa, ~£15/person

• →Walk the Siq to the Treasury
• →Petra Street of Facades and Roman theatre
• →Royal tombs and cave dwellings
• →Optional shared Bedouin guide ~£15

Early start to climb to the Monastery (Ad-Deir) via the 800 steps, or the High Place of Sacrifice — both free with your Jordan Pass, ~2–3 hrs. Mid-morning shared minivan to Wadi Rum village (~£6, 1.5 hrs). Book a 2-hour 4x4 jeep tour on arrival at the visitor centre (~£25–30 shared) hitting the Lawrence's Spring, rock bridges and ancient petroglyphs, or a one-night Bedouin camp stay if you want the full desert experience (basic camp ~£20–25 including dinner). Late afternoon return to Aqaba; if you have time, walk the Aqaba beaches and Corniche before the ferry.

🚌Minibus Petra–Wadi Rum ~£6; shared 4x4 jeep tour ~£28; Wadi Rum–Aqaba ~£6

🛏Budget hotel in Aqaba (~£20/person) — or desert camp ~£25

• →Petra Monastery climb or High Place of Sacrifice
• →Wadi Rum 4x4 jeep safari
• →Bedouin rock drawings and rock bridges
• →Aqaba Corniche at sunset

This is the leg where the operator runs a 3-hour drive to Sharm and a domestic flight; as a self-launcher you can either take the Arab Bridge fast ferry Aqaba–Nuweiba (~£60–70, 1 hr, book at the Aqaba ferry terminal a day ahead) or the cheaper slow ferry, then bus from Nuweiba to Cairo (~£10, 7–8 hrs overnight) — or a bus to Taba and onward. Egypt visa on arrival ~£20 (or e-visa). Arrive Cairo, check into a downtown or Giza hostel, and take a self-guided evening wander of Khan el-Khalili bazaar — haggle, mint tea at El Fishawy, and grab koshari for dinner (~£2). If you prefer to fly, Nuweiba/Sharm–Cairo flights run ~£40–60 and save a night.

🚌Arab Bridge ferry ~£65; Nuweiba–Cairo bus ~£10 (or domestic flight ~£50); Egypt visa ~£20

🛏Hostel dorm in downtown Cairo or Giza, ~£10/person

• →Arab Bridge ferry crossing the Gulf of Aqaba
• →Khan el-Khalili bazaar night walk
• →Mint tea at El Fishawy café
• →Koshari street dinner

Beat the crowds: use Uber/Careem to the Giza plateau at opening (~£3), entry ~£12, plus ~£6 to go inside a pyramid (or skip inside and just walk the plateau and Sphinx viewpoint). Midday, get an Uber to the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir (~£12 entry) — the Grand Egyptian Museum at Giza is also open now and worth checking current tickets. In the afternoon, Uber out to Saqqara (~£8 each way) for the Step Pyramid of Djoser and the Serapeum, then loop back via Coptic Cairo (Hanging Church, Ben Ezra Synagogue) and the old fortifications if time allows — or push Coptic Cairo to the next morning. A local Egyptologist guide for a half-day ~£30 shared.

🚌Uber/Careem around Cairo and Saqqara ~£18 total

🛏Hostel dorm in Cairo/Giza, ~£10/person

• →Giza plateau, Great Sphinx and pyramids
• →Egyptian Museum (or Grand Egyptian Museum)
• →Saqqara and Djoser Step Pyramid
• →Coptic Cairo — Hanging Church, Ben Ezra Synagogue

Take the overnight sleeper train Cairo–Aswan (Watania, ~£45–60 in a shared 2-berth cabin, book online ~1–2 weeks ahead) or a cheap domestic flight (~£40–55, 1.5 hrs) if you want the day. Arrive Aswan, check into a Nubian guesthouse, then Uber/taxi to the High Dam viewing point, motorboat out to Philae Island for the Temple of Isis (~£10 entry + ~£7 boat shared), and finish the day on a felucca sail around Elephantine Island at sunset (~£8 for a 1–1.5 hr shared sail). Eat at a Nubian restaurant on the Corniche.

🚌Cairo–Aswan sleeper train ~£50 (or flight ~£48); local taxis/boats ~£15

🛏Nubian guesthouse in Aswan, ~£12/person

• →Cairo–Aswan sleeper train
• →Aswan High Dam
• →Philae Temple of Isis by motorboat
• →Sunset felucca sail on the Nile

Two options. Budget: take the public train or bus Aswan–Kom Ombo (~£2, 1 hr), see the twin temple of Sobek and Horus the Elder (~£6 entry), then train onward to Edfu (~£2) for the Temple of Horus (~£8, plus ~£3 horse-cart or walk). Evening minibus/train to Luxor (~£4). Or replicate the cruise: book a cheap 2-night Aswan–Luxor Nile cruise locally in Aswan (3-star, ~£90–130 full board per person, can be found on arrival or via Klook) which stops at Kom Ombo and Edfu and arrives Luxor on day 11 — a much cheaper route than an all-inclusive package. Either way, you sleep in Luxor tonight or on board.

🚌Local trains Aswan–Kom Ombo–Edfu–Luxor ~£10 total (or 2-night budget cruise ~£110)

🛏Budget hotel/guesthouse in Luxor (~£12/person) — or onboard a budget Nile cruise

• →Kom Ombo temple
• →Temple of Horus at Edfu
• →Esna lock / Esna temple stop if timing works
• →Nile bank scenery from the train or boat deck

Cross the Nile by public ferry (~£1) and hire a bike or shared taxi for the west bank (~£10). Valley of the Kings entry (~£14, includes 3 tombs; Tutankhamun's tomb extra ~£6) — go at opening to avoid heat. Add the Temple of Hatshepsut (~£7) and the Colossi of Memnon (free). Optional hot-air balloon at sunrise (~£55–70, book on GetYourGuide) is the classic splurge. In the evening, optionally see the Sound & Light show at Karnak (~£15, book on the day) — the operator lists it as an optional extra too.

🚌Ferry ~£1; bike hire ~£3 or shared taxi west bank ~£10

🛏Budget hotel/guesthouse in Luxor, ~£12/person

• →Valley of the Kings — 3 royal tombs
• →Temple of Hatshepsut
• →Colossi of Memnon
• →Optional sunrise hot-air balloon ~£60
• →Optional Karnak Sound & Light show ~£15

Early morning at Karnak (~£10 entry, 2 hrs) before the tour buses arrive — the Hypostyle Hall alone is worth it. Walk or take a cheap taxi to Luxor Temple (~£7) in the centre of town, then a final Nile-side coffee. Fly Luxor–Cairo (~£40–55, 1 hr, book ahead on EgyptAir/Nile Air) to connect with your international flight, or take the overnight sleeper train back to Cairo if your flight is the next day (book Watania online). Allow 3 hours at Cairo airport for international departures.

🚌Local taxi ~£4; Luxor–Cairo domestic flight ~£48 (or sleeper train ~£50)

🛏None — depart, or overnight near Cairo airport if flying next day (~£20)

• →Karnak temple complex and Hypostyle Hall
• →Luxor Temple
• →Nile Corniche farewell coffee
• →Domestic flight Luxor–Cairo