Jordan & Egypt Uncovered — Self-Launched

Fly into Queen Alia Airport; the airport shuttle bus (Sariyah) runs to the Tabarbour/Abdali area for about £4, or split a taxi (£18-22 total). Base yourself in Downtown Amman near Hashemite Plaza, where hostels and budget hotels run £12-20 a night. Spend the afternoon climbing to the Amman Citadel and Roman Theatre, then hunt down arayes and falafel in the downtown lanes around 2nd Circle.

🚌Airport shuttle bus ~£4; walking + local taxis (£1.50-2.50 per short hop)

🛏Downtown Amman hostel or budget hotel (dorm £10-14, private £18-25)

• →Amman Citadel & Roman Theatre (£3)
• →Jordan Museum (£2.50, Dead Sea Scrolls)
• →Downtown food crawl — arayes, falafel, knafeh

The cheapest self-launched way to do the King's Highway is to base the night in Madaba or book a shared day transfer. Simplest option: a GetYourGuide/Klook shared day tour from Amman covering Madaba mosaics, Mt Nebo, a Dead Sea swim and Kerak Castle, ending in Wadi Musa (£35-45 including entry fees). Alternatively, take the JETT bus Amman–Karak (£4) and negotiate a local taxi to the castle and onwards. Bring an old swimsuit for the Dead Sea mud and rinse off at the showers.

🚌Shared day tour / JETT + local taxi ~£40 total

🛏Wadi Musa guesthouse near the Petra entrance (£14-22 private, £9-12 dorm)

• →Mt Nebo church and mosaic floors (£2.50)
• →Dead Sea float and mud (£12-15 beach access)
• →Kerak Crusader castle (£2.50)

Buy the Jordan Pass before you fly (£60-70 for a 2-3 day pass) — it covers your visa fee and Petra entry, so it effectively pays for itself. Start at 6.30am to beat the crowds and the heat: walk the Siq to the Treasury, then the Roman road, tombs and theatre, and climb the 800 steps to the Monastery. Self-launched means no guide, so use an audio guide or the free Petra map app; a licensed local guide at the gate is about £35 for 2-3 hours if you want the stories.

🚌Walking from town to the visitor centre (10-15 min) or £1 taxi

🛏Wadi Musa guesthouse (£14-22 private)

• →Petra full day (Jordan Pass)
• →Siq, Treasury, Roman road, Theatre
• →Monastery hike (~1 hour up)

Minibus or shared taxi Wadi Musa–Wadi Rum village is about £8-12 (roughly 2 hours). Book a Bedouin camp direct by email/WhatsApp — most include a 2-3 hour jeep tour, dinner from the zarb earth oven, and breakfast for £30-45 per person in a shared tent (private bubble tents £60+). Afternoon jeep tour to Lawrence's Spring, the Khazali inscriptions and the red dunes; sunset on a viewpoint; stars after dinner.

🚌Shared minibus Wadi Musa–Wadi Rum ~£10

🛏Bedouin desert camp, shared tent with dinner and breakfast (£30-45)

• →Half-day jeep safari (£20-25)
• →Ancient inscriptions and rock bridges
• →Zarb dinner and Bedouin camp overnight

Shared taxi or minibus to Aqaba (£6-8, 1 hour). The Arab Bridge Maritime fast ferry Aqaba–Taba (about £45-55 one way, 1 hour) is the quickest crossing; Nuweiba–Aqaba slow ferry plus a Nuweiba–Dahab minibus is the cheaper, slower alternative (£25 total but can take a full day with delays). Have Jordanian and Egyptian visas/passport stamps ready and expect queues. From Taba, a shared minibus to Dahab is £4-6, or a private taxi about £18. Evening: seafood and a beachfront cafe on the Dahab promenade.

🚌Minibus to Aqaba ~£7 + Taba fast ferry ~£50 + shared minibus to Dahab ~£5

🛏Dahab beach guesthouse in Assalah (£10-16 private, £7-10 dorm)

• →Aqaba waterfront
• →Red Sea ferry crossing
• →Dahab seafront dinner

Full day on the reef. A shared pickup truck or minibus to the Blue Hole is £5-8 return; entry £5-8 plus gear hire £8-10. Snorkel the coral drop-off and the 'Bridge' arch if you're confident in the water, then lunch at a Bedouin beach shack. Cheaper alternative: snorkel straight off the Lighthouse reef in town for free gear-hire only. Dinner in Assalah — roast chicken and falafel for under £5.

🚌Shared pickup/minibus to Blue Hole ~£6 return

🛏Dahab beach guesthouse (£10-16 private)

• →Blue Hole snorkelling with gear hire (£20-25)
• →Bedouin beach shack lunch
• →Assalah street food dinner

Local bus or shared minibus Dahab–St Catherine's is about £5-7 (2 hours). Check in to a simple guesthouse near the monastery (£12-18), sleep in the afternoon, then start the Mt Sinai climb around 11pm-1am with a local Bedouin guide (£15-20) or on your own on the well-marked Camel Path. Sunrise from the summit is the whole point — bring layers, it's cold up there. Camel rides up part of the way are about £15.

🚌Local bus/shared minibus Dahab–St Catherine's ~£6

🛏Guesthouse near St Catherine's Monastery (£12-18)

• →Mt Sinai sunrise hike
• →Bedouin guide (£15-20)
• →St Catherine's village evening

Visit the monastery when it opens at 9am (£3-5 donation/entry) — the burning bush chapel and the icon collection are worth an hour. Note it closes Fridays and on some religious holidays, so check ahead. East Delta bus or a shared minibus from the monastery junction to Cairo (about 6-7 hours, £8-10); the bus drops at Abbasiya or Turgoman. Check into a Downtown Cairo hostel (£10-18 dorm, £20-28 private) and eat koshari for £2.

🚌East Delta bus St Catherine's–Cairo ~£9

🛏Downtown Cairo hostel/hotel (dorm £10-15, private £22-30)

• →St Catherine's Monastery
• →Khan el Khalili or Downtown evening wander

Self-launched Cairo is best done on foot plus metro (30p a ride). Morning in Islamic Cairo: Mosque of Mohammed Ali in the Citadel (£4), then walk down to Khan el-Khalili for the gold market, Perfume Street and the spice lanes. Afternoon in Coptic Cairo — Hanging Church, Church of St Sergius, Ben Ezra Synagogue (free/£2). Sunset mint tea at El Fishawy. A GetYourGuide Islamic Cairo walking tour with a guide costs about £20-25 if you'd rather have context.

🚌Metro and short taxis ~£3; Uber/Careem across town £2-3

🛏Downtown Cairo hostel/hotel (£22-30 private)

• →Citadel and Mosque of Mohammed Ali (£4)
• →Khan el-Khalili markets
• →Coptic Cairo churches and synagogue

Take the metro to Giza then a local minibus or Careem to the plateau (£2-3). Pyramids site entry is £6-7, plus £15-18 to go inside the Great Pyramid of Khufu if you want it (book the interior slot online in advance — it sells out). Skip the camel touts or agree a price in writing beforehand. Afternoon at the Grand Egyptian Museum (£12-15, book a timed ticket online); it's vast, so pick the Tutankhamun galleries and the grand staircase.

🚌Metro + minibus/Careem ~£4

🛏Downtown Cairo hostel/hotel (£22-30 private)

• →Giza pyramids and Sphinx (£7)
• →Great Pyramid interior — optional (£16)
• →Grand Egyptian Museum (£13)

Daytime in Cairo then the night train. The Egyptian Railways sleeper (Watania) Cairo–Aswan is about £55-70 for a single cabin, £45-50 per person sharing a double — book online a few weeks ahead and bring your own snacks. The cheaper seated alternative is the daytime train for £12-18 (13 hours) or a budget flight from £35-50 if you'd rather save the day. Arrive Aswan early morning and check into a Nubian-style guesthouse near the Corniche (£15-22).

🚌Watania overnight sleeper Cairo–Aswan ~£50 (or £15 seated daytime train)

🛏Aswan guesthouse (£15-22)

• →Cairo free morning
• →Nile views from the sleeper train

Morning at the Temple of Isis on Philae Island — shared boat out and back £8-10 plus entry £8. Then the Unfinished Obelisk (£4), the Nubian Museum (£4) and the Aswan High Dam (£4) if you have energy. Late afternoon take a felucca sail around Elephantine and Kitchener's Island (£8-12 for an hour, split with others), and finish with mint tea on the Corniche and a wander through the Nubian Bazaar.

🚌Local taxis and boats ~£10

🛏Aswan guesthouse (£15-22)

• →Philae Temple (£8 + boat)
• →Unfinished Obelisk, Nubian Museum
• →Felucca sunset sail (£10)
• →Nubian Bazaar

Book a shared minibus day trip to Abu Simbel direct with any Aswan hotel or on GetYourGuide (£25-35 including entry, leaving 4am for the 3-hour convoy). Ramses II's Great Temple and Nefertari's temple are the best-preserved in Egypt. Back by early afternoon, then cross by local boat to a Nubian village homestay on Elephantine or the west bank (£20-30 with dinner and breakfast) — expect a simple room, shared bathroom and a home-cooked dinner with the family.

🚌Shared minibus Abu Simbel ~£20 of the day-trip cost; boat to village £2

🛏Nubian family homestay with dinner/breakfast (£20-30)

• →Abu Simbel temples (£30 with shared transport)
• →Nubian village homestay dinner
• →Football with the local kids

Two-day, one-night felucca trip with a Nubian captain is best arranged direct in Aswan the day before (£35-50 per person including meals, cheaper if you join a group of 4-8 via your guesthouse). Sail south-to-north, moor at a sandbank for the night, cook over a fire and sleep on deck under blankets (bring a warm layer — and note the clearance is low if you're tall). Everyone shares the bucket-and-curl toilet situation; it's part of the deal.

🚌Felucca — no other transport needed

🛏Overnight on felucca deck with blankets (included in £40 felucca price)

• →Overnight felucca sailing
• →Sandbank campfire dinner
• →Swim stop in the Nile

Sail the morning, disembark near Kom Ombo and visit the riverside double temple (£5), then a shared minibus or train to Luxor (£4-6, 2 hours). Check into a Luxor West Bank or town guesthouse (£12-20). Late afternoon at Karnak Temple (£8) — go around 4pm for the light and fewer crowds. Evening in the bazaar and a teahouse; the souk stays open late.

🚌Shared minibus/train Kom Ombo–Luxor ~£5

🛏Luxor guesthouse (£12-20)

• →Kom Ombo Temple (£5)
• →Karnak Temple (£8)
• →Luxor bazaar and teahouse

Cross the Nile by public ferry (10p) and hire a bike (£3/day) or a shared taxi (£10 for the morning) to the West Bank sites. Valley of the Kings ticket covers 3 tombs (£10); Tutankhamun's tomb is extra (£10) and Seti I is the splurge. Add the Temple of Hatshepsut (£6) and the Colossi of Memnon (free). Optional sunrise hot-air balloon flight over the West Bank is £70-90 if you want a once-in-a-lifetime splurge — book via GetYourGuide.

🚌Public ferry + bike hire or shared taxi ~£6

🛏Luxor guesthouse (£12-20)

• →Valley of the Kings — 3 tombs (£10)
• →Temple of Hatshepsut (£6)
• →Optional hot-air balloon (£80)

Go Bus or a shared minibus Luxor–Hurghada takes about 4-5 hours and costs £6-9; book online the day before. Arrive in the afternoon and orient yourself around the Marina and the old town (El Dahar) rather than the all-inclusive strip. Budget hotels in El Dahar are £15-22; the beach clubs along the promenade charge £5-8 day passes.

🚌Go Bus Luxor–Hurghada ~£8

🛏Hurghada budget hotel in El Dahar (£15-22)

• →Hurghada Marina walk
• →El Dahar old town and fish market

Full-day Red Sea snorkelling or dive boat trip to Giftun Island or the marine park with lunch included, booked via GetYourGuide or direct at the marina (£20-30 for snorkelling, £40-55 for two intro dives). The reefs here are some of the healthiest in the Red Sea. Back by late afternoon for a waterfront cafe and sunset at the marina.

🚌Walk/local taxi to marina ~£2

🛏Hurghada budget hotel (£15-22)

• →Red Sea snorkelling boat trip with lunch (£25)
• →Optional intro dive (£45)
• →Marina sunset

Go Bus Hurghada–Cairo is £8-12 and takes 6-7 hours including a checkpoint stop; the 8am departure gets you in for late afternoon. Alternatively fly Hurghada–Cairo from £35 if you're short on time. Check back into a Downtown hostel and head to Khan el-Khalili after dark when the lanterns are lit — gold market, Perfume Street, spice and cloth lanes, then dinner at a local ful and ta'meya spot.

🚌Go Bus Hurghada–Cairo ~£10

🛏Downtown Cairo hostel/hotel (£22-30 private)

• →Khan el-Khalili night market
• →Perfume Street and spice market
• →Downtown street food

The comfortable option is the air-conditioned Egyptian Railways train Cairo–Alexandria, roughly £5-8 for first class, 2.5 hours, several departures a day from Ramses station. Check into a hotel near the Corniche in the Manshiya or Raml area (£15-25). Late afternoon stroll the 15km Corniche, then a fresh seafood dinner at a fish restaurant in Anfushi (£8-12) — pick your fish from the ice and they grill it.

🚌Train Cairo–Alexandria ~£7

🛏Alexandria Corniche hotel (£15-25)

• →Corniche sunset walk
• →Anfushi seafood dinner
• →Raml tram ride (30p)

Start at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (£3, guided tour £5) then walk or tram to the Citadel of Qaitbay (£4) on the site of the ancient lighthouse. Afternoon at the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa (£5) and the El Morsi Abu El Abbas Mosque. El Alamein War Museum is a 2-hour trip west (£8 return by train + taxi) — do it only if you're a WWII buff, otherwise spend the time at the Greco-Roman Museum (£4).

🚌Tram and taxis ~£4

🛏Alexandria Corniche hotel (£15-25)

• →Bibliotheca Alexandrina (£3-5)
• →Citadel of Qaitbay (£4)
• →Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa (£5)

Morning train back to Cairo (£7). Spend the afternoon at anything you missed — the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir (£6) if you skipped it, or the Al-Azhar Park gardens (£2) for the best view over Islamic Cairo. Final celebratory dinner: kebab and kofta at a Downtown grill house or sheesha at a roof terrace cafe, £8-12.

🚌Train Alexandria–Cairo ~£7; taxis ~£3

🛏Downtown Cairo hostel/hotel (£22-30 private)

• →Egyptian Museum, Tahrir (£6) or Al-Azhar Park (£2)
• →Farewell kebab/kofta dinner
• →Rooftop sheesha

Airport transfer by Careem/Uber is £5-8, or the public 356 bus from Tahrir/Heliopolis for under £1. Leave time for Cairo traffic — 45-60 minutes from Downtown. If your flight is late, drop your bag at the hostel and do one last koshari lunch.

🚌Careem/Uber to airport ~£7

🛏—

• →Last-minute souvenir shopping
• →Koshari lunch