Jordan to Egypt: Wadi Rum Camping & Dead Sea Floating (Self-Launched)

Fly into Queen Alia International Airport (AMM). Most nationalities can get the Jordan visa on arrival (~40 JOD, though the Jordan Pass waives it if you buy it in advance — worth it since it also covers Petra and Jerash entry). Take the Airport Express shuttle bus to the 7th Circle or a shared/taxi to downtown Amman (~8-12 JOD). Check into a hostel in the Al-Weibdeh or downtown area, then wander the Rainbow Street cafes for your first falafel and knafeh dinner.

🚌Airport Express bus + taxi (~£10)

🛏Hostel dorm or private room, downtown Amman / Al-Weibdeh (~£14/night)

• →Airport arrival & visa
• →Rainbow Street evening wander

Morning at the Amman Citadel and Roman Amphitheatre (combined ticket ~3 JOD, or covered by Jordan Pass). After lunch take a local minibus or Careem taxi (~1.5 JOD / ~7 JOD) 30 minutes to the hillside town of As-Salt. Self-book a food-tasting walk through As-Salt's old town via a local operator (Klook/GetYourGuide list 2-hour As-Salt food tours from ~£18-25) or simply graze the souk and the historic Al-Salt houses yourself with a stop at a Beit Al Ward–style cooking demo (~£15). Return to Amman in the evening.

🚌Local minibus Amman–As-Salt return (~£3)

🛏Hostel, Amman (~£14/night)

• →Amman Citadel
• →Roman Amphitheatre
• →As-Salt old town food walk

Take a morning minibus or shared taxi from Amman's Tabarbour station to Jerash (~1-2 JOD, 1hr). The Roman site is enormous and easily self-guided with the free map/audio app — plan 3 hours walking the colonnaded cardo, Hadrian's Arch, temples and hippodrome (entry covered by Jordan Pass, otherwise ~10 JOD). Return to Amman, then catch an afternoon JETT bus or shared taxi south to Wadi Musa/Petra (~10-12 JOD, 3.5-4hrs). Settle into a guesthouse near the Petra gate.

🚌Minibus to Jerash + JETT bus Amman–Wadi Musa (~£15)

🛏Guesthouse in Wadi Musa (~£16/night)

• →Jerash Roman ruins self-guided
• →Evening in Wadi Musa

Take a local taxi or minibus (~3-5 JOD) to Little Petra (Siq al-Barid) for 8am. Walk the ancient back-door trail through the mountains to Petra's Monastery (Ad Deir) — a stunning 2-3 hour route that spits you out at the top of Petra with far fewer crowds than the main Siq. Pack water and snacks. Descend via the main Siq to the Treasury in the late afternoon light, then exit. Entry to Petra is 50 JOD for one day or 55 JOD for two days (Jordan Pass covers 2-3 days). Evening: rooftop tea in Wadi Musa.

🚌Local taxi/minibus to Little Petra (~£5)

🛏Guesthouse in Wadi Musa (~£16/night)

• →Little Petra
• →Back-door trail hike
• →Monastery & Treasury

Use your second Petra day for a sunrise entry through the Siq — the Treasury glows orange and is nearly empty at 6am. Back to the guesthouse for breakfast, then a shared taxi or minibus to Wadi Rum village (~1hr, 15-20 JOD shared). Most Bedouin camps include a 2-4 hour 4x4 jeep tour (Lawrence's Spring, red dunes, Khazali Canyon rock inscriptions, sunsets) plus dinner and breakfast — book directly with a camp (Rum Stars, Hasan Zawaideh, or similar) from ~35-45 JOD per person all-in. Night walk for stargazing after dinner.

🚌Shared taxi Wadi Musa–Wadi Rum (~£10)

🛏Bedouin desert camp, shared bathroom (~£30/night incl. dinner & breakfast)

• →Petra sunrise entry
• →Wadi Rum 4x4 jeep tour
• →Desert camp & stargazing walk

Wake for sunrise over the dunes, then a camp transfer back to the village. Take a local minibus or shared taxi to Aqaba (~1hr, 5-8 JOD). Check into a budget hotel or hostel near the beach. Afternoon free: stroll the Aqaba marina and the local fish market. Book a snorkelling boat trip for tomorrow (South Beach operators run half-days from ~25-30 JOD / ~£30, including gear and lunch). Dinner at a local seafood grill.

🚌Shared taxi Wadi Rum–Aqaba (~£7)

🛏Budget hotel/hostel, Aqaba (~£18/night)

• →Wadi Rum sunrise
• →Aqaba marina & market

Morning boat or shore snorkel trip to the Aqaba Marine Park/South Beach reefs (booked direct with a local dive centre — ~£28-35 with equipment and lunch). Afternoon relax at a South Beach club or the public beach. Optional: a Turkish bath (hammam) in town (~12 JOD). Evening: a beachfront restaurant with live music.

🚌Local taxi to South Beach return (~£8)

🛏Budget hotel/hostel, Aqaba (~£18/night)

• →Snorkelling the Aqaba reefs
• →Beach club afternoon
• →Optional hammam

Take an early JETT or shared minibus up the Dead Sea Highway (~4hrs). Stop at a public/private Dead Sea beach — Amman Beach or a hotel day pass (~15-25 JOD) gives showers, towels and mud. Float, don't swim, and don't shave your legs that morning. On the way, stop at Al Safi Kitchen near the Dead Sea for a community lunch (self-bookable, ~£12). Continue to Madaba, check in, and see St George's Church and the famous 6th-century mosaic map (~2 JOD). Dinner of Madaba's famous grilled meats.

🚌Shared minibus/JETT to Dead Sea + Madaba (~£12)

🛏Guesthouse, Madaba (~£16/night)

• →Dead Sea float & mud
• →Al Safi community lunch
• →St George's mosaic map

Slow day. Wander Madaba's mosaic workshops and the Archaeological Park, then take a local taxi (~15-20 JOD return) or tour to Ma'in Hot Springs, a series of steaming waterfalls cascading into pools below the cliffs (~15 JOD entry). Soak, swim and dry off before heading back for dinner in town.

🚌Local taxi to Ma'in Hot Springs return (~£10)

🛏Guesthouse, Madaba (~£16/night)

• →Mosaic workshops
• →Ma'in Hot Springs

Head south by shared taxi or minibus towards Wadi Araba and the remote desert on the Jordan–Israel border. Arrange with a small local operator (or your Wadi Rum camp's network) a 4x4 transfer, a short hike to a desert pond, and a night at a simple desert camp under the stars — expect ~45-60 JOD pp including dinner, breakfast and 4x4. Bring layers: deserts get cold at night.

🚌Shared taxi + 4x4 transfer (~£20)

🛏Basic desert camp, Wadi Araba (~£30/night incl. meals)

• →4x4 into Wadi Araba
• →Desert pond hike & swim
• →Sunset viewpoint
• →Stargazing camp

Return to Aqaba and take the Arab Bridge Maritime fast ferry/hydrofoil from Aqaba to Nuweiba (~2-3hrs, from ~$70-90/£55-70 one way — book online a few days ahead; the slower ferry is cheaper but takes ~6hrs). Get your Egypt e-visa in advance or the visa-on-arrival QR code before travelling. Clear Egyptian immigration at Nuweiba, then take a shared minibus or taxi up the coast to Dahab (~1-1.5hrs, ~100-150 EGP / ~£2-3). Check into a beachfront guesthouse and swim.

🚌Aqaba–Nuweiba ferry + shared minibus to Dahab (~£65)

🛏Beach guesthouse, Dahab (~£16/night)

• →Gulf of Aqaba crossing
• →Dahab beach evening

Choose your Dahab day. Option A: snorkel or dive the Blue Hole — a shore-entry reef with a famous drop-off; local operators run guided snorkel trips from ~£20-25 including gear and transport, or a Discover Scuba dive from ~£45. Option B: a full-day 4x4 trip to Ain Khudra oasis and the Coloured Canyon (~£30-40 with a Bedouin guide). Option C: windsurf lesson (~£35) or simply beach-hop from Lighthouse to Eel Garden. Evening: Bedouin dinner on cushions at a beach camp.

🚌Local taxi/pickup to dive sites (~£5)

🛏Beach guesthouse, Dahab (~£16/night)

• →Blue Hole snorkel or dive
• →Optional Ain Khudra oasis 4x4
• →Optional windsurfing

Take a shared minibus or local bus from Dahab to St Catherine (~2hrs, ~£4-6). Check into a simple guesthouse in the village below the monastery. Visit Saint Catherine's Monastery in the afternoon (open mornings, so plan to see the Burning Bush chapel, icons and the Codex collection the next morning before the hike if timing is tight — check hours locally, closed Fridays/Sundays and religious holidays). Early dinner and early bed: the Sinai hike starts at 2am.

🚌Shared minibus Dahab–St Catherine (~£5)

🛏Guesthouse, St Catherine village (~£14/night)

• →St Catherine village wander

Start the Mount Sinai (Gebel Musa) hike around 2am with a local Bedouin guide (~£15-25) or join other travellers on the Camel Path / Steps of Repentance. Reach the summit (~2,285m) for sunrise over the Sinai peaks, then descend for breakfast. Visit St Catherine's Monastery properly afterwards (entry ~$3, closed Fri/Sun). Afternoon shared minibus back to Dahab; nap and celebrate with a seafood dinner.

🚌Shared minibus St Catherine–Dahab (~£5)

🛏Beach guesthouse, Dahab (~£16/night)

• →Mount Sinai sunrise hike
• →St Catherine's Monastery

Take a morning Go Bus or East Delta bus from Dahab to Cairo (~8-9hrs, ~£10-15) — the route hugs the Gulf of Suez and the Suez Canal. Alternatively fly Sharm el-Sheikh–Cairo if time is short (~£35-50). Check into a hostel in downtown Cairo near Tahrir Square (~£12-16 dorm). Evening: koshari dinner, shisha at a ahwa, and a wander through the Khan el-Khalili bazaar if you have energy.

🚌Go Bus Dahab–Cairo (~£12)

🛏Hostel, downtown Cairo (~£14/night)

• →Suez coastline bus ride
• →Khan el-Khalili bazaar

Depending on your flight: a morning at the Grand Egyptian Museum (~£20) or a taxi to Giza for the pyramids and Sphinx (~£8 entry, ~£7 taxi). Grab a final koshari and head to Cairo International Airport for departure. Leave buffer time — traffic is real.

🚌Taxi to airport (~£6)

🛏—

• →Grand Egyptian Museum or Giza pyramids
• →Departure