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Cairo, Egypt
Again, this will depend on your flight times how you can best use this day. We,
unfortunately, only had enough time to get checked into our hotel and get some
rest this day. However, if you get in early enough, you could do a half-day tour
of Cairo or perhaps a sunset tour of the pyramids.
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Giza, Egypt
Seeing the pyramids right away is a better idea than saving it for the end of
your itinerary. This is because the Pyramids of Giza will likely be the biggest
draw point for coming to Egypt, right? And there is a chance that if your tour
doesn’t go according to plan (like our tour snafu) or the pyramids close
unexpectedly – due to a celebrity or politician visiting (it does happen from
time to time), you’ll still have enough of a buffer to see them at a different
time. (Click here for all my tips of visiting the Pyramids of Giza.)
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Luxor, Egypt
We had opted for a Nile River Cruise to see the remainder of the sights. This is
not a must to see these places. You could, instead, take the train to these
destinations or fly to Aswan and then to Luxor and take day trips to all of the
places mentioned. (You can also read my full Nile River Cruise review to decide
for yourself.) I will say, though, the cruise was a relaxing way to see all of
the spots mentioned in the remainder of this itinerary.
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Aswan, Egypt
Aswan is a beautiful city located along the Nile River, and it is home to some
very interesting places to visit! Out of all the cities we visited in Egypt,
Aswan was, perhaps, my favorite. It was quite clean and modern and traffic was
not as horrifically crazy as it was in most of Egypt. I really enjoyed the 2
days we had here! This list is not a complete list of EVERYTHING you can
possibly do in Aswan, this is my personal list. A couple of these things I did
not have time to do, but I do feel they are worth mentioning (as I would,
honestly, like to go back and visit them myself)! Enjoy!
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Abu Simbel, Egypt
Abu Simbel is an absolute must-do if you are traveling to Egypt. This was
honestly cooler for me than seeing the pyramids, and I have been dreaming about
visiting the pyramids since I was 8! Abu Simbel is a village in Southern Egypt,
near the border of Sudan. It is home to two massive rock-cut temples one for the
great Egyptian ruler Ramses II and one for his chief wife, Queen Nefertari.
(Click here to read more about visiting Abu Simbel.)
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Cairo, Egypt
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Amman, Jordan
Depending on how your flight works out, you could fly from Aswan back to Cairo
and then to Jordan. Or you could spend another night in Aswan or Cairo and then
fly out the next morning. (There is also a tiny airport in Abu Simbel – but
flights are very few and far between!) With the way our flights worked out, this
entire day was lost to travel. However, if you get a better flight time than we
did, you could spend this day doing a tour of Amman.
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Wadi Rum Village, Jordan
This morning you’ll want to wake up and get on the road to Wadi Rum. The sand in
Wadi Rum is known for being the reddest in Jordan (colored by iron oxide). Wadi
Rum looks so much like Mars – many movies have been filmed here for their
otherworldly scenes such as The Martian, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,
Prometheus, Red Planet and…of course, Lawrence of Arabia – just to name a few.
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Petra, Jordan
Morning Wake up bright and enjoy the sunrise from your desert camp. Then, you
could take a hike in Wadi Rum, or perhaps do a different tour that you didn’t do
the night before. Afternoon Drive to Petra and get settled into your hotel – I
would also recommend getting to bed early. Tomorrow is an early start! Petra
deserves at least 1 full day of exploring. I would get up early, and get your
tickets to enter just as the visitor’s center opens. (It opens at 6 am all year
long.) This way, you’ll beat the crowds, and have a few hours to enjoy it before
tour groups begin showing up. (Click here to read all of my tips for visiting
Petra.)
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Dead Sea, Jordan
Morning – Drive to Your Dead Sea Resort It’s a few hour drive to get from Petra
to the Dead Sea. Afternoon – Relax or Explore Mt. Nebo & Madaba You could spend
the afternoon relaxing at your Dead Sea resort or you could venture over to Mt.
Nebo and Madaba for a half-day of exploring. (Click here for more info on Mt.
Nebo & Madaba.)
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Amman, Jordan
Amman, Jordan is a great home base for taking day trips. The obvious day trips
are, of course, Petra and the Dead Sea. However, northern Jordan is filled with
rich history and beautiful landscapes too! If you have enough time in your
Jordan itinerary, I highly suggest visiting northern Jordan as well. This post
will break down what to see in the northern part of Jordan at a relatively
relaxed pace and some suggestions for how you can do this day trip.