Jordan or Egypt?
The practical differences, drawn from our own write-ups rather than from a brochure. We are not going to tell you which is better - they are different trips. What follows is what actually changes between them.
Places written up here 46 204
UNESCO listings among them 8 35
Cost level Mid-range Budget
Busiest month in our write-ups April October
Currency Jordanian dinar (JOD) Egyptian pound (EGP)
Plugs and voltage C, D, F, G - 230 V C, F - 220 V
Everyday languages Arabic Arabic
Driving side right hand side right hand side
Region Western Asia Northern Africa
Capital Amman Cairo
Jordan
Ahlan wa sahlan - welcome - is said constantly and meant; hospitality tea has no off switch.
What we have written up
- Abila archaeological site
- Afra Hot Springs hot springs
- Ajloun Castle castle
- Amman old town
- Anjara pilgrimage site
- Aqaba and the Red Sea beach
Worth knowing before you go
- The dinar is strong - Jordan costs more than its neighbours
- Tipping is expected in small amounts nearly everywhere - keep coins handy
- Wadi Rum overnight camps are the desert done right
Egypt
Five thousand years of hosting visitors; baksheesh oils every hinge and bargaining is theatre.
What we have written up
- Abdeen Palace palace
- Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi Mosque monument
- Abu Dabbab Bay beach
- Abu Mena ruins
- Abu Simbel archaeological site
- Abusir Pyramids archaeological site
Worth knowing before you go
- Cash rules; ATMs are plentiful in cities
- Tipping 10-12% in restaurants on top of any service charge
- Trains link Cairo-Luxor-Aswan; the sleeper is the classic
Counts describe this site, not the countries: "places written up here" means how many pages we have finished, and it keeps growing. Currency, plugs and languages are practical facts and change rarely; check anything visa-related with the relevant official source before you book.