Egypt and Jordan: Pyramids to Petra with EF Ultimate Break was a dream come true, and it’s one of my favorite trips EVER… As you will find out in this review 🙂
Jordan was a dream destination for me, and combining a week there with seeing the pyramids in Egypt was chefs kiss.
The only con of the trip? I wish we had more time in Egypt! Otherwise everything was better than I ever could have imagined, and I loved this tour.
Note: The Jordan part of this trip follows the same itinerary as Journey to Jordan, so you can still reference my review and YouTube videos if you are looking into that trip, just ignore everything about Egypt 🙂 The only small change is that you will have a Welcome Dinner in Amman, whereas we had ours in Cairo.
This EF Ultimate Break review has everything you need to know about the Egypt & Jordan: Pyramids to Petra trip, including where you’ll stay, what activities you’ll do, and the itinerary.
(EF Ultimate Break trips are for anyone between 18 and 35!)
Ready to book? Use this link + code UASarahET100 and get $100 off your first trip with EF Ultimate Break!
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Published: March 9, 2025
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My Trip To Egypt & Jordan With EF Ultimate Break
Here are some quick facts about my trip to Egypt and Jordan with EF Ultimate Break, including when I went, my flight info, and how much I paid!
When: February 21 to March 3, 2025
Trip type: Plus
Flights: ORD-LHR-CAI and AMM-LHR-ORD (the flight from CAI to AMM was included with the tour!)
Price: $3,119 trip fee + $1,214 flights + $179 travel protection
Savings: $400 sale discount + $300 REPEAT discount (Read more about EF Ultimate Promo Codes)
Total price: $3,812
Group size: 24 people (ages 24-34)
Disclaimer: When you use my link to save $100 off a trip with EFUB, I also receive a discount on trips as part of the ambassador program. Discounts were used to book this trip, costing me less than the retail rate listed above. This review was not compensated, and I always give my honest opinion.
Itinerary For Egypt and Jordan Pyramids to Petra
Egypt & Jordan was an incredible trip, and it was pretty busy on most days, with the last few days being the most chill.
While you pack a lot into 11 days, it’s well worth it, as I feel like we saw a LOT of good stuff, especially in Jordan where we got to do all the major highlights of the country.
Below are the highlights from each day of my time on the Egypt and Jordan Pyramids to Petra trip.
This itinerary can change anytime, and the activities below were just what we did on my specific trip run.
*optional activities provided by EF Ultimate Break
**optional activities provided by my TD
Day 1: Fly to Egypt
- Depart North America for an overnight flight
If you book your own flights, make sure you land on the right day, as EF’s itineraries have the flight days included. For this trip, you will land on Day 2.
Day 2: Arrive in Giza
- Land in Cairo (CAI)
- Arrive at your hotel in Giza and meet your tour director
- Peep the pyramids from the hotel!
Day 3: Sightseeing in Cairo
- Muhammed Ali Mosque + Salah El-Din Citadel
- Hanging Church & Synagogue Ben Ezra in Coptic Cairo
- Included lunch
- Egyptian Museum
- Welcome Dinner (at hotel)
Day 4: Pyramids in Giza
- Pyramid Tour
- Camel ride** (20 USD – cash)
- Go inside the pyramid** (30 USD – card)
- Sphinx
- Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM)** (50 USD – cash)
Day 5: Fly from Cairo to Amman
- 8 AM flight from CAI to AMM on Royal Jordanian
- City tour of Amman
Day 6: Jerash & Dead Sea
- Amman citadel
- Jerash ruins
- Dead Sea swim
Day 7: Amman to Wadi Musa
- Travel to Wadi Musa
- Stop at Al Numeira Farm for an included lunch
- Little Petra
- Free night in Wadi Musa
Day 8: Petra to Wadi Rum
- Explore Petra – a wonder of the world
- Travel to Wadi Rum
- Included dinner (cooked underground!)
- Stargazing “class”
- Bubble tent night 1*
Day 9: Wadi Rum
- Hot air balloon ride*
- Desert tour on the back of trucks
- Included dinner (underground again!)
- Bubble tent night 2*
Day 10: Return to Amman
- Travel from Wadi Rum to Amman
- Stop at Kerak Castle
- Farewell dinner 🙁
Day 11: Leave Amman
- Fly out from AMM airport
- With the time difference from the US, it will be a LONG day of travel, but you will likely land home on the same date you leave Jordan.
EF Egypt & Jordan Hotels
I thought all the hotels on this trip were decent or good, even if they weren’t the nicest hotels I’ve ever stayed in.
Plus the locations of all of them were good! I felt safe at each hotel, and you could Uber wherever you wanted in both countries for CHEAP (like $2-3 USD to go across Cairo cheap) if you wanted to leave the neighborhood.
The desert camp in Wadi Rum is iconic, and a must when in Jordan. For more information on the option bubble tents in the desert, check out the section below: Wadi Rum Optional Bubble Tents.
Hotels on my specific trip
- Cairo Pyramids Hotel – Giza (Nights 2-4)
- Mena Tyche Hotel – Amman (Nights 5-6)
- Petra Moon Hotel – Wadi Musa (Night 7)
- Mazayen Rum Camp – Wadi Rum (Nights 8-9) – optional Bubble Tent upgrade
- Mena Tyche Hotel – Amman (Night 10)
*Night 1 was an overnight flight from the US to Cairo
Food in Egypt & Jordan
I want to make a very clear distinction between the food in Egypt and Jordan, as they have similar cuisines, but the experiences I had with food on this trip were VERY different.
Egypt was full of buffets, which no one likes. The food was fine, but the food at the hotel buffet did get old, and we had to pay 20 USD for a buffet for lunch on day 4…. Or not eat 🙃
I don’t think I ever had an “Egyptian” meal, which sucks, but it was also only three nights there.
On the other hand, the food in Jordan? AMAZING!!!!!!!!
Jordan stole the spot of top food of every country I have been to thus far (which is nearly 30) – that’s how much I LOVED the food. From the street food in the cities to our food cooking in the ground in Wadi Rum (~literally~ underground 🤤) to hummus with every meal, I couldn’t get enough of it.
Full disclosure, one girl on my trip did get quite sick the night of day 8, when we arrived in Wadi Musa. We never figured out if it was from the food, water, or something else, but everyone else was fine, thankfully!
If you are worried about food in these countries, pack anti-diarrheal, something to soothe a nauseous stomach, and some electrolytes, like Liquid IV.
Vegetarians + vegans: We had very few dietary restrictions on this trip, but the overall cuisine in Egypt & Jordan is suitable for vegetarians, vegans, and many other common dietary restrictions. Just make sure your TD is aware of your restrictions so they can help you avoid the right dishes.
Optional Add-on Activities
There are some optional activities that you can add on at checkout or before you depart at an additional cost:
- Hot air balloon ride in Wadi Rum
- Bubble tents in Wadi Rum (the cost is for two nights, sharing a tent with one other person – read more below)
About half the people on my trip did each activity.
These activities cost extra and you can book them when you book the trip, or add them on in your account after you book.
EF Ultimate Break Egypt & Jordan Trip Types
Here are the options EF Ultimate offers for the Egypt & Jordan Pyramids to Petra trip (descriptions from efultimatebreak.com):
- EF Ultimate Plus: Stay in hotel-style accommodations, room with just one other person, and enjoy more included meals. Designed for friends, couples, or anyone that just values their me time, Plus combines an immersive itinerary with more space to unwind.
I took the Plus trip, as it was the only option!
Journey to Jordan is also only offered as a Plus trip.
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
EF Ultimate Egypt & Jordan: Pyramids to Petra is my fifth trip with the company and easily in the top two (with Costa Rica!).
Everything about Jordan was incredible, and honestly, no notes. We all thought the amount of time spent there was perfect, and we got to see all the highlights!
Egypt was amazing too, but I think if the tour added 2-3 more nights in the country, somewhere like Luxor or Aswan, the trip would easily be a 5/5.
The food in Egypt also left a lot to be desired, but for only three nights there, I’m sure hotel buffets are just the easiest option.
Finally, I felt EXTREMELY SAFE in both countries, which is the most common question I’ve been getting about the trip. Egypt goes out of their way to make tourists feel safe in the country, and Jordan is a safe country in general.
Jordan During Ramadan
The end of my trip was during the start of Ramadan. The first night of Ramadan fell on day 8 of the tour, which was our first day in Wadi Rum.
In the desert, we noticed very little difference, as they still fed us our usual three meals.
However, once we returned to Amman, you could notice a difference from when we were there a week prior to Ramadan.
I think traveling to Jordan during Ramadan is doable, and I wouldn’t let it deter you from booking a trip during it.
However, it will be harder to find food during the day, especially local food. We ended up eating McDonalds during our last lunch in Amman as it was the easiest option.
You should also be conscious of what you eat and drink in public during Ramadan if you are not observing the holiday. Eat meals inside restaurants, or in private. You should even be aware of how much water you drink in public, as it can be considered rude to people participating.
Wadi Rum Optional Bubble Tents
One of the two optional Extras for the Egypt & Jordan trip is an upgrade to stay in a Bubble tent during the two nights in Wadi Rum.
About half the people on my tour booked the upgrade… and in general, they were all disappointed.
The upgrade (at least for my run of the trip) cost $560 for the two nights. However, that is the cost to SHARE a tent with one other person.
So you will either be paired with a roommate when you get there, or share with the person you are traveling with (your partner, sibling, bestie, etc.). If you are in a couple/pair, you will pay over $1,100 for the two night upgrade… which is a LOT.
I thought the included tents were NICE and definitely did not require an upgrade. The bubbles are dome shaped tents, but not the clear ones you might see all over Instagram, that let you see 360 degree views of the sky at night.
The bubble tents people on my trip also had some issues, like the heat not working (which you need in late February/early March!) and some plumbing issues, causing their tents to smell like sewage.
I have a YouTube video coming around the end of March that shows you the inside of both tents so you can decide if you want to pay for the upgrade or not. I will link it here ASAP when it’s posted. If you want to be notified as soon as it’s out, subscribe to my YouTube channel – I also have a whole playlist of daily vlogs from this trip 🙂
Packing Essentials for Egypt & Jordan with EF Ultimate Break
In addition to your standard travel items (clothes, bathroom essentials, good shoes), here are some things I wouldn’t go back to Egypt & Jordan without:
- USD Cash in $1 and $5 bills – no rips or they won’t be accepted
- Toilet paper and hand sanitizer
- Liquid IV
- A medicine kit (ibuprofen, anti-diarrheal, anti-nausea, allergy meds, cold meds)
- Closed toed shoes for walking in the sand
Winter Essentials (October-March)
- Winter hat
- Scarves (for warmth and cute pics! – you can also buy these on your trip)
- A jacket (not a winter jacket, but not a light jacket either)
- Clothes to layer – it gets hot in the sun, but quite cold at night!
Summer Essentials (April-September)
- Linen/flowy clothing
- Handheld fan
- Sunglasses
- Hat to protect from the sun
- LOTS of sunscreen
- An umbrella (to protect from the sun)
For more of my travel must-haves, check out my Amazon page!
EF Ultimate Break Discount
For first-time EF Ultimate travelers, you can save $100 off any trip by booking here + code UASarahET100!
(or any of the links in this article. Code & discount are automatically applied at checkout. Reach out with questions or issues!)
If you’ve traveled with EF Ultimate before, use code REPEAT for up to $300 off your next trip.
EF also frequently runs sales throughout the year, with their biggest being in November for Black Friday.
Send me a DM on Instagram (or any other social media!) if you want details on their next sale!
Trips Similar to Egypt & Jordan
If this trip sounds fun, check out some similar options that EF Ultimate Break offers:
- Journey to Jordan – the same trip without Egypt!
- Cruise the Nile
- Egypt Expedition
- Highlights of Morocco
- Grand Tour of Turkey – read my full, brutally honest review
No matter where you want to go with EF Ultimate Break, you can save $100 on your first trip using this link (or any of the links in this post!) + code UASarahET100:
EF Ultimate Break Egypt & Jordan: Pyramids to Petra Verdict
I loved this trip, and I highly recommend EF Ultimate Egypt & Jordan: Pyramids to Petra if you want a mix of history, adventure, and great food.
Jordan is such an underrated country, and combining a trip there with seeing the pyramids in Egypt can’t be beat.
Remember, you can save $100 off your first EF trip by booking here + code UASarahET100:
If you have any questions about traveling with EF, check out my FAQs which also includes EF Ultimate Break discounts.
Check out all my EF Ultimate Break trip reviews and guides here: