Egypt, Jordan, Morocco

For suggestions regarding tour companies in Egypt, you should also visit the TripAdvisor and the Fodors websites. Guided tours are discussed almost daily, and you will find plenty of recommendations.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g294200-i9124-Egypt.html

http://www.fodors.com/community/africa-the-middle-east/egypt/

An alternate suggestion - If you have traveled independently before then go on your own.

We did Morocco about 8 years ago on our own (Fez, Marrakesh, Casablanca, and Rabat).

Did Jordan easily 2 summers ago along with Lebanon, Syria, and Israel (Amman, Madaba, Dead Sea, Petra and Wadi Rum).

Am planning on doing Egypt this Christmas.

Enough people speak English and the shared taxis make getting around fairly easy. Check out the lonely planet thorntree forum for more details if you do it on your own.

Our group used Friendly Planet for our 14 day trip to Israel. We were very happy with them.

http://www.friendlyplanet.com/

Morocco and Jordan are easy on your own. Egypt is a bit harder; you might want to snag a tour for the stuff outside of Cairo -- don't try driving there.

I can't speak for Jordan, or Morocco. But for Egypt, even Cairo, it's best to do it via organized tours. I always travel independently, even in China and I don't speak a word of Mandarin:) But Cairo defeated me. It's very challenging to do it solo. Long story short....Cairo is a crazy place!

The best trip we have ever done was with Gap Adventures and it was 17 days Egypt and Jordan Adventure which would still give to time to plan an extra trip through Morocco. We usually travel independently but saw much more wth Gap than we could ever have covered alone.

If you want a tour company that covers all 3 destinations, look at Adventures Abroad based out of Vancouver area. They do small groups, similar to Rick's tour style, but design their tours to be strung together. They have a Egypt + Jordan tour but Morroco would be separate, and timing it to coordinate with Egypt + Jordan may or may not work. I took their 2 week Egypt felucca tour a few years ago and really enjoyed it.

i am doing an Intrepid Adventure tour in the Spring that covers Egypt and Jordan. it seems like a pretty solid tour company that is within my price range. i am in the same boat as you as i normally travel solo, but all my travel experience to date has been in Europe and North America. I want to do some solo experience for the trip in Spring, so I am doing a tour group for the first part (Egypt/Jordan) and then solo it through Syria, Turkey and Israel.
Maybe you could do Morocco with a tour, get your bearings and then do Egypt/Jordan solo or vice versa?

Thanks for all of the information; it is very useful. Dorsey

Gate 1 Travel includes these destinations on tours. I have never used them but a friend had a good experience with Gate 1 in Egypt.

Jordan, especially Amman, is accessible to solo travelers. But, I think someone who doesn't know the country would have a more successful trip by signing up with a tour operator who does.

And don't sign up with anyone who doesn't devote a full day to Petra. When I was their umpteen years ago, my friends and I took an exhausting multi-mile hike along the top of the rocks and the cliffs. On occasion, this involved leaping over seemingly bottomless chasms that were 4 and 5 feet wide. No way would I do that today, but the views were stunning.

In Egypt, most of the tour groups concentrate on the sites from the times of the Pharoahs, because that is what most westerners want to see. But there are some incredible medieval mosques in Cairo, only the mosque of El Husayn is off limits to non-Muslims. I loved climbing the Bab Zuhayla, one of the ancient gates of the old city, and it adjoins one of the old mosques. It is right at street of the tentmakers, in the Khan el Khalili, where you can find incredible applique pillow covers and wall-hangings.

One thing to remember, if you compliment anything a person has, especially if it's their child, always say "ma sh'Allah" (with the help of God). There is a strong belief in the Evil Eye in Egypt, and if you say 'ma sh'Allah" then it won't mean bad luck for the receiver of the compliment.

You know how Rick says that in France, formality is polite and familiarity can be considered rude? Well, in Egypt, what we would consider casual familiarity with a person of the opposite sex can be considered a real come-on!

I was with a group but I took a couple of days to hire a guide whom a friend recommended, to take me to some of the sites I'd found in a Fodor's guide book, which weren't covered by the schedule of the group I was with.

Though some women travel alone in Cairo with no trouble at all, I agree with the previous suggestion that it's well worth the money to travel with a guide if you're a solo female. Plus, you can ask your guide all kinds of questions about what it's like for people in Cairo!

And it's polite to cover up, to Cairenes if you wear shorts, it's like you are in your underwear. If you are a woman, take a scarf to wear in the mosques.

Egypt is in general a friendly place, if you walk down the street you hear people joking and laughing and calling to each other, both women and men.

Hope your trip turns out to be all you hope it will!

Thanks all, Kate your Intrepid Tour sounds interesting and is in the time frame that I want to travel to the MiddleEast. I have asked for and received information on these tours. When will you be leaving for this Tour? Dorsey

I plan on going in March. And you? If you go before hand, I would love to hear a trip report!