BootsnAll Travel Community

I'm planning my another trip and this time I'm off to Middle East. I want to do Syria, Jordan and Egypt within 4 - 5 weeks. My questions are:

1) Is 4-5 weeks enough?

2) How much money do I need ( hostels,cheap guesthouses, street food, ferries, buses etc.)

Thanks a lot!!

It all depends on your style of travel, last year I did Cairo to Istanbul overland in (a too short) 23 days.

Where I felt most rushed was Syria as I really fell in love with the country and there are about 4 sites I had to take a pass on this time around plus I could have spent the whole 23 days in Aleppo alone.

As far as costs: Egypt and Syria the food is cheap, more in Jordan. I didn't stay in hostels, so I can't comment on the prices there. But in the mid-range hotels or Guest houses I paid anywhere from 20-60 USD/night for two of us.

1) If you get 5, I think it's manageable. 4 would be really rushed. I spent 7 weeks on those 3 countries when I went, and would have spent 8 if we hadn't cut out a week in Dahab due to unfortunate timing. I felt my pace was just perfect, but there was some extra time put in that could probably be avoided without much heartbreak - skip the felucca trip from Aswan to Luxor, fly either in or out from Aswan, instead of having to trek the length of Egypt in both directions, and just pass through Aqaba instead of staying there.

2) Never an easy question to answer. I spent S£1700/person/day in Syria, 31JD/person/day in Jordan, and E£230/person/day in Egypt. At today's exchange rates, this would be £17.50, £23, and £22 respectively. Those numbers don't include flights or the Syrian visa (since it was bought in advance). As you're travelling alone, add a bit of extra cushion, maybe £3 per day, and you should be good.

Of course, I'm not world's cheapest traveller...I don't eat street food at every meal (tip - if you're going to splurge on a 5-star meal...do it in Syria. We had some spectacular meals in Damascus' five star hotel for about $20 for 2 people), and prefer private rooms, though still at the cheapest places. You could probably go for less that if you want to watch every penny.

Another tip - get an ISIC card if you're young enough to pass for a student. It'll save 50% on entrance fees in Egypt, and about 95% in Syria.

Thank you guys, that answers a lot.

One more question: I might only get 4 weeks off (I will try to negotiate but I'm more likely to get 4 weeks only)..in your opinion which country deserves the most time??

thanx

Tough question.

Egypt is by far the largest, and has more attractions than the other two. However, it's also the only country that I didn't much enjoy, so I'd tend to spend less time there. Syria, I'd say, is probably the one most worth extra time. Jordan, we loved as well, but since it's more compact it's easier to see quickly.

Hi,
I agree that Egypt is a great country but also overflown with tourists and although it has lots of history I prefer Jordan. There are many untouched sites and the food is incredible (I loved the food and it was cheap as well)Go to Petra and the salt desert and don't miss Amman!