The Real Egypt-Jordan Adventure Starts Where the Crowds Don’t Go
The Pyramids. Petra. The Valley of the Kings. The Dead Sea.
Big names, bucket lists. You’ve heard of them, you’ve probably Googled them, and yeah, they live up to the hype. But on our 22-day Egypt and Jordan adventure, those aren’t the only stars of the show.
Between the big-name stops are the bizarre ones. The underrated ones. The “wait, we’re going where?” ones. They’re the stops you didn’t see coming, but end up raving about to everyone back home, the most.
So, here are our four favourite wildcard moments that sneak up, shake things up and leave you wondering how they’re not famous already.
🌴An Unexpected Desert Oasis
After a few hectic days in Cairo, this place feels like a total reset!
Wadi El Rayan is what happens when you throw two freshwater lakes and Egypt’s only waterfall together in the middle of the desert.
You can let out a big sigh of relief when you get here, as there’s something instantly peaceful about the place and the locals agree! It’s not unusual to see a bunch of school kids splashing about, enjoying the cool water rushing from one lake level to the other. And the oasis style pocket of green in the otherwise neverending expanse of desert is something you have to see!
Either way, Wadi El Rayan is not what most people expect from Egypt… and that’s exactly the point!
🐋Whale Bones & Pottery Shops
The Valley of Whales doesn’t really feel like it belongs on Earth, let alone in Egypt. And as your mini-convoy of 4WDs bounce across the arid pan that was once ocean bed 350 million years ago, you’ll be thinking you’re somewhere out of this world too! You’re out in the middle of the desert and just there in the sand and without all of the fuss and barriers of a museum are spines, skulls, entire rib cages. It’s weird and impressive in equal measure!
After that, you’ll head to the adorable Tunis Village, known for its pottery.
Local artists have studios scattered all over the place here, and you can pop in, have a look around, and maybe try your hand at the wheel if you’re feeling keen. Or don’t – there’s no agenda here. It’s just a low-key stop where you’ll get the chance to see a different side of Egyptian life before the trip picks up its pace again.
📖A Different Kind of History
This one’s not flashy. There’s no glitz or grand temples. Instead, El Alamein is quieter, but it sticks with you.
You see, El Alamein is a town that played a huge role in WWII, with two major battles fought here in 1942. It’s also a super important location for ANZAC history, with Australian and New Zealand troops playing a key role in these battles.
You’ll spend time walking the war cemetery, getting a feel for the area and the scale of what unfolded, before heading over to the El Alamein War Museum, where you’ll find equipment, maps, and memorials that bring the story into focus. It’s another one of those wildcard stops that has nothing to do with Ancient Egypt, and that’s exactly why it’s on the itinerary.
🏘️Your Final Hidden Gem
After the Pyramids, Petra, colossal temples and the desert, you might think there’s nothing left to surprise you – but then comes As-Salt. Just outside Amman, this Ottoman-era hill town is all of cobbled laneways, honey-coloured houses and faded shopfronts that haven’t changed in decades.
You’ll follow the Harmony Trail, a self-guided route designed by locals to show how this town’s Muslim and Christian communities have lived side by side for centuries. You’ll pass mosques and churches sharing the same street, stop in at family-run bakeries, and hear the kind of stories that never make the guidebooks. It’s such a memorable way to end the trip!
🗺️Travel that surprises you – in the best possible way
The big-name sites in this part of the world are epic, and we’ll never stop being impressed by a 4,000-year-old pyramid or that eyebrow-raising first glimpse of Petra. But the real magic is in the moments you didn’t see coming.
Waterfalls in the desert. Whale fossils in the sand. Ancient towns where the bakery owner wants to hear what on earth you’re doing so far off the beaten path. That’s the stuff that’ll live in your head rent-free long after the trip ends and makes you feel like you actually travelled, not just ticked boxes.
Oh, and with just 12 travellers per trip, it’s less ‘tour group’ and more ‘good mates on a great adventure.’
If this Egypt-Jordan trip sounds like your kind of adventure, we’re ready when you are.