travelling RTW to Cairo

hi everyone, i will do a RTW trip, and i have a ticket from athens to cairo, with a stop in amman.

i have few days, and was preparing to stay 4 days in cairo and then travel to madrid, but i heard that i have to consider staying in amman, so i can visit petra,

anyone been there?? how many days is the minimun to visist Amman+ Cairo??

thanks everyone, a will arrive to cair by april the 3rd

I have not been to Petra but I am sure it would be amazing. Cairo could be done in a day at a push, dependant on what interests you most. You could do the pyramids in the morning and the museum in the afternoon (or vice versa). Even if you are only remotely interested in Egyptology, I would still reccommend the museum, its incredible. And who could possibly go to Cairo and not see the pyramids? You may still have time to have a quick wander around the city. All depends on the times of your flights.
I would certainly try to do Petra, would be a shame to be so close and not see it

thks baluba, about being that close from Petra i agree, i HAVE to GO!

hmm my plane arrives to amman at the afternoon, so i will leave the next morning to visit Petra, sleeping in petra and travel next morning back to Ammann, leave ammann - cairo around at 20:00 hrs... maybe fit a visit to the dead sea?? anyone has done this?

from egypt i will take 3 entire days, and getting finally to madrid

any advise or comments are helpful

Quoting hola1234

hmm my plane arrives to amman at the afternoon, so i will leave the next morning to visit Petra

I would try to make it to Petra (Wadi Musa) on the same day as you arrive in Amman. If you are willing to shell out a bit (say around 60 USD) you can take a private taxi from the airport to Petra. Or better, rent a car. (Yes, it is safe to drive in Jordan, just do not pick up any hitchhikers if you are a single woman.)

You can also go by service taxi, that should be cheaper (around 20 USD). Go to the South Bus Station (Mojama' al-Janoob) in Amman to catch a "service" (pronounced sirfees) to either Ma'an or Wadi Musa.

http://www.go2petra.com/guide_trans.htm

I've been to Petra and from my experience you can easily spent 3 days in the ruins. 1 full day is the minimum, plus you need to get up early (6 am) to beat the heat. The only way to do that is to sleep in Wadi Musa the night before you visit Petra.

More tips: Try to get your ticket in advance so that you do not have to wait in line in the morning (I don't know if this is still possible). Pay for a donkey or mule to take you to the "monastery" (El Deir), then walk back to the entrance.

Personally and ideally I would plan on 3 weeks for Egypt and Jordan. I would travel from Amman overland to Cairo, taking my time to visit all the sights in between and then all the major sights in Egypt.