Jordan and Egypt: Petra to the Pryamids- questions for those that have done this tour
We are finally doing this trip in mid January. I have a question for those who have spent extra time in Amman Jordan at the Kempinski Ishtar before the tour, and extra time at the Marriott Mina house. We have extra time pre-and post the Tauck tour .We were thinking about doing an Amman city tour as well as a tour to the baptism site of Jesus along the Jordan River. We can book this through the concierge at the Kempinski Ishtar. Has anyone done this ? thoughts? Muses? In addition, we were thinking about doing two tours at the Marriott Mena house outside of Cairo. The first one was the pyramid Light tour at night and a second one was a general city tour of Cairo. Does anyone have any experience doing these additional tours? Are they worth it? When I look at the itinerary it really doesn’t seem as though Tauck shows you very much in Cairo. It is limited to Coptic Cairo, and then the market. I’m sure we would like to spend more time in the souk than what Tauck gives us and there is probably more to see than just Coptic Cairo. Any advice would be welcome. Thank you.
Comments
If you are into ancient Egypt, I'd recommend going to Memphis and Saqqara.
We went a day early but spent it recovering from our flight and going for a dip in the Dead Sea. We stayed afterwards and did a much deeper dive, literally, into pyramids in Meidom, Saqqara, and Dahshur. My trip report is at the pages here. https://forums.tauck.com/discussion/15494/on-the-road-again/p1
It all depends on your interests. I've heard the light show is nothing special. You get to spend too little time at the GEM, so if it were me I would plan a visit on my own.
I haven’t been to Egypt but I would prioritize an entire day at the new GEM and buy tickets in advance now!
I went many years ago, actually it was my firs Tauck tour, it started in Giza and I remember doing a private tour of the main Mosque, the pyramids, a drive through the cemetery in which at that time a lot of people lived and visited the house where Mary and Joseph lived when they ran to Egypt.
I also went to the baptismal site along the Jordan.
This is the updated itinerary. I think we already spend a whole day at the GEM.
Thank you all. May take a tour that goes out to the Fayoum Oasis and the Valley of the Whales, which looks really interesting. I am trying to find out about security issues in the western sahara. I presume if the hotel is advertising it, it should be ok.
https://activities.marriott.com/africa/egypt/cairo/activities/fayoum_oasis_tour_hidden_gem_wadi_el_rayan_valley_of_the_whales-XGF4VE
I did this tour in October. Contact the Kempinski hotel for a private guide/driver to take you to the Baptism site and then into Amman for lunch and additional sightseeing. The hotel will give you a few different options and you can customize that if there is something that you are very interested in.
For example, at the baptism site, our guide did a private tour for just us, otherwise you will hop on a short bus trip with 25 other people. I wanted to eat in a particular place in Amman for lunch and we got to see the local parts of the city and eat dessert from a booth that everyone lines up to get a plate of knafeh. Very yummy!
Have fun. The spa at the Kempinski is wonderful, highly recommend that.
If you read my trip report you know that we visited the Meidom pyramid which is east of Faiyoum. It was a long drive, but on an excellent road (Faiyoum Desert Road), but little to see (endless desert) along the way. Before leaving the Cairo environs and getting on the highway we had to go through two security checks. Our driver and guide had to show papers and get questioned. The officials seemed more interested in our driver, guide, and their papers than us- they must get approvals and papers ahead of time to take tourists most places even to Saqqara, but especially if going from one governate to another. The authorities are very strict about unlicensed tour guides. We were told they were also looking for terrorists, smugglers, kidnappers, etc.
Anyway, it appears to be a much longer drive (3 hr 10m Google) to Wadi Al-Hitan to see the whale bones and the road appears smaller. Without freezing cycles or heavy trucks it may be fine, however. The tour at your link (Marriott/Luxury Tours of Egypt) says you ride from the waterfalls at Wadi El Rayan to Wadi Al-Hitan in a 4X4- that could be a rougher ride.
Thank you all, and thank you Alan. I have read your excellent trip report. We are definitely doing the Amman City tour and Bethany ( Baptism site). I have written to the Egypt tour operator, which is stated to be the National Tour Operator of Egypt , although they have a desk in the Marriott Mena House. Egypt may be like Turkey, where they have several government run tour agencies and all tours are subcontracted through them. I am not sure. From what I know of other tour companies that go to the Valley of the Whales, they take extra security with them. I am waiting to hear…… The more I think about it, the more it seems as though the best plan is to just go back to the GEM.
I am not looking for any unplanned adventures. 
BTW- I had to search out the info for the concierge emails on my own. Tauck could not provide them. Sort of ridiculous.