My wife and I will be spending 3 weeks in Egypt and Jordan in January 2026, spending time in Cairo, taking a Nile cruse and ending in Jordan with trips to the Dead Sea, Petra and Amman.

Would anyone have any suggestions on the best attire for the trip, both male and female. Can we wear the same as travel in Europe or need to be more modest?
If someone would like to discuss over the phone I'm open to that as well.

Thanks, Bill

Our Foreign Office in Germany warns, not to visit the country near the border to Syria, not to visit the north-east and not the borderregion to Irak.

A female in Egypt needs to be more modest. It's best not to expose knees, shoulders and minimal cleavage. At swimming pools it is OK for women to wear swimsuits.

It was 18 years ago when I visited all of the places you named. I enjoyed both countries very much, but if i could only return to one, it would be Jordan. Petra was magical and the Jordanians are very welcoming people.

If you're taking the ferry from Egypt to Jordan, expect delays.

Thank you for your reply

I did a similar trip, and you don’t need completely different clothing, but a bit more modesty than Europe definitely helps—especially in Cairo, markets, and religious sites. For both men and women, lightweight long pants, breathable tops with shoulders covered, and a light jacket for cooler evenings in January work well. Women may feel more comfortable with a scarf for certain areas. At resorts, the Nile cruise, and in Jordan’s tourist spots (Petra, Dead Sea), attire is much more relaxed, so normal travel clothing is fine. Layers are key because mornings and evenings can get chilly. Enjoy your trip—it's an amazing region to explore!

P_M Can you please expand a bit on your statement? "I enjoyed both countries very much, but if i could only return to one, it would be Jordan." I visited Jordan for 9 days last year and thoroughly enjoyed it. Now I am contemplating Egypt. Last year I weighed both countries, and for a number of reasons Jordan won out.

I found Egypt to be very chaotic while Jordan was more relaxed. The traffic, the noise, it can be overwhelming, in Cairo anyway. Also in Egypt, men were always coming to me, trying to either sell me something or to ask if I want to have a drink with them. Then I was 40ish and a modestly dressed woman, but that didn't seem to matter. I didn't experience any such harassment in Jordan. I did have a couple of incidents where Jordanians approached me to welcome me, and to ask if I like Jordan.

In both countries there was too much public smoking, which is a problem for me. It seemed a lot worse in Egypt, but maybe because it was more crowded. It wasn't just the Egyptians who were ignoring the no smoking signs, the tourists were just as bad.

The historical sites in Egypt were beyond fascinating, but the Petra was pretty mind blowing too. I also enjoyed Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea.

I don't want to discourage anyone from going to Egypt. Seeing Egypt was a lifelong dream of mine, and meeting Dr. Hawass at the Valley of the Kings was one of my best travel moments ever. That happened on the same day as the hot air balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings, which was magical. All I'm saying is that if I could only return to one, either Egypt or Jordan, I would choose Jordan.

I so appreciate you taking the time to answer and elaborate. For me too, Wadi Rum was right up there with Petra as an overwhelmingly fascinating area. And, it is sad that Egypt, along with so many countries around the world, is problematic due to the attitudes of many males towards females.

Hi Bill,
We have visited both of those countries and then created trip reports (see below). The more recent Jordanian one is photo-dense, while the Egyptian one dates from '93 and has no imagery.
Perhaps there is some useful stuff in the TRs for those who are bound for that area?
I am done. The end.

Deep in the Desert: a Jordan photo essay/TR

Beyond the Pyramids: a Trip Report