My travel buddy and I have done our fair share of travel and have always arranged everything ourselves. In the last few years we've done backpacking/hostels in Europe, been to Tokyo, China, and most recently visited Thailand and Cambodia. All of this we did completely on our own and on tight budgets. Now that we're a little older (lazier) and have some more money to spend, we're considering doing a tour group or private tour to Egypt and Jordan. Another reason for considering a tour is because of safety concerns, not because I think those areas are particularly dangerous, but I've never been to this part of the world and as women, we're unsure of what to expect. Mostly, though, it's because planning a trip takes a lot of work and it might be nice to leave it to the professionals this time. Does anyone have any experience with any tour companies in those areas? We are usually turned off by such tours, but I'm sure there's some great ones. There are so many and it's hard to decipher the legitimate ones. Any advice/thoughts are welcome.