Egypt and Jordan get compared constantly — both are Middle Eastern history-forward destinations often visited on a first regional trip. They’re different enough that “which first” has a real answer depending on what you want.
Egypt’s sites are older and more numerous — multiple millennia of continuous monument-building versus Jordan’s concentrated, spectacular but smaller set of headline sites (Petra above all). If sheer density of ancient history is the draw, Egypt wins on volume.
Jordan can be done well in under a week, centered on Petra with Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea as strong supporting stops. Egypt rewards a longer, more spread-out trip — Cairo, the Nile Valley, and the Red Sea are genuinely distinct legs, not day trips from one base.
Jordan is a tight, powerful week; Egypt is a sprawling, multi-leg trip that resists compression.
Jordan is generally easier logistically for a first-time Middle East visitor — smaller, English signage is common, distances are shorter. Egypt has more moving parts (flights or trains between cities, e-visa or visa-on-arrival, more crowd management at major sites) but rewards the extra planning with far more to see.
Short trip, want maximum impact per day: Jordan first. Longer trip, want depth and are comfortable with more logistics: Egypt first. Many travelers eventually do both — the order matters less than making sure neither gets rushed.