Sorry to have taken so long to respond to your idea about combining Jordan &Turkey in one trip.

I can't see why it couldn't work, especially since you probably carry a NZ passport! It's us Yanks with the dicey passports for the most part. Syria is still less welcoming than some of the other Middle East countries, but I have talked to non-US travelers who have enjoyed the challenge.

As with travel anywhere, there are options ranging from the most tightly-organized itinerary to educational trips to the go-with-the-flow plan. For your first (& I suspect not your last) foray into this area, an organized group might make you feel more comfortable.

Altho I haven't yet been to Turkey, from what I've learned reading the comments from other travelers on this group, it seems a good choice to combine with Jordan: history, culture, geography, and not to mention, reasonable costs.

Gail Eugene OR