Egypt and Jordan

In flight.

Welcome to Egypt, one of the world’s greatest ancient civilizations. Arrive in Cairo and transfer to hotel. The rest of the day is free. This evening, you’ll attend an orientation meeting at around 6 p.m. and enjoy a welcome drink with your guide and fellow travelers at the hotel.

Oasis Hotel 4* or similar

After breakfast, visit the pyramids of Giza, built during the 3rd and 4th dynasties of the Old Kingdom. These monumental enterprises are a marvellous testament to the almost unbelievable skill and determination of their builders. Take a close-up look at the Great Pyramid, built for Pharaoh Khufu, as well as the Khafre and Menkaure pyramids. Not far from the pyramids, you’ll see the Great Sphinx of Giza, the legendary statue with the head of a man and the body of a lion, astonishingly sculpted from an enormous piece of limestone. Next, visit a store where you can watch a brief demonstration of papyrus grass papermaking. Browse the art collection on display. After dinner, visit Memphis and Saqqara. At Saqqara, site of hundreds of tombs, you can admire the famous step pyramid of Djoser. Visit Memphis, Egypt’s capital during the Old Kingdom, founded by King Menes. Today, Memphis is an open-air museum highlighted by a giant statue of Ramses II.

Oasis Hotel 4* or similar

Breakfast and lunch included

Today, visit the Citadel and the Egyptian Museum. The Citadel is a medieval fortress in the center of Cairo. This UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its breathtaking views over the city, now houses museums and mosques. Visit a gold store before dining in a local restaurant. Then on to the Egyptian Museum, a neoclassical building in Tahrir Square. The museum houses the world’s largest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts. This evening, dinner at the hotel.

Oasis Hotel 4* or similar

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included

Today, flight to Aswan, an ancient frontier town. On the way, stop at Abu Simbel. You’ll be transported back in time to the mighty temple of Abu Simbel, reclaimed from the waters of the Aswan High Dam and entirely rebuilt on its present site. The site is dominated by the immense twin temples of Ramses II and his wife, Queen Nefertari. It’s one of Egypt’s most recognizable ancient sites. Then board your flight to Aswan and check into your hotel.

Basma Aswan Hotel 4*or similar

Breakfast included

This morning, visit the temple of Philae dedicated to the goddess Isis. Arrive by motorboat and marvel at the magnificent island where the temple is located. Continue on to the spectacular Aswan High Dam, a miracle of engineering when it was built in the 1960s. The dam put an end to the Nile’s devastating floods. Visit a perfume store and learn how these scents are made. Next, board your boat for an unforgettable cruise on the legendary River Nile. After dinner aboard the boat, you can spend the afternoon relaxing.

Nile cruise aboard MS A’Sara or similar.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included

This morning, visit the imposing Greco-Roman temple of Kom Ombo, dedicated to Horus, the sky god, and Sobek, the crocodile god. Admire the fascinating reliefs detailed on the walls. Later, visit the astonishing Temple of Horus at Edfu, considered one of the best preserved of all Egyptian temples. It was built in the Ptolemaic period and completed over a period of 180 years. The temple is dedicated to the falcon god Horus, son of Isis and Osiris. Its extravagant design and size are an indication of the country’s prosperity at the time. This afternoon, the boat sails via Esna to Luxor, known in ancient Egypt as the city of Thebes. This evening, a welcome cocktail awaits you before dinner.

Cruise on the Nile aboard MS A’Sara or similar

Breakfast, lunch and dinner included

This morning, after disembarking from your cruise ship, transfer to the airport for your flight to Aqaba, Jordan’s only port city. Spend the rest of the day discovering the beauty of the Red Sea. You can explore the coral reefs and marine life, swim or relax on the beach. This evening, dinner is served at the hotel.

Luciana by BRATUS Hotel 4 * or similar

Breakfast and dinner included

Spend your morning relaxing on the shores of the Red Sea, or join the optional Glass Bottom Boat Tour($).

On this excursion, you’ll board a glass-bottomed boat and cruise the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea. During the cruise, you’ll be able to admire the unique coral reefs of the Red Sea, which are among the most diverse ecosystems in the world. You’ll have the chance to snorkel on board (towels and snorkeling gear provided), or simply soak up the sun on the open-air upper deck. Enjoy a barbecue lunch and drinks while you’re at sea.

This afternoon, you’ll head to Wadi Rum, a surreal desert landscape of ancient riverbeds, wind-sculpted mountains, vast desert panoramas and pastel-colored sands. This UNESCO World Heritage Site, often described as the “Valley of the Moon”, was the inspiration (and filming location) for T.E. Lawrence’s novel Lawrence of Arabia. By 4×4, you’ll explore the valley, with its imposing rock faces that seem to rise straight out of the sand. Cross the immense red sand dunes and the eroded sandstone pillars known as the “Seven Pillars”. Afterwards, you’ll dine in an authentic Bedouin tent in the middle of the desert, where you’ll be introduced to “Zarb” – a selection of foods cooked in an oven with glowing coals beneath the desert floor. Return to Aqaba.

Luciana by BRATUS Hotel 4 * or similar

Breakfast, lunch, dinner included

Today, departure from Aqaba for the ancient city of Petra. Enter the “rose red” city, hand-carved into a mountain range by the Nabataeans in the 3rd century BC. Start your walk through the “Siq”, a winding canyon. At the end, you’ll gaze in wonder at Petra’s most extraordinary monument – the imposing Treasury Building, rising over 140 feet. Beyond, you’ll discover soaring temples, elaborate royal tombs, a theater, burial chambers and water channels, all remnants of a once grand Nabataean culture. Today, Petra is both a Jordanian national treasure and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After dinner in a local restaurant, you’ll have free time to explore the city further, before returning to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

PETRA MOON 4* or similar

Breakfast, lunch, dinner included

Depart Petra this morning and travel north to Amman. En route, stop at Shobak Castle, built in Crusader times. Visit to the mosaic town of Madaba, where an ancient map of the Holy Land is inlaid in the floor of St. George’s Church. After dinner in Madaba, visit Mount Nebo, the reputed burial site of Moses, overlooking the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea. Later, stop off at Moses Springs and visit a mosaic school and workshop, where you’ll have the chance to familiarize yourself with this incredible craft. Arrival in Amman, capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and check-in at your hotel. Dinner on your own ($).

Seven Roses 4 * or similar

Breakfast and lunch included

Today, visit the city of Jerash, the best-preserved example of Roman civilization in Jordan. Jerash, part of the Decapolis (the ten great Roman cities of the East), has been dubbed the Pompeii of the East due to its unique state of preservation. The city includes theaters, churches, temples to Zeus and Artemis, a nymphaeum and a colonnaded street. Afterwards, visit the city of Amman, often called the “white city” because of the white stone used to build the houses. Amman is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The tour will take you to museums, the Citadel, the Roman amphitheatre, the souks and the modern part of town. Lunch on your own ($). The rest of the day is free. Later in the evening, enjoy a farewell dinner with your guide and fellow travelers.

Seven Roses 4 * or similar

Breakfast and dinner included

Transfer to the airport for your departure flight.

Breakfast included