Egypt and Jordan Tour

Welcome to Cairo, Egypt! On arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel (either the Four Seasons at the First Residence or the Conrad Hilton, Executive Floor. Overnight in Cairo.

Breakfast at the hotel then we start our tour to the only existing wonder of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx. Our Egyptologist guide will bring the site to life with expert knowledge of the history of the Pyramids and we will have an opportunity for a photo standing between the paws of the Sphinx. Lunch will be at a local restaurant. Return to the hotel and the rest of the day is free. Overnight in Cairo. (B/L)

Early breakfast at the hotel, check out and drive to Cairo airport to catch our 1-hour flight to Luxor. On arrival in Luxor we will be met and assisted with collecting luggage and board our air-conditioned bus that will take us to visit the Karnak temple, a complex of temples built over 2,000 years and dedicated to the Theban triad of Amun, Mut, and Khonsu. After our visit we will transfer to our 5-star deluxe cruise ship, the MS Amwaj (or similar), check in and enjoy lunch on board. Before sunset, we will visit the Luxor temple. This temple complex was constructed over hundreds of years by Amenhotep III, Ramses II, Tutankhamun, and other pharaohs, and was the largest and most significant religious center in ancient Egypt. In what was then Thebes, Luxor Temple was “the place of the First Occasion,” where the god Amon experienced rebirth during the pharaoh’s annually reenacted coronation ceremony. Return to the ship. Dinner on board and overnight in Luxor. (B/L/D)

Breakfast on board the ship then we head to the west side of the Nile to the necropolis of Thebes to visit the Valley of the Kings. You will visit three tombs where you will see the hieroglyph-covered walls and explore the many chambers of the tombs. Next visit the temple of Queen Hatshepsut, one of a few female rulers to assume the title Pharoah, and who was a prolific builder and adept at re-establishing trade that had been disrupted by earlier conflict, bringing more prosperity to her kingdom. Back to our ship and enjoy lunch as the ship sails southwards to the city of Esna. At Esna we go through the locks then continue on to Edfu where the ship will dock for the night. Dinner on board and overnight. (B/L/D)

Today, after breakfast on board, we'll visit Edfu temple, dedicated to Horus, god of protection. The temple, built during the Ptolemaic period, became almost completely buried by drifting sand and was only rediscovered in the mid-1800s. This late discovery and protection by the sand kept this complex as one of the most well-preserved temples in Egypt. We return to the ship and sail on towards Kom Ombo. Lunch on board then visit the temple of Sobek the crocodile and God of healing. You will see evidence of their relationship with the crocodiles in this temple. Return back to the ship that will sail on to Aswan for dinner on board and overnight. (B/L/D)

Enjoy breakfast on board then we visit the temple of Philae dedicated to goddess Isis, the goddess of love and magic. This temple is on Agilkia Island, where it was moved to from Philae Island, to protect it from the rising waters of the Nile due to the construction of the Aswan High Dam. This is similar to the temples at Abu Simbel. After our visit, we return to the ship for lunch. In the afternoon, we'll enjoy a boat ride to the botanical garden of Aswan. Back to the ship for dinner and overnight in Aswan. (B/L/D)

After breakfast, we disembark from the ship and head to Aswan airport to fly to Abu Simbel. This amazing sight contains the reconstructed temple of Ramses II and his wife Nefertari on the shore of Lake Nasr. The original temples were relocated to save them from the rising waters caused by the Aswan High Dam was being constructed. After our visit we will fly back to Cairo. Arrive in Cairo and we transfer to our hotel, either the Four Seasons or the Conrad Hilton. Overnight in Cairo. (B)

Breakfast at the hotel then you will start your full day tour beginning with Sakkara where the first manmade pyramid, the step-pyramid of King Zoser, the precursor of the pyramids and dating back to 2717 BC. Also visit the Unas pyramid where the first pyramid texts in Hieroglyphics have been found. Next visit the new Museum of Egyptian Civilization where all the mummies of the ancient Pharaohs are housed and which houses many more of Egypt’s treasures in a modern display and research facility. Lunch in a local restaurant then back to your hotel and overnight in Cairo. (B/L)

Breakfast at the hotel then we will visit the old Cairo Coptic churches such as the Hanging Church, built in the 3rd century AD. The Hanging Church was the official residence of the Coptic Pope in 1047 AD. The Hanging Church is named for its location above a gatehouse of the Babylon Fortress, the Roman fortress in Coptic Cairo and the church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Next we visit the citadel of Salah Eldeen and mosque of Mohamed Ali (the blue mosque of Cairo). Lunch in a local restaurant then we will visit the famous market, Khan El Khalili, and have free time to enjoy shopping. Back to hotel and overnight in Cairo. (B/L)

Breakfast at the hotel, check out and drive to Cairo airport to catch our flight to Jordan. On arrival in Amman we will be met and if time permits, have a city tour of Amman before checking in to our hotel. Dinner and overnight in Amman. (B/D)

Today after breakfast we will head north of Amman to visit the ancient Roman city of Jerash. The site contains the restored amphitheater, the Elliptical Forum, Hadrian’s Arch, the Corinthian columns of the Temple of Artemis, and much more. This Greco-Roman city part of the Roman Decapolis League of cities and is considered one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the world. After visiting Jerash, we will visit Ajlun. In Ajlun, above the city on the top of the hill you can see Al-Rabath Castle with its magnificent view of the Jordan Valley. It was an Arab defense fortress built in 1184 to defend against the Crusaders. Explore its warren of towers, chambers, galleries and hidden staircases, then continue to Umm Qais. Umm Qais is where ancient Gadara, a Greco-Roman city of the Decapolis, is located. It sits atop a hill overlooking Lake Tiberias, the Golan Heights, and the Yarmouk River. Explore the site, then we return to Amman for overnight. (B/D)

After breakfast check out and depart for Petra with stops in Madaba, Mt. Nebo and Kerak along the way. In the town of Madaba you will visit the Greek Orthodox church of St. George, home to a stunning mosaic map of the ancient Middle East. Afterwards continue to nearby Mount Nebo where we will visit the church on top of the hill from where, it is believed, Moses viewed the Promised Land he could not enter. Continue to Petra, with a stop at Kerak. Kerak is a crusader fortress, built over older fortresses, located on the King’s Highway in the area known in ancient times as Moab. Continue to Petra for dinner and overnight. (B/D)

After breakfast begin your exploration of Petra, the "Rose Red City." This incredible hidden city, inhabited by the ancient Nabateans, lay concealed from 100 AD until it was re-discovered in the early 1800's. Take a horse ride to the "Siq" (Canyon) entrance then walk the rest of the way through the narrow, winding cut in rocks into the valley. Your first glimpse of the magnificence of the place will be of the Treasury as you round the last bend on the pathway. The Treasury and the other buildings have been carved out of the canyon walls in the pink sandstone. Continue past the Roman Theatre, the Corinthian Tomb and the Palace Tomb. Enjoy time on your own exploring the site. After exploring Petra we will depart for Wadi Rum. Dinner and overnight at the Wadi Rum camp. (B/D)

After breakfast, we depart for a 4x4 jeep tour of Wadi Rum for about 3-4 hours. Uniquely shaped massive mountains rise vertically out of the pink desert sand, which separate one dark mass from another in a magnificent desert scenery of strange breathtaking beauty, with towering cliffs of weathered stone. Wadi Rum is probably best known because of its connection with the enigmatic British officer T.E. Lawrence, who was based here during the Great Arab Revolt of 1917-18, and as the setting for the film that carried his name "Lawrence of Arabia". After our desert adventure we will leave the wadi behind and head to the Dead Sea for relaxation and a swim, if you are so inclined, in the therapeutic waters. Dinner and overnight at the Dead Sea. (B/D)

We will have time this morning for a leisurely breakfast and even another swim in the Dead Sea before checking out at noon. We head to the north end of the inland sea to Bethany, the baptismal place of Jesus and home to John the Baptist. Our next stop is at Madaba, city of mosaics, where we will visit a mosaic arts studio and then the church of St. George, Greek Orthodox church built on the site of a 6th century Byzantine church, where the mosaic map of the Holy Land was discovered. Afterwards, we will depart to visit a local farm for dinner and enjoy a traditional Jordanian home-cooked meal. After this lovely meal we will go to our hotel for overnight in Madaba. (B/D)

It's time for this adventure to come to an end. Transfer to Queen Alia International Airport for your departure. Bon voyage!

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