Tour Itinerary:
Day 1:
Arrival in Cairo transfer to Hotel. Dinner at hotel and overnight.
Day 2:
Full day visiting The Great Pyramids - Cheops, Chephren & Mykerions. See the earliest monumental stone tractor in Egypt, a stepped pyramid built for King Zoser. Then visit the cemetery for Memphis, used continuously for 3,000 years. See the earliest monumental stone tractor in Egypt, a stepped pyramid built for King Zoser. (B, L)
Day 3:
Fly to Abu Simbel to visit the twin temples of Ramses ll and his Queen Nefertari on the shores of Lake Nasser. After finishing our tour, fly to Aswan. Transfer to Sofitel New Cataract (B, L)
Day 4:
After breakfast, Transfer to our 5-star cruise ship. Visit the Aswan High Dam and Lake Nasser, the Unfinished Obelisk, Philae Temple and cruise to Kom Ombo. Enroute visit Kom Ombo Temple shared by the two gods Sobek and Haroeris. Ride by felucca to visit the Nubian village. [A felucca is a traditional, narrow-hulled, shallow-drafted lateen sailboat used to transport passengers and cargo along the Nile River in Upper Egypt.] Overnight on board cruise ship anchored in Edfu. (B, L, D)
Day 5:
Visit the Temple of Horus in Edfu and sail to Esna, cross the lock then sail to Luxor. Afternoon visit to the East Bank of the Nile, Karnak and Luxor Temples. Overnight on board cruise ship anchored in Luxor. (B, L, D)
Day 6:
After breakfast, cross to the West Bank of the Nile to visit Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon. Excursion to the Valley of Kings; visit the tombs of various dynasties, The Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir El Bahari and the Colossi of Memnon. Then visit the Karnak & Luxor Temples. Excursion to the Luxor Temple to see its courtyard and the granite statues of Ramses the Great. Proceed to Karnak. Starting by the Avenue of Sphinxes visit the Unfinished Propylon, the Hypostyle Hall with its 134 gigantic columns, the Obelisks of Queen Hatshepsut and Tutomosis III, the temple of Amon adorned with lotus and papyrus designs, the Granite Scarbeus of Amenophis III and the Sacred Lake. Overnight in on cruise ship anchored in Luxor. (B, L, D)
Day 7:
Transfer to hotel. Visit the excellent Luxor Museum, enjoy strolling in the markets, optional balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings. Evening attend a lovely Sound & Light Show at the Temple of Karnak. (B)
Day 8:
Morning transfer to Luxor Airport for flight to Cairo. Our tour starts with visiting Islamic Cairo beginning with the 12th century Citadel of Salah El Deen El Ayoubi. Within the walls of this medieval fortress is Alabaster Mosque of Mohammed Ali, one of the landmarks in Cairo whose minaret can be seen from any part of the city. Next you visit the Mosque of lbn Tulan, the oldest original mosque in Cairo. Overnight Concorde El Salam Swiss Hotel. (B, L)
Day 9:
Morning visit the Egyptian Museum of antiquities. On display is a rare collection of 5000 years of art the largest most precious collection of Egyptian art in the world. Next we visit the Tomb of Tutankhamun. Continue to visit Old Cairo-Church of Abu-Sergah and St. Berbara, The Hanging Church, and the Coptic Museum which has a large collection of Coptic arts and antiquities dating from 300-1000 B.C. We will also visit the old Ben Ezra Synagogue. From here, start your visit of the Khan El Khalili Bazaars. Shops in this district are legendary for fine brassware, copper, perfumes, leather, silver, gold, antiques and more! Lunch at hotel. (B, L)
Day 10:
Morning drive to St. Catherine´s Monastery in the Sinai Peninsula. Overnight Hotel St. Catherine Plaza on Sinai Peninsula. (B, L)
Day 11:
Climb the mountain that Moses received the Ten Commandments. It lies south of St. Catherine’s Monastery and rises to a height of 7.497 feet. Once on top, witness the most beautiful and spectacular sunrise you have ever seen. After breakfast visit the Monastery of St. Catherine, which sits at an altitude of 5,150 feet on the reputed site of the Burning Bush. Transfer to Nuweiba port for the one hour ferry crossing of the Red Sea to the Port of Aqaba in Jordan. Transfer to the lovely Movenpick Red Sea Resort. (B, D)
Day 12:
Free morning at the hotel beach. Afternoon exploration of the magnificent desert moonscapes of Wadi Rum. We will descend to the breathtaking pink Nature Reserve of Rum. Explore this awesome desert on 4x4 jeeps driven by your Bedouin guide. This 3 hour experience will introduce you to the real Bedouin life in Jordan. The tour ends at a special spot where you will admire the beauty of the sun reflecting off the Sandstone Mountains of the desert while enjoying some refreshment of local Arak (Jordanian alcoholic drink) & soft drinks served specially for you in the middle of nowhere.
Overnight at deluxe Movenpick Petra Hotel conveniently located at the entrance to the fabled city of Petra (B, L)
Day 13:
After breakfast, we walk to Petra visitor’s center to start a full day tour of The Hidden Nabatean city Petra. Beyond el Khazneh you are surrounded on both sides by hundreds of Petra's curved and built structures, soaring temples, elaborate royal tombs, a curved Roman theater (seating 3,000), large and small houses, burial chambers, banquet halls, water channels and reservoirs, bathes, monumental staircases, cultic installations, markets, arched gates public buildings and paved streets. (B, L)
Day 14:
This visit of Petra includes the Monastery and the High Place of Sacrifice for superb views of the archaeological site. (B, L)
Day 15:
Today we ascend by donkey caravan to Jebel Harun, the Biblical Mount Horon, Petra´s highest peak and the burial site of Aaron, brother of Moses. Evening transfer to Baidha, a wonderful Neolithic archeological site, where we will enjoy a BBQ dinner party in the area of Little Petra, with music and delicious catered Jordanian food. The site is located among the Sandstone Mountains of Petra, where the Nabateans used to greet the great caravan traders while they traverse the region. This Nabataean feast is one of the special events through which you can experience some of the activities that took place in this place during the time of its prosperity. During dinner a local Bedouins troop will perform the folkloric dance of the south of Jordan and will invite the guests to share with them this glory dance. (B, L, D)
Day 16:
This morning we reluctantly depart Petra and drive via the scenic road of the king’s highway to Dana Nature Reserve situated on the edge of time “as the locals say” the most beautiful wildlife scenery in the Middle East. Visit the small village and meet with local people & listen to their stories and the way they live in this area. After lunch the path takes us to Karak passing through the villages en-route; visit Karak Castle,which lies in the biblical land of Moab and was a Moabite stronghold long before the Crusaders built the castle for which it is famous today. In the late afternoon prepare your self to feel the unworldly sensation of driving to the lowest point on earth to the Dead Sea Basin. Transfer to the wonderful Movenpick Dead Sea Resort. (B, L)
Day 17:
Enjoy a morning of relaxation on the shores of the Dead Sea. Enjoy the facilities of the Resort and the healing water of the Dead Sea.
We will rejoin King´s Highway and visit Mount Nebo, from which Moses viewed the Promised Land. Next we drive to the Mosaic city “Madaba” to visit the famous Byzantine Mosaic map, which makes up a small portion of the floor in the Greek Orthodox Church. The map gives a brief introduction to the history of the Holy Land. Stroll around in this small town ending at Haret Jedoudnah-- one of the oldest houses in Madaba city newly turned into a handicraft center and restaurant where we enjoy lunch. Late afternoon we arrive in the lovely Jordanian capital of Amman for a two night stay at Hotel Intercontinental. (B, L)
Day 18:
After breakfast, proceed to the north to the best preserved example of Roman civilization, the city of Jerash. Jerash, part of the Decapolis (the ten big Roman cities of the East) has been called the Pompeii of the East for its unique state of preservation. The city features theaters, churches, temples (Zeus and Artemis), a Nymphaeum and colonnaded streets. After lunch, we proceed to the Saracen castle at Ajlun. After that proceed to Umm Qais, this spectacular point located in the far end of north of the Kingdome, and capture a magnificent view on the Lake Tiberius & the Golan highest. Next, we drive back to Amman for a city tour of the capital of the Hashemite Kingdom. The tour will take you to the museums, the Citadel, the amphitheater, the souks and the modern part of town. Lastly a drive to Kan Zaman Village for a gala farewell dinner. The visit of the village will include the village souk (market) and handicraft center & shops, then buffet dinner of typical Jordanian dishes will be served with live entertainment show of local duo (oude & drums). (B, L, D)
Day 19:
Transfer to the airport. (B)
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price Includes: accommodations in five star hotels, daily breakfast and either lunch or dinner as indicated in the itinerary including BBQ party in Baidha, and gala farewell dinner in Amman at Fakhr al-Din Restaurant, all meals on Nile Cruise; government tax/service charges, catamaran tickets Nuweiba-Aqaba, jeep tour/transfer between Aqaba and Petra, including full-day tour through Wadi Rum, all other transfers by a/c mini van (10 seats) or touring coach, professional local guides in Egypt and Jordan, all entry fees for sightseeing program as outlined, porterage at airports, ports, train stations, horseback entry to Petra, first visit only, donkey or horse or camel excursion to Jabal Harun in Petra.
Price excludes: other meals, drinks, tips, personal extras, Egypt port exit taxes, Jordan departure taxes.
Also see tour packages in:
Africa
Egypt
Cultural Journey
Archeology/History
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