Egypt and Jordan Highlights

The Middle East is blessed with a huge of ancient historical sites and natural beauty. This tour highlights the most famous of these in Egypt and Jordan, while leaving some free time for you to explore further yourselves, or just relax by the Nile, or on the beach by the Red Sea.

Note - From July 09 the accommodation on this tour has been upgraded to include 4 and 5-star hotels in Cairo and Luxor. 3-star hotels are still used for the second stay in Cairo and your time in Dahab and Jordan.

Starting in Cairo we make a visit to the Gisa Plateaux to see the Great Pyramids and mysterious Sphinx. These awesome ancient monuments have withstood the tests of time, giving us a fascinating and unique glimpse into the past. Our tour finishes with a visit to the famous Egyptian museum with its vast collection of ancient artefacts, including the treasures of Tutenkhamun's tomb.
From Cairo we travel by train to Luxor with its spectacular collection of temples and tombs. On the east bank or the Nile, we visit the colossal and well preserved Temples of Karnak and Luxor, while our tour of the west bank of the Nile explores the tombs of the Valleys of the Kings, Queen Hatchepsut and Medinat Habu temples, and the Colossi of Memnon.

Leaving the Nile Valley behind we head back to Cairo to explore the Citadel and the bazaar, before continuing on to the Sinai Peninsular and the laidback Red Sea beach resort of Dahab. Here we have a couple of days to relax by the beach and enjoy the fantastic swimming and snorkelling available on and around some of the world's best coral reefs. You can also climb Mt. Sinai and visit St. Catherine's monastery.

Next we cross into Jordan for a jeep safari amid the stunning desert & mountain scenery of Wadi Rum. The next highlight of the tour is a full tour and some free time in the world famous Nabatean city of Petra. The tour ends with a drive up the King's Highway to the crusader castle of Kerak and a swim in the Dead Sea, before we finish in Amman.

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Itinerary / Highlights

Day 1
Arrive in Cairo. We will meet you from your flight and help you to obtain you Egyptian Visa. We then transfer you to your Cairo hotel. The remainder of the day is free for you to settle in.

Day 2
We begin today with a tour of the Gisa Plateau including tours of the Pyramids and Sphinx. We then head for the city centre to visit Cairo Museum, home to the treasures of King Tutankhamen. Tonight we take the overnight train to Luxor.

Day 3
Today we focus our tours on the West bank. You will visit the Famous Valley of the Kings, the mortuary temple of Queen Hatchepsut, Medinat Habu and the Colossi of Memnon.

Day 4
We begin our tours today with a visit to the great temple of Amun at Karnak, we will then travel through Luxor to visit the Temple of Luxor.

Day 5
Today is free for you to explore Luxor. We offer the option to take a hot air balloon over the West Bank. Tonight we will take the overnight train to Cairo.

Day 6
We arrive back in Cairo this morning, and check-in to a 3-star hotel. We will then commence our half day city tour visiting the Citadel of Saladin and the Khan al Khalili Bazaar. Tonight there is the opportunity to board a 5-star river steamer for dinner.

Day 7
This morning we drive from Cairo across the Sinai Peninsular to Dahab. After checking in to your hotel, the remainder of the day is free.

Day 8
We travel a short way out of Dahab this morning to do a spot of snorkelling at the world famous ‘Blue Hole'. There is an option available to climb Mt Sinai this evening to see the incredible sunrise in the morning over this impressive landscape, followed by a visit to St. Catherine's monastery at the foot of the mountain.

Day 9
An early start this morning takes you by road to Taba where we cross overland into Jordan via Eilat in Israel (your passports will not be stamped). We then head into the Jordanian desert and the spectacular scenery of Wadi Rum where we enjoy a Bedouin lunch and an afternoon jeep safari. The day finishes with a drive out of the desert into the hills around Petra, where we spend the night in our next hotel.

Day 10
We begin today with a 4-hour guided tour of Petra. The remainder of the day is free for you to explore the ‘hidden city' further. Tonight we offer the option to re-visit Petra by candlelight.

Day 11
You will have the chance for a final visit to Petra this morning before we begin our drive towards Amman. Our first stop on route will be at the old crusader town of Kerak. We then join the King's Highway and head to the Dead Sea where you can enjoy ‘floating' in this mysterious place. Tonight is spent in Amman.

Day 12
You have free time this morning before we transfer you to Amman Airport for your departure.

Other Details

Accommodation Details

Our Standard tours use good quality hotels from 3 to 5 star, in which all rooms have air-conditioning and en-suite bathrooms. In
Cairo, subject to availability, we like to use a pyramids area hotel with a pool in the summer months, and a city centre hotel when it is
cooler in the winter months. The felucca is covered and mattresses are provided. Please note that for the felucca trip you will need to
bring a light sleeping bag or blanket with you. If you are joining one of our group tours, or booking a private departure on the normal tour itinerary, then we will confirm your hotels about a week before departure. If you want to guarantee a stay in a particular hotel, then please request a tailor-made tour.

Hotels used on this tour (subject to availability):
Cairo:
• 1st stay - Oasis Hotel (4-star)
• 2nd stay - Oasis Hotel or Zayed Hotel (3-star)

Aswan:
• Isis Corniche Hotel (4-star)

Luxor:
• Pyramisa Isis Luxor (5-star)

Dahab (3-star):
• Oricana Hotel, Dyarna Hotel.

Petra (3-star):
• Petra Palace Hotel, Amra Palace Hotel.

Amman (3-star):
• Al Waleed Hotel or similar