Classic Egypt & Jordan

Tour description

Egypt has a wealth of important and fascinating historical sites, which this tour visits during a luxury Nile Cruise and time in Cairo. The Pharaonic history is then balanced with some time by the Red Sea, and a journey through Jordan visiting a range of sites from other eras including the Nabatean city of Petra, Kerak crusader castle, and the Roman ruins at Jerash.

We begin this comprehensive tour of Egypt and Jordan in Cairo where we visit the pyramids and sphinx at Gisa, learning about the history of pyramid building and the early Egyptian Pharaohs. We also visit the famous Egyptian Museum, home of Tutankhamun's relics, and a huge collection of statues, mummies, papyrus scrolls and other artefacts.

After an overnight sleeper train (or flight) journey south to Luxor, the next feature of the tour is a 5 day/4 night luxury Nile Cruise on an Egyptian 5-star deluxe level boat. In Luxor we explore both banks of the Nile, visiting the Valley of the Kings, Queen Hatchepsut and Medinat Habu temples on the West Bank, and the immense Luxor and Karnak temples on the East Bank.

The relaxing journey up-river on the boat is broken up with an overnight stop at Edfu to visit the temple there, and also a stop to visit the temple at Komombo. You'll also watch traditional rural Egyptian life pass you by as you sail up the Nile.

The cruise finishes in Aswan where we take a boat trip to the beautiful island Philae temple, and have the option of visiting the remarkable temples to Ramses II at Abu Simbel.

A short flight takes us back to Cairo where we tour the Citadel, some beautiful mosques and the bustling Khan-el-Khalili bazaar before flying to Jordan's capital city, Amman.

 Our journey through Jordan starts by exploring Amman itself, and the extensive Roman ruins at nearby Jerash. Next, en-route south to the Red Sea at Aqaba we stop to view some beautifully preserved Roman mosaics at Madaba. We have some free time in Aqaba to catch our breath and relax, or do an optional snorkelling trip by boat.

 

The next highlight of the tour is some of the most spectacular scenery in the world, as we enjoy a short camel ride and a jeep safari through the huge cliffs and rock formations amid the deserts of Wadi Rum. The hidden city of Petra is our next stop, and we allow plenty of time for a guided tour and free time to explore the site fully. We also visit Little Petra before driving north up the King's Highway to the Dead Sea, stopping at the immense crusader castle at Kerak, and crossing several huge valleys such as Wadi Mujib on the way.

The tour finishes with a night at a luxury spa resort by the Dead Sea where you can swim in the strange salty waters, and enjoy a mud bath if you wish. Options are available to extend the tour with optional day trips to the Baptism Site at Bethany and Ajloun castle, or a tour into Israel to Jerusalem and Bethlehem.