Egypt & Jordan Discovery - 14 days

Welcome to Egypt. Upon arrival at Cairo Airport you'll be met and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax or if arriving early, you can opt to pre book our optional private Backstreets of Cairo tour, which introduces you to the highlights of Egypt's bustling capital.

Your adventure begins at the Giza Plateau where you'll see the legendary Pyramids of Giza and Sphinx. Gaze in awe at Cheops (Khufu) - the largest of the three great pyramids. Constructed from over 2.5 million limestone blocks it is thought to have taken more than 20 years to construct. Sole survivors from the ancient Greek-listed Seven Wonders of the World, the pyramids are the planet’s oldest tourist attraction! Continuing to Saqqara - constructed by Imhotep, the pharaoh’s chief architect in 2700 BC, explore the myriad tombs and temples at this site and see Zhoser’s step pyramid. A visit to a government supervised Papyrus Museum will also be made at some point during today.

Cairo - Aswan. Take a guided tour of the Grand Egyptian Museum this morning, home to the world’s largest collection of artefacts from a single civilisation. Explore its extraordinary galleries filled with statues, jewellery, and ancient treasures, including the complete collection from Tutankhamun’s tomb. Highlights include his chariots, ornate jewellery, and the famed golden mask — one of the most iconic and breathtaking pieces ever discovered.

Then there's time to relax back at the hotel before your guide assists you in boarding the overnight sleeper train to Aswan this evening. Your new guide will welcome you on your arrival to Aswan tomorrow morning.

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Arrive into Aswan, where you will be welcomed by your new guide. Enjoy a leisurely boat trip to Agilika Island for a guided tour of the romantic Philae Temple - dedicated to the goddess Isis. Essential and perfumed oils in Egypt dates back to 2700BC, on return to Aswan you will visit a perfume oil emporium and then check in on board your 5 star cruise, home for the coming days. As the sun sets, free time to shop in the colourful souqs and markets or simply relax and watch an amazing sunset in Egypt's southernmost town straddling the River Nile.

Aswan – Abu Simbel (optional) - Nile cruise - Kom Ombo. Today there is an optional early morning flight excursion to Abu Simbel offered. Choose to either join a guided journey to Abu Simbel or opt for a self-guided exploration by exploring the temples at your own pace. Abu Simbel is home to the famous the rock-cut temple of King Ramses II. The Nile cruiser departs Aswan this afternoon and you'll cruise the River Nile to Kom Ombo and disembark to visit the temple which is dedicated to the crocodile headed god - Sobek before returning to the cruiser.

Nile Cruise - Luxor. Relax, enjoy a swim in the pool and chill out in the sun on deck this morning. Let your troubles melt away as you cruise the River Nile to Luxor. Home of the legendary Valley of the Kings and Temple of Karnak, 4000 year-old Luxor is ancient Egypt at its best. Arriving into Luxor this afternoon the rest of the day is free to explore the city before you spend your final night aboard the cruiser.

This morning we disembark and check into our 5 star Luxor hotel. In the afternoon, you will visit Karnak Temple, a spectacular religious complex built on a gigantic scale, where you get lost wandering around the stone papyrus columns. Later, there is an optional excursion to the Luxor Temple, which is long rumoured to be the location of Pharaoh crownings. Built by Amenophis III, Luxor Temple looks stunning at night when it's illuminated by hundreds of lights (book and pay locally).

An early start allows you to avoid some of the fierce midday heat as you venture to the tomb strewn Valley of the Kings. This morning you'll visit the Colossi of Memnon - a massive pair of statues that stand silent against a historic backdrop. Then, explore the Valleys of the Kings and the awesome colonnaded Temple of Queen. The Valley of the Kings is studded with often highly decorated tombs, constructed to once house the regal sarcophagi enclosed mummies of the mighty pharaohs awaiting passage into the after-life. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure.

Luxor - Cairo - Amman. Hotel check out and included onward departure transfer to Luxor Airport. Stopover in Cairo before boarding flight to Amman. Arrival Amman Airport and included transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to relax or head out and explore the city.

Amman - Madaba - Mount Nebo - Umm ar Rasas - Petra. Today you will tour the citadel and Archaeological Museum of Amman before taking a walk through the bustling local souk to enjoy typical Jordanian street treats of falafel and hummus at the country’s most popular local street stand. As the pictures on the wall will prove, the unglamorous food stand was a great favourite of the late King Hussein.

Departing Amman, you'll stop at Mt. Nebo - the site from which Moses saw the Promised Land. Having led the Israelites for 40 years through the wilderness, Moses finally saw them from this awesome vantage point. This amazing panorama includes the Jordan River Valley, the Dead Sea, Jericho and the spires and domes of the Mt. of Olives and Bethlehem on the Judean hills just across the wide valley. Later visit Madaba en route to Petra and see the Church of St George, the Madaba Archaeological Park, Apostles Church and Madaba Museum.

Continue onto one of Jordan’s World Heritage sites, Um ar-Rasas, once an important stop on the busy caravan routes. The impressive mosaic floor of the St. Stephen Church features medallions commemorating all the early Christian pilgrimage sites of the region, and the extensive ruins also include one of the area’s earliest Stylite towers, where a Byzantine hermit lived atop the tower and preached to the pilgrimage visitors.

Your final stop of the day is Petra. Tonight, consider doing a Petra by Night excursion (payable locally) for a tantalizing candlelight stroll through Petra’s Siq…. a romantic preview of things to come.

Walking through the mysterious mile-long Siq, the narrow gorge with towering sandstone walls, leads into the ancient capital city of the Nabatean trading empire. Explore the Khazneh (the temple of Indiana Jones fame), Theatre, Colonnaded Street and Museum. After lunch, climb to ad-Deir (the Monastery), Petra’s largest carved façade.

Petra - Wadi Rum. This morning offers the opportunity to return to Petra, visiting the High Place of Sacrifice and Wadi Farasa. A lunch stop at the Wadi Musa souk to pick up shawarma sandwiches or fruit and veggie snacks from the local produce souk before making the scenic drive to Wadi Rum.

Upon arrival, join a jeep tour that takes in the moonscape desert terrain of Wadi Rum before arriving to our remote camp site deep in the heart of the Wadi Rum. You will enjoy a magical evening under the brilliant stars of the desert night sky, including a scrumptious traditional Jordanian dinner.

Wadi Rum - Shobak – Wadi Mujib - Dead Sea. After breakfast at the campsite, you'll head north along the Desert Highway to visit Shobak Castle, which is perched dramatically on a hill top and was built by the Crusader king Baldwin I in 1115. After exploring the castle, descend some 1300 meters to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on the earth’s surface. More than 500 meters below sea level, the mineral-rich Dead Sea is the world’s original health and beauty spa. Drift out and bob in the waters and slap on some of the famous black Dead Sea mud to give your skin an invigorating boost.

For departures between April and October, you can head up the King’s Highway to Wadi Mujib. From there, embark on a moderate –paced two hour trek along the Siq Trail. Measuring 500 metres in depth and spanning 4 kilometres across, the impressive Wadi Mujib is one of Jordan’s most remarkable natural features. This dramatic canyon features sheer rocky walls and sparkling waterways that range from puddle height to depths that are perfect for swimming (chest height or deeper) depending on the rainfall. When the water level is high you should be prepared for having to climb up ladders, clamber across boulders and be happy to wade through water. The canyon is just one feature of the Mujib Biosphere Reserve, the lowest nature reserve in the world, home to a surprising diversity of wildlife and plant species. You may choose to only hike partially or skip the hike altogether. Afterwards, head to the Dead Sea where you'll stay for the night.

Dead Sea - Amman Airport. Hotel check out and an included transfer to Amman's Queen Alia Airport to meet your onward flight.