Egypt & Jordan,the land of legends

A member of our staff meets you at Queen Alia International Airport and takes you to your hotel in Amman. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Start the day the way everyday Jordanians do, with a traditional breakfast at a local restaurant. Then out to the desert castles: Qasr Amra, Qasr al-Kharana and Qasr al-Azraq. After lunch, back to Amman for the downtown sights: the Roman Theatre, the Citadel, the Archaeological and Folklore Museums and the souks. Dinner at the hotel and overnight in Amman.

A full day in the north. Leave at 8 o’clock for Ajloun, then lunch in Jerash and a visit to the Roman city. Back to Amman for dinner at a traditional restaurant. Overnight in Amman.

After breakfast, on to the Christian town of Madaba, the City of Mosaics, to see the mosaic map in St George’s Church and the Archaeological Park with the remains of several Byzantine churches. Then a detour to Mount Nebo and Wadi Mujib. Overnight in Petra.

Petra, described as the “rose-red city, half as old as time”, was founded by the Nabataeans 2,000 years ago. A full day in Petra. Overnight in Petra.

After breakfast, on to Beida, known as Little Petra, where the Nabataeans used to entertain their guests. In the early evening, drive to Wadi Rum for a jeep tour and the sunset. Dinner and overnight at the camp.

Visit Bethany on the Jordan River, then swim in the warm, salty water of the Dead Sea, the lowest point on the surface of the earth. Overnight at the hotel.

Fly on to Egypt. At Cairo International Airport our representative welcomes you, helps you through the arrival formalities and takes you to your hotel. Overnight in Cairo.

After breakfast your guide takes you to the Giza Plateau and the Great Pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, then to the Panoramic Point for photographs. Visit the Valley Temple and the Great Sphinx, the guardian of the plateau. Lunch at a local restaurant (drinks extra). In the afternoon, the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, home to the treasures of Tutankhamun and his golden mask. Overnight in Cairo. Optional: an evening dinner cruise in Cairo — ask us.

An early flight to Luxor, where our representative meets you. Sightseeing starts on the West Bank with the Valley of the Kings, burial place of the kings of the 18th, 19th and 20th dynasties, and entry to three royal tombs (the tomb of Tutankhamun needs an extra ticket and numbers are limited each day — ask us). Then the Colossi of Memnon, two 19.5-metre statues of Amenhotep III, each carved from a single block of quartzite, and the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari. Board the cruise for lunch. At sunset, visit the illuminated Luxor Temple, built by Amenhotep III and enlarged by Ramesses II. Dinner and overnight on board.

After breakfast, the Temple of Karnak: the vast temples and sanctuaries of Thebes dedicated to Amun, Mut and Khonsu, built over centuries by kings including Senusret I, Amenhotep III, Hatshepsut, Thutmose III and Ramesses II, with pylons, courtyards, columns, obelisks and the sacred lake. Back on board, sail towards Edfu through the Esna lock, built in 1906. Lunch and dinner on board. Optional: a hot-air balloon ride over the West Bank, about an hour — ask us.

After breakfast, reach Edfu, about 140 km from Aswan, and the Temple of Horus, the falcon god, rebuilt in the Ptolemaic period between 237 and 57 BC. Lunch on board, then on to Kom Ombo, about 45 km from Aswan, where the temple is unusual for its double design, divided between Horus the Elder and Sobek, the crocodile god. Sail to Aswan. Dinner and overnight on board.

After breakfast on board, discover Aswan. First the High Dam, opened in 1971, which gives Egypt water and electricity and protects it from the Nile’s floods. Then by boat to Philae Island and the Temple of Isis, an ancient place of pilgrimage rebuilt by Ptolemy II in the third century BC. Back to the ship for lunch. In the afternoon, a felucca sail around Aswan and the Botanical Garden. Dinner and overnight on board.

After breakfast, transfer to Aswan Airport for the flight to Cairo, where we meet you and take you to your hotel. Overnight in Cairo. Optional: an excursion to Abu Simbel and the two temples of Ramesses II and Nefertari — ask us.

After breakfast, check out and transfer to Cairo Airport for your onward flight.