Loading The Best of Jordan, Egypt, and Lebanon
All in 18 Days. See the top sights in Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon on this locally escorted tour, including Amman, Beirut, Tyr, Sidon, Petra, Wadi Rum Martian Dome Luxury Camping and Jerash. In Egypt you tour Cairo, Giza, the fabled temples of Luxor, Aswan, Ramses the Great and Queen Nefertari Abu Simbel colossal temples.
Downtown Beirut at night. Photo by Serg.el.khou | Wikimedia Commons.
Follow in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia when you tour the Near East, touring the best of Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon: We’ll show you the wonders of fabled Lebanon –Roman citadels, Biblical sites, and the ancient/modern city of Beirut, a locally escorted tour.
DAY 1: AMMAN – Daily Arrival – Year Round – This is a Private Tour – Choose Your Own Date
Transfers are always on a private basis. Private air-conditioned vehicle. Private Chauffeur. Our local representative will meet you upon arrival and help with the transfer to your hotel in Amman.
DAY 2: MADABA, KERAK – PETRA (BL)
After breakfast, a brief stop at Amman Museum where we’ll see some of the Dead Sea Scrolls:
The peoples of the Holy Land have wandered from homeland to dispersion, across the parted waters of the Red Sea, back to their homeland. So too, the Dead Sea Scrolls have followed an epic journey, from hazy origins in the time of the Second Temple, to secret caches, to their repositories today, where they are revered as the heritage of mankind.It was in 1947 that the first scrolls were rediscovered by Bedouin shepherds in the Qumran Caves overlooking the Dead Sea. Inscribed in Hebrew and Aramaic and Greek on parchment and papyrus, unmolested since before the time of Christ, they were the earliest original holy writings ever brought to light. Only dimly appreciated at first, they embarked on a journey that took them through the hands of dealers and connoisseurs, to Bethlehem, Lebanon and New York, and finally to Jerusalem.Discoveries continued, as 11 caves were explored, revealing scrolls and fragments of sacred texts and historical records of the construction of the Second Temple. Most found their way to the Rockefeller Museum, and later were incorporated into today’s Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem.But other treasures made their way to the Jordan Archaeological Museum, where they are displayed in an alcove at one end of the building, in an unpretentious setting that belies their importance. The collection includes a fragment of the Book of Isaiah, and the Dead Sea Bronze Scroll, an inventory of caches of valuables, composed in Aramaic characters, the vernacular language of Palestine at the time of Christ.As you gaze and at the scrolls in the museum, reflect on the Biblical events of which they speak that took place in what is now Jordan. Lot’s wife was turned into a pillar of salt, and Lot fled to a cave in what is now Safi. Lot’s descendants ruled over Moab in Central Jordan. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire. Jesus preached in the Decapolis, the ten Roman cities of northern Jordan and southern Syria. The Israelites crossed this land on the way to exile in Persia; and Moses viewed the Holy Land from Mount Nebo, and expired.
We drive south along the King’s Highway, an ancient caravan route, to Madaba to visit the church containing the oldest known map of the Holy Land. Continuing to Mount Nebo, we enjoy the panoramic view of the Promised Land the way Moses saw it for the first time. Further on, at Kerak, we tour the ruins of its romantic Crusaders’ castle of Renaud de Chatillon, one of a line which stretched from Aqaba to Turkey. Finally, we arrive at PETRA. Lunch is included enroute. Private guide will escort you from Amman.
Petra, Jordan
DAY 3: PETRA (B)
Today the fabulous Nabatean City of Petra awaits us. Made famous in the Indiana Jones movie “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” its ancient temples, tombs and striking Khazneh (Treasury) were hewn right from the pink and violet sandstone. We spend a full day here, and another night. Tours are always on a private basis. Private air-conditioned vehicle. Private Chauffeur and private guide.
DAY 4: PETRA – Wadi Rum – Luxury Camping (BLD)
Martian Dome Accommodation! Luxury Camping in Wadi Rum
Breakfast is included at the hotel before we head to Wadi Rum, where we board four-wheel-drive vehicles for an expedition to Wadi Rum, the “Valley of the Moon” where T. E. Lawrence (“Lawrence of Arabia”) organized Arab resistance to Ottoman rule during World War I. Lunch box is included.
After our visit we head for a star gazing nighty in a Martian Dome accommodation in one of the Luxury camps in Wadi Rum.
Sun City Camp, Martian Dome
It is essential to take several layers of clothes, including warm layers. This is desert weather, so there is a great drop and/or increase in temperatures with sunrise/sunset. Sample camp site: the Luxury Camping: Sun City Camp (Wadi Rum), or the RSCN Rummana Campsite at the Dana Nature Reserve. Dinner is included tonight. Your guide will always be available on hand, and will be escorting you at all times.
DAY 5: Jerash, The Dead Sea (BL)
Your private guide will continue to escort you for the drive to Jerash, full day touring Jerash among the best-preserved Roman cities in the world, to tour its temples, theaters, churches and colonnaded streets. From Jerash, lunch is included en-route after which we drive back to the Dead Sea and your comfortable hotel.
DAY 6: Amman, Beirut (B)
After breakfast, transfer back to Queen Alia Airport and board your flight on Royal Jordanian Airlines to Beirut, air fare is included in our rates. You fly in over the blue Mediterranean and clusters of trading vessels of every size and shape in the great curve of the port and bay of Beirut sheltering under green mountains. Our local representative will be on hand to greet you, and to assist with entry formalities. Visas are issued upon arrival to a limited number of nationalities such as citizens of the USA, Canada, the EU, Japan, Australia and NZ and several other nations. We’ll see you to your hotel. The remainder of the day is yours to relax, recuperate from your travel, stretch your legs, and make your first discoveries of Beirut. Our representative will be pleased to suggest a restaurant or an informal café, or a night club, depending on whether you prefer music into the wee hours, fine cuisine, or an authentic Arab meal . . . you’ll find it all in Beirut.
Jeita Grotto • Lebanon’s Hidden Treasure. Video by ideando [Matteo Archondis].
Day 7 – Byblos – Jeita – Harissa – Beirut (BL)
Breakfast is included daily at your hotel. We head this morning toward the Jeita Caves, a vast limestone complex south of Byblos and north of Beirut, inhabited in prehistoric times. The caves hold the world’s largest known stalactite, and shelter a river that supplies water to Beirut, continue on to Byblos, one of the oldest inhabited cities anywhere, well worth the day we spend appreciating its many layers. Phoenician temples remain from thousands of years before the time of Christ, while a castle and the Church of St. John the Baptist bespeak the ebb and flow of the Crusades through the city. But Byblos is more than history. Its seaside location and backdrop of mountains make it a favorite locale for browsing, shopping, and lingering over a repast and beverages on terrace with views to ships, slopes, and treasured buildings. Later in the afternoon we’ll stop at the hillside and ride the cable car to visit Our Lady of Lebanon at Harissa, high above the city of Jounieh, noted for its statue with a chapel inside, as well as for spectacular views. By nightfall, we’ll find ourselves back in Beirut. Lunch is included today enroute (pre-set menu) served at a charming local restaurant.
Remains of ancient columns at Al Mina excavation site in Tyre. Photo by Heretiq | Wikimedia Commons
Day 8: Tyre – Sidon – Beirut (BL)
Full day in South Lebanon. The visit starts in Tyre, 85 km from Beirut. Tyre is the greatest of the Phoenician city-states. Its golden age came during the reign of Hiram, the most famous Tyrian kings who cultivated close ties with the Hebrew kings Solomon and David and contributed to the construction of the temple of Solomon by sending cedars wood and skilled workers. Today UNESCO lists Tyre as world heritage site.
Drive back to Sidon or Saida, one of the most important Phoenician city-state, its wealth came from the murex trade and glass manufacture, which was the best in the world at the time. Today Saida is a rapidly-growing town, the administrative and commercial capital of the south, where you can have a stroll in the old souks and visit the Crusader Sea castle, Khan El Franj, the Great mosque and many other interested places. Lunch is included today enroute (pre-set menu) served at a charming local restaurant.
Day 9: Deir El Qamar – Beiteddine Palace – Beirut (BL)
Drive to the Chouf Mountains to visit Deir El Qamar which translates literally as “monastery of the moon”; this charming village was choosing by Fakherddine as the capital of Lebanon in the 17th century.
Continue to Beiteddine Palace built in the 19th century over a period of 30 years by Emir Bechir II Chehabi around a former Druze hermitage. Today the palace is considered as the greatest surviving achievement of Lebanese architecture.
In the afternoon we will visit the capital of Lebanon: Beirut – a city of contrasts. Beautiful architecture with small houses nestling in the shadow of tall modern buildings. You will visit the down town, the corniche, and the pigeon grotto. Lunch is included today enroute (pre-set menu) served at a charming local restaurant.
Day 10: Beirut – Cairo (B)
Your private chauffeur will call for you after breakfast, and escort you back to the airport to board your flight for Cairo, one way airfare (Beirut Cairo is included in our rates). Cairo Airport: upon arrival, our local representative will greet you at the airport and whisk you to your hotel. Visa may be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport.
VIP Meet & Greet Upon arrival at Cairo Airport.
Visa issued locally in Cairo (for a limited number of nationalities) no photos required. Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel. Visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for a limited number of citizens such as: American, Australian, NZ, EU, Canadian, EU Singaporean and Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 months beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo. Our local rep. will meet you with a sign that carries your name, and will be waiting for you with the prepaid visa stamps to proceed to the passports control to stamp your passports and then you claim your luggage. After you clear the passport and customs formalities and exit the terminal, our local representative will escort you by private vehicle to the hotel. Welcome fruit basket & Egyptian pastry awaits you in your room with our compliments.
Great Sphinx of Giza and Pyramid of Menkaure. Cairo, Egypt.
By Mstyslav Chernov [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
DAY 11: CAIRO – Giza – Dahshour (BLD)
After breakfast we drive to Giza and the mysteries of the Pyramids and Sphinx, for interested guests: enjoy the usual photo opportunity riding a camel with the Pyramids and the Sphinx in the background with our compliments, and then we will tour the Museum of the Royal Barge of Cheops. The museum is built over the rectangular pit that housed the Royal Barge for thousands of years, the wooden boat was readied for the king’s daily journey with the sun god, Ra. Discovered in 1954, in a completely dismantled state, the 43-metre (140-foot) cedar boat is a rare window on the Royal boats used by the kings of Ancient Egypt.
We are glad to include as well the entrance fee to get inside the Great Pyramid, with our compliments, if interested, please read this first:
Getting to it is challenging, and once you enter, it is very difficult to turn back. The stone passage is only wide enough for one person. You must be in good physical condition, able to climb several flights of stairs, bend double, crouch and duck-walk for short distances. The King’s Chamber itself is the world’s most claustrophobic place, with dim light and heavy, hot, oxygen-poor air. There is no ventilation. If you are at all sensitive to claustrophobia or confinement, or if you have any sort of respiratory condition, for your own safety and the safety of others, you must not enter the pyramid because it is impossible to remove a person or to bring aid to them quickly, lunch is included at the Mena House.
Depending on the traffic, your guide may start the day with Dahshour then on the Pyramids after lunch. The time capsule treasure of Dahshour is the pyramid field south of Cairo:
DAHSOUR
We’ll motor to the edge of Cairo, to Dahshour, the newly-opened pyramid field south of Cairo. We will visit the great pyramid of Senfru, father of Cheops, and other structures.
The “Discovery” of Dahshour
For almost half a century, the great field of huge pyramids near the desert village of Dahshour, 25 miles south of Cairo, has been off limits to the public. Confined within the perimeter of a military base were many pyramids, including the great 4500-year-old pyramid built by Senfru, father of Cheops. Senfru’s pyramid, the largest in Egypt until his son built Giza’s Great Pyramid, is rhomboidal in shape: it tapers more distinctly on its upper half. All the pyramids were coated in thick plaster at one time. Most have lost these protective, decorative sheaths, but Senfru’s –miraculously – is still in place.
We stop at El-Haraniya before we head back to your hotel. Dinner is included at La Bodega restaurant or similar.
DAY 12: CAIRO (BLD)
Your exploration of the ancient world begins today! First stop is the Egyptian Museum, with its treasures of the ancient pharaohs: mummies, statuary, precious stones and metals. After lunch a charming local restaurant, we’ll also stop at the Citadel of Saladin and the Alabaster Mosque. Followed by a walking tour of Khan El Khalili and Muezzledeenallah ancient bazaar districts. Dinner is included at Abu-El Sid restaurant or similar.
Abu Simbel Temple
Public domain | Wikimedia Commons
DAY 13: Cairo – Abu Simbel – ASWAN (BLD)
After an early breakfast, we board a short flight heading for Abu Simbel (via Aswan).
Land at Abu Simbel Airport where your PRIVATE air-conditioned vehicle, private Egyptologist and private chauffeur await you in. Tour Ramses the Great larger temple, colossal figures of Ramses are seated with the gods and attended by his queen and daughters.
In the Queen’s smaller temple dedicated to Her Majesty Queen Nefertari (The Beautiful One), who appears as Hathor, the goddess of love, joy and fertility, symbolized by the benevolent cow. We explore this fine temple by ourselves in the quiet of the morning, admiring their ancient aura and artistry, after which we fly back to Aswan, arriving in time for lunch at your hotel. Remainder of the afternoon at leisure. Dinner is included at the hotel. Evening Sound and Light show at Philae Temple transfers are of course included.
Jacquie Kennedy and Abu Simbel: All Americans alive during the 1960s remember President John F Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. Most Americans from that time also remember Abu Simbel, the dramatic, ancient Pharaonic temple threatened by the rising waters blocked by the new Aswan High Dam. It’s worth remembering that it was Jacquie Kennedy who provided crucial support for the mammoth rescue project. Without her help, Abu Simbel might have been lost. …Read More
DAY 14: Aswan (BLD)
After breakfast at your hotel, we tour the Nubian Museum, the Botanical Garden Island, then head out to tour the enormous dams at Aswan, and then board a felucca on the Nile to visit the Temples of Philae, rescued from rising waters. Lunch is included at a local restaurant before we head out for a tour of Kalabsha Temple dedicated to the ancient god Mandulis, and the goddess Isis. Built during the reign of the Roman Emperor Augustus, the small rock-cut temple of Beit El Wali, built by Ramses the Great, and the small yet charming Kiosk of Qertassi, as well as the Nubia Museum. Dinner is included at your hotel.
DAY 15: Aswan – Kom Ombo – Edfu – Luxor (BLD)
After an early breakfast at your hotel, board your private air-conditioned vehicle and head north towards Luxor. Lunch box will be provided by your hotel in Aswan before you leave. Arrive at Kom Ombo, where we explore the twin Temples of Haroeris and Sobek.
We continue on to Edfu and the Temple of Horus, best-preserved in all of Egypt. Then we’ll continue beside the Nile to take in an array of ancient splendors reaching Luxor early evening and your hotel where dinner awaits you.
Statues in Karnak temple complex near Luxor, Egypt
Public domain | Wikimedia Commons
DAY 16: Luxor – Valley of The Kings – Deir El Medinah & More (BL)
Today we tour the Valley of the Kings, including King Tut’s Tomb, Seti I (subject to change for any closure due to repairs and maintenance), we will tour as well Queen Hatshepsut’s Temple of El Deir El Bahari, and the Colossi of Memnon. Break for lunch: Lunch box prepared by your hotel or served at a local restaurant, on to Deir El Medinah, the first known “Workers Village” these were the true creative heroes who built the temples & tombs for the mighty Pharaohs of the Nile Kingdom.
Deir El Medinah is on Luxor’s west bank where you get a totally different perspective on ancient Egyptian life at the ancient workers’ settlement of Deir el-Medinah. While most of the imposing stone monuments and sites of Egypt honor the lives and after-lives of royalty, Deir el-Medinah gives us unique and surprising insights into the ordinary citizens who constructed and decorated the tombs.
Here we’ll see the excavated homes shared by laborers with their domestic animals. These quarters were surprisingly large, with three good-sized rooms, courtyard, kitchen, and even storage cellars. While ancient Egypt might not have been a workers’ paradise, we’ll see that artisans and builders were highly regarded in their community. We are proud to be the only operator to offer regular visits to this singular ancient settlement in its tour and cruise programs.
DAY 17: Luxor – Cairo (BL)
Today we devote the morning to the grand mighty Karnak: the largest dedicated religious site ever built, full of sacred lakes, complex of temples, obelisks, grand statues and holy of hollies. Lunch is included and will be served at one of the nearby five stars hotels or a local restaurant, in the afternoon we will cover the charming Luxor Temple dedicated to Amon, then head back to the airport and fly back to Cairo and your hotel.
DAY 18: Cairo – Departure (B)
Now that you’ve seen the best of the Egypt of the Pharaohs, our local representative will escort you to the airport. Bon Voyage!
| Rates per person in USD $ | ||
| Per Person Sharing in: | Deluxe Hotels | First Class Hotels |
| Triple | US$ 7492.00 | US$ 6725.00 |
| Double | US$ 7880.00 | US$ 7161.00 |
| Single | US$ 9475.00 | US$ 8703.00 |
High Season Supplement: For June-Sep and Dec 15-31 please add 20% to any of the listed rates.
Your fully locally escorted tour includes:
- All transfers, on a private basis, private air-conditioned vehicle. Private chauffeur.
- In Egypt: Domestic air fare between Cairo, Aswan, Abu Simbel and Cairo, in Business Class with tax included. Ticket issued and delivered in Cairo.
- Regional one-way airfare between Amman / Beirut / Cairo in Business Class with tax included. Ticket issued and delivered in Amman.
- Private guided sightseeing as per itinerary. Private English speaking guide, if you prefer any other major language, please advise us in advance.
- In Jordan, your guide will escort you from Amman all the way to Petra, Wadi Rum and Jerash.
- Hotel accommodation based on your choice of hotel category, with breakfast daily.
- Pre-set menu meals: as indicated in the itinerary: “L” = pre-set lunch, “D” = pre-set dinner.
- Admission fees to museums and sites as detailed in the itinerary.
- Visa for Jordan , Egypt & Lebanon. Issued upon arrival for a limited to specific nationalities such as: Australian, NZ, USA, Canada, EU, Japan and others (please check with us if needed at the time of booking).
You are responsible for having a valid passport, please email us at least 30 days in advance of your arrival date, a very clear & crisp copy of the info page in your passport.
Additional Visa information (this applies only to Lebanon):
Lebanon will not issue visas for any passport holder that may carry any stamp or visa for Israel. - VIP Meet & Greet At Cairo Airport
Our representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel. Visa will be issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport (photos are not required).
The tour does not include:
- International airfare from/to your home country.
- Travel Insurance.
- Personal expenditures (beverages, laundry, special meals, etc.)
- Tips to hotel, restaurant staff, drivers and guides.
Click here for more information on hotels in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon.
| Sample Deluxe Hotels or similar | |
| Amman | Hyatt Amman, Marriott Amman |
| Aswan | Movenpick Aswan, Sofitel Old Catract |
| Cairo | Hilton, Sheraton, Sonesta, Kempinski |
| Beirut | Phoenicia, Hilton Beirut, Royal Tulip Beirut, or similar |
| Petra | Petra Movenpick or Petra Marriott |
| Dead Sea | Kempinski Dead Sea Ishtar Hotel |
| Luxor | Sonesta Luxor, Hilton Luxor, Sheraton Luxor, Sofitel Winter Palace |
| Wadi Rum | Luxury Camping: Martian Dome accommodation Camping at Sun City Camp (Wadi Rum) |
| Sample First Class Hotels or similar | |
| Aswan | asma Aswan, Kalabsha Aswan |
| Cairo | Novotel El Bork, Helnan Shepheards |
| Amman | Imperial Palace Amman, or similar |
| Beirut | Radisson Beirut, Ramada Beirut or similar |
| Petra | Beit Zaman Petra Hotel, or similar |
| Dead Sea | Holiday Inn Hotel or similar |
| Luxor | Al-Moudira Hotel, Iberotel Luxor |
| Wadi Rum | Luxury Camping: Martian Dome accommodation Camping at Sun City Camp (Wadi Rum) |
Recommendations and conditions:
Every effort is made to adhere to the planned itinerary, however, for reasons beyond our control, it may be necessary to change routings, sequence of visits, and departure times.
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