Including a one week Nile Cruise on a deluxe Dahabiya - Alexandria Edition
19 days in Egypt and Jordan, Including Petra, camping with the Bedouins in Wadi Rum
Memphis and Sakkara in Giza Egypt , weekly year Round . - Add the Red Sea

We have even included all the tipping

Indiana Jones himself couldn't squeeze more adventure into this exotic journey: Cairo , Alexandria , Sakkara , Memphis, Dahshour and the Pyramids, a sailing cruise on the Nile on board a deluxe Dahabiya , the fabled temples and tombs of Luxor and Thebes, and a trek to the mysterious ruins of Petra in Jordan including a one night camping in Wadi Rum with the Bedouins . Starts weekly in Cairo . Compare with the 12-day version . Compare with flying in and out of Cairo , or the Ultra Deluxe Version . Add a GRAND in-depth tour of Anatolia and Istanbul, or add Syria

DAY 1 - USA/CAIRO - Sunday - Weekly Year Round
JFK Passengers : We take off from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, bound for Cairo ,
For East Coast passengers : Egyptair is the only non-stop flight between JFK and Cairo , and gets you into Cairo in the afternoon, all other carriers do get in late evening or after midnight, please lets know your preference.

For west coast passengers : you need not to fly thru JFK, usually we will use Lufthansa, or British or Air France etc, so you fly non-stop to Europe then a short flight to Cairo .
Air fare add-on : For Boston, Chicago, Miami, Orlando Houston : $300. Most West Coast cities : SFO, LAX, SEA, SAN , PDX $ 350

This tour is available without air fare : If you choose to make your own arrangements for international airfare, please deduct $500 per person from the rates. We do welcome bookings from all over the world.
For upgrade to business class on Egyptair , please add : $ 2500 roundtrip JFK Cairo JFK, tax included ( subject to change)

DAY 2 - Arrival CAIRO - Monday
Our Egypt-based staff greets you in bustling Cairo airport and escorts you to your hotel . Complimentary Egyptian visa fee (valid for American, Australian , NZ, EU , Canadian, Mexican & Japanese citizens. Passports must be valid for at least 6 month upon arrival). At your hotel, complimentary coffee or tea ( please advise your preference), one bottle of water for each guest, and a platter of Egyptian sweets will await you at your room.
Hotel : Grand Hyatt . Conrad or Similar

Visa will be issued upon arrival.
As you exit the gate, you will pass through a door or two , down some stairs , then walk for 2-5 minutes , until you pass the duty free shops, at the end of a wide corridor , you will see the security officers. There you will be met by a local representative, who will be holding a sign with the name you prefer to use for the sign .
Our local representative will then take your passport to obtain a stamp from the cashier / bank window and escort you to speak with the passport officer. He will escort you through another last check on your passport as you exit the passport control, into customs area, he will assist you in collecting your luggage and clearing customs . After exiting the terminal, our local representative will escort you (private vehicle) to the hotel

DAY 3 - CAIRO- The Egyptian Museum - Tuesday (cBLD)
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. You have all morning to spend at the Museum . Lunch around 1 PM at a charming local restaurant . Then off to the Islamic Medieval Cairo : We'll stop at the Citadel of Saladin , the Alabaster Mosque, Sultan El Rifai Mosque a true master-piece in Arabic & Islamic Architecture , brief stop inside the mosque to see the Shah of Iran and King Farouk mausoleums .
Finally , we wander through the Khan El Khalili 12-Century bazaar district and scenes that are out of the Raiders of the Lost Arc" movie set.

DAY 4 - CAIRO- Dahshour, Memphis, Sakkara - Wednesday (cBLD)
A morning tour takes us to the time capsule treasure of Dahshour, the newly-opened 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 visit the great pyramid of Senfru, father of Cheops, and other structure:

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.

After lunch at a local restaurant : The afternoon is for Memphis and Sakkara, including the Step Pyramid of Zoser & Nobles tombs/Mastabas.

DAY 5 - Fayoum Oases (BL) Thursday
On Desert Safari for the Day - Fayoum Oases - And you thought the Pyramids were old !

We leave Cairo by sunrise ( private air conditioned car/driver/guide): Full day to the Biblical Fayoum Oases including: Hawara Pyramid, El Lahoun Pyramid, Ruins of Karanis, drive by Lake Qarun, lunch is included at a local restaurant.

Fayoum irrigation system and the Oasis was said to be designed by Joseph after the Pharaoh entrusted Egypt's fate to him in facing the 7 years of abundance that are followed by 7 years of drought.

The wilds of the desert begin right on the outskirts of Cairo, and continue for hundreds of miles to the east and west, through sands, rock, mountains, oases, and a surprising variety of scenery and inhabitants.

Join us for a day ranging across the desert like modern nomads. In place of camels, we’ll travel in comfortable, reliable four-by-four Toyota Land Cruisers. Your guide and drivers will meet you at your hotel, and soon you’ll leave bustling Cairo behind as you undertake the drive toward the Oasis of El Fayoum, 150 kilometers to the southwest. Hard as it is to believe, a great inland sea once covered these sands. It was a holy reserve of sacred crocodiles, symbolized by the god Sobek.

We’ll visit the temple of Kom Oshim, drive over ancient lake beds, and alongside the waters of today’s Fayoum Lake to reach the fishermen’s village of Chak Chouk. There we’ll stop for a lunch of fish caught fresh that morning. There will be time to wander the village lanes and discreetly watch the everyday activities of baking flatbread, irrigating crops from the lake’s waters, and bringing in the catch. We’ll also include the craft and pottery museum where the best works of local artisans are on display.

Then it’s into our four-by-fours again, for an off-road adventure! We’ll head alongside and across desert washes, between dunes, and over ancient lake beds for 35 kilometers to the Valley of the Whales ( In Arabic : Wadi-El-Hitan) . Incredibly, these great mammals once thrived - almost forty million years ago- in waters surrounded by sands. We’ll stop and gaze in amazement at their fossilized remains alongside smaller sea creatures that remain in stone.
This valley was discovered in 1936 , by the German geologist George Schweinfurth in the northwestern corner of Wadi El-Rayan.

The valley provides evidence of one of the major changes in this mammal evolution has been declared by the UNESCO to be a World Heritage Site. It is believed that these land based whales once had feet that may have helped them somewhat while ashore . A team from the University of Michigan discovered in the late 80's that these Zeuglodon whales did have rudimentary feet , this was a startling discovery , suggesting that whales of Wadi -El-Hitan had recently started living in water as well , these whales were not related to any of the whales we have today , rather a more slender body and may grow up to 75 feet long. Several skeletons of whales are exposed in the sand. George Schweinfurth named this extinct specie the Zeuglodon Isis Whales .

In the evening, you’ll return to your hotel in Cairo. Land transportation in air-conditioned four-wheel-drive Toyota Land Cruiser with the services of driver and English-speaking driver. Lunch is included

DAY 6 - Giza -Pyramids - Friday (BL)
Drive to the edge of Cairo and on to Giza and the mysteries of the Pyramids , the Solar Boat Museum , the Valley Temple and Sphinx. Lunch is included at the Mena House . The afternoon is at leisure .
Return to your hotel late afternoon for a brief rest before we head for the sound & light show .

DAY 7 - Luxor - Dahabiya Nile Cruise Saturday (BLD)
Very early morning breakfast and transfer to Cairo Airport. Flight is included in our rate, in economy class , tax included . Morning arrival at Luxor . We'll meet you at the airport , and escort you to your deluxe air conditioned Nile cruise felucca or dahabbiya , Board Luxor ( or Aswan ) .

Embarkation in Luxor for a relaxing week sailing the Nile on a luxuriously appointed Dahabbiya. Lunch and dinner are included on board . Overnight moored on the Nile banks of Luxor. Names of some of the Felucca / Dahabias :
Yasmina , Amber , El Bey (His Lordship) .  El Hanem (The Lady)  *  Zahra (Flower)    *  and Nesma (Breeze)

Today : Start with Madinet Habu , Closi of Memnon and the Ancient Workers Village at Deir El Medineh, 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 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.

Today's tour include as well a visit to the Valley of the Kings including Tut-Ank-Amon's tomb , temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahari, and Colossi of Memnon, returning to our Nile cruiser for lunch. Following lunch aboard, we visit the great Temple of Luxor, and the gigantic Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, returning to our vessel in time for tea. Complimentary welcome fruit basket in your cabin.

Day 8 - Sunday - Luxor - On board your Yacht Nile Cruise
You will visit the magnificent temple complex of Amon-Ra at Karnak, with its vast hypostyle hall of 137 columns, followed by the imposing 28 th Dynasty Luxor Temple. Overnight moored in Luxor.

Day 9 - Monday - Luxor to Esna - Private Guided Tour of Denderah Temple
After breakfast on board , we drive inland to tour Denderah and Abydos Temples. Among the best preserved in Egypt. This temple as a sight to hold. Indiana Jones would have felt at home, with the massive stones & underground passages: Private air condition car for your tour today. Private chauffeur. Private Egyptologist
DENDERAH IN A DAY
We'll travel to Denderah to visit the Temple of Hathor, one of the best-preserved in all of Egypt, and also one of the most important. In the ancient beliefs, Hathor was the consort of the god of daylight, ruler of the west, and protector or the underworld. In the manner of wise desert wayfarers, we'll leave before dawn to take advantage of cool temperatures. Our air-conditioned van will take us through timeless Nile-side villages, where life revolves around the irrigation and harvest of crops. Finally, we'll reach the temple precincts. We'll take note of the unusually deep tombs, and pass under the celebrated Zodiac, in a chapel dedicated to Osiris. (Denderah is the traditional site of his rebirth.) Our full day will also include a visit to Abydos, traditional home of Osiris, god of the underworld, and a stopping point on the journey of wayfaring souls. We'll enjoy a box lunch, and return to Luxor late in the afternoon, and your hotel . Lunch box provided today from the Dahabiya, we head back to the Nile and catch up with the Dahabiya in Esna where we will dock for the night.

Day 10 - Tuesday - Edfu - On board your Yacht Nile Cruise
This morning you will sail to Edfu to visit the wonderfully preserved Temple of Edfu. Overnight on board as we will look for an island in the middle of the Nile where we moor.

Come to Egypt and enjoy your private honeymoon or Anniversary cruise

Day 11 - Wednesday - Kom Ombo - On board your Yacht Nile Cruise
Today you will sail to Kom Ombo visit see the Ptolemaic temple dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon-headed Horus, god of the morning sun. Overnight moored beside a Nile island.

Day 12 - Thursday - Aswan - On board your Yacht Nile Cruise
A leisurely grand day of sailing the Nile to Aswan where the dahabiyya moors overnight.

Day 13 - Friday - Aswan- Abu Simbel - On board your Yacht Nile Cruise
Today you will visit the Aswan High Dam (completed in 1971); the Old Dam (completed in 1902) and the unfinished obelisk, lying in situ since the days of the pharaohs. You will also visit the Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis, a structure rescued from the rising waters of Lake Nasser at the time of the High Dam's construction.

Today we will be flying as well to : ABU SIMBEL :
Ramses the Great - Master Builder of all Times (Lunch Box.)
Lunch box will prepared by your cruise chef.
Take a short flight to the great temples of Abu Simbel . Air fare is always included within Egypt, in economy class, tax included.
In Abu Simbel : Your private air-conditioned vehicle, and private Egyptologist will be waiting for you at Abu Simbel Airport , off to the larger temple dedicated to Ramses the Great , colossal figures of Ramses are seated with the gods and attended by his queen and daughters. The smaller temple is dedicated to Queen Nefertari, who appears as Hathor, the goddess of love, joy and fertility, symbolized by the benevolent cow. We explore these fine temple by ourselves in the quiet of the morning, admiring their ancient aura and artistry, after which retire to a comfortable hotel for refreshments. Then we fly back to Aswan and your Dahabiya cruise .

Day 14 - Saturday - Aswan - Fly back to Cairo and on to Alexandria
Breakfast aboard the dahabiyya and check-out. We bid farewell to the crew, we switch transportation modes and head for Aswan Airport and your flight back to Cairo, from the airport proceed with your private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur and private guide to Alexandria and your hotel: Helnan Palestine or Hilton or similar . Air fare is always included within Egypt, economy class , tax included .

DAY 15 - ALEXANDRIA / CAIRO - Sunday (BL)
Start around 8 AM . Breakfast is always included at the hotel.
Conqueror of the Mediterranean Coast - Alexander the Great
In 332 BC, Egypt was laboring under Persian military control when Alexander the Great arrived to drive out the invaders without the shedding of a drop of blood. The Persian governor surrendered and the conquering hero was hailed as a liberator and given Egypt's double crown symbolizing control of Upper and Lower Egypt. Alexander reinstated Egypt's traditional government and founded the city of Alexandria at the country's most important crossroads: where the Nile meets the Mediterranean.

Today, we'll get to known Alexandria in depth, as we visit the Roman Amphitheater, the Koum El Shougafa Tombs,lunch is included in an Alexandrine restaurant.
Today our tour includes as well : Qayet built on the same site of the ancient wonder of the world : the famous Alexandria Light House. A brief stop at " El Selsela" the site of the Underwater reserve where Cleopatra Place was discovered, as well as Caesar Kiosk , then its off to the new site for the Alexandria Library before heading back to south. Time permitting we 'll visit the new museum in Alexandria , the building was originally built in 1926 for the US consulate in Alexandria and is a masterpiece in 1920's architecture & Mediterranean style buildings.

Midway between Alexandria and Cairo, we stop to visit the Wadi El Natroun Monastery, one of the most important sites for the Egyptian Coptic Church Establishment. Reach Cairo early evening and your hotel: J. W. Marriott or Sonesta Hotel.

Octavious visiting Alexander the Great's Tomb in Alexandria just after the Roman Emperor defeated Cleopatra & Marc Anthony.  He left his coat as a token of respect to Alexander the Great. The search continues for Alexander the Great's Tomb.

DAY 16 - Cairo , Amman / PETRA - Monday (BLD)
After breakfast at the hotel, proceed to Cairo Airport for your flight to Amman, air fare is included in economy , with tax . Upon arrival , you'll drive from the airport south under a towering ridge of mountains, we will be driving along the King's Highway, an ancient caravan route, to Madaba to visit the church containing the oldest known map of Palestine and 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 to PETRA for the night. Movenpick Petra hotel or similar . Lunch is included enroute

Complimentary Jordanian visa fee (valid only for American , Australian, NZ, Canadian , EU , Mexican , & Japanese citizens. Passports must be valid for at least 6 month upon arrival).
Complimentary welcome dinner at the hotel.

DAY 17 - PETRA- Tuesday (BLD)
Breakfast is included at the hotel . We'll spend the entire day at Petra, the stunning desert city hewn by the Nabateans from solid cliffs of pink and violet sandstone. Petra was known in the bible as Sela, and rediscovered only in 1812. You'll feel like Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark as you penetrate into the city through a narrow sandstone gorge, the Siq, and wander among the Temple of the Winged Lion, tombs, Roman theater, and the imposing Treasury.
Lunch & Dinner are included today at the hotel .

DAY 18 - PETRA/ Wadi Rum - Wednesday (BLD)
Breakfast is included at the hotel . 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 to one of the local camp sites , 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 , we will deliver to you a NEW unused sleeping bag with our compliments , in case you wish to use . Sample camp site : the Bait Ali Desert Camp, or the RSCN Rummana Campsite at the Dana Nature Reserve. You may have the choice as well to camp with the bedouins, this is even more basic, and no modern toilet facilities. This is an exotic and memorable experience and will enable you to experience something of the Bedouin's desert culture, if camping is not your cup of tea , then we will simply head back to the hotel in Petra and overnight. Dinner is included camp style or at your hotel. Your guide will always be available on hand , and will be escorting you at all times .

Please note that camping in Wadi Rum is very basic:

Tourist Camp Sites : Pre-assigned sites and set camps where accommodation is arranged in the usual camping tents , you may find at home (not Bedouin Tents). Showers, Bathrooms and restaurants are available in each camp site .

Bedouin camps:
Are not pre-fixed sites, you will be indeed in the heart of the bedouin desert environment and culture, and you will be in direct contact and interacting with the Bedouins. These Bedouin camps have Bedouin tents that are divided into small rooms for the guests to sleep.
Other tents are used for sitting ( as your living room per say ) and eating. They also may or may not have basic toilets and a small kitchen where food is prepare for the guests by the Bedouins.
Guests who enjoy nature and the desert scenery will fall in love with these camps and the authentic Bedouin experience in Wadi Rum.

DAY 19 - DEPARTURE FOR HOME - Thursday (B)
After breakfast , our local rep. escorts you to the airport of Amman for your flight home. Or, you may choose to add one of our extensions ,to Egypt, Sharm El Sheikh, Syria, Greece or Turkey .

RATES per person in USD From JFK

Easter ( two weeks) , Christmas, New Year's Dec 20 - Jan 5 : 20% supplement will apply.

Prices include:

• All transfers in Egypt and Jordan, always on a private basis, private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur .
  
• All tipping to drivers, guides, Nile Cruise crew etc.
  
• Air fare JFK Cairo Amman JFK in economy , tax included .
  
• Complimentary welcome fruit basket on board the Nile Cruise.
  
• Bottled water ( one per person) delivered daily to your cabin.
  
• Bottled water / tea / coffee with every meal on board the Nile Cruise.
  
• Air-conditioned hotel accommodations with tax and service charges as listed
  
• Deluxe Dahabiya Nile Cruise with all meals & shore excursions, cabins are always private outside cabins with windows and private facilities.
  
• Deluxe Hotel accommodation as per itinerary with tax, breakfast daily as per itinerary.
  
• Camping in Wadi Rum as listed ( very basic ) , and a complimentary sleeping bag, you may wish to donate the sleeping bag to the bedouins before you leave .
  
• Sightseeing with professional guide and entrance fees as indicated
  
• Meals as indicated, with pre-set menu (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner)
  
• Lonely Planet guidebook to Jordan and Egypt
  
• Jordanian visa and Egyptian visa fee (valid only for Canadians , American, Australian, NZ, EU & Japanese citizens. Passports must be valid for at least 6 month upon arrival).
  
• Jordanian departure tax.

AIRFARE NOTES

Not included:

• Personal expenses and beverages .
  

• Additional meals, drinks and services
  
• Trip interruption and cancellation insurance

• Add a short stay in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
  
• Add Wadi Rum 
  
• Ad a short stay in Istanbul
  
• Add the Ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis and the Step Pyramid in Sakkara
  
• Extend your stay in Egypt in a 14 day with or without Abu Simbel
  
• Add a cruise on Lake Nasser in Nubia
  
• For the Egyptologist at heart :
  An in-depth 17-Day Edition With Alexandria , Dahshour Pyramids , Abu Simbel & Jerash .
  
• The Wonders of Egypt & Arabia 22 days
  
• Add Morocco and Syria , in a Grand North African Crossing