Egypt and Jordan a la Indiana Jones

A grand 14 day Tour of Egypt and Jordan, Including Abu Simbel Temples in Egypt
the Dead Sea and Petra of in Jordan . Air fare within Egypt

Indiana Jones himself couldn't squeeze more adventure into this journey: Cairo and the Pyramids, a cruise on the Nile, the fabled temples and tombs of Luxor and Thebes, diving in the Red Sea, the mountains of Sinai, and a trek to the mysterious ruins of Petra in Jordan.
Departures are weekly on Sundays . Compare with the Ultra Deluxe Version

DAY 1- CAIRO - Saturday -Weekly year round . ( click here if your prefer to start in Amman Jordan) : Our Egypt-based local rep. greets you in bustling Cairo airport and escorts you to your hotel . The Egyptian visa may be issued for a limited number of nationalities such as : for American, Australian , NZ, EU , Canadian, Mexican and Japanese citizens. Passports must be valid for at least 6 month upon arrival). Please pay the visa fee $ 15 upon arrival in cash. After exiting the terminal, our local representative will escort you (private vehicle) to the hotel . After exiting the terminal, our local representative will escort you (private vehicle) to the hotel .

DAY 2 - CAIRO Sunday (BL)
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. We'll also stop at the Citadel of Saladin and the Alabaster Mosque.

Giza Pyramids
After lunch , we'll motor to the edge of Cairo, to the mysterious Sphinx and the Pyramids of Giza. 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.

Those who are fit and adventurous enough may wish to penetrate into the heart of the Great Pyramid, to the King's Chamber your ticket is included with our compliments (or the interior of Kephren Pyramid). Taking a camel ride (Included) is entirely your own choice!

We are glad to include the entrance fee to get inside the Great Pyramid , if interested , please read this first : The King's Chamber in the Great Pyramid was not meant to be visited:
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

DAY 3 - Private Guide : Private Vehicle : Private Chauffeur : Touring ABU SIMBEL / Aswan - Monday (B)
Breakfast is always included. We take an early morning flight to Abu Simbel, where your private air-conditioned vehicle and private guide await you . We tour the the larger temple, 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 after which we fly back to to Aswan and your hotel .

DAY 4 - Aswan / Camel Caravan!- Tuesday (BLD)
Cruise boarding is from Aswan or Luxor, we'll confirm space at the time we receive your booking.
After an early breakfast, transfer to the airport and board your flight heading for Aswan , where we settle you into your cabin on your Nile steamer. Complimentary welcome fruit basket.
We'll visit the world famous Nubian Museum, then only for those who are interested: a short camel caravan & ride for almost half an hour to visit a local Nubian Village.

DAY 5 - KOM OMBO -Wednesday (BLD
Today we tour the awesome Aswan dams, and next an ancient granite quarry complete with an unfinished obelisk. Then we go by motor launch to the the Island temple of Philae , dedicated to the Ancient Goddess ISIS. Re-embarking on our Nile cruiser, we sail downstream to Kom Ombo to visit its twin temples.

DAY 6 - EDFU and LUXOR- Thursday (BLD)
We moor in Edfu, climb aboard horse-drawn carriages, and clip-clop through the town to the Temple of Horus, Egypt's best-preserved temple. Re-embarking, we cruise to Esna , go thru the locks. Evening finds us in Luxor. Evening Karnak Sound amd Light show .

DAY 7 - LUXOR- Friday (BLD)
We tour today the magnificent tombs in the Valley of the Kings , including Tutankaomn's tomb, and the great temple of Queen Hatshepsut, we stop at the Colossi of Memnon on the way back to our cruise.

Afterward, we'll continue on Luxor's west bank to 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.

The gigantic Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, and the mighty Temple of Luxor are our goals in the afternoon

DAY 8 - SHARM EL SHEIKH - RED SEA Saturday (BD)
Now that you've seen the best of the Egypt of the Pharaohs, our guides escort you to the airport. You'll fly over the Sinai Peninsula and land at historic Sharm El Sheik on the Red Sea. You're at the beach and free to swim, or explore under the waters. Lunch is included at the hotel in Sharm, is the flight is a late one, snacks will be served at your room at no additional charges.

DAY 9 - SHARM EL SHEIK - Dinner with the Bedouins in Sinai - Sunday (BLD)
Relax! Today is set aside as a strategic mid-journey break. Spend some time in the sun, but don't miss your chance to snorkel or dive under Red Sea waters for an array of coral and glittering tropical fish. Lunch at the hotel. Evening dinner with the bedouins in Sinai .

Day 10 - Saladin’s Castle and Pharaoh’s Island- Monday ( BL)
Breakfast at the hotel, lunch box will be prepared by your chef and includes bottled water.
Just off the Sinai along the northern reaches of the Gulf of Aqaba lies one of the more curious and scenic locales in this part of the world.

The rulers of the Nile might once have held sway over these rocks and sand and water of Pharaoh’s Island (or Coral Island, or Geziret Faraoun). More certain is that Crusaders established an outpost here, on the site of a onetime Phoenician port, and erected a castle in 1115 A.D. to protect pilgrims on the way to St. Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai wilderness. The island did double duty as a base from which to attack Arab traders, which led to its capture by Saladin (or Salah El-Din). The legendary Arab leader strengthened the fortifications, and his name remains attached to the castle. Later, it was a Mameluke and Ottoman outpost.

We’ll have a treasured half-day opportunity to board a boat to visit this rarely seen fortress island. We’ll motor northward from Sharm El Sheikh, following the rocky coast, passing Bedouin travelers on camels, and secluded beaches, with occasional sightings of desert foxes. At Dahab or Nuweiba, we’ll embark for our short crossing to the island.

Once ashore, we’ll wander through the precincts of the reconstructed castle, with its courtyard, storerooms, galleys, and dining rooms, and appreciate the natural harbor that made this such a coveted outpost. And we’ll take in the unusual offshore vista of the breathtaking azure waters of the Gulf, backdropped by the grandeur of the mountains of Sinai and a cloudless sky.

Then, at your option, you can don scuba or snorkeling gear for a close encounter with the world-famous underwater life of coastal Sinai: corals, reefs, and schools of fish in every gradation of the rainbow, before we return to our lodgings at Sharm El Sheikh.

DAY 11 - AQABA , PETRA - Tuesday (BL)
We'll drive to the port of Nuweiba, where we'll board the Red Sea ferry. Across the water in Aqaba, with Israel and Saudi Arabia in sight, our Jordan-based representative waits to greet you. You'll drive north under a towering ridge of mountains, and arrive at your hotel in Petra for the night. Complimentary Jordanian visa fee (valid only for a limited number of nationalities such as : American Canadian , Australian, NZ , Canadian, EU , Singaporean & Japanese citizens. Passports must be valid and in order ). Lunch is included enroute .

DAY 12 - PETRA - Wednesday (BD)
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.

In the evening we will call on you for a unique experience :
Dine as a local : The Petra Kitchen is a delightful way to round out your Jordan travel experiences. Like any home kitchen, The Petra Kitchen is a relaxed, informal atmosphere where you’ll gather to prepare an evening meal, working alongside local women under the supervision of our chef.

Each evening meal includes soup, cold and hot mezza ( appetizers ) and salads, and a main course—all typical Jordanian dishes. You will have get an inside glimpse of the secrets behind the famous regional cuisine of the Levant.

The Petra Kitchen offers an evening of learning, fun and a very special dining experience, with each dish gaining the special flavor of a reward well-earned. Great care has been taken to make The Petra Kitchen a truly Jordanian experience—right down to the furnishings, all crafted in Jordan, the tableware, all produced by the Iraq al Amir Women’s Co-operative, and the aprons and table linens, all hand-embroidered by the Jordan River Foundation.

Tour experience tonight includes the cuisine course, meal and all non-alcoholic beverages as well as take-home recipes for all dishes prepared that evening.

DAY 13 - PETRA - Dead Sea - Thursdday (BL)
Breakfast at the hotel. Proceed North to the Dead Sea . Lunch is included enroute at a local restaurant. Overnight at one of the Dead Sea resorts : Movenpick or Kempinski Dead Sea .

DAY 14 - DEPARTURE - Friday (B)
Our staff escorts you to the airport of Amman . Bon Voyage

RATES per person in USD

Prices include:

• All domestic flights in Egypt, economy class with tax .
  
• Air-conditioned hotel accommodations with tax and service charges
  
• All transfers in Egypt & Jordan always on private basis , private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur.

• Red Sea ferry ticket.
  
• Tips to all drivers, guides, porters etc.
  
• 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.
• Nile Cruise with all meals & shore excursions, cabins are always outside with large panoramic windows.
  
• 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 fee (valid only for American , Australian , NZ, Canadian , EU & Japanese citizens. Passports must be valid for at least 6 month upon arrival).
  
• Jordanian departure tax.
  

   Not included:

• Personal expenses and beverages .

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

• Egyptian Visa : please pay the $ 15 in cash upon arrival, no photos required . Visa maybe issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for a limited number of citizens such as : American, EU , Canadian , EU Singaporean and Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo.

• International air fare from/to your home country