Tour Egypt and Jordan
a la Indiana Jones

14 days in Egypt and Jordan, Including Petra, including a home hosted dinner , a camel caravan in Aswan to a Nubian Village . We have even included all tipping

(Flying in and out of Cairo )

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 Year Round . Compare with the Ultra Deluxe Version

DAY 1- CAIRO - Sunday -Weekly year round
( click here if your prefer to start in Amman Jordan)
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.

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 2 - CAIRO Monday (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. 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!

Evening complimentary dinner is included at a local home:
Meet the locals, you may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family ( T shirt , small souvenirs of your home town):
This afternoon we'll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread . . . right into the homes of some of the people of Cairo ! You'll be invited to a family dinner, and while you enjoy wholesome home-cooked specialties, you'll learn about and appreciate the outlook, aspirations, and way of life of your hosts. Be assured, as curious as you may be about your new friends, they're sure to have questions about your own background. Once the ice is broken, you'll enjoy a lively afternoon , and find that you have more in common than you ever suspected. Of course, you may enjoy a quiet evening with your travel companions, by letting us know your preferences. Overnight in Cairo

DAY 3 - Cairo / 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 4 - 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 :

The Mystery of Isis

Two millennia ago the Mediterranean world was enthralled by the mystery of Isis:

"I, Isis, am all that has been, that is or shall be; no mortal man hath ever seen me unveiled."

Called Aset by the ancient Egyptians, the goddess was a Madonna in the Mediterranean tradition that stretches far, far back to the primitive Mother Goddess from Anatolia, home to some of the oldest human communities on earth.

Isis was the powerful and quick-witted protector of her son Horus, the Sun God. Ancient peoples throughout the Mediterranean regarded Isis and Horus as the perfect Madonna and Child. Another legend says she was
also the mother of the fertility god Min who, judging from the depiction of him on temple walls, needed no help from Viagra!

Because of her wisdom and skill at protection, she was admired as a good magician capable of healing the sick and protecting the dead in their journey to the Underworld.

Isis is portrayed regally, as a queen seated on a throne (which may be the meaning of her name), often holding her son Horus as a baby. Other images show her with broad, magnificent gilded wings able to protect
the world.

Isis, the great Mother Goddess. Come explore her mystery in timeless Egypt when you Travel in Style!

Re-embarking on our Nile cruiser, we sail downstream to Kom Ombo to visit its twin temples.

DAY 5 - 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.

DAY 6 - 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 7 - SHARM EL SHEIKH - RED SEA Saturday (BLD)
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.
Complimentary welcome dinner at the hotel.

DAY 8 - 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 9 - MOUNT SINAI Monday (BLD)
Our knowledgeable guides arrange a pre-dawn departure into the still-cool wilderness of Sinai, through which Moses led the Children of Israel to the Promised Land. Our goal is the Monastery of St. Catherine, built of rock at the base of Mount Sinai, at the site of the Burning Bush. We tour the monastery, rich in history, icons and sacred paintings, then return to Sharm El Sheik. Dinner is included at the hotel.

Please advise us early on , if you prefer to do Mount Sinai / St. Catherine's tour by Jeep versus air conditioned sedan / van.

DAY 10 - AQABA , PETRA Tuesday (BLD)
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 . Complimentary dinner is included as well tonight at the hotel.

DAY 11 - PETRA - Wednesday (BLD)
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 at a charming local restaurant . Dinner at the hotel.
Short on time, you may fly out of Amman tonight .

DAY 12 - DEPARTURE FOR CAIRO -Thursday (B)
Our staff escorts you to the airport of Amman for your flight back to Cairo and your hotel.

Day 13 - OLD CAIRO –Friday (BL)
Morning tour of the old Jewish Quarter that became the Christian Coptic Quarter , tour the Coptic Museum , Abu Serga and “ El-Moalaka” Coptic Churches, as well as Beni Ezra Synagogue , not to mention the spot where it is said that “Baby Moses” was found by the Egyptian Queen . Lunch is included at a local restaurant , after which we head for the Citadel of Saladin, and Mohammed Ali Mosque, made of alabaster, as well as the Rifai Mosque then go on a treasure hunt , shopping and wander through the alleys of the charming Khan El-Khalili Bazaar district

DAY 14 - DEPARTURE FROM CAIRO FOR HOME- Saturday (B)
Our staff escorts you to Cairo airport . End of our service.
Or, you may choose to add one of our extensions,to Egypt , Sharm El Sheikh, Syria, Greece or Turkey .

RATES per person in USD

Enjoy a drink on board the deluxe Sonesta Nile Cruises in Egypt

Prices include:

• Air fares ( with tax) Amman / Cairo . In economy class.
• 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 a private basis, private air-conditioned vehicle, private driver .
• All tips to drivers, guides, porters, Nile cruise crew etc.

• Red Sea ferry ticket.
• 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 J
• Jordanian visa and Egyptian visa fee (valid only for American & Japanese citizens. Passports must be valid for at least 6 month upon arrival).
• Jordanian departure tax.

Please add 20 % supplement to the deluxe rates for the all suites Moon Goddess ( all state   rooms do offer private balconies)

 Not included:

• Personal expenses and beverages .

• International air fare from/to your home country
  
• Gratuities
  
• Additional meals, drinks and services
• Trip interruption and cancellation insurance (please see our insurance brochure).

Dining Room Reservations: Meet other passengers :
YOU will not require any, our dining rooms do accommodate all our guests in one seating, one less thing to worry about while you are on the Nile. Enjoy the cosmopolitan atmosphere with several different languages being heard at dinner.

Do we get sea sickness while sailing the Nile ?
This is river sailing, so do not expect any waves , no rough seas ! Your Nile cruises is actually a floating hotel that moves from place to place along the Nile. Actual cruising times are short and pleasant.