A Grand 16 day Tour of these Two Gems of the Near East : Egypt and Jordan
An In- Depth touring of Egypt and Jordan , Alexandria Jerash Version

Enjoy Your Honeymoon on a Cruise on the Nile

Indiana Jones himself couldn't squeeze more adventure into this journey:Alexandria Cairo , Memphis, Sakkara 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. Add air fare from NYC ? Extend to Jerusalem .More Choices at the bottom of the page

DAY 1- CAIRO - Thursday- 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 . Egyptian visa may be secured by our guests upon arrival at Cairo Airport for a limited number of nationalities such as American,Canadian, Australian, NZ, EU and Japanese citizens, please pay the $ 15 in cash upon arrival . Passports must be valid for at least 6 month upon arrival). After exiting the terminal, our local representative will escort you to the hotel . Compare with the 18 day version

DAY 2 - Alexandria Friday (BL)
We leave Cairo before sunrise - if you are able to extend your stay in Egypt by one day, then we can overnight in Alexandria tonight to allow for a more relaxed itinerary - ( private air conditioned car/driver/guide). We drive across northern Egypt & the Nile Delta heading northwest for Alexandria: Full day tour of the National Museum, the Catacombs, the Roman Amphitheater, Qayet Bey Fortress .
Qayet Bey Fort was 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. Lunch at a local restaurant , then its off to the new site for the Alexandria Library before heading to Wadi El Natroun monastery almost midway to Cairo , where early Coptic Christians retreated here to escape the Roman persecution in the 4th century AD. The Egyptian Pope of Alexandria is always chosen from the Monks of wadi El Natroun. Reach Cairo early evening and your hotel.
Interested in adding an extra day in Alexandria ? please click here .

DAY 3 - CAIRO- Dahshour, Memphis, Sakkara - Saturday (BLD)
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 and Nobles tombs/Mastabas.
Dinner is included at La Bodega restaurant in Zamalek .
All tours in Cairo are on a private basis: private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur and private guide .

DAY 4 - CAIRO- Giza Pyramids Sound -Light Show - Sunday (BLD)
Today it is on to Giza and the mysteries of the Pyramids and Sphinx. Lunch is included at the Mena House We stop at el-Haraniya village , in our way to Coptic Cairo to visit the : Coptic Museum, the El-Moalaka Church and Beni Ezra Synagogue as the well as the spot where "Baby Moses " was found by the Queen entourage floating in a reed basket in the Nile . In the evening, we return to the Pyramids for an awe-inspiring sound-and-light show.
Dinner is include tonight at Zeituni at the Four Seasons Hotel in Cairo .
All tours in Cairo are on a private basis: private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur and private guide .

DAY 5 - CAIRO -Monday (BLD)
First stop is the Egyptian Museum, with its treasures of the ancient pharaohs: mummies, statuary, precious stones and metals. Lunch is included at Hadaik El-Azhar or at Naguib Mahfouz restaurant . We'll also stop at the Citadel of Saladin and the Alabaster Mosque, before heading to Khan el-Khalili legendary Bazaar districts well as a walking tour of Muiz LedeenAllah newly restored medieval district, Wekalet El Ghouri and Gayer Anderson Museum . Dinner is included at Al- Taboula restaurant in Latin America Street in Garden City .
All tours in Cairo are on a private basis: private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur and private guide .

DAY 6 - ASWAN- ABU SIMBEL Tuesday - Hotel (B)
Your hotel will prepare "Breakfast Box", we leave on an early flight for Aswan, a brief stop then on ( flying ) to Abu Simbel , where we settle you into your Private car , with your private driver and private guide , touring Abu Simbel: In 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 retire to a comfortable hotel for refreshments: Bottled water / tea / coffee . Fly back to Aswan and your hotel : Deluxe : Aswan Movenpick or Isis Island. First : Basma Hotel

DAY 7 - ASWAN Wednesday - Board your Nile Cruise (BLD)
After breakfast at your hotel, enjoy your morning at leisure , before we head to your Nile Cruise around noon time , where we settle you into your cabin on your Nile steamer. We'll visit the enormous dams at Aswan, then board a launch on to visit the Temples island of Philae, dedicated to the Ancient Egyptian Goddess of Isis, that was later worshiped in Rome as well as Ancient Greece, the temple was rescued from rising waters and reassembled on this island.

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!

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. We head back to our cruise in time for afternoon tea.

DAY 8 - KOM OMBO Thursday (BLD)
We cruise northward down the Nile today, at a stately pace, disembarking for a visit to Kom Ombo, the twin temple dedicated to the crocodile river god, Sobek. We'll also see Haroeris, the solar disk.

DAY 9 - EDFU and LUXOR- Friday- On board your Nile Cruise (BLD)
Horse-drawn carriages or vans meet us at riverside to take us through Edfu to 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: the Valley of the Kings; the imposing tomb-temple of Queen Hatshepsut ; and, back in Luxor, the Great Temple of Amon at Karnak. Overnight on board your Nile cruise

DAY 10 - Check-out from your Nile Cruise - SHARM EL SHEIK - RED SEA Saturday (B)
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.

DAY 11 - SHARM EL SHEIK Sunday (B)
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.

DAY 12 - MOUNT SINAI Monday (BL)
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 ( closed during religious holidays) , rich in history, icons and sacred paintings, then return to Sharm El Sheik.

Sharm El Sheik St. Catherine Monastery

DAY 13 - Sharm El-Sheikh - Petra - Tuesday (BL)
We'll fly to Amman : non-stop from Sharm El-Sheikh or via Cairo ,air fare is included in our rate in economy class, tax included , between Egypt and Jordan . In Amman : our Jordan-based representative waits to greet you. You'll drive south , and arrive at your hotel in Petra for the night. Complimentary Jordanian visa fee (valid only for American & Japanese citizens. Passports must be valid for at least 6 month upon arrival). Lunch is included enroute.

DAY 14- 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 15 - PETRA/ WADI RUM - Amman - Thursday (BLD)
After breakfast 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. After our visit, we break for tea with the bedouins , then head north , we will enjoy lunch enroute at a local restaurant then on to Amman and a panoramic tour of the city including tour of the Citadel, dinner is included at your hotel.

DAY 16 - DEPARTURE FOR HOME - Friday (B)
Our staff escorts you to the airport of Amman for your flight home. Or, you may choose to add one of our extensions.

Rates per person in USD

For Easter, Christmas, New Year's ( Dec 20 - Jan 3 ) : 15 % supplement will apply

Ultra Deluxe Rates per person in USD
Private Guide in Jordan / Private Egyptologist in Egypt
Business Class Flights within Egypt and Between Egypt and Jordan

For Easter, Christmas, New Year's ( Dec 20 - Jan 3 ) : 15 % supplement will apply

Inclusions:

Not included:

• Personal expenses and beverages.

• Additional meals and services .

• Tips.
  
• Trip interruption and cancellation insurance .
  
• Air fare from/ to your home country .

• Egyptian visa may be secured by our guests upon arrival at Cairo Airport for a limited number of nationalities , such as American,Canadian, Australian, NZ, EU and Japanese citizens. Passports must be valid for at least 6 month upon arrival). After exiting the terminal, our local representative will escort you to the hotel

Sample Hotels or similar

Egypt & Jordan A La Carte- More Choices :

• Compare with the 17 Day version with Abu Simbel and Alexandria . Add Jerusalem.

• Compare with the Ultra Deluxe Version

• Egypt and Jordan in 12 days without Sinai and flying between Cairo and Amman

• Egypt & Jordan A La Carte- Choose from : 12 Day , 13 day Wadi Rum , or 14 day version

• Add Alexandria , Abu Simbel or : Memphis .
  
  

• Or the 16 Day version with Abu Simbel and Jerash

• Add a cruise on Lake Nasser
  

• Compare with the 22 days Wonders of Egypt & Arabia
  

• Add Morocco and Syria , in a Grand North African Crossing  .
  

• Compare with the 18-Day in-Depth Version

Quote from our guests- Comments on the stop : Dead Sea :
" It was a relaxing and enjoyable stop, and the experience of just trying to walk into the sea -- unsuccessfully as it lifts you onto your back -- is extraordinary. Enjoying dinner at the outdoor Italian restaurant (it's the grill during the day) at the Kempinski with the view over the pool and the sea across to Israel resorts, to Jericho and to Jerusalem in the distance was delightful. So it's a good stop and break from being on the road.

- Arne "