Egypt and Jordan a la Indiana Jones

A 19 day In-Depth tour in Egypt and Jordan
With Alexandria, Camping in Wadi Rum and Private Tour of Abu Simbel

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.

DAY 1 - DEPARTURE - Tuesday- Weekly - Year Round
( click here if your prefer to start in Amman Jordan) . We take off aboard Lufthansa, British Airways or Olympic Airways jet from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. (Ask about stopovers in Europe.)

DAY 2- CAIRO - Wednesday
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

DAY 3 - Alexandria - Thursday (BLD)
Breakfast at the hotel, then we leave Cairo : private air conditioned car/driver/guide). We drive across northern Egypt and the Nile Delta heading northwest for Alexandria: Full day tour of the Museum, the Catacombs, the Roman Amphitheater, Qayet Bey Fortress , built on the same site of the ancient wonder of the world : the famous Alexandria Light House. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before we head for Zanket El-Setat , the local souks, El-Manshiya and the old medina . Overnight in Alexandria . Evening walking tour of Al-Raml district, then enjoy Dinner at a local Alexandrine restaurant.

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 4 - Alexandria -Cairo - Friday (BLD)
Breakfast at leisure at the hotel. A brief stop at " El Selsela" the site of the Underwater reserve where Cleopatra Place was discovered, as well as Caesar Kiosk. Visit the Crown Jewels Museum of the former Egyptian Royal family , then its off to the new site for the Alexandria Library.
Lunch at a local restaurant 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, where dinner awaits you .

DAY 5 - CAIRO- Dahshour, Memphis, Sakkara - Saturday (BL)
A morning tour takes us to the time capsule treasure of Dahshour, the newly-opened pyramid field south of 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 Mena House : The afternoon is for Memphis and Sakkara, including the Step Pyramid of Zoser , Nobles tombs and Mastabas and the small yet charming Imhotep Museum .
In the evening we head back to Giza for the Pyramids Sound and Light show.
All tours in Cairo are on a private basis: private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur and private guide .

DAY 6 - Giza - Home Hosted Dinner - Sunday (BLD)
After breakfast we are off to tour Giza Pyramids , the Sphinx, and Cheops Royal Barge Museum ( Solar boat) the oldest known wooden royal barge . With a brief camel ride ( included ) for the famous photo opportunity with the Pyramids in the background. WE stop at Harania village before heading back to Cairo .

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 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 .

Lunch is included at Abu El -Sid restaurant.
The afternoon is devoted to : tour of Coptic Cairo : The Coptic Museum, the "hanging - El-Moalaka Church, Beni Ezra Synagogue and the spot where Baby Moses is believed to have been found by the Egyptian Queen and her entourage.

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 evening we'll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread . . . right into the homes of some of the people of Cairo l! 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 evening, 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. All tours in Cairo are on a private basis: private air-conditioned vehicle, private chauffeur and private guide .

DAY 7 - CAIRO -Monday (BLD)
After breakfast our first stop is the Egyptian Museum, with its treasures of the ancient pharaohs: mummies, King Tut's Gold Treasure Hall , statuary, precious stones and metals. We'll also stop at the Citadel of Saladin and the Alabaster Mosque. Lunch is included at Hadaik Al-Azhar and a walking tour of El -Darb El Ahmar ( Al-Azhar Park) , after lunch we head for a walking tour of Khan El-Khalili and the Muizz LedeenAllah newly restored medieval Islamic district. Dinner at La Bodega restaurant.

DAY 8- ASWAN - ABU SIMBEL Tuesday (BLD)
After a very early breakfast , we head for Cairo Airport for your flight to Aswan, and connect by air to Abu Simbel , where your Private car /Driver guide await you in 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. Fly back to Aswan, arriving in time for a late lunch at your hotel. Remainder of the day at leisure. , in the evening your guide will call on you for a private horse-drawn carriage ride throughout Aswan. Dinner is included at a local restaurant.

DAY 9 - ASWAN - Wednesday- Board Your Nile Cruise (BLD)
After breakfast at your hotel , we check-out and head for the Nubian Museum , after which we head to the pier and check-in on board your Nile cruise , and settle you into your cabin on your Nile steamer. Welcome fruit basket awaits you in your cabin , in the afternoon : We'll visit the enormous dams at Aswan and the Unfinished Obelisk , 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.

DAY 10 - KOM OMBO - Thursday- On Board Your Nile Cruise (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 11 - EDFU and LUXOR - Friday- On Board Your Nile Cruise (BLD)
Horse-drawn carriages 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. In the evening your guide will call on you for a private horse-drawn carriage ride throughout Luxor and the waterfront.

DAY 12- 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. Sunset Camel ride on the beach .

DAY 13 - SHARM EL SHEIK - Sunday (BD)
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. Evening Bedouin theme dinner.

DAY 14 - 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, rich in history, icons and sacred paintings, then return to Sharm El Sheik.

DAY 15 - Sharm El-Sheikh , PETRA Tuesday (BL)
We'll fly to Amman non-stop pr via Cairo, air fare is included in our rate in economy class with tax included , in Amman our Jordan-based representative waits to greet you. You'll drive under a towering ridge of mountains, and arrive at your hotel in Petra for the night. Lunch is included enroute . Complimentary Jordanian visa fee (valid only for American, EU, Australian, Canadian, NZ, Korean , Singaporean and Japanese citizens. Passports must be valid for at least 6 month upon arrival).

DAY 16- 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 17 - PETRA - Wadi Rum- Thursday (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 . 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 18 - JERASH - Dead Sea-Amman - Friday (BLD)
After breakfast , we head for Jerash, among the best-preserved Roman cities in the world, to tour its temples, theaters, churches and colonnaded streets. From Jerash, we will escort you to a local restaurant for lunch then we head to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth , before we return to Amman , time permitting we mat be able to tour the Citadel in Amman , dinner is included tonight at your hotel in Amman .

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 "

DAY 19 - DEPARTURE FOR HOME -Saturday (B)
Our staff escorts you to the airport of Amman for your flight home. Or, you may choose to add one of our extensions, and return later from Jordan at no additional cost for your air fare.

RATES per person in USD

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

Add Palestine , Israel and Jerusalem

Air fare notes:

• For departures from most west coast cities, as well as Phoenix, Dallas-Fort Worth or Atlanta in , please add $ 450 to the above rates. This doesn't apply when you handle your own air fare.
  
• For travel in May - Sep , please note that a $ 450 air-fare supplement is added to the above rates.
  
• When you handle your own air fare, please deduct $500 from the listed rate.

Inclusions:

Not included:

• Personal expenses and beverages

• Gratuities

• Additional meals and services

• Trip interruption and cancellation insurance

• 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

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