The Near East and The Levant

Egypt , Jordan and a Foray into Jerusalem

A 24 day In- Depth touring of the Levant that even includes all tips

Top Egyptologist in Cairo

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, then to top it all , a foray into the Holy land and Jerusalem . Departure : weekly in Cairo , year round

DAY 1 - CAIRO - Wednesday - 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 & Japanese citizens. Passports must be valid for at least 6 month upon arrival).

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 - Alexandria Thursday(cBL)
Breakfast at leisure .
We leave Cairo : 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. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before we head for your hotel. Remainder of the day at leisure. Overnight in Alexandria

DAY 3 - Alexandria Friday (cBL)
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 , 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.

DAY 4 - 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 Cairo: DAHSOUR - we'll motor to the edge of Cairo, to Dahshour, the 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 - CAIRO- Giza Pyramids Sound & Light Show - Home Hosted Dinner - Sunday (BL)
Morning tour to Giza and the mysteries of the Pyramids and Sphinx, including the Solar Boat Museum.
Lunch is included at the Mena House . In the evening, we return to the Pyramids for an awe-inspiring sound-and-light show.

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.

DAY 6 - CAIRO -Monday (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. Lunch is included at Naguib Mahfouz Restaurant or similar. Afternoon walking tour of Khan El-Khalili Bazaar district.

DAY 7 - ASWAN ABU SIMBEL Tuesday (B)
Abu Simbel excursion: One way flying and one way drive.

After an early breakfast , we head for the airport and your flight to Abu Simbel , via Aswan .
In Abu Simbel: You 'll have your own private air-conditioned vehicle , private chauffeur and private guide waiting for you at the airport , we head for the temples site over looking Lake Nasser :
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. Just as planeloads of visitors arrive to throng the temples we begin our leisurely drive back along the shore to Aswan, and your hotel in Aswan

DAY 8 - ASWAN Wednesday (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.

Luxury Nile Cruises

DAY 9 - 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 10 - EDFU and LUXOR Friday (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: touring the Valley of the Kings; the imposing tomb-temple of Queen Hatshepsut ; and Colossi of Memnon.

DAY 11 - LUXOR - Old Winter Palace - Nile View Room - Saturday (B)
After breakfast. Check-out and proceed to tour the mighty temple complex at Karnak.As well as Luxor Museum and Luxor Temple. We tour as well on the West Bank : Medinet Habu, Deir El Medinet and the Ramesseum . Old Winter Palace - Nile View room, or the Steinberger Hotel, Nile View room.
Compare with the 17 day version

DAY 12- Cairo / SHARM EL SHEIK - RED SEA Sunday (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 Delta and connect in Cairo an on to 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 13 - SHARM EL SHEIK -Monday (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 14 - MOUNT SINAI -Tuesday (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 - AQABA, PETRA -Wednesday (B)
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 American & Japanese citizens. Passports must be valid for at least 6 month upon arrival).

DAY 16 - PETRA- Thursday (B)
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.

DAY 17 - PETRA/ WADI RUM - Friday (BL)
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 enjoy lunch at a local restaurant .

DAY 18 - JERASH - Saturday (BL)
After breakfast at the hotel, we head north , we enjoy lunch enroute . Today we tour 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 back to Amman and your hotel. Compare with the 18-day version.

DAY 19 - MADABA, KERAK - Sunday (BL)
Full day includes : 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. Lunch is included at a local restaurant. Head back to Amman and your hotel

DAY 20 - Jordan - Cross the border into the Holy land- Jerusalem - Monday (B)
Our Amman -based representative will call for you after breakfast and see you to the borders, where you'll board another private vehicle and on to Jerusalem and your hotel. No Visa is required for US citizens and major EU countries, if you are in doubt, please check with the nearest Israeli Consulate . You'll have the rest of this day to discover Jerusalem on your own . . . the crowds along Ben Yehuda Street, the new City Hall, the walls of the Old City illuminated at dusk, the gleaming Dome of the Rock. Jerusalem lives up to every expectation!

DAY 21 - Tuesday - OLD CITY OF JERUSALEM (B)
Private air-conditioned vehicle. Private chauffeur- Private Guide.
Our visit to the Old City starts with a walk through the reconstructed Jewish Quarter. We'll visit the newly excavated Cardo, a Roman promenade, and proceed to the Western Wall, all that remains of the Second Temple. Nearby is the Dome of the Rock, one of the holiest places of Islam. We will follow in the footsteps of Jesus along the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, passing bazaars where brass ware, embroidered dresses and inlaid woodwork are on offer.

DAY 22 - Tuesday - BETHLEHEM (B)
Private air-conditioned vehicle. Private chauffeur- Private Guide.
We'll depart Jerusalem in for Bethlehem, to visit the Church of the Nativity, the site of Jesus' birth. We'll also stop at Rachel's Tomb before returning to Jerusalem. Remainder of the day on your own

Day 23 - Wednesday - Jerusalem - sightseeing of the new city (B)
Private air-conditioned vehicle. Private chauffeur- Private Guide.
Drive to Mt’ Scopus for a panoramic view of Jerusalem. On to the Garden of Gethsemane and Church of the Agony. Drive to Mt’ Zion for a visit to the tomb of King David, the Room of the Last Supper and Dormition Abbey. Sightseeing in the new city including the Israel Museum’s Shrine of the Book with the famous Dead Sea scrolls, new Supreme Court bldg. Mt’ Herzl ,then visit the model of the Herodian city of Jerusalem dating back to the time of the Second Temple. Afternoon visit of the Hadassah medical center in the synagogue with Marc Chagall stained glass windows, then via Ein Karem (the birth place of John the Baptist). Return to Hotel.

DAY 24 - Thursday- DEPARTURE (B)
We'll escort you to the airport to catch your homeward-bound flight. Salam & Shalom!
Compare with the 21 day Version .

RATES per person in USD

For Easter ( 2 weeks season) , Christmas, New Year's ( Dec 20 - Jan 3 )
15 % supplement will apply . Add Palestine , Israel and Jerusalem

Sample 5-stars Deluxe Nile Cruises:
MS Monaco , MS Monte Carlo , Ms Mojito , Ms Diamond , Ms Queen of Hansa , Ms Solitaire
MS Beau Soleil , MS Adonis , MS Renaissance

Inclusions:

Not included:

• Personal expenses and beverages

• Gratuities

• Additional meals and services

• Trip interruption and cancellation insurance (please see our insurance brochure)

• International air fares from New York to Cairo with return from Amman
  
  

General Hotel Listing

Egypt & Jordan A La Carte- More Choices :

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

• 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 .
  

• Compare with the 16 Day version with Alexandria and Abu Simbel 
  

• 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 .