Pyramids to Petra with Cruise

Friday. Welcome to Egypt. Upon arrival at Cairo Airport you'll be met and transferred to our start hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax or those arriving early can opt to pre book our optional Backstreets of Cairo tour which departs the hotel at 10am today. At 7pm this evening meet your guide and the rest of the group at a Welcome Meeting.

For those who wish to arrive early to Cairo, we also offer a pre tour Alexandria Day Trip every Thursday

Today we start our tour at the Giza Plateau to see the legendary Pyramids of Giza and Sphinx. Gaze in awe at Cheops (Khufu) - the largest of the three great pyramids. Constructed from over 2.5 million limestone blocks it is thought to have taken more than 20 years to construct. Sole survivors from the ancient Greek-listed Seven Wonders of the World, the pyramids are the planet’s oldest tourist attraction! Continuing to Saqqara - constructed by Imhotep, the pharaoh’s chief architect in 2700 BC, we explore the myriad tombs and temples at this site and see Zhoser’s step pyramid.A visit to a government supervised Papyrus Museum will also be made at some point during today.

Cairo - Aswan. This morning we join our guided tour of the incredible new Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza. This vast 490,000 sq.m complex showcases an astonishing collection of artefacts from nearly every period of ancient Egyptian history. Among the highlights are treasures of King Tutankhamun, with plans for his famous solid gold funerary mask to eventually be showcased here, alongside many items being exhibited for the first time.

Later, we make our way to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, which remains home to a vast collection of statues, jewellery, and sarcophagi. Here, we’ll see the well-preserved mummies of Yuya and Thuyu, high-ranking nobles and the great-grandparents of King Tutankhamun. Some mummies are so well preserved they still have thick locks of hair and visible fingernails. After our excursion, we return to the hotel to enjoy some free time by the pool before boarding the overnight sleeper train to Aswan.

Arrive into Aswan and enjoy a leisurely boat trip to Agilika Island for a guided tour of the romantic Philae Temple - dedicated to the goddess Isis. Essential and perfumed oils in Egypt dates back to 2700BC, on return to Aswan we will visit perfume oil emporium and then check in on board our 5 star cruise, home for the coming days. As the sun sets, free time to shop in the colourful souqs and markets or simply relax and watch an amazing sunset in Egypt's southernmost town straddling the River Nile.

Aswan - Nile Cruise. Join our optional early morning drive to Abu Simbel, the famous the rock-cut temple of King Ramses II, the Great Builder. Our Nile Cruiser departs Aswan this afternoon and we cruise the River Nile to Kom Ombo where we disembark to visit the temple which is dedicated to the crocodile headed god - Sobek before returning to the cruiser.

Nile Cruise - Luxor. Relax, enjoy a swim in the pool and chill out in the sun on deck this morning. Let your troubles melt away as we cruise the River Nile to Luxor. Home of the legendary Valley of the Kings and Temple of Karnak, 4000 year-old Luxor is ancient Egypt at its best. Arriving into Luxor this afternoon the rest of the day is free to explore the city before we spend our final night aboard the cruiser.

This morning we disembark and check into our 5 star Luxor hotel. The day is free to relax and explore. Tonight, an optional visit is available to the Temple of Luxor.

Luxor - Cairo. An early start allows us to avoid some of the fierce midday heat as we venture to the tomb strewn Valley of the Kings. This morning we visit the Colossi of Memnon - a massive pair of statues that stand silent against a historic backdrop. We'll then explore the Valleys of the Kings and the awesome colonnaded Temple of Queen. The Valley of the Kings is studded with often highly decorated tombs, constructed to once house the regal sarcophagi enclosed mummies of the mighty pharaohs awaiting passage into the after-life.

After lunch and time to relax we visit the colossal Temple of Karnak, with its stone-columned Hypostle Hall. Tonight, we return by overnight sleeper train to Cairo.

We arrive into Cairo this morning. The rest of the day is free for you to relax by the pool, independently explore or perhaps head to the famous Khan el Khalili bazaar to buy some souvenirs.

Cairo - Amman. Hotel check out and included onward departure transfer to Cairo Airport for your flight to Amman (not included). Arrival Amman Airport and included transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to relax or head out and explore the city.

PLEASE NOTE: Travellers need to independently book these flights at a personal cost, they are not included in the tour price, however, we can assist in booking these flights should you require. If you provide us with your flight details, we’ll be there to meet you at Amman Airport and transfer you to the hotel.

Amman - Madaba - Mount Nebo - Umm ar Rasas - Petra. Today we tour the citadel and Archaeological Museum of Amman before we take a walk through the bustling local souk to enjoy typical Jordanian street treats of falafel and hummus at the country’s most popular local street stand. As the pictures on the wall will prove, the unglamorous food stand was a great favourite of the late King Hussein.

Departing Amman, we’ll stop at Mt. Nebo - the site from which Moses saw the Promised Land. Having led the Israelites for 40 years through the wilderness, Moses finally saw them from this awesome vantage point. This amazing panorama includes the Jordan River Valley, the Dead Sea, Jericho and the spires and domes of the Mt. of Olives and Bethlehem on the Judean hills just across the wide valley. Later we visit Madaba en route to Petra where we see the Church of St George, the Madaba Archaeological Park, Apostles Church and Madaba Museum.

Continue onto one of Jordan’s World Heritage sites, Um ar-Rasas, once an important stop on the busy caravan routes. The impressive mosaic floor of the St. Stephen Church features medallions commemorating all the early Christian pilgrimage sites of the region, and the extensive ruins also include one of the area’s earliest Stylite towers, where a Byzantine hermit lived atop the tower and preached to the pilgrimage visitors.

Our final stop of the day is Petra. Tonight, consider doing a Petra by Night excursion (payable locally) for a tantalizing candlelight stroll through Petra’s Siq…. a romantic preview of things to come.

Walking through the mysterious mile-long Siq, the narrow gorge with towering sandstone walls, leads into the ancient capital city of the Nabatean trading empire. Explore the Khazneh (the temple of Indiana Jones fame), Theatre, Colonnaded Street and Museum. After lunch, climb to ad-Deir (the Monastery), Petra’s largest carved façade.

This evening, why not try your hand at our Petra Kitchen Add-on to join fellow travellers for a cuisine course at the Petra Kitchen, where you’ll help prepare a memorable Jordanian feast. Petra Kitchen Add-on .

Petra - Wadi Rum. This morning offers the opportunity to return to Petra, visiting the High Place of Sacrifice and Wadi Farasa. At lunch, we stop at the Wadi Musa souk to pick up shawarma sandwiches or fruit and veggie snacks from the local produce souk before making the scenic drive to Wadi Rum.

Upon arrival, we join our jeep tour that takes in the moonscape desert terrain of Wadi Rum before. Arriving to our remote camp site deep in the heart of the Wadi Rum, we enjoy a magical evening under the brilliant stars of the desert night sky, including a scrumptious traditional Jordanian dinner.

Wadi Rum - Shobak – Wadi Mujib - Dead Sea. After breakfast at the campsite, we head north along the Desert Highway to visit Shobak Castle, which is perched dramatically on a hill top and was built by the Crusader king Baldwin I in 1115. After exploring the castle we descend some 1300 meters to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on the earth’s surface. More than 500 meters below sea level, the mineral-rich Dead Sea is the world’s original health and beauty spa. Drift out and bob in the waters and slap on some of the famous black Dead Sea mud to give your skin an invigorating boost.

For departures between April and October we’ll head up the King’s Highway to Wadi Mujib. We’ll embark on a moderate –paced two hour trek along the Siq Trail. Measuring 500 metres in depth and spanning 4 kilometres across, the impressive Wadi Mujib is one of Jordan’s most remarkable natural features. This dramatic canyon features sheer rocky walls and sparkling waterways that range from puddle height to depths that are perfect for swimming (chest height or deeper) depending on the rainfall. When the water level is high you should be prepared for having to climb up ladders, clamber across boulders and be happy to wade through water. The canyon is just one feature of the Mujib Biosphere Reserve, the lowest nature reserve in the world, home to a surprising diversity of wildlife and plant species. For those not interested in taking the full hike, you can walk part of or wait by the Visitor Centre till the group returns. After our trek we make our way to the Dead Sea.

Friday. Dead Sea - Amman Airport. Hotel check out and included onward transfer to the airport in Amman. Departure transfers are offered at 04:00, 07:00, 12:00 and 23:00 only. If you would like a departure transfer at any other time or a transfer with post tour accommodation this can be arranged at an additional cost, please enquire.

If you have extra time and wish to head back to Amman, why not book our 2 day end in Amman add on? Perfect for those who wish to spend more time in Jordan's ancient capital, Amman.