Pyramids to Petra - 15 days

Friday. Welcome to Egypt! On arrival at the airport you’ll be transferred to our hotel to enjoy the rest of today at leisure. If arriving early, you may wish to book our 10am Backstreets of Cairo tour and explore Tahrir Square, El Moez Street and the famous cave church of St Simon.









For those who wish to extend their stay, we also offer a pre tour [[Alexandria Day Trip.|122837]] every Thursday

Explore Egypt’s most famous site today as we enjoy a tour of the legendary Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. The largest of the three pyramids, Cheops, will tower above you at 481ft tall - it was the tallest man-made structure in the world for 3,800 years. Later, continue to Saqqara to see the famous Pyramid of Djoser and explore the countless tombs and burial sites that this necropolis has to offer. 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 in Aswan and enjoy some free time before we take a boat trip to Agilkia Island this afternoon. Here we discover the beautiful Philae Temple, which is dedicated to the goddess Isis. The temple was painstakingly relocated to Agilkia in the 1960s after floods from Lake Nasser threatened to destroy it. After our final visit to the a perfume oil emporium,you can spend the rest of today at leisure - perhaps take a stroll through Aswan’s bustling market.

Aswan - Nile felucca cruise. This morning you may join our optional trip to Abu Simbel to marvel at the 4 giant statues of Ramses II that guard the entrance to this famous temple. Later, we say goodbye to Aswan and board a traditional felucca sail boat to begin our cruise along the Nile. If sailing by felucca is not your style, consider upgrading to a 5 star luxury Nile Cruise, please see the tab above for prices. For more information about Nile Cruising please click [[here|130530]].

Nile felucca cruise - Kom Ombo. Relax onboard our felucca as we cruise along the mighty Nile. This afternoon we dock at Kom Ombo and explore the famous symmetrical temple, dedicated to both the falcon god Horus and the crocodile god Sobek. We then continue downriver and spend our final night onboard the felucca.

Kom Ombo - Luxor. Disembark this morning as we drive to ancient Luxor. The rest of the day is free for you to explore the city and there is an optional trip to Luxor Temple tonight. After dark the site is beautifully illuminated by hundreds of lights.

Luxor - Cairo. Today we’ll explore the famous Valley of the Kings, where important pharaohs were buried in richly decorated tombs. Our excursion will also take in the temple of Queen Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon. Marvel at these two giant statues of King Amenhotep III, all that remains of what was once the largest temple complex in the world. This afternoon our tour continues to the colossal Karnak Temple. You’ll feel like a pharaoh yourself as you walk down the Avenue of Sphinxes and admire the towering columns of Hypostyle Hall. This evening, we return to Cairo on the night train.

Arrive back in Cairo and enjoy a day in the bustling capital at leisure. Perhaps explore Khan el Khalili bazaar where you can buy souvenirs and taste delicious street food.

Sunday. Today we say goodbye to Egypt and transfer to the airport for your flight to Amman, Jordan (not included). On arrival you’ll be transferred to our hotel where the rest of today is free to enjoy as you please.





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. This morning we’ll tour the citadel and Archaeological Museum in Amman and walk through a local souk to taste typical Jordanian street food.





We then leave Amman and travel to Mt Nebo - the site from where Moses first saw the Promised Land. Enjoy the same view over the Jordan River Valley, the Dead Sea and Jericho before we explore Madaba. We’ll tour highlights of the town including the Church of St George and the Madaba Museum. Our day continues with a trip to the UNESCO-listed ruins of Umm-ar-Rasas, where we’ll see the beautiful mosaic floor of St. Stephen’s Church, before we finally arrive in the “Rose City” of Petra. There is an optional excursion tonight to see Petra by night (approx. USD$25 payable locally), as we take a candlelit stroll to the ancient Treasury.

Enjoy a guided tour of Petra today as we walk along the Siq to the Khazneh (The Treasury), which you may recognise from the blockbuster film, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Our tour will also climb the steep steps to Ad-Deir (The Monastery), hidden high in the hills. This evening why not enjoy our Petra Kitchen add-on and prepare a delicious Jordanian dinner?

Petra - Wadi Rum. See more of Petra this morning as we climb to the High Place of Sacrifice and enjoy magnificent views of our surroundings. We also visit Wadi Farasa, then say goodbye to Petra as we travel to the desert of Wadi Rum. Enjoy a 4X4 safari into the wilderness to our remote campsite and feast on a delicious Jordanian meal. Tonight, we settle down to sleep under the stars, away from the lights and noise of civilization.

Wadi Rum - Shobak - Wadi Mujib - Dead Sea. We leave the desert this morning and head to Shobak Castle, built by the Crusader King Baldwin I in 1115. After exploring this fascinating hill-top fortress we continue to the shores of the Dead Sea. Bob in the mineral-rich waters where the high salt content will keep you afloat.





Before we arrive at the Dead Sea, April to October departures will also enjoy a trek along the famous Siq Trail to Wadi Mujib, one of Jordan’s most remarkable natural features. Walk through the towering canyon and prepare to get wet as we wade through the river.

Friday. Dead Sea - Amman Airport. Our adventure ends today with a 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 upon request, 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.