Discover Egypt & Jordan - 15 Days

Ahlan! Welcome to Egypt. Your adventure begins in Cairo with a welcome meeting at 4 pm, where you’ll meet your leader and fellow travellers. If you arrive early, get your bearings by walking around the neighourhood, or escape the hustle and bustle and explore the Christian quarter, known as Coptic Cairo. After the meeting, head out with your fellow travellers and discover Khan al-Khalili Bazaar, located in Cairo's Islamic centre. This traditional souk is a labyrinth of narrow alleys lined with local merchants, making it the perfect place to experience daily Egyptian life.

This morning, head to Giza – home to some of the world’s most iconic sights and one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Explore the structures that have stood tall for 4500 years and uncover the mysteries surrounding them with your leader. Head to a spot where you'll have a panoramic view of the three pyramids, before checking out the Great Sphinx of Giza. For lunch, follow your leader to a local restaurant to try a Koshary plate (a tasty and filling Egyptian take on pasta). After, make your way to the Egyptian Museum, which houses one of the world's greatest collections of antiquities. Wander through the treasure-filled halls while your leader highlights the true gems of the exhibits. Later, meet your leader and travel to the nearby train station, where you’ll board an overnight sleeper train bound for Aswan.

Travel to Aswan – Egypt's southernmost city, where the river Nile flows, white-sailed feluccas glide by and Elephantine Island awaits. Today is a free day, so take the opportunity to see some Aswan sites like the Unfinished Obelisk – an ancient monument that has remained unfinished for 3500 years – or the High Dam. Maybe see The Nubian Bazaar, the Nubian Museum or the beautiful Temple of Isis, dedicated to the goddess Isis on Philae Island. The waterfront promenade, or Aswan's Corniche, runs alongside one of the Nile's most appealing stretches and is the perfect place to pause for a mint tea. This evening you’ll experience modern Nubian culture first-hand by joining a local Nubian family for dinner in a nearby village.

Today is another free day in Aswan. Perhaps head out of the city and visit Abu Simbel this morning. With the four colossal statues of Ramses guarding the Great Temple, carved directly from the mountain on the west bank of the Nile, this is one of Egypt's most memorable sights. Alternatively, you could take a sailboat around the islands in a traditional felucca, stopping off at the botanical gardens on Kitchener's Island. Your leader will be on hand to help you arrange any excursions. Otherwise, simply relax and take in the beauty of the Nile or do some shopping in the local bazaar.

With your free time this morning, perhaps hop on a motorboat out to the Tomb of the Nobles or stock up on snacks for your evening on the Nile. Board the felucca with your group just before lunch and spend the afternoon out on the river, watching Egyptian daily life play out on the banks, before spending a night under the stars. Your Nubian sailing crew provides all the meals, which are hearty and delicious, as well as some local entertainment. Being a traditional wooden boat with broad canvas sails, your felucca offers some shade and protection from the elements, however, there’s no cabin or enclosed section. Tonight, watch the sunset across the Nile for a sight you won't forget.

Say goodbye to your Nubian friends this morning and take a private van to the ‘open-air museum’ of Luxor. From the spectacular temple complex of Karnak to the Valley of the Kings, Luxor is full of wonderfully preserved reminders of the Pharaohs. On the way, there's the option to visit either the unique mirror-image design of the Temple of Kom Ombo, or the beautifully preserved Temple of Edfu. In the afternoon, explore the magnificent Karnak Temple, which is perhaps the most impressive of all the ancient Pharaohs' monumental works. One of the world's most celebrated temple complexes, Karnak is a house of the gods built over a period of 200 years. After, visit a local NGO, Animal Care in Egypt (ACE), our Intrepid Foundation partner, to learn about the work they do to care for wounded working animals in the region. The rest of the day will be free to relax, shop in the bazaar or chill out in a local teahouse.

Today, discover some of the wonders of ancient Thebes via a private minivan. Your first stop is the Colossi of Memnon – two 17-m-high statues on Luxor's West Bank. Carved from granite blocks, they represent the Pharaoh Amenhotep III and were once part of an impressive colonnade. Continue to the royal burial site of the Valley of the Kings – here, buried under the arid hills, are over 60 richly decorated tombs of pharaohs. Your leader will explain the history and legends of these remarkable pharaohs and the significance of the many paintings and hieroglyphics. After, join a local family for lunch and try some traditional home cooking. The rest of the afternoon is yours to explore at your pace before boarding an overnight sleeper train from Luxor back to Cairo.

Ahlan wa sahlan! Welcome to Jordan’s capital, Amman – cosmopolitan and contemporary, yet steeped in biblical history. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm this evening. If you arrive early, be sure to head to the citadel, taking in its sweeping views of Amman. The Jordan Museum – home to the Dead Sea Scrolls – and the Roman Theatre are also both well worth visiting. After your meeting, perhaps head out with your new-found travel pals and pick up a coffee from one of the cafes and partner it with an arayes (a local style toastie filled with spiced meat).

This morning, leave Amman and head to Aqaba – the only coastal city offering a pocket of beach in this otherwise landlocked country. When you arrive, explore the market and walk along the beach on a leader-led walking tour. Enjoy a couple of hours exploring this city at your own leisure, maybe by snorkelling in the Red Sea, navigating the local markets or simply relaxing by the water. After, continue on the road to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Wadi Rum, arriving in time for dinner. You’ll get a chance to sit down with the sheik of the local Bedouin tribe and get a glimpse into what life is like living in this desert environment. Enjoy dinner cooked in an earthen oven by your Bedouin hosts. Meaning ‘desert dwellers’ in Arabic, the Bedouins are a semi-nomadic people, and in Jordan up to 40 per cent of the general population is thought to have Bedouin ancestry. This evening, catch your shuteye in a simple Bedouin desert camp, either in a camel hair tent or out under the stars.

Wake up at camp and head out on a desert hike, with a break for tea and lunch. You might scale one of the large sand dunes for views of the vast valley – the perfect chance to snap some pictures. Wadi Rum is probably best known for its connection with the British officer T.E. Lawrence – or Lawrence of Arabia – who was based here during the Great Arab Revolt of 1917–18 and helped coordinate Arab forces against the Ottoman Empire. This afternoon, gear up for a half-day jeep safari through Wadi Rum. The valley is full of weird and wonderful lunar-like rock formations and traces of ancient civilisations can be seen in the many carved inscriptions found throughout the area – from pictographs to Thamudic, Nabataean and Arabic texts. The most enduring monuments in Wadi Rum are those carved by nature – the natural rock bridges, towering rose-coloured sand dunes and scattered rocky peaks. After an action-packed afternoon, tonight is yours to enjoy the traditional Bedouin hospitality and the clear night skies of the desert.

This morning, leave your desert camp in 4WDs and make your way to the main entrance of Petra, which is opposite the Seven Pillars of Wisdom – the mountain named after Lawrence of Arabia’s book. The visitor's centre here is a great spot to buy some jewellery and handicrafts, mostly made by a women's co-operative aimed at supporting local industries. Then, continue your journey to the fabled city of Petra by private vehicle. The site remained unknown to the wider world until 1812, when it was visited by Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, a Swiss explorer. In 1985, Petra was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site – spend the afternoon getting to know it on a guided tour. Squeeze through a mile-long narrow path – known as the Siq – and through huge towers of rock and get your first glimpse of the iconic Treasury complex. It’s amazing to think that this enormous, intricate building entrance was hand-carved out of the rock.

Enjoy a day of self-discovery as you explore Petra on your own today – free to wander as you wish. The site is surprisingly big, so it is up to you to choose your own route around the complex. You could explore the old Roman road, other smaller temples and several old tombs, as well as the rock-hewn amphitheatre. For those who are feeling a bit more active, there's the challenging but highly rewarding one hour walk up the steps to the secluded monastery.

Today, traverse the King's Highway to the historic crusader castle of Kerak, which stands on a cliff overlooking Wadi Karak and the Dead Sea in the distance. You’ll have time to explore the ruins and discover the legends of centuries-old battles. Pack your swim gear as you can wash off the dust in the Dead Sea – the lowest point on land with its shoreline at around 430 m below sea level. This super-salty lake is a perfect place to spend some time relaxing and float your worries away. You can also cover yourself from head to toe in a nutrient-rich natural mineral mud bath. Continue to Mt Nebo – the spot where the prophet Moses is said to have seen the ‘promised land’ and where he’s supposedly buried. Explore this sanctuary and view the remarkable mosaics of the 4th-century church. Afterwards, continue to Madaba, famous for its Ottoman-style houses and beautiful Byzantine-era mosaics, including the acclaimed 6th-century mosaic map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land at St George's Church.

Leave Madaba and make your way to Jerash – once one of the grandest ancient Roman cities in the world. These are some of the best-preserved Greco-Roman ruins around. The ancient walled town that survives today is a remarkable evocation of life 2000 years ago, with its collection of archways and theatres, baths, public buildings and colonnaded streets. Discover Hadrian’s arch, the partially restored hippodrome, ornate public fountains, the south amphitheater, and see the collection of daily artefacts uncovered during excavations. Grand columns encircle the city's centrepiece, the Oval Plaza. After a full day of exploring, return to Madaba. Maybe gather your travel buddies together and share a celebratory shisha as you reminisce on your memories of Jordan.

Your trip comes to an end this morning after breakfast. If you'd like to extend your stay, just get in touch with your booking agent ahead of time.