Premium Egypt & Jordan - 16 Days

Salaam aleikum! Welcome to Egypt. When you arrive at the Cairo airport, you'll be transferred to your hotel. Your adventure officially begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. If you arrive early, maybe get out and explore the busy streets, find a hole-in-the-wall eatery for a snack or relax at your hotel – the pool offers magnificent pyramid views! After your meeting, get the trip off to a spectacular start with a Signature Experience dinner. Dine at an authentic Egyptian restaurant in view of the pyramids and the Sphinx as they’re illuminated during the nightly sound and light show.

This morning, tour the mighty Pyramids of Giza – one of the famed Seven Wonders of the World – and the Sphinx with your leader and expert local guide. For an additional charge, you may be able to go inside the Great Pyramid of Khufu (or Cheops). After some time for lunch, your adventure continues to the Grand Egyptian Museum – home to one of the world’s great collections of ancient artefacts recovered from the tomb of Tutankhamun. From jewellery to the famous golden death mask and his gilded sarcophagi, this pharaoh was certainly prepared for the afterlife. Your leader will take you through some of Egypt’s dynastic history and you’ll have plenty of time to explore on your own – home to almost 100,000 artefacts, there’s a whole ancient world to uncover!

Catch a morning flight to Aswan – Egypt’s southernmost city. Check into your hotel, then travel to Philae Island and visit the Temple of Isis – the goddess of health, marriage and wisdom – rescued from the rising waters of the Nile and relocated here. Your leader will share stories of the history and changing landscape of the island. Then, take a boat to a Nubian village on an island in the middle of the Nile. Walk through the village before sitting down to dinner with a local Nubian family in their home. Enjoy traditional Nubian food, swap stories with your friendly hosts and gain a unique perspective into their way of life.

After breakfast, you may like to take a stroll around Aswan or join an optional tour of Abu Simbel – a temple complex that was dismantled and moved to make way for the Aswan High Dam. Board a Nile riverboat – your Feature Stay accommodation for the next three nights! Travelling by riverboat allows you to get to the heart of each destination while ensuring the journeys in between are every bit as interesting. In the afternoon, board a traditional felucca sailing boat where you can sit back and relax with some drinks as the sun sets over your surroundings. Return to your riverboat for dinner.

Enjoy a peaceful morning on board your riverboat, then set out in the afternoon along the river, relaxing in the sun on deck and taking in the desert hills. Arrive at Kom Ombo Temple, where your leader will let you in on the secrets of this ancient sanctuary. Built in approximately 181 BC, Kom Ombo is dedicated to two gods – Horus (god of protection) and Sobek (god of fertility, linked to the Nile’s water). Each god has a dedicated section – north or south – and there have been recent discoveries of mummified crocodiles in the Sobek section. After, return to your riverboat and continue to Edfu where you’ll dock for the evening.

This morning, you’ll be moored near Edfu and may have the option to venture independently into town to see the nearby temple. Sail towards Luxor, passing through the Esna Locks. Arrive at 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. Today you’ll explore the Karnak Temple. One of the world’s most celebrated temple complexes, Karnak is a house of the gods built over a period of some 200 years. You’ll also head over to our Intrepid Foundation partner, Animal Care in Egypt (ACE), a local NGO dedicated to providing free veterinary care for wounded working animals in the region.

Today you will leave your riverboat and travel to the Valley of the Kings. Over 60 tombs of pharaohs, many richly decorated with reliefs and paintings, are buried under the arid hills. With your leader, explore the place where the pharaohs of the New Kingdom (16th to 11th century BC) were secretly interred for all eternity, and where discoveries are still being made. Your leader will explain the history and legends of these people and the significance of the many paintings and hieroglyphics. Entry is included to three tombs of your choosing, as well as access to the tomb of Tutankhamun. The unearthing of the young Pharaoh’s resting place is one of the world’s greatest archaeological discoveries, and today you’ll explore the painted chamber that holds his famous golden sarcophagus. Continue to the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, then view the Colossi of Memnon – two 17 m (55.7 ft) statues on Luxor’s west bank.

Board a flight to Cairo this morning. When you arrive, settle into your hotel then head out to the Al-Azhar neighbourhood to visit Khan al-Khalili Bazaar – a sprawling maze of alleyways including the gold market, cloth market, ‘perfume street’ and the spice market. For a glimpse of the vibrant street life and local culture of Old Islamic Cairo continue to the UNESCO World Heritage –protected El Moez Street to admire the stunning architecture of historic mosques, palaces, and madrasas. Stop off in Cairo’s oldest coffeeshop for an Arabic coffee or mint tea as you watch the world go by. The best food in Cairo is made inside a local home – this afternoon, you’ll be welcomed into the home of a local family to sit down and enjoy a meal of traditional dishes as you gain an inside look at modern Egyptian life.

Today you’ll catch an unescorted flight to the Jordanian capital Amman for the second half of your trip. When you arrive, you’ll be met by a local representative and transferred to your hotel, where there will be a second welcome meeting with your new group and local leader at 6 pm. If you arrive early, maybe visit a local cafe and pick up an ara’yes (pita filled with spiced meats). Maybe head to the Old Town’s Roman Amphitheatre or the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts. After your meeting, head to a local restaurant for a welcome dinner with your group and leader. Sharing food is a huge part of Jordanian culture. Tonight, your leader will introduce you to some of the country’s most beloved dishes, like mansaf (a dish made with lamb, yoghurt and rice) and kunafa (a dessert made with pastry and cheese).

This morning, leave Amman for a short drive north to Jerash, where you’ll find some of the world’s best Greco-Roman ruins. Featuring an 11 m (36 ft) arched gateway built for a visit from the Roman Emperor Hadrian in AD 129, Jerash is home to a collection of theatres, baths, public buildings and colonnaded streets. Your leader will share the history of the ruins and help you imagine what life once looked like in this Roman city. After, return to Amman and head to a cooking school for a look behind the scenes of Jordanian cuisine. During this hands-on activity, you will learn how to make some classic dishes like maqlubeh, mutabbal and baba ghanouj before sitting down as a group to enjoy the fruits of your labour. Finish the day with a walking tour of Amman with a local guide. Set off from Jabal Amman, learning the story of the city, through waves of migration and the global events that influenced it, to longstanding cultural and culinary traditions.

Today, journey from Amman to the Dead Sea. Named for the lack of life in its waters, this lake is so intensely salty that the water density makes swimming very difficult – but bobbing on the water’s surface is great fun! On the way, stop off at Mount Nebo and hear the story of how Moses is said to have seen the ‘promised land’ before he died from what is believed to be this very spot. At St Georges Church, see a Byzantine mosaic depicting a map of the Holy Land. When you arrive, enjoy some time to float in the waters of the Dead Sea, relax on your hotel’s beachfront or take a dip in the infinity pool.

Depart the Dead Sea and drive to the ancient Crusader castle at Shobak – your leader will explain how this fortress was originally built to protect the eastern flank of the Latin Kingdom and its trade routes to the sea before it fell to Saladin in 1189. Enjoy the scenery then continue to your Petra accommodation. Petra dates to the 6th century BC and is considered the crown jewel of Jordan, featuring an impressive series of tombs and dwellings carved directly into the rock. When you arrive, you’ll have some free time to start uncovering the secrets of Petra at your own pace. The iconic view of the Treasury’s glorious facade, glimpsed from a narrow cleft known as the Siq, is perhaps the most striking sight of the entire region.

Today, you’ll explore Petra on a guided walking tour. Walk through the Siq that leads through the rock and is at some points only a few metres wide, with walls soaring up to 180 m (590.5 ft) on either side. If you wish, you’ll also have time to climb to the Monastery, providing a magnificent view of the entire site. Dinner this evening is a special one – you’ll visit the home of a local Bedouin family for a homemade dinner and the chance to learn more about life in Petra. Tonight, maybe take the chance to witness Petra’s transformation at nightfall – seeing the Treasury Plaza lit up by candlelight while Bedouin music plays is a truly memorable experience.

This morning, drive to Wadi Rum – a protected area of desert that impresses with sandstone mountains, canyons and arches. Enjoy some lunch in the small village of Rum, then jump into a local jeep and journey into Wadi Rum with your Bedouin hosts. Visit several of the area’s distinctive rock formations and appreciate the silent desert landscapes, home to hardy Bedouin communities that live in scattered camps. Gain a deeper understanding of their way of life as you join them for a zarb (underground oven) dinner at one of their camps, set deep in the desert. Tonight’s Feature Stay accommodation is a camp that offers a base among remote and wild surroundings. Spacious tents are fitted out with comforts like king-sized beds, air conditioning and ensuite bathrooms. Join your group to watch the sunset with a trained astronomer, who will explain how Bedouins used the stars as navigation. Enjoy fresh dates, nuts and local wine or champagne in Bedouin-style seating as the sun dips behind the sandstone mountains. Later, fall asleep in your tent before awaking up to an equally dramatic sunrise over the red-hued landscape.

After waking up in the sweeping surroundings of your Bedouin camp this morning, take a walk around the area before scaling one of the large dunes for panoramic views. After, return to Amman for the evening. Tonight’s exclusive farewell dinner is at one of Amman’s most celebrated farm-to-table restaurants. Indulge in traditional, seasonal Jordanian dishes within a beautifully restored, century-old villa with a garden terrace, an artisan boutique and even a soulful vinyl collection. It’s an atmospheric way to reminiscence with your group and say goodbye to Jordan.

Your trip will come to an end today after breakfast. If you have arranged a private airport transfer, you will be advised of the pick-up time. If you would like to spend more time in Amman, just get in touch with your booking agent ahead of time to organise additional accommodation.