Jordan and Egypt with Denell Falk Jan. 24- Feb. 7, 2023

Welcome to Jordan! Upon arrival, we will be met by our representative to assist us on our way through immigration.  We will then be transferred to our hotel in Amman for overnight.

After breakfast, we will head to Jerash, the "Pompeii of the East" which is perhaps, the best preserved of the provincial Roman towns.  We will be guided through ancient temples and mosaic-filled churches dating back 2000 years.

We will be transferred back to Amman for an authentic cooking class, which will be ours to indulge  & enjoy before retiring back to our hotel for an evening at leisure.

After breakfast we will be transferred to Petra via the 5,000-year-old King's Highway, one of the most memorable journeys in the Holy Land, passing through a string of ancient sites. Enroute we will visit Madaba, "the City of Mosaics and Mount Nebo, the presumed site of the prophet Moses' death and burial place. 

While we are in Petra we will enjoy the magic of Petra by Night. The program includes a candle lit visit to the Rose-Red City of Petra. The special aura of the ancient Nabatean trading empire comes to life as we enjoy a stroll through the mysterious Siq of Petra. At The Treasury, music and stories will help us experience Petra as the travel-weary traders of old must have known it. 

Today we will experience a guided tour of the many sites of Petra. Petra was carved into the rose-red Sharah Mountains by the Nabateans between the 4th and 2nd century BC and remained lost for centuries until re-discovered in 1812.

Walk through the Siq, a narrow and winding fissure between the cliffs, to reach the Treasury, the Roman Theatre, the Courts, Qasr Bint Pharaoun, Temple of the Winged Lion, and other monuments.

Overnight in Petra.

This morning we will head south to Wadi Rum,  a moonscape terrain of ancient riverbeds, wind-sculpted mountains, vast desert vistas and smooth, pastel-colored sands. We will meet long skirted legionnaires offering cardamom-spiced coffee at the "Beau Geste" outpost. 

We will enjoy an exhilarating 2 hour jeep tour at this oasis which is home to the film "Lawrence of Arabia."  A truly “out of this world” experience!

Return to Amman Airport Hotel for overnight before our journey to Egypt tomorrow.

We will depart Jordan on an early morning flight from Amman to Cairo for...

Pyramids Day! 

Make sure you have your walking shoes on as we have a big day ahead.  This morning we  will explore Giza's Sakkara pyramids-  the first pyramids built as tombs for kings.   

This is a unique opportunity as archeologists recently ( Sept 2020) discovered over 40+ tombs with preserved mummies inside. These will most likely be on display at the brand new museum that we will visit tomorrow. 

Afternoon visit of the pyramids with the option of climbing inside  the pyramid and walking up inside to the chamber,  followed by a visit to the Sphinx.

Your chance for the classic  photo opportunity:  "You on a camel with the  pyramids in the background."

 Our professional Egyptologist will be explaining the history and providing insight into Egypt through the day

Evening at leisure.  

Today we will visit  the museum that the world has been anticipating!

The Grand Egyptian Museum began construction in 2008 and is almost complete ( as of March 2022). The museum is expected to be open by November 2022.   

The GEM complex is a cultural hub that includes one of the largest museums in the world displaying the diverse heritage of a single civilization. The museum contains over 100,000 artifacts reflecting Egypt's past from pre history up until the Greek and Roman periods.  One of the main impressive exhibits is that of the boy King - Tutankhamun which displays over 5000 artifacts. 

You will be in awe at the entrance with the colossal statue of King Ramses II, and the 87 huge royal artifacts exhibited at the grand stairs that lead up to an impressive 28 meter high glass façade overlooking the pyramids of Giza and so much more. 

Lunch will be at one of the restaurants inside the GEM complex. 

* If the Grand Egyptian Museum is not open in time for our trip, the following itinerary will apply for this day *

We will begin the day with a visit to the Egyptian Museum in downtown Cairo. This is the oldest archaeological museum in the Middle East and contains more than 170,000 artefacts.

Next we will  tour the ancient Khan El Khalili bazaar and souq for a unique shopping experience, with a stop for lunch at the famous Naguib Mahfouz Restaurant.

We will complete our tour of Cairo with visits to the Sultan Hassan & Refaee Mosques.

We will have an afternoon flight from Cairo to Aswan ( approx 1hour25min direct). Upon arrival we will be taken straight to the East bank to embark on our 8 day/7 night Nile River Cruise on board the Oberoi Zahra.

Dinner will be served on board after a visit to the Aswan High Dam and a short ride over to the Temple of Philae on the Island of Agilika.  Our Egyptologist will be with our private group for the duration of the Nile Cruise and all meals for the duration of the cruise are included.

This morning you will have the option of a 45 minute flight to Abu Simbel. We will have our Egyptologist with us and a tour inside the famous Ramses II temple. You have approx 2 hours here before our flight back to Aswan. 

The remainder of the day is yours to experience the onboard Spa or spend at your leisure.

After Sunset, delight in a Sound and Light Show at the Philae Temple.
 

This morning we will begin with a visit to the twin temple of Kom Ombo - dedicated to the Crocodile  God Sobek and to the Falcon God Haroeis (Horus, the Elder).

In the afternoon,  we will set sail on a 2-hour private felucca tour of Aswan's Botanical Gardens, and explore Kitchener Island with an Egyptologist. Land on the lush shores of the garden isle and marvel  at the 16.8 acres of palm trees, sandalwood and exotic plants.

Return to our Nile Cruise for dinner and finish off the day with a cocktail reception with  Egyptian entertainment.
 

After breakfast and a morning sail to Edfu, we will have an afternoon visit to explore the extraordinary Temple of Edfu. This impressive structure is the largest and most complete preserved Pharaonic temple in Egypt. 

Spend the rest of the day taking pleasure in the luxurious onboard amenities. 

We will set sail early this morning to the city of Luxor.

Have a leisurely morning before visiting the sprawling Karnak Temple Complex, built more than a thousand years ago by generations of Pharoahs. The great Hypostyle Hall is an incredible forest of giant pillars, covering an area larger than the whole of Notre Dame Cathedral.  

Next we will tour the Luxor Museum, the home of many unique items from the tomb of King Tutankhamen.

The early start today is worth the morning rise as we will visit the famous Valley of the Kings on the West Bank in Luxor. Our Egyptologist will take the group into one of the best preserved tombs, decorated with the hieroglyphics of the Pharoah Seti I. 

Following the Valley of Kings, we will move over to the Temple of Medinat Habu.  Driving back to the Nile River, we will stop at the Colossi of Memnon for a photo opportunity. 

Lunch back on the boat before travelling to Dendara by road (90 minutes each way). for a visit to the Temple of Dendara - dedicated to Hathor, the Goddess of Music, Love and Joy. )

Return to our boat for dinner and the remainder of the evening. 

This morning we will return to the West Bank of Luxor.  There are so many areas to discover, this location is worth a second visit. Today we will visit the Valley of the Nobles Tombs and  Valley of the Workers (or  Dier el Madina), which is argueably one of the best documented sites of the ancient world. This is the site of a very special workman’s village, whose craftsmen built and decorated the tombs of the Pharaohs in  the Valley of the Kings & the Temple of Hatchepsut.  

Back on the boat for lunch and some time to relax.  

Late this afternoon we will explore the Temple of Luxor.  This temple sits right in the heart of Luxor on the main corniche and contains artefacts that are thousands of years old.  

This evening is our Farewell Reception dinner with live music at the club lounge.

After breakfast we will be transferred to the Luxor airport for our flight back to Cairo. 

We will check into our final hotel and have the remainder of the day at your own leisure before flying home. 

This concludes your Egyptian tour hosted by Denell. Many International flights leave early morning for those going on.  Also consider an extension to our Oman or Israel adventures.