Depart from gateway to Cairo.

Upon arrival in Cairo we will be met and transferred to hotel for a free afternoon, welcome dinner and overnight. The GRAND HYATT, is a deluxe 5-star property located on an island in the Nile, in the center of Cairo. All 700 rooms have a breathtaking views and a private balcony overlooking the river

Our private Egyptologist and driver will pick us up and start our tour. Today we visit the Pyramids of Giza. See the Great Pyramid, a Royal Burial Chamber, the Valley Temple, and the Sphinx. Then visit the Solar Boat, one of the most amazing Pharaonic discoveries. Continue to Memphis, capital of the Pharaohs during the Old Kingdom. We will also visit Sakara, the Pyramid of Dahshour, and the Papyrus Institute.

Today we’ll see the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities and enjoy a detailed, guided tour. Among other fascinating exhibits, see the treasures of the Tomb of Tutankhamen and the extraordinary Mummies Room. Over ten mummies, including that of Ramesses II, are displayed in freestanding glass cases in this climate-controlled room. After the museum enter Old Cairo and walk back in time. Visit the Old Coptic Church and the Ben Ezra Synagogue, the Mohamad Ali Mosque and the streets of Khan el Khalili Bazaar.

Enjoy a free day in Cairo to wander on your own.

Transfer to Cairo airport for early flight to Luxor. Visit Karnak Temple, known as “the Temple of Temples.” It is the largest place of worship ever built. The temple, or, more correctly, the complex of temples, was built over more than two thousand years by generation after generation of pharaohs. After lunch, visit the graceful Temple of Luxor built by Amenhotep III and Ramesses II for ritual and festivals and dedicated to the god Amun. Our hotel, STEIGENBERGER NILE PALACE, is a 5-star property located on the banks of the Nile.

After breakfast, we’ll visit the wondrous Valley of the Kings, a vast city of the dead where the magnificent tombs of 62 pharaohs have been discovered. The tombs were carved deep into the desert rock, richly decorated and filled with treasures for the afterlife of the pharaohs. Visit several of the tombs. Next, visit the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. This beautiful monument to the reign of the only female pharaoh rises out of the desert plain in a series of terraces and merges with the sheer limestone cliffs that surround it.

Today we’ll visit the Temple of Horus, the most perfectly preserved of all the Nile temples. Horus, also known as Haroeris, was the falcon-headed solar war god. Continue along the Nile to Kom Ombo and visit the Temple of Sobek, the crocodile-headed god of fertility and creator of the world. The temple stands at a bend in the Nile where, in ancient times, sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the riverbank.

Tour Aswan High Dam, Egypt’s contemporary example of building on a monumental scale.
Next, proceed to the granite quarries that supplied the ancient Egyptians with most of the hard stone used in pyramids and temples. The quarries still hold the Unfinished Obelisk, possibly intended as a companion to the Lateran Obelisk, originally at Karnak but now in Rome. A short motor-boat ride takes us to the Temple of Philae on the island of Agilka. The temple was dedicated to Isis, sister/wife of Osiris and patroness of the Ptolemaic rule. In the afternoon (weather permitting), take a felucca ride around Elephantine Island, the largest of the Aswan area islands, and site of some of the most ancient ruins in Egypt, some dating to the pre-dynastic period.

After breakfast we will fly to Abu Simbel. Visit the temples that were built over a 25-year span and are one of the most prodigious feats of engineering in Egypt.
This afternoon, we fly back to Cairo and enjoy a dinner cruise on the Nile.

Flight to Amman. Our private Jordanian guide and driver will meet us and escort us to Jerash, city of the Decapolis. Located in the fertile heights of Gilead, Jerash is one of the best-preserved Greco-Roman cities. Our hotel, LE MERIDIAN, is a 5-star property located in the heart of Jordan's capital city, Amman. Its modern design has an architectural style evocative of the great Arab tradition of palace building.

After breakfast, take a city tour of Amman. Jordan’s capital is known as the “White City” because of the white sandstone used to build houses. The atmosphere Amman offers a contrast between oriental and cosmopolitan. Stop briefly for coffee at a café overlooking the Temple of Hercules and the Citadel. Visit the Roman Theater of Amman and the castle (Citadel). Then on to Mt. Nebo, the traditional site of the tomb of Moses. Continue on to Madaba, known for outstanding Byzantine mosaics. Visit St. George’s Cathedral. Continue to Petra along the King’s Highway. Our hotel, MOVENPICK NABATEAN CASTLE, is located just 10 minutes from the entrance to the ancient site of Petra. The hotel is set on a hillside with spectacular views over the Great Rift Valley.

This morning we will tour the city of Petra. Travel on horseback through the Siq (canyon), and then on foot to Petra. Known as "Sela Edom" or red rock city, Petra was the capital of the Nabateans from the 3rd century B.C. to the 2nd century A.D. Petra’s most elegant monument, El Khazneh (The Treasury) comes dramatically into view as you emerge from the Siq. Beyond The Treasury an entire city is carved into the canyon walls. Other outstanding structures include The Monastery and Urn Tomb. This evening we will go to Petra Kitchen and learn how to cook Jordanian food and dine on our own creations.

Wadi Rum. Take a short 4 X 4 vehicle ride into the oasis with its awesome moon-like landscape. Enjoy a Bedouin lunch with the locals, in the tradition of the Patriarchs. Then continue to the Dead Sea resort for a free afternoon and overnight. Our hotel, MOVENPICK DEAD SEA RESORT & SPA, is a deluxe 5 star property located on the shores of the Dead Sea.

Return to North America.