Upon arrival into Cairo, you will be met airside, assisted through immigration formalities, baggage collection and customs, and on to the arrivals hall. Here you will be met and transferrred to Four Seasons Nile Plaza, where you will stay for four nights.
Location:
LocationCairo
Accommodation:
Accommodation Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza
Type:
Accommodation Type Hotel
Room Basis:
Room Basis B&B: Bed and Breakfast
The day is at leisure to relax and adjust to the time difference.
Resting on both banks of the River Nile, Cairo is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world. Cairo has been inhabited for over 6000 years and has served as the capital of numerous Egyptian civilizations. At the heart of the city is Tahrir Square, a busy tourist hub that features the world-renowned Egyptian Museum displaying an array of antiquities, including royal mummies and gilded King Tutankhamun artefacts. Nearby, Giza is the site of the iconic pyramids and the Great Sphinx, dating back to the 26th century BC. While these and countless other ancient treasures are undoubtedly the main drawcards, the cosmopolitan Cairo is certainly not lacking in modern attractions. Visitors can get to know the locals at boisterous baladi bars, enjoy excellent shopping at the Khan al-Khalili Bazaar, watch the sunset from the impressive Cairo Tower, or catch a show at the stately Cairo Opera House.
Location:
LocationCairo
Accommodation:
Accommodation Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza
Type:
Accommodation Type Hotel
Room Basis:
Room Basis B&B: Bed and Breakfast
You will be collected from your hotel by your private Akorn guide for a full day private tour of Cairo.
Tour 7,000 years of history at the Egyptian Museum, home to the largest collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts in the world. Key features of the museum include the treasures of the ‘boy-king’ Tutankhamun, including his gold mask, the solid gold sarcophagus that held his mummy and his beautiful throne.
Enjoy lunch at Naguib Mahfouz Restaurant. Named after the Nobel-prize-winning Egyptian author, Naguib Mahfouz restaurant lies in the very heart of the Khan El-Khalili Bazaar making it a convenient, air-conditioned place to take a break from shopping. The coffee shop at the entrance offers drinks, snacks and shisha (water pipes), while the restaurant section offers a selection of chicken, meats and mouth-watering Middle Eastern mezzas (small appetizers). Please note that alcohol is not served here.
Experience the times of Roman rule in Egypt with a visit to the ruins of the Fortress of Babylon in Old Cairo. Originally built in AD 100 by the Emperor Trajan, the fortress was built to defend the frontiers of Trajan’s empire.
Tradition has it that the church of St. Sergius was built over a location in which Mary, Joseph and the infant Jesus rested on their journey in Egypt. Located inside the Roman fortress in Old Cairo, it is believed to have been built by Roman soldiers in the third or fourth centuries and later turned into a Coptic church by the Egyptians. Dedicated to two soldier-saints, Sergius and Bacchus, the church has been rebuilt and restored since medieval times, but it is still considered to be a model of early Coptic churches.
The Hanging Church is named so because it sits “suspended” on top of the Fortress of Babylon that the Romans built when they came to Egypt. Thought to originate in the seventh century, this church in basilica style was once the seat of the Coptic Patriarchate.
Return to your hotel for an evening at leisure.
Location:
LocationCairo
Accommodation:
Accommodation Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza
Type:
Accommodation Type Hotel
Room Basis:
Room Basis B&B: Bed and Breakfast
You will be collected from your hotel by your private guide for a full day tour of Sakkara and the Pyramids of Giza.
Sakkara is the former necropolis (cemetery) for the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis and the place where the very first pyramids were built as tombs for kings. Instead of the smooth sides featured on other pyramids, the pyramids here feature six steps on the outside, representing the pharaoh’s stepladder to heaven. Discover the famous Step Pyramid of King Zoser, the first pyramid ever built and the world’s oldest freestanding stone structure. You could also admire the beautiful tomb art at Sakkara, which gives great insight into the lives of the ancient Egyptians.
The Great Pyramids of Giza are the only present-day survivors of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, built over 4,500 years ago as giant tombs for the mummies of the pharaohs Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, who were father, son and grandson respectively. The pyramids are truly monumental in scale, with the largest – Khufu’s – constructed from over two million blocks. Contrary to popular beliefs, the pyramids were not built by slaves but by Egyptian peasants, whose labor in building the pyramids paid their taxes to the Pharaoh, who also fed, clothed and housed them.
Lunch will be served at the 9 Lounge.
Nearby sits the enigmatic Sphinx with the body of a lion and the face of a man wearing a royal head cloth, which workers may have based on King Khafre to guard his enormous funerary monument. About a thousand years after the Sphinx was built it was covered in sand until a young prince had a dream in which the Sphinx told him that if he cleared the sand away, he would become Pharaoh. This story is told on the ‘Dream Stela’ that was placed between the Sphinx’s paws by King Tuthmose IV.
Return to your hotel for an evening at leisure.
Location:
LocationCairo
Accommodation:
Accommodation Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza
Type:
Accommodation Type Hotel
Room Basis:
Room Basis B&B: Bed and Breakfast
You will be collected from your hotel and transferred to Cairo International Airport for your scheduled flight to Luxor. Upon arrival, you will be met by an and transferred to the M.S. Mayflower Nile Cruiser, where you will stay for the next four nights.
Elegant interiors, comfortable cabins, serene surroundings and lavish dinners, all complemented by daily sightseeing along the Nile make a cruise aboard the M/S Mayfair an unforgettable experience. Check in and receive a warm welcome from the crew.
Lunch is served on board in the main restaurant and then afterwards, your tour of the East Bank begins with a visit to the Temple of Karnak. Built over 2,000 years by generations of pharaohs, the 62-acre Temple of Karnak was dedicated to the god Amun. It would take days to explore all of the pylons, obelisks and smaller temples within. The great ‘Hypostyle Hall’ alone is a veritable forest of giant pillars rising 23 meters toward the sky. At the ‘Sacred Lake,’ priests purified themselves in the waters before performing rites at the temple. At the height of its glory, Karnak Temple collected annual tribute from over 65 cities in the region.
Next your Egyptologist guides you on a tour of the strikingly graceful Temple of Luxor before you return to your cruise boat for afternoon tea in the lounge.
A gourmet dinner is prepared on board this evening as you enjoy music in the lounge.
Accommodation:
Accommodation MS Mayflower
Type:
Accommodation Type Cruise Ship
Drinks Basis:
Drinks Basis Tea and Coffee Only
Room Basis:
Room Basis Fully Inclusive – Bed, All Meals, Fees and Activities
After breakfast on board, visit the Valley of the Kings where you have the chance to visit the tomb of King Tutankhamun. Deir El Medina – a virtually self-contained isolated community of workmen and their families, supervisors and foremen and their families – were all dedicated to building the great tombs of the Egyptian Kings.
Next see a series of temples built by The Pharaoh Ramses III (1182-1151 BC) and second only to Karnak Temple in size and complexity. The holy ground was believed to be the site where the Ogdoad – the eight primordial gods – were buried.
On the way back to the river Nile, pass by the famed Colossi of Memnon, known in Ancient Greek times for their haunting voices at dawn. Lunch is served on board as you sail to Edfu via Esna lock.
This evening, enjoy a cocktail party, followed by a gourmet dinner.
Accommodation:
Accommodation MS Mayflower
Type:
Accommodation Type Cruise Ship
Drinks Basis:
Drinks Basis Tea and Coffee Only
Room Basis:
Room Basis Fully Inclusive – Bed, All Meals, Fees and Activities
Enjoy breakfast on board before visiting Edfu Temple and exploring the extraordinary Temple of Horus.
Edfu: about 33 miles south of Esna, is a friendly town at the hub of a road network, which produces sugar and pottery. In ancient times, it was the capital of the second nome of Upper Egypt, and here is the grand Temple of Horus, considered to be the best preserved cult temple in Egypt. French and Polish teams have excavated some of the ancient city, finding Old Kingdom mastabas and a Byzantine house.
Back on board, sail to Kom Ombo as lunch and then afternoon tea are served on board.
In the afternoon, visit the magnificent Temple of Kom Ombo, dedicated to the crocodile god: Sobek. The temple stands at a bend in the Nile where, in ancient times, sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the riverbank.
Continue sailing to Aswan.
A gourmet dinner is prepared on board and tonight is an Egyptian Night costume party for everyone, with a chance to dress up in traditional Egyptian galabeyyas.
Accommodation:
Accommodation MS Mayflower
Type:
Accommodation Type Cruise Ship
Drinks Basis:
Drinks Basis Tea and Coffee Only
Room Basis:
Room Basis Fully Inclusive – Bed, All Meals, Fees and Activities
Following breakfast on board, visit the High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk and the Temple of Philae on the Island of Agilika.
Philae Temple: According to the Ancient Egyptians, the goddess Isis traveled all over Egypt gathering her husband Osiris’s remains after he was cut to pieces by his evil brother. On Philae Island, where she found his heart, the Egyptians built a sacred temple to Isis, goddess of purity, sexuality, nature and protection. During the building of the High Dam, Philae Island was submerged by water, so UNESCO helped transport the temple complex to nearby Agilkia Island, where you see it today.
Lunch awaits back on board and this afternoon take a traditional Felucca (sail boat) out on the Nile around Kitchener’s Island.
Felucca sailing around Elephantine Island: The traditional sailboats of Egypt have graced the Nile since the time of the Pharaohs and are a relaxing way to take in Aswan. With no engine, feluccas rely on the breeze to carry them along, and Egypt is blessed with southerly winds that push the sailboats upriver, allowing them to return on the downstream current. Sail around Elephantine Island and Kitchener’s Island with its lovely botanical gardens planted by a former British Consul General with a passion for flowers.
A gourmet dinner is served on board and you enjoy the Nubian Folkloric show.
Accommodation:
Accommodation MS Mayflower
Type:
Accommodation Type Cruise Ship
Drinks Basis:
Drinks Basis Tea and Coffee Only
Room Basis:
Room Basis Fully Inclusive – Bed, All Meals, Fees and Activities
A buffet breakfast is served on board, before check-out at 8:00. You will be transferred to Aswan Airport to board your flight to Abu Simbel. The two temples of Ramses II at Abu Simbel are each fronted by colossal statues up to 20 meters (66 feet) high, and are famed as the most impressive monuments remaining of Ancient Egypt. Recently, the temples were threatened by the waters of Lake Nasser, and with the help of a UNESCO campaign they were cut into blocks, raised piece by piece and reassembled in a new position higher up the hillside. After your visit, board your return flight to Aswan with connection to Cairo.
Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to the Intercontinental City Stars where you will stay for one night. The evening is at leisure.
*Should flights to Abu Simbel be canceled for some reason, you will travel to Cairo and visit the Museum of Civilization followed by dinner at Le Pacha Restaurant.
Location:
LocationCairo
Accommodation:
Accommodation InterContinental City Star Cairo
Type:
Accommodation Type Hotel
Room Basis:
Room Basis B&B: Bed and Breakfast
After breakfast you will be collected from your hotel and transferred to Cairo Airport for your scheduled flight to Amman, Jordan. Upon arrival, you will be met before you reach immigration. You will be assisted with your entry visa, through immigration and on to baggage claim. Once your baggage arrives, you will proceed to the arrivals hall where you meet your driver and transfer to Fairmont Hotel Amman, where you will stay for two nights.
Take a tour of the city. The Citadel towers above the city from atop Jabal al-Qala’a, making it an excellent vantage point to appreciate the cityscape below. The Citadel is the site of ancient Rabbath-Ammon and excavations here have revealed numerous Roman, Byzantine and early Islamic remains. The most impressive building of the Citadel, known simply as al-Qasr (the Palace), dates to the Islamic Umayyad period. Its exact function is unclear, but it includes a monumental gateway, an audience hall and four vaulted chambers. A colonnaded street also runs through the complex. To the north and northeast are the ruins of Umayyad palace grounds.
Downhill from the Citadel and five minutes’ walk east from downtown, the Roman Theater is the most prominent and impressive relic of ancient Philadelphia. The theater, which was built during the reign of Antonius Pius (AD 138-161), is cut into the northern side of a hill that once served as a necropolis or graveyard. It is very similar in design to the amphitheater at Jerash and can accommodate 6,000 spectators. The theater is still used periodically for sporting and cultural events.
Upon arrival to the downtown, we leave the transfer vehicle and walk across the Souks and the bazaars to reach our lunch destination. The legendary Falafel Restaurant “Hashem”. Why is Hashem restaurant described as legendary? Because almost every diplomat, celebrity, and Royal family member that has visited Amman has enjoyed a meal at Hashem Restaurant. This restaurant has been serving delicious Jordanian food since 1952. The food at Hashem Restaurant is prepared indoors and they have indoor seating as well. It is classified as street food as most of the seating is open air, along the sidewalk and located between two downtown buildings in Amman. Hashem restaurant does not have a menu as they serve the basic traditional dishes that will never change. Once you find a table there, the waiter will immediately put a plate of fresh veggies and a breadbasket. Your guide will help you to choose your dish. The owners of Hashem restaurant claim that Falafel was invented in Jordan, once you try their Falafel you will start considering these claims as facts.
Return to your hotel for an evening at leisure.
Location:
LocationAmman
Accommodation:
Accommodation Fairmont Amman
Type:
Accommodation Type Hotel
Room Basis:
Room Basis B&B: Bed and Breakfast
After breakfast, you will meet your private driver/guide for a tour of Jerash & Ajloun.
Depart your hotel and start your tour in Jerash (it takes 60 minutes’ drive). Second only to Petra in tourist appeal, the ancient city of Jerash in remarkable for its long chain of human occupation. Here at a well-watered site in the hills of Gilead, remains from Neolithic times have been found, as well as Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Umayyad and others. Jerash’s golden age, however arrived with Roman rule. Today it is acknowledged as one of the best-preserved province cities of the Roman Empire. Jerash was a member of the Decapolis, a dynamic commercial league of ten Greco-Roman Cities.
Enjoy lunch at Lebanese House Restaurant. It is specialized in genuine Lebanese cuisine, offering a wide range menu, topped with an exceptional Lebanese service and Arab hospitality and gastronomy.
After lunch you will be transferred to Ajloun. Ajloun Castle, 73 km north of Amman, and a short journey northwest from Jerash, through a beautiful pine-forest and olive groves, brings you to the town of Ajloun, where Hadrian stayed over the winter of 129-30 AD, and built himself an arch well outside the town, leaving unbonded its sides for future city walls to come out to meet it.
The Castle of Ajloun or Qalaat Errabadh (Arabic for “Hilltop Castle”), from which there is a splendid view westward into the Jordan Valley. It looks like a Crusader fortress, but it was built by Muslims in 1184-85 as a military fort and buffer to protect the region from invading Crusader forces. It was built on the orders of the local governor, Ezz Eddin Osama bin Munqethe, a nephew of the Ayyubid leader Salahuddin Al-Ayyoubi (Saladin), as a direct retort to the new Latin castle of Belvoir (Kawkab El-Hawa) on the opposite side of the valley between the Tiberias and Besan, and as a base to develop and control the iron mines of Ajloun.
Return to your hotel for an evening at leisure.
Location:
LocationAmman
Accommodation:
Accommodation Fairmont Amman
Type:
Accommodation Type Hotel
Room Basis:
Room Basis B&B: Bed and Breakfast
After breakfast, checkout from your hotel and meet your guide and driver for the journey to Petra.
The drive to Mount Nebo takes about an hour. It is the mountain where Moses could see the Holy Land… and not allowed to enter it. Nowadays the mountain is a memorial site. Here is the “Church of Moses”, built by the first Christians. Ever since the first days of Christianity this mountain has been a holy place and a destination for pilgrimage. Like Moses, you can have a great view over Jordan, the Dead Sea and Israel. When the weather is clear, you should even be able to see Jerusalem, which is about 60 kilometers away.
Proceed to Madaba for a visit it takes 15 minutes drives from Mount Nebo. South of Amman proudly stands the “City of Mosaics”, Madaba, perched on an archaeological site with more than 4000 years of history buried beneath it. The quality and quantity of mosaic flooring has made Madaba one of the most prominent cities in the world for mosaics. St. George’s Church houses the world-famous mosaic floor depicting a large mosaic map of Palestine. Centrally located on this mosaic floor is a detailed Map of Jerusalem as it was during the sixth century AD. At the Church of the Apostles, at the southern entrance of the city, is a mosaic floor attributed to the craftsman Salamanios, depicting the Sea, with the central figure of a woman encircled with a selection of creatures, vegetation and an inscription.
Your lunch will be at Haret Jdoudna Restaurant which represents an authentic village in the city of Madaba, offering everything from amazing traditional food, to entertainment, to local crafts, mosaics and souvenirs. The restaurant is a 19th century house, with historical-like rooms and floors. Its menu is exquisite, offering local mezza dishes, oven-baked delicacies, and home-made meals. The restaurant also hosts special events with oriental music and entertainment for a lovely night out, or for a relaxing winter afternoon by the fireplace, where you can unwind to old tunes and a hot cup of mint tea.
After your visit drive to Petra for check in for some rest before the evening Chef Table Experience.
At 6:00 pm the Movenpick Resort Petra’s ‘Stay and Cook with the Chef’ experience will give the guests expert guidance on how to prepare every detail of an authentic Jordanian three-course meal. Among the venues used for this cooking experience will be the resort’s tearoom with its Lawrence of Arabia theme, wicker chairs, wooden floors and amazing views of the Petra Hills. The Chef will introduce participants to the special elements of local cuisine by explaining culinary traditions and the selected ingredients.
Location:
LocationWadi Musa
Accommodation:
Accommodation Mövenpick Resort Petra
Type:
Accommodation Type Hotel
Room Basis:
Room Basis B&B: Bed and Breakfast
After breakfast, check out from the hotel, and luggage will be stored in your vehicle during your morning tour.
Begin your visit with an optional horse ride from the main gate of Petra to the entrance of the old city. Then walk on foot along to the Siq (entrance). The ancient city of Petra was built between 800 BC to AD 100 by Nabatean Arabs. In this era Petra was a fortress, carved out of the jagged rocks in an area, which was virtually inaccessible. In the first and second century, after the Romans invaded, the city reached the peak of its fame.
Petra covers an area of about 100 square kilometers (62 miles), where over 800 monuments can be found. When shipping slowly displaced caravan routes, the city’s importance gradually dwindled and it fell into disuse and was lost to the world until 1812, when it was re-discovered by the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burkhart. Nowadays Petra is a popular tourist attraction, known as the “rose-red city half as old as time”. The Khazneh (the Treasury), featured in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Enjoy your lunch at Basin Restaurant, which stands amongst all the splendor of Petra, making it a great place to stop and rest. There are very few places to eat once inside Petra, aside from the snack food available to buy from local Bedouins. Luckily, the Basin Restaurant provides a heartier meal to ensure that you are ready to continue exploring this wonderful city!
After your lunch you will depart for Wadi Rum where you will stay at Palmera Camp Wadi Rum for one night (the drive it takes 2 hours).
Otherwise known as Valley of the Moon, Wadi Rum is the largest – and most magnificent – of Jordan’s desert landscapes and has been virtually untouched by humans. A maze of monolithic rock formations rises up from the desert floor to heights of 1,750 meters (5,740 feet), creating a natural challenge for serious mountaineers. However, Wadi Rum may be best known for its connection with British officer T. E. Lawrence, who passed through several times during the Arab Revolt of 1917–18. In the 1980s one of the rock formations in Wadi Rum was named “The Seven Pillars of Wisdom” after Lawrence’s book penned in the aftermath of the war, although the ‘Seven Pillars’ referred to in the book have no connection with Rum.
Location:
LocationWadi Rum
Accommodation:
Accommodation Palmera Camp Wadi Rum
Type:
Accommodation Type Luxury Tented Camp
Room Basis:
Room Basis Dinner, Bed and Breakfast
After breakfast, take an excursion in Wadi Rum for 2 hours by a 4×4 vehicle. (Please note: The Wadi Rum 4×4 excursion is conducted on-board a basic but comfortable vehicle which is operated by a local charity foundation. All tourism dollars generated through these tours helps support the livelihood of the local Bedouins).
After your excursion, enjoy your lunch under a Bedouin tent before you begin the drive to the Dead Sea (4 hours) where you will stay at Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea for two nights.
Situated on the edge of the famous salt lake, 434 below sea level and close to Jordan’s top attractions, Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea is a brilliant ode to the hanging gardens of Babel, featuring a private sandy beach and a 5 star luxury spa that provides luxury experiences infused with Dead Sea rich minerals.
345 rooms, suites and Royal villas located in three luxurious enclaves set amidst gardens dotted with lagoons, waterfalls and swimming pools, provide you with absolute privacy by the Dead Sea.
Culinary possibilities are endless with the ever-popular Ashur Italian Restaurant. The Obelisk prepares the freshest ingredients from around the world presented beautifully in an amazing buffet. Akkad Pool & Grill Restaurant leaves you amazed by the renowned infinity pool.
Location:
LocationSwemeh
Accommodation:
Accommodation Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea
Type:
Accommodation Type Hotel
Room Basis:
Room Basis B&B: Bed and Breakfast
Enjoy a full day at leisure at Kempinski Hotel Ishtar.
In a region unlike any other, hidden away for centuries in the cradle of time and at 1,423 feet below sea level, where nature and history have so wonderfully conspired, is the Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea. Perceived as one of the natural wonders of the world, with its spectacular and spiritual landscape, richest sources of natural minerals and ozone rich air which complement its therapeutic waters, the Dead Sea is believed to have been home to some biblical cities and recognized by Cleopatra as the oldest natural spa.
Bask in the therapeutic rays of the Dead Sea sun while decadently lounging or taking a refreshing dip in one of our 9 celestial swimming pools all boasting magnificent views of the wondrous Dead Sea. Each uniquely designed, open from sunrise till sunset, and with changing rooms available near the pool areas our pools are available exclusively for your delight and enjoyment.
Enjoy mouth-watering buffets at the Obelisk Restaurant, where our Chef will delight your soul with the best of her hometown cuisine. For light snacks and meals during the day, Akkad Pool Grill team -located by our famous Infinity pool- will take care of your appetite. If you are a fan of Italian cuisine, our talented chef will treat your taste buds with the finest Italian recipes at Ashur Pizza & Grill Restaurant.
Location:
LocationSwemeh
Accommodation:
Accommodation Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea
Type:
Accommodation Type Hotel
Room Basis:
Room Basis B&B: Bed and Breakfast
Early this morning you will be collected from your hotel by an Akorn representative and transferred to Amman Airport for your departure flight.
Location:
LocationSwemeh
Accommodation:
Accommodation Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea
Type:
Accommodation Type Hotel
Room Basis:
Room Basis B&B: Bed and Breakfast
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