On The Go Tours Pyramids to Petra with Cruise - 15 days

Overview

Discover the best of Egypt and Jordan on an adventure that includes the phenomenal Pyramids of Giza, temples, tombs and Crusader castles. Cruise the River Nile, explore the Egyptian Museum, be enthralled by Petra and take in dramatic desert of Wadi Rum - a photographer’s delight.

Highlights

• Petra - Discover the spectacular UNESCO-listed Nabataean city, which is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World
• Cairo - Marvel at the legendary Pyramids of Giza, explore the Necropolis of Saqqara and see King Tut's treasures at the Egyptian Museum
• Wadi Rum - Explore this vast red desert with its rolling dunes and dramatic rock formations in a 4x4 and camp under a blanket of stars
• Luxor West Bank - Discover exquisite tombs at the Valley of the Kings, see the towering Colossi of Memnon and explore the beautiful Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
• The Dead Sea - Spend a night at the Dead Sea, float in the famously buoyant, mineral-rich waters and smother yourself in Dead Sea mud
• Luxor - Roam around the colossal Temple of Karnak and take an optional tour of the beautifully illuminated Luxor Temple at night
• Aswan - Take a leisurely boat trip to Agilika Island to explore romantic Philae Temple and wander around the colourful souqs
• Amman - Explore the ancient hilltop citadel, the fascinating Archaeological Museum and the bustling souqs
• Nile cruising - Cruise from Aswan to Luxor, spending 3 nights on board a 5 star Nile cruiser
• Kom Ombo - Visit the Nile side Temple of Kom Ombo
• Umm ar-Rasas - Take in this ancient city which was once an important stop on the caravan route between east and west
• Mt Nebo - Visit one of the most sacred sites in Jordan with views across the Promised Land
• Madaba - See Jordan’s finest Byzantine mosaics at the Church of St George in this Christian market town
• Wadi Mujib - Trek the Siq Trail and go canyoning in the lowest nature reserve in the world (seasonal - included on departures Apr to Oct)
• Shobak - Visit Shobak Crusader Castle, perched dramatically on a hill top

Itinerary

• Day 1 Cairo

  Friday. Welcome to Egypt. Upon arrival at Cairo Airport you'll be met and transferred to our start hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax or those arriving early can opt to pre book our optional Backstreets of Cairo tour which departs the hotel at 10am today. At 7pm this evening meet your guide and the rest of the group at a Welcome Meeting.
  
  For those who wish to arrive early to Cairo, we also offer a pre tour Alexandria Day Trip every Thursday

  Meals:

  Accommodation:

• Day 2 Pyramids of Giza

  Today we start our tour at the Giza Plateau to see the legendary Pyramids of Giza and Sphinx. Gaze in awe at Cheops (Khufu) - the largest of the three great pyramids. Constructed from over 2.5 million limestone blocks it is thought to have taken more than 20 years to construct. Sole survivors from the ancient Greek-listed Seven Wonders of the World, the pyramids are the planet’s oldest tourist attraction! Continuing to Saqqara - constructed by Imhotep, the pharaoh’s chief architect in 2700 BC, we explore the myriad tombs and temples at this site and see Zhoser’s step pyramid.A visit to a government supervised Papyrus Museum will also be made at some point during today.

  Meals: 1 Breakfast

  Accommodation:

• Day 3 Cairo

  Cairo - Aswan. We take a guided tour of the vast new Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza this morning. In this incredible 490,000 sq.m complex we'll discover a mind-boggling array of relics and antiquities from almost every period of ancient Egyptian history, including the treasures of King Tutankhamun. The afternoon is free to relax before we board the overnight sleeper train to Aswan this evening. Note: The Grand Egyptian Museum is set to open in 2020. An official date has yet to be released. If travelling prior to the opening of the new facility we'll visit the Egyptian Museum this morning.

  Meals: 1 Breakfast

  Accommodation:

• Day 4 Aswan

  Arrive into Aswan and enjoy a leisurely boat trip to Agilika Island for a guided tour of the romantic Philae Temple - dedicated to the goddess Isis. Essential and perfumed oils in Egypt dates back to 2700BC, on return to Aswan we will visit perfume oil emporium and then check in on board our 5 star cruise, home for the coming days. As the sun sets, free time to shop in the colourful souqs and markets or simply relax and watch an amazing sunset in Egypt's southernmost town straddling the River Nile.

  Meals: 1 Breakfast 1 Lunch 1 Dinner

  Accommodation: Aswan - Nile Cruiser

• Day 5 Abu Simbel

  Aswan - Nile Cruise. Join our optional early morning drive to Abu Simbel, the famous the rock-cut temple of King Ramses II, the Great Builder. Our Nile Cruiser departs Aswan this afternoon and we cruise the River Nile to Kom Ombo where we disembark to visit the temple which is dedicated to the crocodile headed god - Sobek before returning to the cruiser.

  Meals: 1 Breakfast 1 Lunch 1 Dinner

  Accommodation: Nile Cruiser

• Day 6 Nile Cruising

  Nile Cruise - Luxor. Relax, enjoy a swim in the pool and chill out in the sun on deck this morning. Let your troubles melt away as we cruise the River Nile to Luxor. Home of the legendary Valley of the Kings and Temple of Karnak, 4000 year-old Luxor is ancient Egypt at its best. Arriving into Luxor this afternoon the rest of the day is free to explore the city before we spend our final night aboard the cruiser.

  Meals: 1 Breakfast 1 Lunch 1 Dinner

  Accommodation: Luxor - Nile Cruiser

• Day 7 Luxor

  This morning we disembark and check into our 5 star Luxor hotel. The day is free to relax and explore. Tonight, an optional visit is available to the Temple of Luxor.

  Meals: 1 Breakfast

  Accommodation:

• Day 8 Luxor

  Luxor - Cairo. An early start allows us to avoid some of the fierce midday heat as we venture to the tomb strewn Valley of the Kings. This morning we visit the Colossi of Memnon - a massive pair of statues that stand silent against a historic backdrop. We'll then explore the Valleys of the Kings and the awesome colonnaded Temple of Queen. The Valley of the Kings is studded with often highly decorated tombs, constructed to once house the regal sarcophagi enclosed mummies of the mighty pharaohs awaiting passage into the after-life.
  
  After lunch and time to relax we visit the colossal Temple of Karnak, with its stone-columned Hypostle Hall. Tonight, we return by overnight sleeper train to Cairo.

  Meals: 1 Breakfast

  Accommodation: Sleeper Train

• Day 9 Cairo

  We arrive into Cairo this morning. The rest of the day is free for you to relax by the pool, independently explore or perhaps head to the famous Khan el Khalili bazaar to buy some souvenirs.

  Meals: 1 Breakfast

  Accommodation:

• Day 10 Cairo

  Cairo - Amman. Hotel check out and included onward departure transfer to Cairo Airport for your flight to Amman (not included). Arrival Amman Airport and included transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to relax or head out and explore the city.
  
  PLEASE NOTE: Travellers need to independently book these flights at a personal cost, they are not included in the tour price, however, we can assist in booking these flights should you require. If you provide us with your flight details, we’ll be there to meet you at Amman Airport and transfer you to the hotel.

  Meals: 1 Breakfast

  Accommodation:

• Day 11 Madaba

  Amman - Madaba - Mount Nebo - Umm ar Rasas - Petra. Today we tour the citadel and Archaeological Museum of Amman before we take a walk through the bustling local souk to enjoy typical Jordanian street treats of falafel and hummus at the country’s most popular local street stand. As the pictures on the wall will prove, the unglamorous food stand was a great favourite of the late King Hussein.
  
  Departing Amman, we’ll stop at Mt. Nebo - the site from which Moses saw the Promised Land. Having led the Israelites for 40 years through the wilderness, Moses finally saw them from this awesome vantage point. This amazing panorama includes the Jordan River Valley, the Dead Sea, Jericho and the spires and domes of the Mt. of Olives and Bethlehem on the Judean hills just across the wide valley. Later we visit Madaba en route to Petra where we see the Church of St George, the Madaba Archaeological Park, Apostles Church and Madaba Museum.
  
  Continue onto one of Jordan’s World Heritage sites, Um ar-Rasas, once an important stop on the busy caravan routes. The impressive mosaic floor of the St. Stephen Church features medallions commemorating all the early Christian pilgrimage sites of the region, and the extensive ruins also include one of the area’s earliest Stylite towers, where a Byzantine hermit lived atop the tower and preached to the pilgrimage visitors.
  
  Our final stop of the day is Petra. Tonight, consider doing a Petra by Night excursion (payable locally) for a tantalizing candlelight stroll through Petra’s Siq…. a romantic preview of things to come.

  Meals: 1 Breakfast

  Accommodation:

• Day 12 Petra

  Walking through the mysterious mile-long Siq, the narrow gorge with towering sandstone walls, leads into the ancient capital city of the Nabatean trading empire. Explore the Khazneh (the temple of Indiana Jones fame), Theatre, Colonnaded Street and Museum. After lunch, climb to ad-Deir (the Monastery), Petra’s largest carved façade.
  
  This evening, why not try your hand at our Petra Kitchen Add-on to join fellow travellers for a cuisine course at the Petra Kitchen, where you’ll help prepare a memorable Jordanian feast. Petra Kitchen Add-on .

  Meals: 1 Breakfast

  Accommodation:

• Day 13 Wadi Rum

  Petra - Wadi Rum. This morning offers the opportunity to return to Petra with your guide via the “secret way” of al-Madras, visiting the High Place of Sacrifice and Wadi Farasa. At lunch, we stop at the Wadi Musa souk to pick up shawarma sandwiches or fruit and veggie snacks from the local produce souk before making the scenic drive to Wadi Rum.
  
  Upon arrival, we join our jeep tour that takes in the moonscape desert terrain of Wadi Rum before. Arriving to our remote camp site deep in the heart of the Wadi Rum, we enjoy a magical evening under the brilliant stars of the desert night sky, including a scrumptious traditional Jordanian dinner.

  Meals: 1 Breakfast 1 Dinner

  Accommodation:

• Day 14 Dead Sea

  Wadi Rum - Shobak – Wadi Mujib - Dead Sea. After breakfast at the campsite, we head north along the Desert Highway to visit Shobak Castle, which is perched dramatically on a hill top and was built by the Crusader king Baldwin I in 1115. After exploring the castle we descend some 1300 meters to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on the earth’s surface. More than 500 meters below sea level, the mineral-rich Dead Sea is the world’s original health and beauty spa. Drift out and bob in the waters and slap on some of the famous black Dead Sea mud to give your skin an invigorating boost.
  
  For departures between April and October we’ll head up the King’s Highway to Wadi Mujib. We’ll embark on a moderate –paced two hour trek along the Siq Trail. Measuring 500 metres in depth and spanning 4 kilometres across, the impressive Wadi Mujib is one of Jordan’s most remarkable natural features. This dramatic canyon features sheer rocky walls and sparkling waterways that range from puddle height to depths that are perfect for swimming (chest height or deeper) depending on the rainfall. When the water level is high you should be prepared for having to climb up ladders, clamber across boulders and be happy to wade through water. The canyon is just one feature of the Mujib Biosphere Reserve, the lowest nature reserve in the world, home to a surprising diversity of wildlife and plant species. For those not interested in taking the full hike, you can walk part of or wait by the Visitor Centre till the group returns. After our trek we make our way to the Dead Sea.

  Meals: 1 Breakfast

  Accommodation:

• Day 15 Amman

  Friday. Dead Sea - Amman Airport. Hotel check out and included onward transfer to the airport in Amman. Departure transfers are offered at 04:00, 07:00 and 12:00 today. If you would like a departure transfer at any other time or a transfer with post tour accommodation this can be arranged at an additional cost, please enquire.

  Meals: 1 Breakfast

  Accommodation:

Inclusions

• Breakfast daily, 3 lunches and 4 dinners
• 9 nights 4-5 star hotels, 1 night Wadi Rum deluxe desert camp, 3 nights aboard a 5 star Nile Cruiser (en suite cabin)
• 2 overnight trains from Cairo to Aswan and Luxor to Cairo (Private 2 berth sleeper cabin)
• Airport arrival and departure transfer on day 1 and day 15. Departure transfers are offered on day 15 at 04:00, 07:00 and 12:00
• Touring - Cairo, Giza, Saqqara, Aswan and Luxor
• Touring - Amman, Dead Sea, Petra, Wadi Rum, Umm ar-Rasas, Mt Nebo and Shobak
• Wadi Rum - 4x4 desert safari through the sand dunes
• Dead Sea - Free time to swim and detox
• Escorted by an Egyptian tour guide degree qualified in Egyptology and a licensed Jordanian tour guide
• All relevant transfer and transportation in private modern air-conditioned vehicles

Accommodation

4 - 5 star

• Holiday Inn Cairo Maadi, Cairo - 5 Star Hotel
• Sleeper Train, Cairo - Train
• M/S Medea, Nile Cruising - 5 star cruise boat
• M/S La Traviata, Nile Cruising - 5 star cruise boat
• Steigenberger Nile Palace, Luxor - 5 Star Deluxe Hotel
• Sonesta St. George Hotel, Luxor - 5 Star Deluxe Hotel
• Le Meridien Heliopolis, Cairo - 5 Star Hotel
• Steigenberger Hotel el Tahrir, Cairo - 4 Star Hotel
• Al-Qasr Metropole, Amman - 4 Star Hotel
• Old Village Resort, Petra - 4 Star Hotel
• Petra Moon Hotel, Petra - 4 Star Hotel
• Rainbow Camp, Wadi Rum - Standard Camp
• Holiday Inn Resort, Dead Sea - 5 Star Hotel

Exclusions

• International flight between Cairo and Amman is not included and needs to be booked separately by the traveller - refer to the Trip Notes, on day 10 for details
• International flights and visas (see Trip Notes for further information about visas)
• Tip for Nile Cruise staff. Tip for your tour guides in Egypt and Jordan - we recommend you allow USD$5-7 per day, per traveller for your guides, though tipping is an entirely
• Entrance Fees: USD$200-240pp, paid in local currency

Map

Notes

Age Policy

16 + if accompanied by an adult. Where a tour includes an overnight felucca the minimum age to travel by felucca is 18 yrs. We accept aged 16+ on the Nile Cruisers.

Pricing Information

"Guaranteed" refers to departures that are confirmed for departure. Pricing is Per Person.

The Nile Cruise Upgrade version of this tour includes 3 nights on board a 5 star Nile Cruiser (en suite cabin) in place of the felucca. For full details, please refer to the 'Nile Cruise Upgrade Trip Notes', the link is below the tour dates. Departure dates noted with a 'G' are guaranteed to operate. All other departure dates are guaranteed with a minimum of 4 persons. Prices shown are per person when there are 2 persons sharing a room. The 'Solo Room' price is applicable to all solo travellers or if your booking party cannot reach the minimum of 2 persons in a room. Solo rooms provides the comfort of your own private room and they are also available to any other person wanting their own room.