From the Nabatean Kingdom to the land of the Pharaohs (12 days, to Jordan and Egypt)

12-day round trip to Jordan and Egypt

During this 12-day round trip you will see the highlights of the historical and cultural heritage of Jordan and Egypt. You will visit Jerash, Petra and the mosaics of Madaba, the monastery of Sainte Catherine in the Sinai, the pyramids of Gizeh and the dead mask of Tutankhamen. You will also have ample opportunity to enjoy the beautiful nature of both countries: the hot springs at Hammamat Ma’in, the beautiful landscapes along the King’s Highway, Wadi Rum, the Red Sea and the Sinai.

Day by day tour:

Day 1  Flight to Amman and transfer to your hotel, where you will enjoy dinner and stay overnight.

Day 2  After breakfast we will take you on a guided tour of Amman to visit the most important sights: the Roman theatre which seats 6.000 and the Citadel which features a lovely view of the hills and valleys of the capital. You will also visit the temple of Hercules. Continuing to Jerash, the best-preserved city of the Roman empire outside Italy, you will walk in the Oval Plaza surrounded by colonnades, visit the Roman theatre and Byzantine churches with mosaic-covered floors. Enjoy a stroll along Jerash’ main road the Cardo and pass by the Nymphaeum. Your next stop will be the Islamic castle of Ajloun, which was built by Saladin in the twelfth century to protect the area from the crusaders. From the top of the castle, fourteen hundred meters above sea level, you can admire the panoramic view over the Jordan Valley. In the late afternoon you will travel to your hotel in Hammamat Ma’in and enjoy a bath in the natural hot springs.

Day 3  If you are energetic and courageous we invite you to come along with us on an unforgettable water canyon. You will be hiking for four to five hours through Wadi Zarqa, depending on the pace of the group. The trip starts at the spring and ends at the Dead Sea. Hiking along the borders of a small river you will sometimes have to go down on ladders, pass through narrow cliffs and walk or swim in the high water. If you don’t like the canyon adventure, you can enjoy a relaxing stay at the Spa hotel and join the group at the Dead Sea hotel, where you also will have lunch. The Dead Sea offers an excellent opportunity to enjoy swimming, or rather floating at the lowest spot on earth, four hundred meters below sea level.

Day 4  In the morning you will visit Madaba, the city of mosaics. In the church of Saint George you can find the mosaic map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land, which was found in 1884 when the church was rebuilt. The journey will continue to Mount Nebo, to the place from where Moses first set eye on the Holy Land. You will visit the Moses Memorial Church, which according to many scientists was built on top of Moses’ tomb. Its floors and walls are decorated with beautiful mosaics. Travelling the King’s Highway leads you to Karak where you will visit the impressive crusader castle, built in 1142. You will walk inside old, dark corridors, halls, kitchens and soldiers’ rooms. At the end of the day you will arrive in your hotel in Petra. In the evening you can enjoy a drink in the Cave Bar, an original Nabatean cave.

Day 5  This day is spent exploring the rose-red city of Petra. This wonderful Nabatean city was carved out of the natural rocks by the Nabateans. Entering through the impressive Siq at the end suddenly the Al-Khazneh appears, the Treasury. You will also visit the Royal Tombs, the Silk Tomb and the theatre and climb the stairs all the way up to the Monastery. In the afternoon you will be transferred to the campsite in Wadi Rum. Hiking in the beautiful desert where the colours change from red to gold to brown, you are surrounded by giant mountains under a clear blue sky. You can enjoy the crimson sunset sitting on a camel’s back. The night is spent in a desert camp.

Day 6  In the morning you will discover Wadi Rum by jeep. Our guide will show you ancient Nabatean inscriptions in the rocks and the memorials of Lawrence of Arabia. In the afternoon the bus will transfer you to Aqaba, the beach town near the Red Sea. The hotel will be downtown. You can wander through the busy tourist city, go shopping in the custom-free zone and enjoy the taste of the traditional Arabic fast foods like shoarma, hummus and falafel.

Day 7  You can spend the day in Aqaba according to your own wishes. Suggestions: relax after your tiring adventures, swim in the Red Sea and sunbathe on the sandy beaches. Or go diving accompanied by the local instructors or rent snorkelling equipment, and watch the unique, colourful life in the clear water of the coral reefs.

Day 8  In the morning it is time to say goodbye to Jordan. You will be transferred to the Aqaba border to take the ferry boat to Egypt’s border at Nuweiba. In Egypt you will continue to Dahab, one of Sinai’s favourite beaches to swim, and maybe have a party in one of the beach bars in the evening.

Day 9  Late in the morning you will travel by bus into the middle of the Sinai mountain, to  the Sainte Catherine Monastery, built on the site of the Burning Bush. After dinner at the monastery hotel we recommend you call it an early day.

Day 10  Rising before dawn to climb to the 2.285 meters high peak of Mount Moses you can watch one of the most beautiful sunrises in the world. The hiking tour takes about two hours. Instead of climbing it is also possible to take a camel taxi. After sunrise you will walk back to the monastery and visit the 1400 years old fortress. The monastery was named after Sainte Catherine, who died in Alexandria and, according to the legend, was brought to this place by angels afterwards. The monastery is still in use as a Greek orthodox church.

In the afternoon you will travel to Cairo and enjoy dinner at the hotel.

Day 11  The last day of the tour offers unique sights. You will visit the Sphinx and the pyramids of Gizeh, one of the seven Wonders of the World. The tour offers optional visits to the inside of the pyramids, or to the ancient Sun Boat which the pharaohs used to travel. Next you will travel through the City of Death to the Citadel to visit the Alabaster Mosque, also known as the Mohammed Ali Mosque. Later on you will visit the Egyptian Museum where you can see the most important memorials of ancient Egypt. Such as the statue of the Gizeh pyramids’ builders, the gold dead mask and the coffin of Tutankhamen. In the evening you can go shopping for souvenirs in the Khan al Khalili Bazar.

Day 12  You will be transferred to Cairo Airport and fly back home.