Egypt & Jordan Complete

Get ready to explore Cairo! A chaotic but charming city. Here you can visit the Citadel of Salah el Din. From here you have a wonderful view over the skyline of Cairo. Besides this, the citadel houses the Mohammed Ali mosque with its four recognizable minarets.

Afterwards you can visit the busy Islamic quarter, this is within walking distance from the mosque. You will finish your day at the largest market in Africa, the El Kahlili Soukh, an unforgettable experience. Today you can also visit the Egyptian Museum, one of the most famous museums in the world. After your visit you will understand why.

Today you will leave the capital behind and visit the Pyramids of Giza. Just outside Cairo you will visit the Pyramids of Cheops, Kephren and Mykerinos. This UNESCO Site is home to three great Pyramids, of which the Giza Pyramid is the largest. The Giza Pyramids need no introduction, the largest and most famous monuments of antiquity and the sole surviving of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World. On the Giza plateau you will also find a number of smaller buildings that are called the Pyramids of the Queens. Finally, you will visit the famous Giza Sfynx. The Cheops pyramid is the only one of the seven classical wonders of the world that can still be visited today.

In the morning you will be picked up from your hotel for the transfer to the airport. Today you will be flying to Aswan, where your Nile cruise starts. After arriving in Aswan, another representative of our local team will be waiting and will take you to the boat to board the Nile cruise. After checking in on the boat, you will have lunch on board. Afterwards, you will visit the high dam of Aswan, the Temple of Philae and the unfinished Obelisk. Philae’s temple is dedicated to the fertility goddess Isis and is located on a beautiful place on the island of Pilak. After seeing the high Aswan dam that closes the Nile in the south of Egypt, you will have the evening at leisure.

The luxurious cruise ship will sail towards Esna today. Along the way, the boat will dock at a number of unique places on the banks of the Egyptian Nile. The first stop today is Kom Ombo. Kom Ombo is the place where once was the city of Pa Sebek, it used to be a major city in Egyptian history, for the purpose of the gold trade. Because of this rich past a lot of buildings have been left in good condition in Kom Ombo. Hereafter you will sail further to Edfu, located between Aswan and Esna. The temple in Edfu was built between 237 and 57 BC in honor of the sun god Horus and was only rediscoverd in 1860. For more than 200 years, the temple was buried by sand, rubble and a part of the city Edfu. In the mid-19th century, excavation of the temple of Horus started under the leadership of Auguste Mariette. Auguste was one of the first professional Egyptologists. He has carried out numerous excavations and is founder of the Egyptian museum in Cairo. The rest of the day you can relax on board.

After the first few days on the Nile, the time has come to travel to one of the highlights of this trip. The cruise ship will be heading north and around mid-day you will arrive in Luxor. Before you visit Luxor, you will visit the temple complex of Karnak, located on the eastern bank of the Egyptian Nile. The building structures of the complex are dedicated to various gods, over 30 pharaohs through the centuries have participated in building the temples. The main temple is dedicated to the god Amun-Ra. To the south of this is the temple of Mut, the wife of Amun-Ra. The temple of Khonsu, the son of Amun-Ra and Moet, is located in the western corner of the complex. When you visit this imposing complex you will encounter a mixture of various structure and building styles. This will be, without a doubt, one of the highlights of your journey.

In the morning you will check out and leave the cruise ship. You still have a full day-tour today with visits to some special places. You will start today on the Egyptian West Bank, also known as the Valley of the Kings. You will visit the temple of Hatshepsut. What makes this complex so special is the architectural mastermind behind the Valley of the Kings, Hatsheput was one of the few female pharaohs. She ruled over Egypt for more than 22 years and completed the impressive momument in less than 15 years. This was quite an accomplishment back in the day. The guide will take you to the most beautiful places in the area and at the end of the day you will check in to your hotel in Luxor.

You will have the evening at leisure. We recommend ending your day in downtown Luxor at Sofra, one of our favourite restaurants. If you are a fan of rooftop terraces, stylish decorations with antique furniture and orginal tilework, Sofra is the place to be. The menu features excellent mezze and traditional Egyptian classics.

Today you will visit the ancient city of Petra, one of Jordan’s national treasures and one of the seven wonders of the world! Today you enter the red city of the Nabataeans. Centuries ago, the Nabataeans built a kingdom which was hidden in the mountains. The ingenious water system enabled the kingdom to flourish in this remote place for a long time. This is also one of the main reasons why all the carvings are so well preserved.

You can spend an entire day in the city. It will be an unforgettable visit but make sure you are ready for a full day of hiking. There are two ways to visit the site. The first one is the traditional way through the Siq (Canyon), this is the main entrance. The Siq will take you to the Treasury. You can visit the Treasury, basin, the royal tombs and the theater, the High Place of Sacrifice and the Roman soldier tombs. All the way at the end of the complex you will find the Monastery.

The second one is through the back door; the more adventurous route! It begins with a 20 minute drive through the desert. After the drive you will begin with a 1,5 hour hike through a mountain area, until you reach the Monastery. Then you will continue towards the main site of Petra. Your guide will explain about the archaeology and the history of the site and it inhabitants. After exploring the city you will be exiting from the main gate. This way you are avoiding the tourist crowds, definitely an advantage.

If you wish you can start the day in a very unique way: with a balloon flight over the Wadi Rum at sunrise!

Today you will leave the vast landscape of the desert and return to civilization. You can still enjoy the quietness of the desert in the morning before you continue your journey towards Aqaba. After a 1 hour drive you can check-in at your resort and process the impressions of the past few days at your ease. It is time to sit back and relax!

Today is at leisure, you have time to relax by the pool or go explore the Red Sea and its underwater world. We can arrange a diving or snorkeling excursion additionally. The Red Sea is well-known for its beautiful corals. Additionally, Aqaba has many souqs and restaurants that are worth a visit.