Journey Through Egypt and Jordan

What's Included

• 3-Night Nile River Cruise

  Discover the secrets of the Nile, the world’s longest river, on a 3-night cruise.

• Valley of the Kings Tour

  Enjoy a viewing of the tombs of King Tut and Ramses VI during a tour of the Valley of the Kings.

• Local Community Engagement

  Connect with locals at a cooperative advancing women’s employment in Jordan.

• Amman Street Food Experience

  Taste your way through Amman’s street food culture during dinner in the Jordanian capital.

• Traditional Bedouin Lunch

  Enjoy a traditional Bedouin lunch baked in the sand of Wadi Rum’s desert.

• Arabic Cooking Class

  Prepare your meal and eat family-style at an Arabic cooking class.

What's Not Included

• Optional Tour to Abu Simbel

  The optional tour to Abu Simbel is not included and requires additional booking.
  
  

• Pre-Night Stay for Optional Tours

  A pre-night stay is required to participate in certain optional tours, which is not included.
  
  

• Lunch during Abu Simbel Tour

  Lunch is not included during the optional tour to Abu Simbel.
  
  

Experiences

Discover the secrets of the Nile, the world’s longest river, on a 3-night cruise.Enjoy a viewing of the tombs of King Tut and Ramses VI during a tour of the Valley of the Kings.Connect with locals at a cooperative advancing women’s employment in Jordan.

Options

Abu Simbel: Abu Simbel Day Visit the great sun temples of Abu Simbel, built by Ramses II at the height of his New Kingdom reign. In one of the world's greatest cooperative preservation efforts, these temples were dismantled and moved in 1968 to save them from the flooding of the Aswan Dam. The Temple of Ramses II was constructed so that the sun's rays would illuminate four statues of Egyptian deities within the sanctuary on his birthday and on the anniversary of his coronation, October 20 and February 20. The temple is fronted by four colossal figures of Ramses II seated with the gods and attended by his Queen and daughters. The smaller temple is dedicated to Queen Nefertari, who appears as Hathor, the goddess of love, joy and fertility. Duration approximately 6 hour(s). Transportation is included. A minimum of 10 passenger(s) is required to operate this option.

This option must be booked at least 65 days prior to departure and passport number is required at time of booking. This option is non-refundable within 45 days of departure.
This option includes transportation by air from Aswan, round trip transfers, guide and entrance fee. Lunch is not included. Please expect to depart the hotel/ship as early as 3:00 a.m.

Cairo: Visit to the Royal Mummies Museum & Local Lunch Dive into Egyptian culture before your tour even begins. Get your first taste with lunch at a local restaurant, featuring traditional Egyptian cuisine. After, move on to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. This contemporary 5,300,000 square foot space sits in the historic neighborhood of Fustat. The museum first opened in 2017 and is home to a collection of 50,000 artifacts, tracing the Egyptian civilization from prehistoric times to today. On April 3, 2021 the world watched in awe as the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities relocated here the Royal Mummies during the stunning Pharaohs’ Golden Parade. The 22 mummies (18 kings and 4 queens) of Egypt’s most important pharaohs and queens were displayed on the streets of Cairo as they were transported from the Museum in Tahrir Square to their new home in the Museum of Egyptian Civilization. This large collection of royal mummies includes the likes of King Ramses II, the most famous pharaoh of the New Kingdom, and Queen Hatshepsut, who came to rule at a time when women did not become pharaohs. With the expert guidance of a local Egyptologist, enjoy a visit of this impressive museum – a perfect introduction to your exploration of Egypt. This optional tour is operated by a local representative and requires guests to have a pre-night hotel stay in Cairo. The optional is available from January 1, 2024 onwards. Duration approximately 6 hour(s). Transportation is included.

A pre-night stay is required to participate in this optional tour.
This optional tour is operated by a local representative and requires guests to have a pre-night hotel stay in Cairo. The optional is available from January 1, 2024 onwards.

Cairo: Visit to the Royal Mummies Museum & Local Lunch Dive into Egyptian culture before your tour even begins. Get your first taste with lunch at a local restaurant, featuring traditional Egyptian cuisine. After, move on to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. This contemporary 5,300,000 square foot space sits in the historic neighborhood of Fustat. The museum first opened in 2017 and is home to a collection of 50,000 artifacts, tracing the Egyptian civilization from prehistoric times to today. On April 3, 2021 the world watched in awe as the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities relocated here the Royal Mummies during the stunning Pharaohs’ Golden Parade. The 22 mummies (18 kings and 4 queens) of Egypt’s most important pharaohs and queens were displayed on the streets of Cairo as they were transported from the Museum in Tahrir Square to their new home in the Museum of Egyptian Civilization. This large collection of royal mummies includes the likes of King Ramses II, the most famous pharaoh of the New Kingdom, and Queen Hatshepsut, who came to rule at a time when women did not become pharaohs. With the expert guidance of a local Egyptologist, enjoy a visit of this impressive museum – a perfect introduction to your exploration of Egypt. This optional tour is operated by a local representative and requires guests to have a pre-night hotel stay in Cairo. The optional is available from January 1, 2024 onwards. Duration approximately 6 hour(s). Transportation is included.

A pre-night stay is required to participate in this optional tour.
This optional tour is operated by a local representative and requires guests to have a pre-night hotel stay in Cairo. The optional is available from January 1, 2024 onwards.

Culinaries

Taste your way through Amman’s street food culture during dinner in the Jordanian capital.Enjoy a traditional Bedouin lunch baked in the sand of Wadi Rum’s desert.Prepare your meal and eat family-style at an Arabic cooking class.

Must See

Stand before one of the seven ancient wonders of the world - the Pyramids of Giza.Meander through historic Petra, the “Rose Red City.”Take in the striking landscape of Wadi Rum, the “Valley of the Moon.”

Choice Highlights

Cairo

Giza Pyramids & Sphinx Venture to the most iconic sites of Egypt. The limestone structures are over 4,500 years old, and the Sphinx is one of the world’s largest monuments. The sphinx – with the body of a lion and the head of a human – signified a spiritual guardian to ancient Egyptians. The pyramids are believed to be tombs for ancient pharaohs.

Historic Cairo

Aswan Aswan is a city in the south of Egypt located just north of the Aswan dams on the east bank of the Nile River and is 81 miles south of Luxor, Egypt. It is said to be Egypt’s sunniest southern city and has a busy market and tourist center.

3-Night Nile River Cruise Cruise along the Nile River as the diverse Egyptian landscapes drift by. Enjoy festive Nubian shows and Galabeya parties along the way. The Nile River is known as the longest in the world, and has been a crucial resource for civilizations dating back 5,000 years.

Kom Ombo Kom Ombo is a town in Egypt famous for its temple, the Temple of Kom Ombo. This Graceo-Roman temple was built in 332 B.C. Being a double temple makes it quite unique. One temple is dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile god, and the other is dedicated to Horus, the falcon-headed god.

Edfu Visit the mesmerizing Temple of Edfu, one of Egypt’s best-preserved shrines. It honors the ancient god of the sky, Horus, who is often depicted as the iconic falcon. The temple towers over anyone standing at its entrance, decorated with stone inscriptions.

Luxor Home to a vast majority of Egypt’s antiquities, Luxor is often referred to as the world's greatest open-air museum. This city, parted by the Nile, has been visited by travelers for centuries. Even the Greeks and Romans would travel to see the treasures that lie here. Its immense number of monuments is incredible. There’s the famous Valley of the Kings which boasts 63 royal tombs, one more elaborate than the next…and Karnak, a vast complex of temples and gigantic statues including the Temple of Amun, known to be the largest religious building ever constructed. Luxor will bring you back to ancient times while you are awed by the wealth of its leaders and the skill of its people.

Choice on Tour: High Tea at Winter Palace or Karnak Temple In Luxor, you have the choice between two activities. You can choose to admire incomparable views of the Nile while you enjoy high tea at the Old Winter Palace, which hosted esteemed guests such as Winston Churchill, Agatha Christie, and the great Egyptologist Howard Carter. Your second choice is to explore the expansive Karnak Temple. Wander through this 4,000-year-old complex of pylons and obelisks, often of near-mythic proportions in company of your Egyptologist-Tour Manager.



NEO DAY #7 - High Tea at Winter Palace

Activity Level: 1

There is 1 flight of steps to climb from the street level to access the tearoom/terrace where high tea is served.



NEO DAY #7 - Karnak Temple Visit

Activity Level: 2

Tour is approximately 90 minutes of walking in the archeological site which is mostly flat, with a few steps here and there (max of 4-5 at a time). Please note, terrain is uneven and unpaved.

Valley of the Kings Located among the cliffs on the west bank of the Nile near Luxor is the Valley of the Kings, home to the tombs of the pharaohs of the New Kingdom. The tombs were built here over a period of almost 500 years. There are 63 tombs in the valley, 26 of them carved for kings, and the others were carved for royal family members.

Choice on Tour: Jordanian Family Home Visit or Petra Exploration or Little Petra In Petra, you have the choice between three activities. After the morning tour of Petra’s main highlights, you have the choice to keep exploring Petra’s vast archeological site on your own. Perhaps you’ll trek up to the ‘Monastery,’ one of Petra’s legendary monuments. Your second choice is to join a local family at their home for tea and friendly conversation about life in the Bedouin community of Wadi Musa. Your third choice is to visit Little Petra, a Nabatean outpost located a few miles from its famous big sister, and featuring a 2000-year old Nabatean fresco that finds no corresponding in its larger neighbor.



NEO DAY #10 - Jordanian Family Home Visit

Activity Level: 1

Travelers will visit a local family in their home in Wadi Musa (Petra village) for conversation about life in the Bedouin community, including the role of women in society. During the visit, the hosting family will offer tea, coffee and home-made cookies.



NEO DAY #10 - Explore Little Petra (led by Tour Manager)

Activity Level: 2

Travelers can join the Tour Manager for a visit to the small archeological site of Little Petra, which is located about 8 miles from Petra. This site was an outpost of the Nabateans on the Silk Road and is the only Nabatean site where frescoes were found. Travelers should expect to walk about 10 minutes on sand and climb up/down about 10 tall steps to view the fresco inside the ruins.



NEO DAY #10 - Petra in Depth Exploration

Activity Level: 4

Travelers have the choice to make full use of their daily admission pass to Petra to access other monuments that are located higher up in the hills. Depending on which monuments they wish to view, travelers should expect to climb inclines on loose gravel or unpaved ground. Some areas of the Petra archeological site are accessible through steep staircases that do not always have handrails.

Amman Visit the Jordan city of Amman, where ancient relics meet modern wonders. The city is bustling with people and culture, and is often recognized as the most modernized Arab city. The city dates back even before 7,000 B.C., but rapidly increased in size following World War I – now it is home to Jordan’s king.

Wadi Rum Visit the Wadi Rum, “the Valley of the Moon” for its otherworldly, isolated desert landscape. The valley lies among sandstone and granite rock, and has been inhabited by a number of civilizations since prehistoric times. It is now one of Jordan’s most significant tourist destinations, especially to trekkers and climbers.

Petra Visit the fabled “Rose Red City” of Petra, Jordan. It is a historical and archaeological city among mountains and valleys. The entire city is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site, and is thought to date back to 4th century B.C.

Impact Moment

Dead Sea The Dead Sea is a salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east, and Israel and the West Bank to the west. Its surface and shores are 1407 feet below sea level, Earth’s lowest elevation on land. With 34.2% salinity, it is one of the world’s saltiest bodies of water. The amounts of salt in the lake makes it impossible for any animals to stay alive, hence the name the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is 31 miles long and 9 miles wide and its widest point.

Home Hosted Lunch

Mode of Transport

Travel seamlessly with flights from Cairo to Aswan, motorboat transfers to Nubian lodges, and a 3-night Nile cruise. Enjoy scenic drives across Jordan, including a pick-up truck ride through Wadi Rum, ensuring a diverse and memorable transportation experience.

Accommodation

Experience a blend of luxury and tradition with stays at the Sheraton Cairo Hotel & Casino, Anakato Wadi Kiki Nubian Houses, Sonesta St. George 1, Amman Marriott Hotel, Movenpick Resort, and Movenpick Resort and Spa, offering comfort and cultural immersion throughout your journey.