Jordan & Egypt by Felucca (5 & 4 Star Hotels)

Welcome to Jordan! Keep your eyes peeled at Amman airport for the Travel Talk sign for your transfer to the hotel. Freshen up and meet in the lobby around 6:00pm for an informal meeting with your guide and other tour members. Afterwards you have free time to start exploring vibrant Amman or go out for an optional group dinner.

Eat up at breakfast as you depart for Ajloun Castle and the impressive ancient city of Jerash. Filled with stunning sights of Greco-Roman ruins, the area has been inhabited since the Bronze Age! As you get your daily dose of history and amazement, return to Amman for the evening.

Today we will make tracks for our campsite in Wadi Rum Desert. Enjoy free time to explore and relax or join an optional camel trek through the otherworldly desert landscapes. In the evening, enjoy a traditional Jordanian dinner under the stars. Followed by music and dance around the campfire as we get to know the locals of Wadi Rum!

Kick off the day with an included Jeep safari through the incredibly vast and rocky landscapes of the desert. In the afternoon, farewell Wadi Rum as we head towards the Lost City of Petra! Recognised as one of the amazing 7 Wonders of the World, the city of Petra is a serious sight to behold, carved from rose-coloured rock. Enjoy free time on arrival in Petra to relax and unpack before an optional Petra by Night tour in the evening for a magical first glimpse of the ancient city lit by over 1,5000 glimmering candles.

Get your cameras ready for a full day exploring all the sights of Petra. Be sure to pack comfortable shoes as there will be plenty of walking today. Follow your guide as they lead you towards the inner city to the Paraoh’s Castle, Triumphal Arch, Amphitheatre, Siq, Treasury and plenty more. Learn fascinating stories about the rediscovery of this ancient city lost in time.

Fill up on breakfast before a jam-packed day! First up we’ll visit the Shobak Castle, the first Crusader fortress in the territory of East Jordan (Oultrejourdain). Learn from your guide about the history of these ruins built in 1115. Then, hop back on board the coach as we head towards the lowest point of dry land on Earth – the Dead Sea! Also known as ‘Sea of Salt’, the Dead Sea is hundreds of metres below sea level and holds incredibly salty water that keeps you afloat! Throw on your swimsuit, cover yourself in a cleansing mud bath and jump into the salty sea to bath in the natural minerals! Tonight, we’ll return to Amman.

After breakfast, transfer to Amman airport for your flight to Cairo. In the afternoon, feel free to discover Cairo on your own terms and compare the local Egyptian cuisine with Jordan!

Set your alarms for 7.30am and fill up on plenty of breakfast before a big day exploring Egypt’s iconic Ancient Wonder of the World – the Pyramids and Sphinx! Follow your guide for a tour across the ancient site to learn about the 4,600-year-old wonders. After everyone has had their dose of awe, we’ll head out to Sakkara to see the iconic step pyramid built in 2700 B.C. Later in the afternoon, board an overnight sleeper train to Aswan.

Wake up in Aswan, ready to explore on a city tour with your local guide. Visit the Unfinished Obelisk for a look into the incredible building methods used to create the four-sided, hallmark monuments that are placed at the entrances of Egyptian temples. Take some time to walk along the 42-metre long lying bed of granite and learn about its significance from your guide. Visit the Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis, divine mother of the pharaohs. The temple is set beautifully on an island in the middle of the Nile. We will then arrive at the hotel for check in at 5.30pm with the option to join a traditional Nubian dinner in the evening.

Enjoy a free morning to explore Aswan and the banks of the Nile River at your own pace. If you are feeling up to it in the afternoon, join the optional trip to the UNESCO World Heritage Listed Abu Simbel. It is a must-do for all keen historians! Then we will hop on board the traditional Felucca sailboat and embark on our 2-night cruise down the Nile River.

Today is a chill-day sailing down the Nile, watching beautiful scenery and waving to the locals and fishermen. Whilst absorbing the stunning temples along the coast, sit back and enjoy the relaxing breeze. Have a dip in the Nile, play volleyball with the local kids and prepare for a local feast on the riverbanks as you watch the sunset with a cold drink in hand.

Time to bid farewell to our lovely felucca as we hop back onboard the coach and drive north towards Kom Ombo. Visit the Kom Ombo Temple, dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek. Next stop will be Edfu, home to one of the largest and best-preserved temples in Egypt. Dedicated to the falcon god Horus, the temple was built over 180-years from 237 BC to 57 BC. We’ll arrive in Luxor in the late afternoon, before checking out the Luxor Temple in the evening. Explore the dim-light temple after dark and learn from your guide of the temple complexes ancient history, dating back to the 14th century B.C.

The West bank of the Nile River awaits you! Follow your guide to the Valley of the Kings, also known as the ‘City of the Dead’, home to fancy royal tombs carved into desert rocks and filled with treasures for the Pharaoh afterlife. Next up, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut and Colossi of Memnon. Not to forget, a visit to the vast Karnak Temple Complex, one of the most important religious centres of ancient Egypt with its marvellous temples. Your Egyptologist guide will enlighten you with the most intriguing stories and mythologies from the temple complex. Feeling adventurous? Take to the skies on an optional hot air balloon ride over Luxor. In the evening, board an overnight sleeper train to Luxor.

Wake up well rested as your overnight sleeper train pulls into Cairo! The journey continues with one of the most important museums dedicated to the ancient world - Egyptian Museum of Cairo. Home to over 120,000 ancient Egyptian relics and antiquities, this place will leave you in awe! Then, roam around Cairo stopping by the Citadel of Saladin and the world-famous Khan el-Khalili bazaar. Make sure to wear your haggling hats and brace for the mayhem!

Have your final breakfast on us and start bidding farewells to your travel mates. Check-out of the hotel in Cairo (11:00am) and catch the transfer to the airport at the end of your tour. Time to start counting days for your next adventure with Travel Talk!