Jordan & Egypt: Petra to the Pyramids

Tour begins: 5:30 PM, Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea. A transfer is included from Amman airport to the Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea, a luxurious beachfront resort nestled on the shores of the ancient salt lake at the lowest point on Earth. Join us this evening for a welcome reception and dinner tonight.

Set off on an excursion to Jerash, site of one of the best-preserved ancient Roman cities in the Middle East and a window to its past glory as an important imperial city. Your local guide shares expert insights about the sites you will see, including Roman temples, squares, arches, baths, and theatres, often colonnaded and always astounding. See Hadrian's Arch, built in 129 AD, the ruins of the Temple of Zeus, the South Theatre, built to accommodate some 5,000 spectators, and the meticulously restored North Theatre. Drive through Amman en route back to your resort after lunch. Tonight, a local woman gives a lecture on living in Jordan followed by dinner at a choice of restaurants at the hotel.

Thousands of years of biblical history reveal themselves today on a visit to Mt. Nebo where you will see what Moses saw when he looked out over the Promised Land. Continue to Madaba for a visit to St. George Greek Orthodox Church where the remains of the oldest known map of the Holy Land, painstakingly assembled from more than a million pieces of colored stone, cover the church floor. Enjoy a home-style lunch at a local family-run restaurant and drive to the ancient Nabataean city of Petra, carved out of sandstone cliffs around 6 BC, where your hotel is just steps away from the archaeological site. Tonight, you have a choice of two restaurants for dinner at your hotel.

Travel to a magnificent red rose city dating back to the 1st century BC. Ancient master builders carved palaces, temples, tombs, and more into the stone cliffs you will see here today. Picture yourself standing in awe at the 130-foot-high Khazneh, (The Treasury), intricately decorated with Corinthian capitals, friezes, statues, and more. Discover Royal Tombs, celebrating the achievements of the dead long gone and built high on the mountain side, and marvel at the ancient amphitheatre capable of seating more than 8,000 spectators, along with numerous temples sculpted in sandstone. Have lunch inside the Petra complex before returning to your hotel for an afternoon at leisure. Join us tonight for a Tauck Exclusive private tented dinner in the desert (weather-permitting), enjoying a fruit-infused hubbly-bubbly smoke, music, and dancing by a local troupe of sword dancers.

Take a morning excursion to the landscapes of Wadi Rum, known as the Valley of the Moon for its lunar-like dunes and towering sandstone cliffs, on a 4x4 safari adventure.* It's off to Egypt this afternoon aboard a charter flight to Aswan. Drive to your hotel on the banks of the Nile, a recently renovated Victorian palace once frequented by royalty, heads of state, and Agatha Christie. Enjoy dinner at your leisure. 

A morning charter flight brings you to Abu Simbel for a locally guided visit to its magnificent temples, carved into a solid rock cliff during the reign of Ramesses II in the 13th century BC. The Great Temple stands 98 feet high, with four colossal seated statues of Ramesses II guarding its entrance and smaller figures of conquered enemies at their feet. Nearby, the smaller temple, dedicated to Queen Nefertari, features six towering statues of Ramesses and his queen, each standing approximately 32 feet high. Return by air to Aswan for a visit to the Aswan High Dam, followed by an afternoon at leisure and dinner at your hotel.

A day of exploration begins with a boat ride to Agilkia Island for a visit to the sacred Temple of Isis at Philae, one of the last ancient temples built in the classical Egyptian style. This afternoon, embark your Nile cruise aboard the Oberoi Zahra and enjoy lunch onboard. As the sun sets, take in the beauty of the Nile on a traditional felucca cruise before returning to your ship for dinner at leisure.

Cruise to Kom Ombo, where its unusual twin temples are just a walk away from your riverboat. Temple reliefs here feature a unique engraving thought to depict the first representation of medical and surgical instruments. After lunch aboard, visit the Temple of Horus at Edfu, considered to be the most beautiful and best-preserved temple in Egypt, with its roof still intact. It took 180 years for the temple to be built and during your guided visit you'll discover why. Massive statues of Horus as a falcon guard entrances and the reliefs on its interior walls relate the story of the birth of Horus and depict Ptolemaic rulers making offerings to the gods and destroying their enemies. Return to your riverboat for an evening at leisure.

Fly to Cairo this morning, touching down in the late morning. Following lunch, visit the Grand Egyptian Museum, home to the world's largest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts, including many of the treasures from King Tutankhamun's tomb. Marvel at monumental statues, intricate jewelry, and millennia-old relics that bring Egypt's storied past to life. Later, check into your room at the historic Marriott Mena House in Cairo, where the remainder of the day is at leisure.

Drive to nearby Giza this morning for a guided tour of its storied pyramids, including the Great Pyramid of Giza, the last of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World, that have stood as defining symbols of Egypt for millennia. View the most instantly recognizable statue in the world, crafted in limestone with the body of a lion and the head of a king – the Great Sphinx has been mysteriously reclining atop its Giza plateau for more than 3,000 years, guarding still the unanswered secret of who built it and why. Next, visit the pyramids at Saqqara, the site of the necropolis (burial ground) for the ancient Egyptian capital of Memphis. The pyramid you will see here is the Step Pyramid, a magnificent reminder of the early architecture of the pharaohs of the Old Kingdom. Following lunch at a local restaurant, return to your hotel for an afternoon at leisure. 

Located on the right bank of the River Nile, the historic district of Old Coptic Cairo predates its modern-day processor with sites that date back to the 6th century BC, including ones allegedly visited by the holy family of Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus. A guided tour includes Roman ruins, Ben Ezra Synagogue, ancient Coptic churches including St. Sergius and the Hanging Church, and your choice of the Al Rifai Mosque or the Sultan Hassan Mosque, a short drive away. Enjoy some free time to explore as you please before joining us for a farewell reception and dinner at the hotel this evening.

Tour ends: Cairo. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from Marriott Mena House to Cairo Airport. Allow three hours for flight check-in at the airport.