Tour type: Small Group
Group size: Min: 2 | Max: 18
Accommodation: 3 to 5-star hotels, sleeper train, felucca sailboat & Bedouin camp
Meals:
Transport: AC minivan/minibus & Bedouin jeep
Highlights: Jordan's desert castles, Jerash Roman ruins, Ajloun & Shobak castles, Dead Sea swim, Dana Nature Reserve, Petra tour, Wadi Rum safari & camp, Pyramids & Sphinx, Philae temple, Felucca cruise, Valley of the Kings, Karnak temple.
This two-week Jordan and Egypt tour is packed full of iconic highlights mixed in with some different activities and experiences to really bring these fascinating countries to life.
We start in Jordan with a tour into the desert to discover some of Jordan's famous Umayyad 'Desert Castles', before exploring Downtown Amman on foot, trying local food, walking through the markets and learning some simple Arabic phrases for the tour ahead. Next we head north to visit of the best preserved Roman cities in the region at Jerash, and then seeing the imposing Ajloun castle and taking a short hike through the surrounding hills and forests to some Bronze Age dolmens. A night in a friendly local village homestay follows before we descend to the Dead Sea for a swim and float in its incredibly salty waters.
Another beautiful walk follows as we explore the surroundings of the restored Dana village amidst the hills and canyons of the Dana Nature Reserve on a stop en-route to Jordan's biggest highlight, the hidden city of Petra. We have a full day to explore the site and then head into the desert sands and towering cliffs of Wadi Rum where we'll camp with the Bedouins and learn about their nomadic desert lifestyle.
The tour then flies to Egypt to start our exploration of the country's Pharaonic history and Nile Valley. We'll tour the Pyramids, Sphinx and Egyptian Museum in Cairo, and take a boat trip to the beautiful Philae temple in Aswan. Then we take to the Nile on a traditional felucca sailboat for a relaxing overnight cruise down the river, watching rural Egyptian life pass us by as we chat with the friendly Nubian crew. We'll sleep on the deck of the boat, with a hotel upgrade available for those who want some more comfort.
Our final guided sightseeing is then in Luxor, home to one of the largest concentrations of ancient monuments in the world. We'll see the huge columned temples and halls at Karnak, delve into the Pharaonic tombs in the Valley of the Kings, see the imposing temple of Queen Hatchepsut and walk around Luxor temple as it is beautifully lit up at night.
Finally we take the sleeper train back to Cairo where this tour will come to an end after a walk through the back streets of the Khan-el-Khalili bazaar.
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Regular small-group departures run throughout the year and the tour can also be booked privately on any other date and customised to fit your personal requirements.
The hotels and accommodations listed below are the ones we most often on this tour. From time to time we may exchange these for similar properties at the same level. In general, specific hotels cannot be guaranteed on our group tours, but you may select your preferred options if you are booking a tailor-made trip.
Al Qasr Metropole
Amman
Located in the Shmeisani area of Amman, the Al Qasr Metropole is often regarded as one of the best 4-star hotels in the city.
Rasoun Homestay
Rasoun
This is a friendly local homestay in Rasoun village near Ajloun Castle. Accommodation is in shared rooms holding up to 4 people. Bathrooms are separate and shared. Overall you can expect a simple but comfortable and very welcoming experience.
Dead Sea Spa Resort
Dead Sea
The Dead Sea Spa hotel is a comfortable resort style hotel located on the banks of the Red Sea. Access to the Dead Sea itself is directly from the hotel, with spa treatments and Dead Sea mud to lather yourselves with before swimming also available.
Rahayeb Camp
Wadi Rum
This Wadi Rum desert camp has a fantastic location on the desert sands against the cliffs in the Wadi Rum Protected Area. Accommodation is in permanent goat hair tents with proper beds and all bedding provided. The food is generally excellent.
Petra Elite Hotel
Petra
Located in Wadi Musa, just 1.2km from Petra, the Petra Elite Hotel offers guests comfortable 4-star accommodation.
Steigenberger Cairo Pyramids Hotel
Cairo
It features two pools, several restaurants and bars, free WiFi, a spa and fitness centre, and both classic and family rooms. The rooms overlook the gardens and feature air-conditioning, TVs, safes, and minibars. The hotel offers an airport shuttle.
Sleeper train
Cairo, Luxor & Aswan
On the sleeper train you have a private twin-berthed cabin, which features two large seats; fold down beds with mattress, sheets, pillow, blanket; storage locker and wash basin. An airline style evening meal and breakfast are included.
Tolip Aswan Hotel
Aswan
Tolip Aswan Hotel overlooks the Nile and sits close to several tourist sites. Rooms have en-suite bathrooms, TVs, minibars, WiFi, and balconies with river views. Facilities include a pool, bar, gym, and sauna.
Felucca Sailboat
Aswan
Feluccas are very basic traditional Nile sailboats and make for an extremely relaxing and enjoyable way to travel down the river.
Steigenberger Nile Palace Hotel
Luxor
This hotel, formerly Le Meridien Luxor, is a modern hotel built in 2001. It is ideally situated right on the banks of the Nile and is within easy reach of all the major sites of Luxor.
Sheraton Cairo Hotel & Casino
Cairo
The Sheraton Cairo is located in Cairo's Dokki district, close to the Egyptian Museum. It consists of a casino, night club, and 5-star hotel. The hotel offers a full range of services and amenities, as well as fully-equipped luxury rooms.
Our tours are designed to include all that you need to enjoy a really special time in the destination youre visiting. However, we do also offer some extra options to complement the tour and add some additional sightseeing or activities, or some extra time at either end of the tour.
All accommodation based options (e.g. Single supplements, extra nights, cruise upgrades) should be booked and paid for in advance so that we can make the appropriate arrangements. Other options may either be booked and paid for in advance or while you are on the tour, though we recommend booking in advance to ensure there are no issues with availability.
Many options are priced the same throughout the year, but some may incur single or high season supplements - full details are given on the tour reservation form or on request.
The detailed Tour Notes below have been written to give you some more detailed information about how the tour runs, what to expect, and how to prepare for your holiday. We recommend downloading an up to date copy of these shortly before you travel in case of any changes.
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