Treasures of Egypt & Jordan - 8 Days

Day 1: Welcome to Cairo!

Welcome to Egypt! Upon your arrival at Cairo's airport, you'll be met by your guide who will assist you through customs and arrange a transfer to your hotel. Get settled in and rest up for a full day of sightseeing tomorrow.

Day 2: The Great Pyramids, Egyptian Museum & Dinner Cruise

After breakfast, embark on a memorable excursion to Egypt's most iconic wonders. Start at the Great Pyramids of Cheops, Chephren, and Mykerinus, before continuing to the oldest known monumental sculpture and largest monolith statue in the world—the towering Sphinx. You'll also discover the Valley Temple, attributed to the 26th-century BCE King Chefren and used for part of the mummification process. Finally, you'll pay a visit to the Egyptian Museum where you can see the collection of Tutankhamen among other splendid pharaonic artifacts. 

In the evening, board a memorable dinner cruise, sailing along the Nile River for two hours while you enjoy an Egyptian-style dinner and live entertainment. Watch a spectacular Nile sunset before transferring back to your hotel for the evening.

Day 3: Day Trip to Luxor, Tour the Valley of the Kings & Temples

After breakfast, board a short one-hour flight to Luxor, a small city in the Nile Valley located 420 miles (676 km) south of Cairo. Once the capital of the pharaohs, it's home to the famed Valley of the Kings and Luxor and Karnak Temples. 

Start with a walk through the Valley of the Kings to see rock-cut tombs for kings and powerful nobles (including Tutankhamun) used for nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BCE. Then stop at the Colossi of Memnon to admire the magnificent ruins of Amenhotep’s memorial temple. What remains are two imposing statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III that were erected to guard the temple's entrance. Finally, you'll head to Hatshepsut Temple. The memorial of Queen Hatshepsut is the focal point of Deir el-Bahri, a complex of mortuary temples and tombs.

Transfer to the east bank to explore the famed Luxor Temple Complex, built during the New Kingdom around 1400 BCE, and continue to the Karnak Temple, once a key religious center and one of Egypt's largest surviving temples. Walking down the Avenue of the Sphinxes, which once connected Luxor Temple with Karnak, is an impressive experience, as you follow an avenue guarded by the giant statues of Ramses II.

As the tour draws to a close, you'll transfer back to the airport and catch a flight back to Cairo for the evening. 

Day 4: Old Cairo City Tour & Khan El Khalili Market

Explore the streets of Cairo today on a guided walking tour, starting at the massive medieval Salah El-din Citadel and its enclosed Mohamed Ali alabaster mosque, once a stronghold against the Crusaders. The brilliant domed ceilings, suspended lights, and views of the city from this ancient fortress are sure to captivate. Keep going to the churches of Old Cairo and the Khan El Khalili old market to browse before you retire for the night.

Day 5: Fly to Amman, Historic City Tour

This morning you'll bid Egypt farewell and catch a flight to the Jordanian capital of Amman. The nation's largest city, Amman has been inhabited since the Bronze Age and is full of cultural and historic highlights. Upon arrival at Queen Alia Airport, you'll be met by your guide and transferred to the historic Old City to tour the Citadel and the Roman Theater, two of the most popular archaeological sites in the city. 

Then it's on to your hotel, where you can check in and rest up before dinner. 

Day 6: Discover Madaba, Mount Nebo, Kerak & Petra

After breakfast at your hotel, you'll check out and start today's journey. Start in Madaba to check out its intricate Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics, including the spectacular Madaba Map, the oldest preserved mosaic map of the Holy Land. Nearby, the Madaba Archaeological Park preserves the mosaic-rich Church of the Virgin Mary and artifacts from the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic eras. Continue your journey to Mount Nebo, an elevated ridge of the Abarim range said to be where Moses took in the view of the Promised Land. Follow in his footsteps and look out at the Dead Sea and beyond, before eventually making your way to the Memorial Church of Moses, a modern structure that now houses excavated relics from the region.

Carry on south along the King's Highway to Kerak to visit the impressive Crusader castle of the same name. Exploring the fortress-like structure provides an opportunity to experience the vaulted halls and passageways typical of the era, a remarkable insight into the architectural and military prowess of the Crusaders. When you're ready, continue to Petra where you'll check in to your hotel for the night.                

Day 7: Explore Petra, Wadi Rum Jeep Excursion

Today you'll explore Jordan's beloved archeological treasure: the lost city of Petra. Known as the "Rose City" for the area's distinctive red sandstone, it's easy to see why Petra was named one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Its intricate architectural design is hundreds of years old, and remarkably well maintained. 

Enter through the Siq, a dramatically narrow gorge flanked by towering cliffs, and spend your day wandering at your leisure through Petra's seemingly endless temples, tombs, and colonnaded streets. Navigate the impressive water conduit system of the historic Nabatean city, paying a visit to Qasr al-Bint, a grand temple that was once the population's primary place of worship.

After getting your fill of Petra, continue south to the wilderness of Wadi Rum, an expanse of desert dubbed the "Valley of the Moon" by Lawrence of Arabia. Here you'll switch gears and embark on a Jeep excursion into this UNESCO-protected site. Travel through valleys, rock canyons, dunes, and deserts, stopping to check out rock inscriptions and petroglyphs as well as majestic views. After a refreshing cup of tea prepared by your Bedouin hosts, you'll head back to Amman in time for dinner.                

Day 8: Depart Amman

After breakfast this morning, it's time to say goodbye to Jordan as you transfer to the Queen Alia International Airport and catch your departing flight. Safe travels!

More Egypt & Jordan Itineraries

Looking for more inspiration for your trip to Egypt and Jordan? Check out these other Egypt and Jordan itineraries, with outdoor adventures, cultural trips, and best-of tours to hit the highlights. 

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