14-Day Jordan & Egypt on a Shoestring Tour

Adventure tour of Jordan and Egypt

This great tour is jam packed with all the main sights in Jordan and Egypt. Petra, The Dead Sea, The Pyramids and more. Starting in Amman, Jordan, we tour the city centre before taking a tour out to the well preserved Roman remains at Jerash. Heading south we then follow the scenic Kings Highway stopping at Madaba, Mount Nebo, and the crumbling remains the crusader castle at Kerak, before arriving at Jordan's most popular attraction, the hidden city of Petra. We set aside a full day to explore the sprawling "Rose Red City" of Petra. Enter through the Siq and gaze upon the rock hewn Treasury built more than 2,000 years ago. Next we head into the desert at Wadi Rum, famous for its links with Lawrence of Arabia. We spend a night in a Bedouin camp here and take a 4x4 jeep ride through the stunning desert scenery before returning via a swim in the Dead Sea to Amman for our flight to Cairo (not included - you can book this as part of your main international flight ticket or we can book the flight for you separately). Arriving into Cairo we start with a visit to the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx before travelling down to Aswan, with an optional extra early morning tour to the impressive temples of Ramses II at Abu Simbel. Back in Aswan we hop on board our traditional Nile felucca sailboat and wend our way down the River Nile, with support en-route from our facilities boat with on board toilet, showers and massage deck. Arriving into Luxor we take time to visit some of the many temples in this amazing open air museum, and of course we take time to explore the tombs of the Valley of the Kings. We finally head back to Cairo, stopping at the less visited temples of Abydos and Dendara on the way. If you'd like to add some time by the Red Sea to this trip, it's easy to add on a few extra days at the beach resort of Hurghada.

Day 1 Arrive in Amman. Hotel transfers included Once you arrive in Amman, you will be welcomed by our staff before we transfer to your hotel. We'll help you check in and show you where the local shops, cafés and restaurants are before we give you some free time to explore the city before we officially start the tour tomorrow. OVERNIGHT: Amman hotel MEALS: None EXTRAS: Superior hotel upgrade (covers Jordan only) Single room supplement (required if no same-sex room share available) Extra day in Amman - pre-tour As-Salt and Bethany tour Day 2 A city tour of Amman and exploring Jerash We start the day by departing from Amman and visiting the ruined city of Jerash. It's hard not to be in awe of this masterpiece of Roman architecture which was once hidden under sand. You'll explore some of the city's ruined highlights, which includes theatres, baths, fountains, winding paved streets and striking hilltop temples. Back in Amman we take a city tour, which is known as the 'white city' due to its vast collection of white limestone buildings. Your guide will give you a glimpse into Amman's rich history, pointing out the excavations and renovations made during from the Neolithic period, the Hellenistic period and the late Roman to Arab Islamic Ages. The Citadel is another highlight and you can see the ancient temple of Hercules, the 8th century Umayyad Palace, the Byzantine Church and the 6,000 seat Roman theatre. This intricate 2nd century theatre is still used today for cultural events. OVERNIGHT: Amman hotel MEALS: Breakfast EXTRAS: Amman evening food tasting tour Day 3 King's Highway to Petra with stops at Madaba & Kerak Castle King's Highway to Petra via Madaba and Kerak Another day of exploration awaits, starting with a drive along the picturesque King's Highway to Petra. Although this route takes a bit longer, its alluring views makes it worth going the extra mile. As we drive, we'll pass numerous wadis, olive groves and rural villages. We'll stop in Madaba to visit to the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George. Your guide will also show you the famous 6th century Byzantine mosaic map of the Holy Land along with other biblical sites. Next, we'll make our way up Mount Nebo, which offers breath-taking views of the Holy Land. Back on the road, we'll cross more wadis, including the impressive Wadi al-Mujib before we reach Kerak Castle - which is one in a chain of Crusader fortresses lined across Jordan on the ancient Egypt-Syrian caravan route. This mammoth fortress was built in 1132 AD by the Crusader King Baldwin and then fell to Saladin in 1188AD. We won't make any more stops until we reach Petra, where we'll help you check into your hotel for the evening. You have some free time to do as you please, but we do suggest going on the Petra by Candlelight tour through the Siq to the Treasury. OVERNIGHT: Petra hotel MEALS: Breakfast EXTRAS: Petra by Candlelight (arranged locally) Day 4 Full day exploration of Petra, camping underneath the stars in Wadi Rum Today is all about venturing around the prominent Nabatean site of Petra. Until the Romans took over in 106AD, the historic city was the ancient capital of the Nabatean commercial empire. For a while Petra was forgotten and then rediscovered by the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt in 1812. Perched on the edge of Wadi Aruba and protected by canyon walls and hills, this city is hard to reach. To enter, you must walk through a small cleft in the rock called the Siq. You will notice that there are very few freestanding structures in the city, as the Nabateans decided to fashion their homes and buildings into the colourful sandstone cliffs. After a 2-3 hour guided tour of this remarkable ancient city, you have plenty of time to amble around and do some discovering. During the guided tour, you will be taken through the Siq, rising 200m above and just 2m wide. There are still the remains of the terracotta pipes that brought water into the city along this wall as well as the ancient Nabatean water channel. When you leave the Siq, one of Petra's most impressive landmarks will blow you away - the Khazneh, also known as the Treasury. You'll get a glimpse of the ruined Roman amphitheater and Petra's colonnaded streets. We also suggest walking along the narrow gorge past the multi-colored sandstone cliffs to the Monastery. This is Petra's biggest carved monument at 50 metres high and 45 metres wide. From this point, the views of the Wadi Aruba and the Jordan Valley are breathtaking. This afternoon, we leave Petra and drive into the beautiful desert scenery of Wadi Rum, where friendly Bedouin hosts are ready to greet us at a comfortable camp beneath the towering rocks and cliffs. We spend the evening and night relaxing at the camp, watching the stars and enjoying a delicious traditional Jordanian meal. OVERNIGHT: Wadi Rum Bedouin camp MEALS: Breakfast, Dinner EXTRAS: None Day 5 A Jeep safari in Wadi Rum & Dead Sea Swim Wadi Rum jeep safari, Dead Sea swim We spend more time amidst the desert scenery of Wadi Rum today on a jeep safari that passes by more sharp cliffs and intriguing rock formations. This area and its huge rust coloured rocky 'jebels' was made famous by the film Lawrence of Arabia, that celebrated TE Lawrence's time here during the Arab revolt of 1917-18. From Wadi Rum, we drive up north to the banks of the Dead Sea - the lowest point on earth, at over 400 metres below sea level. The sea receives a variety of incoming rivers including the Jordan River. When the rivers reach the sea, they merge together before evaporating and leaving behind a unique blend of salts and minerals, supplying local industries with high quality products. West of the Dead Sea, you can view the hills of Jerusalem. This area is believed to have been the home of 5 biblical cities: Sodom, Gomorrah, Adman, Zebouin and Zoar (Bela). The tour will come to a stop and allow you to splash around in these salty waters. Normal swimming is not possible, so we suggest floating instead. As the water is so salty, avoid getting it in your eyes. Later today, we make our way back to Amman. OVERNIGHT: Amman hotel MEALS: Breakfast EXTRAS: None Day 6 - Amman to Cairo. Hotel transfer included We leave Jordan today and transfer you to Amman airport for your flight to Cairo. Once you arrive, we'll meet you at the airport, assist you with obtaining your visa and luggage, and then transfer you to your hotel for the start of your trip. We'll help you check in before giving you some free time to relax or explore Cairo independently. An optional dinner cruise on the Nile is also available tonight. Note: the Amman-Cairo flight is left out of the set tour price as it is often more cost effective for you to include this flight as part of your main international flight ticket. We are happy to book all your international flights, just this Amman-Cairo flight, or none of them at all, whichever works best for you. Direct flights are available with both Egypt Air and Royal Jordanian Airlines. You can fly at any time during the day - all transfers in Amman and Cairo are included. | OVERNIGHT: Cairo 3-star hotel | MEALS: Breakfast | EXTRAS: Nile dinner cruise in Cairo, Amman to Cairo flight Day 7 - Cairo, Pyramids & Sphinx at Giza. To Luxor We start our exploration of Egypt with the iconic three great pyramids at Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo. Probably the most recognizable ancient buildings in the world, these three pyramids were built pyramids were built by the Pharaohs Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure around 2500 years BC. Our Egyptologist guide will start your introduction into Egyptian history here with information on how and why pyramids were built and how they fit into the whole ancient Pharaonic story. You’ll have the chance to climb down inside one of these pyramids if you wish (and if you’re not claustrophobic!). Our next visit is the majestic Sphinx, which nestles nearby, and was uncovered completely only in the 1920s. In the afternoon we then drive south through towns and villages along the banks of the River Nile to Luxor where we check into our hotel. Note: If the group has a very small number (2-3) then we will take the sleeper train from Cairo to Aswan tonight (approx. 12 hours). | OVERNIGHT: Luxor 4-star hotel | MEALS: Breakfast Day 8 - Luxor to Aswan. Overnight in Nubian village This is free to relax in your hotel, or perhaps take an optional tour to Luxor Museum, which has a beautifully displayed collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts and includes some very important and impressive specimens. There are also some items from the period after the end of Pharaonic times in Egypt. We then continue our drive south following the Nile to Aswan where we spend the night in a Nubian village staying in a local guesthouse. The ancient region of Nubia comprised an area around the Nile in parts of present day southern Egypt and northern Sudan. Many descendants of the Nubian people still live around Aswan and during our stay we’ll see their colourful houses and can enjoy a typical meal this evening. | OVERNIGHT: Aswan - Nubian guesthouse | MEALS: Breakfast Day 9 - Aswan, Abu Simbel option, Philae Temple & felucca cruise There is an optional tour early this morning to drive to the amazing UNESCO world heritage site at Abu Simbel which sits on the banks of Lake Nasser about 3 hours away from Aswan. The temples here were built by Ramses II and are one of Egypt’s most impressive and fascinating sites, especially because they are carved into the hillside rather than built independently, and were completely dismantled and moved to their present location when Lake Nasser was flooded. If you don’t visit Abu Simbel you can explore Aswan’s markets and Corniche this morning or visit the Nubian Museum which has an excellent collection covering the history of the Nubian people in the region. This afternoon we’ll take a boat trip to visit one of Egypt’s most beautifully situated temples which was also reclaimed from the rising waters of Lake Nasser. This is the Temple of Philae, which was dedicated to Isis. Later we board a traditional Nile felucca and sail a little way out of Aswan before mooring up for the night. Our separate facilities boat will join with us from time to time during the day and moor up with us at night. This boat helps us protect the environment of the banks of the Nile, having a proper toilet and showers on board as well as a hygienic kitchen. You sleep on the deck of the boat, with mattresses, blankets and mosquito nets provided. This is a fun but basic experience, and you can upgrade the night sleeping on the felucca to an additional night in a hotel in Aswan if you prefer. | OVERNIGHT: On board felucca | MEALS: Breakfast, Dinner | EXTRAS: Abu Simbel overland, Upgrade from felucca to hotel in Aswan Day 10 - Felucca sailing, to Luxor. Optional Luxor temple at night We spend some more time sailing on the Nile this morning, and after lunch with the felucca crew, we bid them a reluctant goodbye and drive north to Luxor. Luxor is the jewel in Egypt’s crown with the largest concentrations of ancient ruins in the Nile Valley, if not the world. These are split across both banks of the Nile, with the City of the Dead on the West Bank with many mortuary temples and tombs cut into the rocky mountains, and with the Temples of Luxor and Karnak and their connecting Avenue of Sphinxes the highlights on the East Bank. Later this evening there is an optional tour available to Luxor Temple which is right in the middle of town and beautifully lit up at night. You'll can also head into town to explore some of Luxor's popular outdoor cafes, perhaps enjoying a few games of backgammon and trying a shisha pipe with the locals. We spend the night at a comfortable 4-star hotel with a pool on the banks of the Nile. | OVERNIGHT: Luxor 4-star hotel | MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch | EXTRAS: Hot air balloon in Luxor Day 11 - Luxor, West Bank tour. Optional Karnak temple tour This morning we take a tour to the West Bank of the Nile, where we’ll visit the Temple of Queen Hatchepsut, explore several tombs in the Valley of the Kings, learn about the workers who made all this happen in Deir El-Medina (the Valley of the Artisans) and stop to see the huge Colossi of Memnon. Your afternoon is then free to relax in the hotel, or take an optional tour to explore the huge temple complex at Karnak. A spectacular hot air balloon flight over the west bank of the Nile is also available today (expect another early start to catch sunrise as the balloon rises). Note: If the group has a very small number (2-3) then we will include Karnak temple today (in place of Abydos & Dendara tomorrow) and take the sleeper train from Luxor to Cairo tonight (approx. 9 hours). | OVERNIGHT: Luxor 4-star hotel | MEALS: Breakfast | EXTRAS: Hot air balloon in Luxor, Karnak Temple tour Day 12 - Dendara and Abydos, to Cairo We leave Luxor this morning and drive back to Cairo, stopping at the temples of Dendara and Abydos along the way. These temples are much less visited by tourists than the sites in Luxor, but are hugely impressive. Dedicated to the Goddess Hathor, Dendara in particular becomes many people’s favourite site, and is incredibly well preserved. Nearby Abydos is another fascinating site, and was the cult center of the god of the dead, Osiris. The necropolis here was a pilgrimage and burial site and at least ten temples were originally built here. We arrive back into Cairo this evening and check into our hotel in the centre of the city for a final evening together. | OVERNIGHT: Cairo 3-star hotel | MEALS: Breakfast Day 13 - Cairo, Optional City & Museum tour. Departure airport transfer Your time is free today for some last minute sightseeing or shopping until we transfer you to the airport for your departure flight. We recommend an afternoon or evening flight so that you can take a tour to visit the incredible Egyptian Museum and the Khan-el-Khalili bazaar this morning. Extra nights in Cairo are also available if you would like to extend your stay. | OVERNIGHT: N/A | MEALS: Breakfast | EXTRAS: Cairo city tour, Saqqara, Dashour & Memphis, Extra day in Cairo post-tour (3-star)