Egypt

Egypt and Jordan: A Nile Cruise, Petra and Wadi Rum

Seven nights on the Nile, the pyramids, then Jordan as far as the Dead Sea

Egypt

Egypt and Jordan: A Nile Cruise, Petra and Wadi Rum

Two countries in one trip. In Egypt: a week's cruise on a 5* boat (local rating) from Luxor to Aswan, then a day in Cairo for the pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum. In Jordan: Amman, Salt, Jerash, the King's Highway, a full day at Petra, a night in a desert camp in Wadi Rum and a swim in the Dead Sea. Jordanian hotels are 3* (4* for a supplement). A pack of five extra visits on the Nile can be booked before departure (€132 per person).

When

Oct to April

Price

From 2 484€ excl. flights

(based on 2 people sharing)

How long

15 nights

Ideal length

Cairo and Luxor

Days 1-4

A night in Cairo, then a flight to Luxor where the boat is waiting: Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, and the cruise begins.

Day 1

Arrival in Cairo

Flight to Cairo. Welcome on arrival by our French-speaking representative, help with visa formalities and transfer to the hotel.

Day 2

Flight to Luxor and boarding

Flight to Luxor, welcome and settling in on the 5* cruise boat. Free time for a first look at the town.

Day 3

The temple of Karnak

Visit Karnak temple, built to the glory of Amun over nearly eight centuries: the great temple, the colonnaded court, the avenue of rams. In the afternoon, a wander in the souks or optional excursions suggested by the guide.

Day 4

Thebes and the Valley of the Kings – Esna

Leave for the west bank of the Nile and the Valley of the Kings, where the tombs of the New Kingdom pharaohs, from Thutmose I to Ramesses XI, were cut into the limestone. Sail towards Esna.

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From Edfu to Aswan

Days 5-8

The Nile southwards: the temples of Edfu and Kom Ombo, then Aswan, the last large town of Upper Egypt, on the edge of the desert.

Day 5

Esna – Edfu – Kom Ombo

A day's sailing. Visit the temple of Edfu, dedicated to Horus and the largest in Egypt after Karnak, then, late in the day, the temple of Kom Ombo, some fifteen metres above the Nile.

Day 6

Aswan: the High Dam and the unfinished obelisk

Discover the High Dam, which tamed the Nile floods, then the unfinished obelisk in Aswan's granite quarries.

Day 7

Optional Abu Simbel – sailing

Optional, payable locally (€120 per person by coach): an early start for the temple of Abu Simbel, on the shore of Lake Nasser. Back on board for lunch, then sail towards Luxor.

Day 8

Free day in Luxor

A day for exploring the town or for optional excursions, payable locally: Dendera and Abydos (about €80) or the Karnak sound and light show (about €55).

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The pyramids, then Amman

Days 9-11

A day in Cairo for the pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum, then the flight to Amman. Jordan begins with Salt and the Roman ruins of Jerash.

Day 9

Luxor – Cairo: Giza and the Grand Museum – Amman

Flight to Cairo and visit to the Giza plateau: the three pyramids and the Sphinx. Lunch in a typical restaurant, then an afternoon at the Grand Egyptian Museum before leaving for Amman.

Day 10

Salt and Amman

Leave for Salt, a town of yellow sandstone listed by UNESCO: pedestrian Al-Hammam Street, the old souks and lunch with a local family. Return to Amman and visit the capital (about 80 km).

Day 11

Jerash and Ajloun

Drive to Jerash, ancient Gerasa, one of the best-preserved Roman provincial towns in the Near East, with its colonnaded streets and temples. Continue to Ajloun and return to Amman (about 190 km).

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Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea

Days 12-16

Southern Jordan along the King's Highway: the mosaics of Madaba, Mount Nebo, the Nabataean city of Petra, then the red cliffs of Wadi Rum before the Dead Sea.

Day 12

The King's Highway: Madaba, Mount Nebo, Kerak

Along the King's Highway: Madaba, the town of Byzantine mosaics, then Mount Nebo, the presumed site of Moses' tomb, 840 m up, and Kerak castle. Arrive in Petra at the end of the day (about 310 km).

Day 13

A day at Petra

A full day at Petra, a World Heritage site. You enter through the Siq, a long, narrow gorge at the end of which the Treasury, Al Khazneh, appears; beyond it are hundreds of carved façades, temples and royal tombs.

Day 14

Little Petra and Wadi Rum

Visit Little Petra, then drive to Wadi Rum (about 115 km), its cliffs and valleys of sand, the setting of Lawrence of Arabia. A 4x4 pick-up tour of about an hour and a half and a night in a desert camp, with simple comfort.

Day 15

Wadi Araba and the Dead Sea – Amman

Leave via Wadi Araba for the shores of the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth. Lunch, then free time for a swim before returning to Amman (about 320 km).