Jordan & Egypt Express
Jordan & Egypt Express
Jordan & Egypt Express
13 Days Starting in 31.949381,35.932911 and ending in 30.009495,31.261597
Visiting: Egypt, Jordan
Tour operator:
Tour code:
180
Recommended For:
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
1 - 18
Age range:
8-95
Special diets catered:
Please advise requests
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Tour Overview
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.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : Day 1: Welcome To Amman. Airport To Hotel Transfers Included
Once you arrive at the airport, one of our staff members will be there to meet you and take you to your hotel in Amman. After helping you check in and pointing you to any local shops, cafes or restaurants, you're free to explore Amman independently before our sightseeing starts tomorrow.
Day 1 : Day 1: Welcome To Amman. Airport To Hotel Transfers Included
Once you arrive at the airport, one of our staff members will be there to meet you and take you to your hotel in Amman. After helping you check in and pointing you to any local shops, cafes or restaurants, you're free to explore Amman independently before our sightseeing starts tomorrow.
Day 2 : Day 2: Exploring Amman And Jerash
We start the day by heading north out of Amman to nearby Jerash, one of the largest and most well-preserved sites of Roman architecture in the world outside Italy. Fondly referred to as the 'Jewel of the North', Jerash boasts an unbroken chain of human occupation dating back more than 6,500 years.
Day 2 : Day 2: Exploring Amman And Jerash
We start the day by heading north out of Amman to nearby Jerash, one of the largest and most well-preserved sites of Roman architecture in the world outside Italy. Fondly referred to as the 'Jewel of the North', Jerash boasts an unbroken chain of human occupation dating back more than 6,500 years.
Day 3 : Day 3: Mosaics: Castles & Wadis En-Route To Petra
We say goodbye to Amman today as we drive to Petra via the King's Highway. The drive to Petra is a scenic one, as we cross deep Wadis, pass through olive groves and remote rural villages.
Day 3 : Day 3: Mosaics: Castles & Wadis En-Route To Petra
We say goodbye to Amman today as we drive to Petra via the King's Highway. The drive to Petra is a scenic one, as we cross deep Wadis, pass through olive groves and remote rural villages.
Day 3 : Day 3: Mosaics: Castles & Wadis En-Route To Petra
We say goodbye to Amman today as we drive to Petra via the King's Highway. The drive to Petra is a scenic one, as we cross deep Wadis, pass through olive groves and remote rural villages.
Day 3 : Day 3: Mosaics: Castles & Wadis En-Route To Petra
We say goodbye to Amman today as we drive to Petra via the King's Highway. The drive to Petra is a scenic one, as we cross deep Wadis, pass through olive groves and remote rural villages.
Day 3 : Day 3: Mosaics: Castles & Wadis En-Route To Petra
We say goodbye to Amman today as we drive to Petra via the King's Highway. The drive to Petra is a scenic one, as we cross deep Wadis, pass through olive groves and remote rural villages.
Day 4 : Day 4: Exploring Petra: Camping In Wadi Rum
Today is all about exploring the Nabatean site of Petra. It was once the ancient capital of the Nabataean commercial empire until the Romans finally took over in 106AD. For a long period of time, Petra was forgotten - except by the local Bedouins - before it was rediscovered in 1812 by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. Petra can be found at the edge of the Wadi Aruba desert, where canyon walls and towering hills make it virtually impossible to reach, except via a narrow cleft in the rock, known as the Siq. There are very few free-standing buildings in Petra, as the Nabateans chose to carve their dwellings into the multi coloured sandstone cliffs. Petra has become one of Jordan's main tourist attractions and the Jordanian Government is well aware of this. The tourism infrastructure in the adjoining village of Wadi Musa is booming, though, thankfully, once you enter through the Siq, the site is protected, there aren't that many touts or souvenir sellers, and all the building feels miles away.
Day 4 : Day 4: Exploring Petra: Camping In Wadi Rum
Today is all about exploring the Nabatean site of Petra. It was once the ancient capital of the Nabataean commercial empire until the Romans finally took over in 106AD. For a long period of time, Petra was forgotten - except by the local Bedouins - before it was rediscovered in 1812 by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. Petra can be found at the edge of the Wadi Aruba desert, where canyon walls and towering hills make it virtually impossible to reach, except via a narrow cleft in the rock, known as the Siq. There are very few free-standing buildings in Petra, as the Nabateans chose to carve their dwellings into the multi coloured sandstone cliffs. Petra has become one of Jordan's main tourist attractions and the Jordanian Government is well aware of this. The tourism infrastructure in the adjoining village of Wadi Musa is booming, though, thankfully, once you enter through the Siq, the site is protected, there aren't that many touts or souvenir sellers, and all the building feels miles away.
Day 5 : Day 5: A Jeep Safari In Wadi Rum & A Swim In The Dead Sea
After breakfast, we explore the spectacular desert and mountains of Wadi Rum via a Jeep safari. The desert here, with its towering rust coloured rocky 'jebels' awed TE Lawrence during his visits during the Arab Revolt of 1917-18 and was later made famous in the film Lawrence of Arabia.
Day 7 : Day 7: Cairo: Pyramids & Sphinx At Giza. Overnight Train To Aswan
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!).
Day 8 : Day 8: Arrive In Aswan. Philae Temple & Nubian Village
After our night onboard the overnight train, we arrive in 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.
Day 9 : 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.
Day 10 : 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.
Day 11 : Day 11: Luxor: West Bank Tour. Optional Karnak Temple Tour. Train To Cairo
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).
Day 13 : 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 see more of the city this morning. Extra nights in Cairo are also available if you would like to extend your stay.
What's Included
What's Not Included
Check out our Q&As
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Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?
Yes.
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Are children permitted to take part in the tour?
Yes.
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Will there be an escort accompanying this tour?
Yes.
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What is the maximum group size?
Max. 18 people.
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Is there any free time to explore places during the tour?
As detailed in the itinerary.
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What is the fitness level required to do this tour?
Low.
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Is travel insurance compulsory?
Yes! Travel insurance is compulsory on all of our tours and needs to cover personal accident & liability, medical expenses and repatriation, travel delay & abandonment. We also strongly recommend that you take out cover against cancellation and lost/stolen baggage. Personal medical insurance does not normally provide sufficient cover and is generally not suitable for travel on our tours. You will not be able to join your tour if you have not provided us with details of your insurance or if you arrive without cover in place (no refunds will be due in this event).
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What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?
You are always able to change your travel date. However, some charges may apply depending on how long before your departure you make the change. Our flexible booking conditions and reduced charges will apply if you are changing date because of a Covid-19 reason or because your government is advising against travel to your destination. Please check our detailed booking conditions for full details.
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When is my balance payment due?
60 days prior to departure
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
On most of our group tours, solo travellers may choose to form a temporary 'tour bubble' and share a room with another traveller of the same sex in the group. If a room share is not available then a single room supplement may be payable, with the costs for these kept as low as possible. We have also removed compulsory single supplements from many of our tours, and are reducing the cost by 50% on s
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Can I transfer my booking to someone else?
Customers may transfer their booking or any Credit on File to another person who satisfies all the relevant conditions to the tour, provided that we are notified not less than 7 days before departure, and the transferee agrees to these booking conditions and all other terms of the contract between us. The Client and new booker are jointly and severally responsible for any outstanding payments and a transfer administration fee of GBP50 / USD75 / CAD100 / AUD100 / NZD100 / EUR75 / ZAR1000 / INR5000 or GBP100 / USD150 / CAD200 / AUD200 / NZD200 / EUR150 / ZAR2000 / INR10,000 if the transfer is made less than 60 days before departure. Important Note: Certain arrangements may not be amended or transferred after they have been confirmed (for example flight tickets, Gorilla Permits) and any alteration could incur a cancellation and rebooking charge of up to 100% of that part of the arrangements.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Encounters Travel allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform encounters travel, 60 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Encounters Travel requires a minimum deposit of 150 GBP per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 60 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of encounters travel charges.
Up to 61 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 60 days before tour starts: Forfeit 35% of booking price.
At 41 days before tour starts: Forfeit 70% of booking price.
At 27 days before tour starts: Forfeit 90% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.