Itinerary
- Day 1
Cairo
Land in Cairo and head to your hotel to settle in. You'll have the afternoon and early evening free to check out the city at your own pace. At 6pm, meet your leader and fellow travelers for a welcome meeting. Dinner follows where you'll try traditional Egyptian dishes like fatta and kushari, giving you a good introduction to what the food is all about here.
- Meals
- Dinner (Welcome dinner with group featuring traditional Egyptian dishes including fatta (rice, bread and meat in garlic and vinegar sauce) and kushari (pasta, rice, lentils and fried onions))
Included Activities
- Airport transfer
- Welcome dinner with group
Optional Activities
- Explore Cairo streets
- Visit hotel pool with pyramid views
- Street food experience (ta'ameya)
- Day 2
Cairo
Start early with a guided tour of the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx led by an Egyptologist who'll explain the history and details. After breaking for lunch, head to the Egyptian Museum where you'll see treasures from Tutankhamun's tomb, including his golden death mask. You'll have time to wander through on your own and see whatever interests you most.
Included Activities
- Pyramids of Giza tour
- Sphinx visit
- Egyptian Museum tour
Optional Activities
- Enter inside the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops) - additional charge
Landmarks/POIs Pyramids of Giza Great Sphinx of Giza Egyptian Museum - Day 3
Cairo to Aswan
Fly south to Aswan and check into your hotel. Later that day, take a visit to Philae Island to see the Temple of Isis. By evening, board a boat heading out to a Nubian village where you'll have dinner with a local family in their home, learning how they live and their daily routines.
- Meals
- Dinner (Traditional Nubian food with local Nubian family in their home)
Included Activities
- Flight to Aswan
- Temple of Isis visit
- Nubian village boat trip
- Dinner with local Nubian family
Landmarks/POIs Temple of Isis Philae Island - Day 4
Aswan
After breakfast, you can either explore Aswan on your own or sign up for an optional trip to Abu Simbel if you want. During the afternoon, board your Nile riverboat for the next three nights. Later, sail on a traditional felucca with drinks as the sun sets, then return to the riverboat for dinner.
- Meals
- Dinner (Dinner on riverboat)
Included Activities
- Felucca sailing boat sunset experience with drinks
- Board Nile riverboat (Feature Stay)
Optional Activities
- Optional tour of Abu Simbel temple complex
- Stroll around Aswan
Landmarks/POIs Abu Simbel - Day 5
Nile Riverboat
Spend a relaxed morning on your riverboat. In the afternoon, sail along the Nile and stop at Kom Ombo Temple sitting right on the riverbank, built around 181 BC. Your leader will explain how it was built for two gods, Horus and Sobek, and tell you about mummified crocodiles found there recently. You'll keep sailing toward Edfu for the evening.
Included Activities
- Kom Ombo Temple visit
Landmarks/POIs Kom Ombo Temple - Day 6
Edfu to Luxor
You may have a chance to head into Edfu town on your own to see the temple there. As you sail toward Luxor, you'll pass through the Esna Locks, which is a nice opportunity to sit back and watch life happening on the Nile. Once at Luxor, check out Karnak Temple, one of the most significant temple complexes anywhere, built over roughly 200 years.
Included Activities
- Karnak Temple guided tour
Optional Activities
- Independent visit to Edfu temple
Landmarks/POIs Karnak Temple Esna Locks - Day 7
Luxor
Leave the riverboat and travel to the Valley of the Kings where over 60 pharaoh tombs are carved into rock. You'll enter three tombs of your choice plus Tutankhamun's burial chamber. After that, visit the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut backed by dramatic cliffs, then see the 17-meter-high Colossi of Memnon statues.
Included Activities
- Valley of the Kings tour
- Entry to three tombs of your choosing
- Tomb of Tutankhamun
- Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
- Colossi of Memnon viewing
Landmarks/POIs Valley of the Kings Tomb of Tutankhamun Temple of Queen Hatshepsut Colossi of Memnon - Day 8
Luxor to Cairo
Catch a morning flight back to Cairo and get settled at your hotel. Then head to the Al-Azhar neighbourhood to walk through Khan al-Khalili Bazaar where you'll find gold, cloth, perfume and spice stalls. Visit the 9th-century Al-Azhar Mosque, stop for Arabic coffee or mint tea at one of Cairo's oldest coffeehouses, then have dinner at a local family's home.
- Meals
- Dinner (Traditional meal with a local Cairo family)
Included Activities
- Flight to Cairo
- Khan al-Khalili Bazaar visit
- Al-Azhar Mosque visit
- Arabic coffee or mint tea at historic coffeeshop
- Home-cooked meal with local family
Landmarks/POIs Khan al-Khalili Bazaar Al-Azhar Mosque - Day 9
Cairo to Amman
Arrive in Jordan and transfer to your hotel in Amman. Before your 6pm welcome meeting, you're free to explore the city however you like. Stop at a local cafe for coffee and ara'yes, check out the Old Town's Roman Amphitheatre, or visit the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts. After your meeting with the group and leader, enjoy an included welcome dinner featuring traditional Jordanian cuisine.
- Meals
- Dinner (Welcome dinner with group and leader featuring Jordanian dishes including mansaf (lamb, yoghurt and rice) and kunafa (pastry and cheese dessert))
Included Activities
- Airport transfer
- Welcome meeting with leader and group
- Welcome dinner
Optional Activities
- Visit local cafe for coffee and ara'yes
- Old Town's Roman Amphitheatre
- Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts
Landmarks/POIs Roman Amphitheatre Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts - Day 10
Amman to Jerash
Drive north from Amman to Jerash to see some of the world's best Greco-Roman ruins. Your leader will guide you through impressive archways, theatres, baths and colonnaded streets. Back in Amman, visit a family-run cooking school where you'll learn to make classic dishes like tabbouleh, flat bread and lentil soup with guidance from a mother and her daughters.
- Meals
- Dinner (Cooking class dinner in family-run cooking school with dishes you prepared)
Included Activities
- Jerash Greco-Roman ruins tour
- Amman cooking class and dinner
Landmarks/POIs Jerash Oval Plaza - Day 11
Amman to Dead Sea
Travel from Amman toward the Dead Sea, stopping at Mount Nebo where Moses is said to have viewed the Promised Land. Visit St George's Church to see its Byzantine mosaic depicting the Holy Land. Reaching the Dead Sea, you'll float in its famously buoyant waters, relax on the beach, or use the hotel pools and jacuzzi.
Included Activities
- Mount Nebo visit
- St George's Church visit
- Dead Sea float and relaxation time
Landmarks/POIs Mount Nebo St George's Church Dead Sea - Day 12
Dead Sea to Petra
Leave the Dead Sea and drive to the ancient Shobak Crusader castle, learning about its history as a former protector of the Latin Kingdom's trade routes. Stop at a viewpoint overlooking the Dana Nature Reserve to take in the scenery. You'll arrive in Petra in the late afternoon with time to explore the town and rest before tomorrow.
Included Activities
- Shobak Castle visit
Optional Activities
- Dana Nature Reserve viewpoint stop
Landmarks/POIs Shobak Castle Dana Nature Reserve - Day 13
Petra
Spend the day exploring Petra with your knowledgeable leader. See the iconic Treasury facade through the narrow Siq canyon that opens into a vast area where you'll walk the old Roman road, visit the amphitheatre and explore ancient tombs. If you're up for it, climb to the Monastery for spectacular views. A cafeteria on site has light lunch available. Your afternoon is free to do as you wish, and if your dates work out, you can arrange an evening visit to see Petra lit by candlelight with Bedouin music.
Included Activities
- Petra leader-led tour
Optional Activities
- Climb to the Monastery
- Petra by Night experience - JOD17
Landmarks/POIs Petra The Treasury The Siq The Monastery - Day 14
Petra to Wadi Rum
Rise early if you want an unguided morning visit to Petra on your own. Then drive to Wadi Rum, a protected desert area with dramatic sandstone mountains and canyons. Have lunch in the village of Rum and visit the visitor's centre. Jump into a local jeep with Bedouin hosts to explore the distinctive rock formations. At a Bedouin camp deep in the desert, you'll eat zarb cooked in an underground oven, then stay overnight in a luxury camp tent.
- Meals
- Lunch (Lunch in the village of Rum), Dinner (Zarb (underground oven) dinner at a Bedouin camp in the desert)
Included Activities
- Petra second day visit (unguided morning option)
- Wadi Rum desert jeep tour with Bedouin hosts
- Zarb underground oven dinner at Bedouin camp
Landmarks/POIs Wadi Rum - Day 15
Wadi Rum to Amman
Wake in your Bedouin camp and take a morning walk around the area with your group. Climb one of the large dunes for panoramic views of the desert. Then head back to Amman for the evening. You can join your group for a final dinner at a restaurant popular with locals, or explore the city on your own.
Included Activities
- Desert morning walk and dune climbing
Optional Activities
- Final group dinner at local Amman restaurant
- Day 16
Amman to Jerusalem
Arrive in Israel and transfer to your centrally located Jerusalem hotel. Meet your small group and experienced local leader. At 6pm, take an orientation walk around the city to get to know it and its multicultural residents. Your leader will share local knowledge and insider perspective. Finish with an included dinner at a 120-year-old building serving traditional and international food.
- Meals
- Dinner (Welcome dinner at a 120-year-old restaurant serving traditional and international delights, featuring dishes like maqluba (upside-down dish))
Included Activities
- Airport transfer
- Leader-led orientation walk
- Welcome dinner
- Day 17
Jerusalem
Walk through Jerusalem with your leader learning local knowledge and ancient history. Enter the Old City and visit Temple Mount Courtyard to see the Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque from outside. Follow the Via Dolorosa tracing Jesus's crucifixion path and visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. View the Western Wall. Take a lunch break trying Jerusalem's famous hummus, salads and falafel, then head to a 19th-century guesthouse for rooftop views. Your evening is yours to explore.
Included Activities
- Old City walking tour
- Temple Mount Courtyard visit
- Dome of the Rock viewing
- Al Aqsa Mosque viewing
- Via Dolorosa walk
- Church of the Holy Sepulchre visit
- Western Wall visit
- Rooftop views from Austrian Hospice
Optional Activities
- Lunch at hummus restaurant (additional cost for meal)
Landmarks/POIs Temple Mount Dome of the Rock Al Aqsa Mosque Via Dolorosa Church of the Holy Sepulchre Western Wall - Day 18
Jerusalem to Bethlehem to Jerusalem
After breakfast, visit the Garden of Gethsemane and the Mount of Olives for incredible views of the Old City. See the Church of All Nations, then continue to Bethlehem. Visit the Aida Refugee Camp and join local home cooks for a cooking class learning authentic Palestinian dishes, followed by a shared lunch of what you made. Visit the Church of the Nativity and Shepherds' Fields in Beit Sahour. Back in Jerusalem, tour Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum and speak with a geopolitical expert about the region.
- Meals
- Lunch (Shared lunch of Palestinian dishes prepared during cooking class at Aida Refugee Camp)
Included Activities
- Garden of Gethsemane visit
- Mount of Olives visit with Old City views
- Church of All Nations visit
- Aida Refugee Camp cooking class and lunch
- Church of the Nativity visit
- Shepherds' Fields in Beit Sahour visit
- Yad Vashem Museum visit
- Geopolitical expert conversation
Landmarks/POIs Garden of Gethsemane Mount of Olives Church of All Nations Church of the Nativity Shepherds' Fields Aida Refugee Camp Yad Vashem Museum - Day 19
Jerusalem to Dead Sea to Jericho
Head to the clifftop fortress of Masada and take a cable car to the top. Learn about this World Heritage site and its significance to Jewish history. Visit Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. Float in the buoyant Dead Sea for a refreshing experience. Explore Jericho, a slow-paced town with over 11,000 years of history. Spend the evening with a local Palestinian family enjoying their home-cooked meal.
- Meals
- Dinner (Traditional Palestinian home-cooked dinner with local family in Jericho)
Included Activities
- Masada fortress cable car visit
- Qumran archaeological site visit
- Dead Sea float
- Jericho exploration
- Traditional Palestinian home-cooked dinner with local family
Landmarks/POIs Masada Qumran Dead Sea Jericho - Day 20
Jericho to Haifa
Leave Jericho and travel to Tiberias, a holy city on the Sea of Galilee's western shore. Take a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee (weather permitting) while learning about its spiritual significance. Visit Capernaum to see ancient synagogues and the church believed to be St Peter's home. Head to Nazareth and visit the Church of the Annunciation. You'll have free time for lunch in the Old City before continuing to Haifa and checking into The Colony Hotel, a historic property near the UNESCO-listed Baha'i Gardens.
Included Activities
- Sea of Galilee boat ride (conditions allowing)
- Capernaum visit including ancient synagogues and St Peter's Church
- Nazareth Church of the Annunciation visit
- Haifa arrival at The Colony Hotel
Landmarks/POIs Sea of Galilee Tiberias Capernaum St Peter's Church Nazareth Church of the Annunciation Baha'i Gardens - Day 21
Haifa to Tel Aviv
Visit Caesarea, once a major port town built by King Herod around 25 BC. Explore the excavated amphitheatre, hippodrome, palace, Roman temple and aqueduct network on display. Continue to Tel Aviv and spend the afternoon discovering this high-energy city with your leader. Walk through the Old City of Jaffa and visit Peace Square.
Included Activities
- Caesarea Roman ruins tour
- Tel Aviv leader-led tour
- Old City of Jaffa visit
- Peace Square visit
Landmarks/POIs Caesarea Old City of Jaffa Peace Square - Day 22
Tel Aviv
Your journey through Israel and the Palestinian Territories ends today. With no planned activities, you're free to leave after breakfast whenever you want, as long as you follow the hotel's check-out times.
