AMMAN 46ºF

Arrival at Amman airport. Welcome to Jordan! Border procedures and transfer to the hotel. Free time.

AMMAN 46ºF - JERASH 46ºF - AMMAN 46ºF

Breakfast. We travel to the north of Jordan. In the mountains, we discover the AJLUN FORTRESS, a mighty castle from the 12th Century. Muslims and Orthodox Christians have always lived in this area. We will visit the old CHURCH OF SAINT SERGIUS. Shall we all pray for peace? Lunch is included. We continue to JERASH, and visit its impressive Roman archaeological site. Return to AMMAN. Arrival and accommodation.

AMMAN 46ºF - MADABA 46ºF - AMMAN 46ºF

We will depart towards the CASTLES OF THE DESERT, built between the 7th and 8th centuries. We will visit QASR KHARANA, with its imposing structure of thick walls and the QUSAYR AMRA World Heritage Site, notable for its remarkable frescoes. Then, we travel to MADABA, lunch is included. We will visit the Madaba Archaeological Park, which we cross via an ancient Roman road, and the Church of St. George, with its fantastic 6th Century mosaic representing the oldest known map of the Holy Land. We continue to MOUNT NEBO, where Moses stopped to look over the Promised Land. Return to Amman. Arrival and free time.

AMMAN 46ºF - BETHANY - DEAD SEA

We leave for BETHANY on the banks of the River Jordan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; this is where John the Baptist baptised Jesus. Then we visit the DEAD SEA MUSEUM, which an impressive Panorama Complex. Lunch is included. Arriving at our hotel at the DEAD SEA, do not forget to take a dip in the saltiest sea and lowest altitude on earth. Dinner and accommodation included.

DEAD SEA - SHOUBAK - PETRA 41ºF

Exciting section in the heart of Jordan. Following the Dead Sea, we visit LOT’S CAVE, discovered in 1991, with its old Byzantine church from the 6th century. Then we ascend into the mountains to DANA, a small picturesque town of stone houses on a huge cliff. Lunch is included. We continue along the King´s Route to SHOBAK, where we take photographs (outside only) of the great Crusader Castle. We continue to WADI MUSA (the site around Petra). We will explore the MOSES SPRING,where Moses is said to have tapped the rock with his rod and the water gushed out, and the Petra Museum, an excellent exhibition that enables us to learn about the history of the Nabateans and to see magnificent pieces found in the area. Dinner and accommodation. Any travellers who wish can go to an old Turkish bath or see a light and sound show in Petra.

PETRA 41ºF - WADI RUM

Today we have the most exciting day of the trip: First, we visit the impressive archaeological site of PETRA, which is accessed through a narrow canyon, and discover the temples and tombs excavated on the cliffs in this city that was founded 300 years before Christ. After lunch (included) we leave for the impressive desert of WADI RUM. At the Visitor Centre we board 4x4 vehicles to visit some of the most impressive landscapes. We stop in the town of RUM to visit the ruins of the Nabatean temple. We include a 45-minute camel ride through the desert. We will also visit the Khazali Canyon. In this spectacular place, we will see the engravings that reveal the origins of the Arabic language. Dinner and accommodation included in a desert camp.

WADI RUM - AQABA 55ºF - EILAT 57ºF - SANTA CATALINA

After breakfast, we leave for AQABA, Jordan’s second city, lying on the banks of the Red Sea. We walk through the centre before continuing to the border of ISRAEL, EILAT and arrive in this modern and tourist city with its excellent beaches. There’s time to relax, have lunch and stroll around. Are you tempted to have a swim? We then continue towards the EGYPT border, and into Sinai. On the way, there’s chance to take photographs of the Pharaoh’s Island with the powerful fortress of Saladin. Continue to SAINT CATHERINE. Arrival, accommodation and dinner included. FEES: At the border crossing from Jordan to Israel and from Israel to Egypt, every traveller must pay an entry/exit fee for the different countries. Jordan: $15 (exit fees), Israel: $32 (exit fee), Egypt: $45 (entry visa, which is actually $25 visa + $20 processing fee)

SAINT CATHERINE - MOSES WELL - EL CAIRO

At the foot of Mount Sinai, we visit the impressive walled monastery of SAINT CATHERINE. According to tradition, this is where Moses saw “the Burning Bush that burned without being consumed”. The monastery, which is a sacred place for Jews, Christians and Muslims, belongs to the Orthodox Church and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We then continue on through the Sinai Desert’s picturesque landscapes. Lunch included in route. Stop at the WELL OF MOSES, a biblical site that looks like a small oasis. We will leave Sinai through the tunnel under the SUEZ CANAL. Arrival in CAIRO at the end of the afternoon. Accommodation.

CAIRO

Full day visit where we explore the famous Pyramids of Cheops, Kefren and Micerinos (tickets to go inside the pyramids are not included), and also the impressive Sphinx, which is sculpted from rock. Visit to the Egyptian Museum with its ancient art and where the treasure of the Lost Tomb of Tutankhamen is kept. Lunch included. Citadel of Saladin and the Alabaster Mosque. We will take a walk through the Coptic neighbourhood where we visit the Hanging Church built above a Roman fortress.

EL CAIRO

Transfers to the airport and the end of our services. If you have time, we recommend that you purchase an additional night and take a trip to MEMPHIS and SAKKARA.