Your adventure starts in the busy capital city of Cairo. We'll be there to meet and greet you at the airport before we transfer you to your hotel in the city. You have the rest of the day free to explore Cairo on your own.

Guide: Included for the day

After breakfast we have a brief pre-tour briefing before we take you on a tour of Gisa and Saqqara. Gisa was built around 4600 years ago as a necropolis (cemetery) for the pharaoh Khufu (Cheops). The successor of Sneferu, Khufu was known as a tyrant and in his arrogance decided to have built a tomb that was bigger and better than all others. Standing 500 feet high and 750 feet at its base the Pyramid of Khufu is an awesome man-made structure constructed of giant blocks of stone covered in a hard limestone casing. The casing has, over the years, been stripped away to leave exposed the inner block structure. Together with the smaller pyramids of Khafre (Chephern) and Menkaure (Mycerinus), the majestic sight of these enormous structures rising out of the desert is a breathtaking spectacle. Here you have the chance to climb inside one of the pyramids (there are a limited number of tickets available, so we cannot guarantee this), and also to take a camel ride. Close by, the mysterious Sphinx stands guard, as it has done so for thousands of years. You have another guided tour around the sphinx and some free time to walk around and take photos. From here we take you to Saqqara, which lies 25km to the south of Cairo. Djeser's (Zoser's) Step Pyramid (built 4700 years ago) dominates the skyline and is believed to have been the ancient Egyptians' first attempt at Pyramid building. The entire 7km stretch of desert at Saqqara is a treasure trove of pyramids, temples and tombs, which we will have plenty of time to explore, while we learn about the history of pyramid building in Egypt.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast we begin our tour of Cairo. Founded in 969 AD by Gohar, a Fatimid army leader, El Kahera (Cairo) soon became the capital of Egypt. Subsequent additions like the El Azhar mosque, the Islamic University, and defensive walls and a citadel, built by Saladin in 1179, have helped Cairo remain Egypt's principal city. The 16-year reign of Ismail (1830-1895) ushered in a new period of expansion and modernisation in Cairo. Areas like Heliopolis, Dokki and Roda were added, while gardens, Opera houses, large hotels and wide, tree lined avenues were built. Further post revolutionary, urban expansion has left Cairo as one of the world's largest cities. Today it is a bustling metropolis of over 20 million people, a strange mix of modern and old, a unique blend of diverse cultures and a gateway to Egypt's past. Your tour includes a visit to the Egyptian Museum (which houses a vast collection of artefacts from Egypt's past, including the famous King Tutunkhamun display), the Citadel (a collection of mosques and palaces, with a great view over the city), and the Khan al Khalili bazaar (a mazy market that offers a window to the past and a guaranteed souvenir).

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

This morning we'll transfer you to Cairo airport today to board your flight to Jordan's busy capital of Amman (flight not included). Once you arrive in Amman, one of our staff will be there to meet you before taking you to the Dead Sea where you'll have to remainder of the day free to relax in the salty waters and experience the feeling of weightlessness. To make the most of your time at the Dead Sea today, we recommend a morning flight so that you'll have the whole afternoon to relax.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Today, we'll make our way down the Dead Sea coastline, passing lots of deep canyons and gorges as they meet the sea. After we pass some salt flats at the southern end of the Dead Sea we head up through the mountains towards Petra, stopping for a short walk in the beautiful scenery and hills of the Dana Biosphere Reserve along the way. This is Jordan's largest nature reserve, and there are great views of the valleys and hills on the various trails around the restored Dana village. Spring is a particularly lovely time to visit with the terrain surprisingly green and full of flowers. We'll stop for lunch and take a walk before continuing to the imposing crusader castle at Shobak, finally arriving at Petra in the evening. Subject to the tour departure date and the local schedules, you may have the option for a spectacular and atmospheric introduction to Petra tonight with the Petra by Night tour. Here you walk through the Siq to the Treasury, the whole way being atmospherically lit up by hundreds of candles.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

We start our exploration of the Rose Red city of Petra, now one of the Modern 7 Wonders of the World, with a walk through the winding Siq to the magnificent Treasury. Our guide will explain the fascinating history of the site and the Nabatean people who built it, and we'll explore several caves and tombs. You'll then have time to explore further, perhaps hiking up to the huge Monastery, carved out of the cliffs overlooking the Jordan Valley, or walking up to the High Place of Sacrifice. Late in the afternoon, we head into the spectacular desert scenery of Wadi Rum for a night under the stars enjoying the hospitality of the Bedouins. We stay in a comfortable camp with a great remote location between the sand dunes and the rocky cliffs, well away from the road and traffic. You can sleep in your traditional goat hair tent, with a proper bed and all bedding provided, or take a sleeping bag and find a secluded location to sleep outside under the stars.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast in the camp, we take a jeep safari through the sands and beneath the towering 'jebels' of Wadi Rum, stopping to climb sand dunes and to see some of the strange rock formations, including a spectacular rock bridge. We'll also do some local activities inspired from the Bedouin traditions, walking with a local shepherd with his sheep and goats to a Bedouin tent where we'll participate in making lunch. We can also join in and learn about other traditional Bedouin activities such as shearing the sheep & goats' hair, milking, grinding grains, making bread and roasting coffee until our lunch is ready. Finally, after really getting a feel for nomadic Bedouin life, we return by jeep to our camp and then drive north on the Desert Highway back to Amman. If you would like to add a few days to your tour and spend some time by the Red Sea, then an extension to Aqaba is available after you finish in Wadi Rum. This evening we'll walk out to a coffee shop or cafe near our hotel in Downtown Amman to enjoy a shisha, a game of backgammon and to reminisce on our Jordan tour.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Your time is free in Amman today until we pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to the airport for your departure. Further sightseeing tours are available today if you have a late afternoon or evening flight, including a trip to the Baptism Site at Bethany on the Jordan River. This tour also connects well with several of our Egypt and Israel tours; please contact us for ideas and help with connections.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast