Day 1 - Arrive Amman, Jordan
Arrive in Amman, where you are met by an A&K
representative and privately transferred to your hotel.
Day 2 - Aqaba
Proceed to Mount Nebo, where Moses is said to have seen
the Promised Land he would never enter. Just beyond,
Madaba — the “City of Mosaics” — reveals the oldest
preserved mosaic map of the Holy Land. Composed of two
million pieces of colored stone, it informed scholars about Jerusalem’s layout after its destruction and rebuilding in
AD 70. Continue to Aqaba and check in to your hotel.
Tonight, sit down to a special welcome dinner at the
members-only Royal Yacht Club.
Day 3 - Wadi Rum
After a morning at leisure in Aqaba, travel to Wadi Rum
— the “Valley of the Moon” — which you explore by 4x4,
traversing rose-tinted vistas and visiting a place where
Lawrence of Arabia once lived. Tonight, embrace Bedouin
life with a Chef’s Table dinner beneath twinkling desert
skies before returning to your hotel.
Day 4 - Petra
Explore stunning Petra, the ancient Nabataean city carved
from solid rock. Enter through a narrow gap, the Siq, to view
the majestic Treasury, Temple of the Winged Lions and Palace
Tomb. Once a stop for camel caravans bearing spices and silk,
Petra was lost for 1,000 years, until being rediscovered in 1812
by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. After lunch,
relax on a drive to your hotel along the shore of the Dead
Sea.
Day 5 - The Dead Sea
This morning, enjoy one of these Design Your Day options.
Explore Third-Century Jerash, “Pompeii of the Middle
East,” with its well-preserved Roman ruins, on foot.
Explore Amman, visiting its historic downtown, the Citadel and the impressive Roman Theater
Visit Bethany Beyond the Jordan on the eastern bank of
the Jordan River, known as the baptism site of Jesus.
Enjoy time at leisure, free to float in the restorative waters
of the Dead Sea.
Day 6 - Cairo, Egypt
Fly to Cairo, Egypt’s bustling capital city. This afternoon, visit the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities, home to a vast collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts.
Day 7 - Luxor
This morning, fly to Luxor, where you board ‘Sanctuary Zein Nile Chateau.’ Embark on a three-night cruise where you discover the Nile’s significant impact on ancient Egyptian civilization. After lunch on board, visit the striking Temple of Luxor. Along the front of the temple pylons, there were six large statues of Ramses II (of which three remain), while behind the East Tower is the Courtyard of Ramses II. Marvel at the Colonnade of Amenhotep III, which consists of 14 papyrus-headed columns, leading to the Court of Amenhotep III.
Day 9 - Nile Cruise
Discover the Valley of the Kings, the legendary burial ground of the pharaohs, including entrance into the tomb of “the boy king,” Tutankhamun. Journey to the Temple of Karnak, where generations of pharaohs wished to record their names. Walk through the Great Hypostyle Hall with its expertly aligned columns, a sight to behold. Continue cruising to the Temple of Horus, the falcon-headed god. Built in 230 BC by Ptolemy III, and having spent much of the modern era buried in sand and debris, this well-preserved and colorful structure reveals what temple worship in ancient Egypt was like. Sail toward Aswan while enjoying a Scenic Sundowner overlooking the Nile.
Day 10 - Aswan
Disembark in Aswan and ride a motorized boat to Philae
Temple on the island of Agilika. Continue to the impressive
granite quarries and site of the Unfinished Obelisk, thought
to have belonged to Queen Hatshepsut or Queen Nefertiti.
Arrive at your historic luxury hotel. Dating back to 1899,
the property was built by Thomas Cook to house European
travellers, among them Sir Winston Churchill; Margaret
Thatcher; and Agatha Christie, whose novel, Death on the
Nile, included this Victorian palace. Board a felucca and
sail around Elephantine Island, and dine in the famed
1902 restaurant.
Day 11 - Abu Simbel & Cairo
Fly to Abu Simbel and discover the commanding twin temples of Ramses II — Egypt’s longest-ruling pharaoh — and his wife, Queen Nefertari. Located on the banks of Lake Nasser, this site is both an ancient and a modern engineering marvel. Return to the airport and fly to Cairo via Aswan. Check in to your hotel and spend the remainder of the day at leisure.
Day 12 - Cairo
This morning, join your expert A&K Egyptologist and
discover the pyramids built for Cheops, Chephren and
Mycerinus on the Giza Plateau. Then, Ride Like a Local, on
camel back, as you take in the panorama of the Giza Plateau
backdropped by the soaring pyramids. Also see the fabled
Great Sphinx, a monumental limestone statue. Next, visit
the ancient capital of Memphis, the city of Menes, as well as
the necropolis of Sakkara, site of the storied Step Pyramid
of King Djoser and the oldest-known Egyptian pyramid.
Tonight, toast to your travels with fellow guests at a farewell
dinner.
Day 13 - Depart Cairo
Transfer to the airport and board your flight home.