Your Itinerary
Fly to Cairo via Dubai. You will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure.
Visit Egypt's most iconic sites: the Pyramids of Giza and the unblinking Sphinx, along with the atmospheric Egyptian Museum with its collections of statues, mummies and pharaonic treasures. Later, explore the Khan el Khalili Bazaar, a souk famed for its precious and semiprecious jewellery.
Spend the morning exploring Cairo's oldest district, the Coptic Quarter, with its impressive churches and the Christian artefact collection at the Coptic Museum. Later, continue to Sakkara, an ancient necropolis famed for its painted catacombs and the Step Pyramid of Djoser.
DAY 5: Explore Alexandria
Take the desert road to Alexandria, on the coast. This afternoon, you'll discover Alexandria's many highlights, from the Roman theatre to the atmospheric Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, dating back to the 2nd century. Pause for a photo at the renovated 15th-century Qaitbay Citadel, once one of the most important defensive strongholds of Africa's Mediterranean coastline.
This morning, we visit El Alamein, the site of two key battles in WWII. The Allied victory in the second battle was instrumental in ending the Axis threat to Egypt. Explore the military museum and war cemeteries before travelling southeast back to Cairo. Stop en route to visit the still-active Monastery of St Macarius, inhabited by Coptic Orthodox monks since the 4th century AD.
DAY 7: Cruise The Nile River
Take a short one-hour flight from Cairo to Luxor, where we transfer to the port and board your Nile cruise ship for our four-night cruise. Refresh yourself before this afternoon's excursions around Luxor's East Bank. Begin at the Temple Complex of Karnak, famed for the majestic Hypostyle Hall with its 134 gigantic stone columns, along with the Avenue of the Sphinxes and the Sacred Lake.
DAY 8: Explore West Bank of the River Nile
Explore the West Bank of Luxor, one of Egypt's most stunning landscapes. Admire the mysterious Colossi of Memnon statues en route to the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the gigantic funerary complex of Egypt's second-ever female Pharaoh. This afternoon, visit the Valley of the Kings, resting place of many pharaohs of the New Kingdom. Here, visit the tomb of Tutankhamun along with other richly-painted tombs of your choice. Tonight, we sail for Esna.
Enjoy a morning visit to the Temple of Horus at Edfu, one of Egypt's most beautiful and well-preserved temples, dating back to the 3rd century BC. Return to the ship for lunch as you cruise on to the town of Kom Ombo, where we visit the unusual double temple of Kom Ombo, dedicated to Horus and Sobek. Sail on to Aswan, where we dock for the next two nights.
This morning, journey southwest to the iconic twin temples of Abu Simbel, at Egypt's furthest edge. This atmospheric temple complex, perhaps the greatest in Egypt, is dedicated to Ramesses II, often considered the greatest pharaoh of the New Kingdom. Admire its many halls and imposing statues before returning to the ship in Aswan.
Discover the many highlights of Aswan on this full-day tour. Visit the 111-metre tall Aswan High Dam, see the Unfinished Obelisk in place at Aswan's ancient quarry, and visit the Temple of Philae on Agilkia Island. After lunch, embark on a felucca (traditional Nile sailing boat) for an afternoon of leisurely cruising. Enjoy a last dinner in Egypt before this evening's flight back to Cairo.
This morning, you will continue your tour with a flight to Jordan. On arrival transfer to your hotel to settle in and spend the rest of the day at leisure.
Begin your Jordan adventure with a visit to the Roman city of Jerash, known as the 'Pompeii of the East'. Here, you'll experience an ancient Roman pastime – watching a dramatic chariot race performance in Jerash's restored hippodrome. Continue to Ajloun, where we visit the 12th century castle overlooking the Jordan Valley.
Head out of the city for a visit to some of Jordan's desert castles, which are beautiful examples of early Islamic art and architecture. Return to Amman and explore the old city of Amman, visiting the Citadel and Roman theatre.
A visit to Mt Nebo, the site of Moses’ Tomb, will leave you in awe of the ruined 4th and 5th century churches here, with their floors still richly decorated with mosaics. Continue to Madaba to visit the Orthodox Church of St George, famed for its mosaic map. Your evening ends in the town of Petra, where we’ll enjoy an authentic Levantine cooking class with a local chef.
DAY 16: Petra By Day & Night
Explore beautiful Petra, the Lost City of the Nabateans, carved directly from the pink sandstone cliffs. Surrounded by imposing mountains and approached through a deep, narrow gorge known as the Siq, Petra is a poignant remnant of the ancient world. Spend an afternoon at leisure. After sunset, we'll return to Petra and see the Treasury lit by the glow of over a thousand candles.
DAY 17: Wadi Rum Desert Camp
Start with a visit to Little Petra before transferring to Wadi Rum, the Valley of the Moon. This wondrous desert is filled with ancient valleys, towered over by sandstone mountains. A comfortable 4x4 will whisk you into the heart of the wadi, where you'll follow in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia and hear the desert's long history. This evening, stay in a unique desert camp with luxurious en-suite private tents.
DAY 18: Float In The Dead Sea
Depart your luxury desert camp and head north for our final stop – the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth and famed for its spa-like minerals. Your afternoon is at leisure to float in its super-buoyant waters before our farewell dinner.
DAYS 19-20: Fly To New Zealand
Fly to New Zealand, arriving home the following day.
