Jordan & Egypt Grand Tour – JEG

Itinerary

Day 1 – Cairo

Welcome to Egypt, a land of remarkable history and warm hospitality. On arrival at Cairo Airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel, where the remainder of the day is free to settle in after your journey.

Accommodation: Hyatt Regency Cairo West (or similar)

Depending on your arrival time, you may prefer to relax at the hotel or enjoy your first taste of Egyptian life with a refreshing mint tea. Tomorrow, your discovery of this fascinating country begins.

Accommodation: Hyatt Regency Cairo West

Day 2 – Pyramids of Giza & Grand Egyptian Museum

After breakfast, meet your guide for a welcome briefing before setting out for one of the great highlights of your holiday: the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx.

Seeing these magnificent monuments in person is an unforgettable experience. Your guide will introduce the pharaohs who commissioned them and explain their significance in ancient Egyptian life. Continue to the Grand Egyptian Museum, where beautifully presented galleries bring the world of ancient Egypt to life. Admire remarkable treasures and craftsmanship, gaining a deeper appreciation of the civilisation you will encounter throughout your journey. Return to your hotel with the remainder of the day at leisure.

Accommodation: Hyatt Regency Cairo West (or similar) Meals: B

Day 3 – Cairo, El Alamein & Alexandria

Leave Cairo and travel towards Egypt’s Mediterranean coast, stopping at the Commonwealth War Graves cemetery at El Alamein. For New Zealand and Australian travellers, this is a particularly moving visit. Take time to reflect on the sacrifices made during the North African campaign and remember those who served far from home.

Continue to Alexandria, where the Mediterranean setting offers a change of scenery. After checking into your hotel, enjoy some free time to relax or take in the coastal atmosphere.

Accommodation: Sunrise Alex Avenue (or similar) Meals: B

Day 4 – Alexandria & Return to Cairo

This morning, discover Alexandria, a city shaped by its Mediterranean setting and layers of Egyptian, Greek and Roman history. Its waterfront promenade, known as the Corniche, provides a lively backdrop to your sightseeing.

Visit the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, an intriguing underground burial complex where Egyptian and Greco-Roman traditions come together in the decoration and design. A spiral staircase leads down to the chambers, making this a fascinating glimpse into ancient beliefs and customs. Later, return to Cairo and check into your hotel before tomorrow’s flight to Aswan.

Accommodation: Sonesta Hotel, Tower & Casino Cairo (or similar) Meals: B

Day 5 – Fly to Aswan, Philae Temple & Nubian Hospitality

Take an early flight to Aswan, where the Nile, desert hills and island scenery create a beautiful introduction to southern Egypt. On arrival, travel by boat to the island setting of Philae Temple. Dedicated to the goddess Isis, this graceful complex features impressive gateways, carved columns and detailed reliefs. Its rescue from rising waters adds another remarkable chapter to its story. After checking into your hotel, enjoy time to relax before a traditional felucca sailing on the Nile.

This evening, visit a Nubian family on Elephantine Island for an included dinner. Enjoy home-style cooking and warm hospitality while learning something of the traditions and daily life of this distinctive community.

Accommodation: Hotel Tolip Aswan (or similar) Meals: B, D

Day 6 – Discover Aswan

Explore more of Aswan’s fascinating heritage today, beginning with the Unfinished Obelisk. Still lying in its ancient quarry, this enormous monument offers an insight into the skill and ambition of Egypt’s stoneworkers.

Continue to the Nubian Museum, where displays of art, historical objects and everyday life introduce the rich culture of Nubia. Your sightseeing also includes the Aswan High Dam, an immense engineering project that transformed the Nile Valley and created Lake Nasser.

Optional experience, additional cost: Enjoy another perspective of the Nile on a sunset felucca sailing, with refreshments on board.

Accommodation: Hotel Tolip Aswan (or similar) Meals: B

Day 7 – Abu Simbel & Board Your Nile Cruise

An early start takes you across the desert to the extraordinary temples of Abu Simbel.

The immense seated statues of Ramses II create a breathtaking first impression. Explore the great temple and the neighbouring temple associated with Queen Nefertari, admiring their monumental scale and richly carved interiors.

These remarkable structures were carefully dismantled and relocated to higher ground to protect them from the rising waters of Lake Nasser — an achievement almost as impressive as their original construction. Return to Aswan and board your Nile cruise vessel, your floating home for the next three nights.

Optional experience, additional cost: Visit the Monastery of St Simeon, with boat travel and a camel ride, subject to the day’s arrangements.

Accommodation: M/S Tower Prestige Nile cruise (or similar) Meals: B, L, D

Day 8 – Kom Ombo & Life Along the Nile

Step ashore to explore Kom Ombo Temple, beautifully positioned beside the Nile. Its unusual double design honours two gods: Sobek, associated with the crocodile, and Haroeris, a form of the falcon-headed Horus.

Wander among the columns and discover detailed carvings that reveal aspects of ancient worship and daily life. Your guide will help bring the temple’s stories into focus. Back on board, enjoy time to relax as your cruise continues towards Edfu. Watch scenes of riverside life unfold, from cultivated fields and palms to small settlements beside the water. Lunch and dinner are served on board.

Accommodation: M/S Tower Prestige Nile cruise (or similar) Meals: B, L, D

Day 9 – Edfu & Cruise to Luxor

Your vessel stops near Edfu before continuing along the Nile towards Luxor. Enjoy a day aboard, with time to read, chat with fellow travellers or simply admire the changing scenery. Passing through the lock at Esna adds interest to the journey. Lunch and dinner are included on board, followed by an evening belly-dancing performance.

N.B: Edfu is a scheduled cruise stop; a visit to the Temple of Edfu is not included.

Accommodation: M/S Tower Prestige Nile cruise (or similar) Meals: B, L, D

Day 10 – Luxor & Magnificent Karnak

After breakfast, farewell your cruise vessel and begin exploring Luxor, one of Egypt’s greatest centres of ancient history. Visit the magnificent Karnak Temple complex, where towering columns, imposing gateways, obelisks and sacred courtyards reflect the power and devotion of successive pharaohs. Walking through its great halls is a memorable encounter with the scale of ancient Egyptian achievement.

Later, check into your hotel and enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure. You might relax beside the pool, browse local shops or enjoy a quiet cup of tea.

Optional experience, additional cost: Visit Luxor Temple in the late afternoon.

Accommodation: Steigenberger Resort Achti – Luxor (or similar) Meals: B

Day 11 – V Valley of the Kings & Queen Hatshepsut’s Temple

Today, discover the remarkable monuments of Luxor’s West Bank.

Pause at the Colossi of Memnon, two enormous seated statues that once guarded the entrance to a grand temple. Continue to the Valley of the Kings, where royal tombs were cut deep into the desert hills. Visit three tombs, with your guide explaining the beliefs, burial traditions and beautifully preserved decoration associated with the pharaohs’ journey into the afterlife. Next, admire the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. Its elegant terraces and colonnades sit beneath dramatic limestone cliffs, creating one of Egypt’s most striking settings. The afternoon is free to relax or explore further independently.

Accommodation: Steigenberger Resort Achti – Luxor (or similar) Meals: B

Day 12 – Luxor to the Red Sea

Farewell the Nile Valley and travel through the Eastern Desert towards Hurghada on the Red Sea. Watch the landscape change from cultivated farmland to rocky desert hills before the blue waters of the coast come into view.

On arrival, check into your beachfront resort and join your guide for an orientation walk. The remainder of the day is free to settle in and enjoy your surroundings, followed by an included buffet dinner at the hotel.

Optional experience, additional cost: A more extensive Hurghada city tour, including a traditional boatbuilding workshop, fish market, souk, mosque and church.

Accommodation: Marriott Hurghada Beach Resort (or similar) Meals: B, D

Day 13 – A Day to Relax in Hurghada

Enjoy a full day at leisure beside the Red Sea. Make the most of your resort, find a comfortable spot by the water or take a gentle stroll. After the many historical wonders of the past few days, this is a welcome opportunity to pause and enjoy the coastal setting. Dinner is included at your hotel this evening.

Optional experience, additional cost: Join a full-day snorkelling cruise, with opportunities to discover colourful fish and coral. Transfers, snorkelling equipment and lunch are included in the excursion.

Accommodation: Marriott Hurghada Beach Resort (or similar) Meals: B, D

Day 14 – Return to Cairo & Khan el-Khalili Bazaar

Fly back to Cairo and visit the atmospheric Khan el-Khalili bazaar. Explore winding lanes filled with colourful textiles, traditional crafts, jewellery and fragrant spices. Whether you are choosing a keepsake or simply enjoying the surroundings, the market offers a memorable glimpse of Cairo’s trading traditions. Continue to your hotel, where the remainder of the day is free.

Optional experience, additional cost: Share a home-cooked dinner with an Egyptian family and learn more about local customs and everyday life.

Accommodation: Sonesta Hotel, Tower & Casino Cairo (or similar) Meals: B

Day 15 – Farewell Egypt, Welcome to Jordan

After breakfast, farewell your Egyptian tour leader and transfer to the airport for your flight to Amman. On arrival in Jordan, a local representative will meet you and arrange your transfer to the hotel. Meet your Jordanian tour leader and settle in for the next chapter of your journey. The remainder of the day offers time to relax and enjoy your first impressions of Jordan’s capital.

Accommodation: Signia by Hilton Amman (or similar) Meals: B

Day 16 – Amman & the Roman City of Jerash

Discover Amman’s blend of ancient heritage and contemporary life.

Your sightseeing includes the hilltop Citadel, the Jordan Archaeological Museum and the Roman Theatre. Visit the souq for a glimpse of everyday shopping and the lively atmosphere of the city.

Continue north to Jerash, where colonnaded streets, grand gateways, theatres and public squares reveal the impressive scale of this ancient Roman city. The sweeping columns of the Oval Plaza are a particular highlight. As you explore with your guide, it becomes easier to imagine the merchants, performers and citizens who once filled these streets. Lunch is included today before returning to Amman.

Accommodation: Signia by Hilton Amman (or similar) Meals: B, L

Day 17 – Madaba, Dana Viewpoint & Shobak Castle to Petra

Travel towards Petra today, discovering some of Jordan’s fascinating heritage along the way. Your first stop is Madaba, renowned for its beautiful Byzantine mosaics. At St George’s Greek Orthodox Church, see the surviving sections of an intricate mosaic map depicting the Holy Land. Continue to a viewpoint overlooking the Dana Nature Reserve, where rugged mountains and sweeping valleys create a memorable panorama.

Travel along the historic King’s Highway to Shobak Castle. Set on a hill above the surrounding landscape, its weathered walls and surviving chambers offer an evocative glimpse of Jordan’s Crusader history. Arrive in Petra and settle into your hotel for a two-night stay.

Accommodation: Movenpick Petra Resort (or similar) Meals: B

Day 18 – The Rose-Coloured City of Petra

Today brings one of the great highlights of your journey: the ancient city of Petra. Walk through the Siq, a narrow passage between towering rock walls. As the canyon opens, the beautifully carved façade of the Treasury comes into view — a moment many travellers remember long after returning home. Explore this remarkable Nabataean city with your guide, discovering rock-cut tombs, an ancient theatre and the colonnaded street. The warm colours of the sandstone and the scale of the surrounding landscape make Petra an extraordinary place to experience.

The itinerary includes the optional walk to the Monastery, another magnificent carved façade set above the main site. This section with many steps; discuss the day’s walking and arrangements with your guide before setting out. Return to your hotel after a rewarding day of discovery.

Accommodation: Movenpick Petra Resort (or similar) Meals: B

Day 19 – Petra to the Desert Landscapes of Wadi Rum

Leave Petra and travel to Wadi Rum, a spectacular desert landscape of red sand, towering sandstone mountains and wind-shaped rock formations. Visit the visitor centre before discovering more of this remarkable region, often called the Valley of the Moon. The vast spaces and changing colours provide wonderful opportunities for photography.

Meet local Bedouin people and enjoy their hospitality at your desert camp. This evening, share an included dinner and savour the atmosphere of a night in the desert.

Accommodation: Saraya Rum Camp – Wadi Rum (or similar) Meals: B, D

N.B: Your accommodation has its own ensuite. Facilities and bedding are simpler than at the hotels used elsewhere on the tour.

Day 20 – Wadi Rum, the Dead Sea & Amman

Wake to the classic beauty of Wadi Rum. This morning’s programme includes a desert walk and a climb up a sand dune for expansive views across the surrounding landscape.

Continue across the sands by camel, or take the available 4WD alternative if you prefer. Later, travel to the Dead Sea for an included lunch and an afternoon beside its remarkable waters. You may like to experience the unusual sensation of floating in the highly saline water, or simply relax and enjoy the setting. Continue to Amman for the final night of your holiday.

Accommodation: Signia by Hilton Amman (or similar) Meals: B, L

Day 21 – Amman

Your journey concludes today. At the appropriate time, transfer to Amman Airport for your onward flight, taking home memories of ancient wonders, welcoming communities and the extraordinary landscapes of Egypt and Jordan. Meal: B

Included: Departure airport transfer

THIS ITINERARY IS THE PROPERTY OF THE TOUR COMPANY AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.