Best of Egypt, Israel & Jordan

Cairo, Egypt to Tel Aviv, Israel

from AU$8,199.00

Day 1: Cairo

Arrive Cairo where you will be met and transferred to your hotel for overnight

Day 2: Cairo – Luxor

Transfer to Cairo airport for flight to Luxor (flight included). Transfer to cruise vessel. Afternoon tour of the East Bank of Luxor and the Karnak Temples. Overnight on board. (B,L,D)

Day 3: Luxor – Esna – Edfu (cruising)

Morning visit to the West Bank including the Valley of the Kings, Temple of Queen Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon. Sail across the river Nile, reach Esna Lock, cross the lock and continue sailing to Edfu. (B,L,D)

Day 4: : Edfu – Kom Ombo – Aswan (cruising)

In Edfu, visit the Temple of Horus. Sail to Kom Ombo and visit the temples of Sobek and Horus. Continue sailing to Aswan. (B,L,D)

Day 5: Aswan (cruising)

Tour Aswan with the High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk and Philae Temple. Experience a short adventure trip on the Nile by a Felucca (small boat) sailing around the islands. Overnight on board. (B,L,D)

Day 6: Aswan – Cairo

Disembark the vessel and transfer to Aswan airport for an optional morning tour to Abu Simbel or return flight to Cairo (flight included). Upon arrival in Cairo, transfer to hotel. (B)

Day 7: Cairo

Full day tour of Cairo. Visit the famous Egyptian Museum and the Giza plateau to see the Pyramids and Sphinx. (B)

Day 8: Cairo

Morning tour of Cairo featuring the Citadel of Salah El Din and Mohamed Ali Mosque. Next stop is the colourful and exotic Khan El Khalili bazaar. (B)

Day 9: Cairo – Tel Aviv

Transfer to Cairo airport for your flight to Tel Aviv (flight included) where you will be met upon arrival, and transferred to your hotel. (B)

Day 10: Tel Aviv – Caesarea – Megiddo – Tiberias

Visit the old city of Jaffa in Tel Aviv. Short walking tour of the fortified town. Pass by the house of Simon the Tanner and marvel at the views from the hill top. Drive to the archaeological ruins of Caesarea. Proceed to Megiddo, the supposed site of Armageddon. After exploring the ancient ruins, continue to Tiberias, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. (B)

Day 11: Tiberias – Capernaum – Tabgha – Golan Heights – Tiberias

Travel to Capernaum, the centre of Jesus’ ministry. Continue to Tabgha and the Church of Multiplication and its mosaic floor. Drive to the Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount. Ascend to the Golan Heights for a panoramic view. Visit the Yardenit Baptismal Site located along the Jordan River. Return to Tiberias. (B)

Day 12: Tiberias – Cana – Nazareth – Beit Shean – Jerusalem

Drive to Cana to visit the Wedding Church, where Jesus turned water into wine. Continue to Nazareth. Visit the Church of Annunciation, St. Joseph’s workshop and Mary’s Well. Drive through the Jordan Valley to Beit Shean and visit the Roman amphitheatre. Continue to Jerusalem. (B)

Day 13: Jerusalem – Masada – Qumran – Dead Sea – Jerusalem

Travel to Masada, ascending by cable car to tour the ancient fortress. Descend by cable car and visit the ancient city of Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Continue to the Dead Sea for a swim (weather permitting). Return to Jerusalem. (B)

Day 14: Jerusalem (New City) – Bethlehem* – Jerusalem

Visit the Israel Museum including the Shrine of the Book which houses the Dead Sea Scrolls. Enjoy the picturesque village of Ein Karem, where John the Baptist was born. Proceed to Yad Vashem – the Holocaust memorial set in beautiful gardens. Continue to Bethlehem and visit the Church of the Nativity and Manger Square. Return to Jerusalem. (B)

Day 15: Jerusalem (Old City)

Enter the Old City of Jerusalem where you will see the Western Wall and the actual site of the Second Temple, the Temple Mount. Walk the Way of the Cross, the Via Dolorosa, to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Visit the tomb of King David and the Room of the Last Supper on Mt. Zion. Drive to the Mount of Olives for a panoramic view of the Old City. Visit the Garden of Gethsemane. (B)

Day 16: Jerusalem – Jerash – Amman

Depart Jerusalem to the border for procedures to enter Jordan. Proceed to Jerash. Visit the ancient Roman city with colonnaded streets, the baths and the hill of the top Temple. Drive to Amman for a panoramic city tour. (B)

Day 17: Amman – Petra

Depart for Mt Nebo, the traditional burial place of Moses, for views of the Jordan Valley, Jericho, and the Dead Sea. Continue along the Desert Highway for Wadi Musa and the city of Petra. Walk, or ride on horseback to the Siq. Walk through the Siq into Petra. Visit the most interesting monuments such as the Treasury, tomb of a Nabatean King, the amphitheatre, and the Altar. (B)

Day 18: Petra – Wadi Rum – Madaba – Amman

Drive to the towering rock formations of Wadi Rum. Drive through the stunning desert landscape on a jeep safari, visiting the Lawrence Sprint and Khazali Canyon. Continue to Madaba to visit the remains of the Byzantine church with its ancient mosaic floor map. Return to Amman. (B)