Travel Dates
Departing 2nd Dec 2020
Package Provider: Trafalgar
Package Type: Package
Region: Middle East
Duration: 20 Nights
Awaken your inner explorer on this expedition through the lush river valleys and golden desert landscapes of Egypt. Cruise the Nile past the pharaonic temples of Luxor to the Nubian treasures of Aswan. Your voyage will also take you to the mystical Pyramids of Giza, Tomb of the Nobles and the Sphinx.
From the Wailing Wall to the rose-red façades of Petra, this historical interlude with Israel and Jordan will see you visit the tomb of King David, the Mount of Beatitudes and the Dead Sea, before following in the footsteps of spice traders across desert landscapes.
Your Fly & Tour Package Includes:
Extend your flights and stay longer - talk to our travel experts about more options!
Sightseeing Highlights – Best of Egypt
SIGHTSEEING TOUR with a Local Specialist in Luxor and Cairo
VISIT the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the temples of Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, Queen Hatshepsut's Temple and the Colossi of Memnon in Luxor, the Temple of Kom-Ombo and the temple of Isis on the island of Philae
VIEW the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk in Aswan, the Citadel, Alabaster and Sultan Hassan Mosques in Cairo and the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx at Giza
SEE the Ramses II statue and Alabaster Sphinx in Memphis and the Step Pyramid in Sakkara
SAIL in a felucca across the Nile
Sightseeing Highlights – Best of Israel & Jordan
VISIT the Fortress of Masada and the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem, the Mount of Olives and the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, the Church of Annunciation in Nazareth, Jesus Boat at the Sea of Galilee, the old Synagogue and the Mount of Beatitudes near Capernaum, the ancient Synagogue and artists' colony at Safed, the underground Crusader City of Acre, and the Roman Amphitheatre at Caesarea, the Greco-Roman city at Jerash, the unique ancient city at Petra, the Crusader Fortress at Shobak and Wadi Rum
VIEW the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, the Baha'i Shrine from the summit of Mount Carmel in Haifa, the excavations of Solomon's Stables and the Roman Amphitheatre and the aqueduct at Caesarea, the Roman amphitheatre and Citadel in Amman, Moses' Promised Land on Mount Nebo and the mosaic map of the Holy Land at Madaba
SCENIC CRUISE boat ride on the Sea of Galilee
The Trafalgar Difference:
CONNECT WITH LOCALS - In Jaffa, meet the Hiffawi family for a 'Be My Guest' lunch and taste the coffee they have been making for generations. You'll also learn their story of living as Christians in a multi-religious society. (Day 7)
Embrace the genuine hospitality of your Jordanian hosts during an exclusive 'Be My Guest' dinner with a family in their Amman home featuring favourite local flavours. (Day 9)
DIVE INTO CULTURE - Visit the Western Wall, otherwise known as the Wailing Wall, renowned as one of the holiest places for the Jewish faith.(Day 3)
In the 'Rose City' of Petra, you'll see tombs and temples carved into pink sandstone cliffs and admire the 45m-high façades of Al Khazneh, the Treasury. (Day 11)
MAKE A DIFFERENCE - Visit the Iraq Al Amir Women's Centre and learn how they create soap from olive oil and greeting cards from recycled paper, followed by lunch prepared by the women. (Day 9)
LOCAL SPECIALIST - For included sightseeing in Jerusalem and Amman
Best of Egypt Itinerary:
Day 1 - Arrive Cairo
Embark on an expedition to the land of the Pharaohs. On arrival at Cairo Airport, transfer to your hotel and relax after your journey.
Day 2 - Cairo – Luxor – Nile Cruise (4 Nights)
Fly to Luxor this morning and connect with the remnants of ancient Thebes during a visit to the Temple of Amun and the imposing Avenue of the Sphinx. Board your cruise ship in time for lunch, then visit the Luxor Museum before returning to your cruise ship for dinner.
Day 3 - Nile Cruise: Luxor – Edfu
Journey to the final resting place of Egypt's Pharaohs, immersing yourself in the ancient history of Egypt's Valley of the Kings. Visit the mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the Colossi of Memnon and the Grand Temple of Luxor. 'Connect With Locals' as you enjoy a traditional 'Be My Guest' bite to eat of freshly baked bread with honey and mint tea in the archaeological paradise that is Luxor's West Bank.
Day 4 - Nile Cruise: Edfu – Kom-Ombo
Sail upstream to Kom-Om, where life remains much as it was a thousand years ago. Tour the Temple of Kom-Ombo. Donning our galabeas, we enjoy a traditional Egyptian dinner on board this evening.
Day 5 - Nile Cruise: Kom-Ombo – Aswan
Set sail on a traditional felucca across the mighty Nile to see the Botanical Gardens on Kitchener's Island. On arrival explore the Aswan Dam, built to curb the periodic flooding of the Nile. Our next stop is the Temple of Isis, followed by a visit to the Unfinished Obelisk, lying semi-carved from the solid bedrock. As the dipping sun sets the sky on fire, admire the silhouette of feluccas plying the river's waters.
Day 6 - Disembark – Cairo (3 Nights)
Enjoy a day at leisure or perhaps join an Optional Experience to the Sun Temple of Abu Simbel before flying back to Cairo this afternoon.
Day 7 - Cairo Sightseeing
Embark on a sightseeing tour through the cacophony of Cairo's busy streets. Visit the Hanging Church of St. Mary and the Sultan Hassan Mosque in Old Cairo and see the ancient Citadel, the Alabaster Mosque and Tutankhamun's priceless treasures at the Egyptian Museum.
Day 8 - Cairo – Pyramid Excursion
The Great Pyramids of Giza beckon today and we have an opportunity to embark on a soul-stirring encounter with its treasures - the Colossus of Ramses II, the Step Pyramid of Sakkara and the enigmatic Great Sphinx. Enjoy some free time this evening or consider joining a Nile dinner cruise.
Day 9 - Depart Cairo
Our epic journey at its end, we say farewell to newfound friends and transfer to the airport.
Best of Israel and Jordan Itinerary:
Day 1 - Arrive Tel Aviv – Jerusalem (3 Nights)
Your journey through a land regarded by many as the holiest of the holy begins in the sacred city of Jerusalem, which you will have an opportunity to explore before joining your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a Welcome Drink to herald an epic journey into antiquity. L'chaim!
Day 2 - Jerusalem – Dead Sea – Masada – Jerusalem
Journey across the rocky Judean Desert to the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found accidentally by a Bedouin boy in 1947. Visit the striking clifftop fortress of Masada, where a Roman siege ended in the tragic mass suicide of over 900 Zealots. Their sacrifice remains as a symbol of Israel's pledge to remain free. Stroll through the excavations of Herod's palatial retreat, before returning to the lowest point on earth to float in the salty waters of the Dead Sea (time permitting). This evening, we share a traditional meal at our hotel.
Day 3 - Jerusalem Old City – Bethlehem – Jerusalem
Tread in the footsteps of prophets, crusaders and kings, admiring the Old City of Jerusalem from the sacred vantage point of the Mount of Olives. Stroll through the Jewish Quarter where you'll 'Dive Into Culture' at the Wailing Wall and watch faithful Jews cede their prayers to the crevices of its ancient rocks. See the Dome of the Rock on Temple Mount and follow the path taken by Christ past the Stations of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa to Golgotha, arriving at the 4th-century Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Christians gather to commemorate at the traditional site of His Resurrection. Later this afternoon, travel to Bethlehem where the story of Mary, Joseph and Jesus officially begins. Visit the Church of Nativity, built on the site traditionally considered to be the birthplace of Jesus, and the Manger Square before returning to Jerusalem.
Day 4 - New City Of Jerusalem – Lower Galilee (2 Nights)
This morning, continue your compelling discovery of Jerusalem and visit Yad Vashem to commemorate the millions of lives lost in the Holocaust during World War II. See the Dead Sea Scrolls at Israel Museum's Shrine of the Book, the Knesset, and the Givat Ram Campus of the Hebrew University, before travelling through the farmlands of the Jordan Valley. In Nazareth, you'll have an opportunity to visit the sacred Catholic Shrine of the Church of Annunciation, whose cupola overlooks the cave in which Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary to share the blessing that she would conceive and give birth to the Son of God. Celebrate a strong sense of community at your overnight stop at a Kibbutz hotel, where you'll dine this evening.
Day 5 - Boat Ride – Capernaum – Mount Of Beatitudes – Safed – Lower Galilee
Begin the day with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and visit the Jesus Boat, an ancient fishing vessel dating to the 1st century AD. Continue to the ruins of the old synagogue at Capernaum, said to have been built on the home of St. Peter. Then visit the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. Next, venture to one of Judaism's Four Holy Cities and the birthplace of the Kabbalah movement, Safed. Proceed to your Kibbutz hotel in Lower Galilee where you'll enjoy dinner.
Day 6 - Acre – Haifa – Caesarea – Tel Aviv (2 Nights)
Continue to the almost-intact 12th-century underground City of Acre to admire its medieval Crusader buildings, before enjoying views of the Baha'i Shrine and the beautiful Persian Hanging Gardens of Haifa, created as a memorial to the founders of the Baha'i faith. Imagine seafaring traders plying their wares in the ancient port city of Caesarea, then travel to the vibrant city of Tel Aviv, our home for the next two nights.
Day 7 - Tel Aviv Sightseeing and Free Time
Visit Rabin Square this morning. Here you'll learn about the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who has become a symbol of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Continue to Newe Zedek, the first neighbourhood of Tel Aviv and soak up the cosmopolitan atmosphere of Rothchild Boulevard. Next, stroll through the ancient ruins of Old Jaffa and explore the biblical stories and ancient mythology of the Old Port. The robust aroma of coffee makes an appearance next at an exclusive 'Be My Guest' lunch in Ajami neighbourhood where you'll 'Connect With Locals' and learn about the personal story of a Christian girl growing up in a Jewish, Muslim and Christian area.
Day 8 - Tel Aviv – Amman (2 Nights)
We leave the sacred lands of Israel and journey to the white stone city of Amman. Meet your fellow travellers this evening for a cocktail reception followed by dinner.
Day 9 - Amman – Jerash – Amman
This morning, we embark on a city tour of Amman to see its Citadel, Archaeological Museum, Roman Amphitheatre and Folklore Museum. Our next stop is to Iraq Al Amir where we'll 'Make a Difference' at the Iraq Al Amir Women's Association and learn first-hand how they make soap from olive oil and craft greeting cards and note books from recycled paper. Try your hand at making your own before enjoying a lunch prepared by the women. We continue to the ancient city of Jerash, a favourite city of the Roman emperor Hadrian and an important stop on the incense and spice trade route to the Mediterranean. Amble past its soaring Corinthian columns and view its almost intact city walls, before returning to the seven hills of Amman, where tonight we'll 'Connect With Locals' over an exclusive 'Be My Guest' dinner with a local family featuring Jordanian favourites.
Day 10 - Amman – Petra (2 Nights)
The enchanting rose-red façades of Petra, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, beckon, but not before we visit Mount Nebo, one of the most revered holy sites of Jordan and the place where Moses is buried. You'll see the Madaba Mosaic Map that covers the floor of the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George in Madaba and ascend to the Crusader Shobak Castle, perched on the side of a mountain. We arrive in Petra later, where we'll spend the next two nights at one of Trafalgar's 'Stays With Stories' - the Hyatt Zaman, built on and around an ancient village.
Day 11 - Petra Sightseeing
Imagine silk and spice caravans plying their wares as we 'Dive Into Culture' and enter this mystical trading city through the narrow Siq, flanked by towering cliffs soaring 80 metres high. Emerging from the path, the stone façade of the Treasury with its ornate decoration looms ahead - the first of many wonders to be explored. Later, we join a Bedouin tribe for dinner in their camp near Little Petra.
Day 12 - Petra – Wadi Rum – Amman
This morning, we journey through desert landscapes to Wadi Rum, a timeless place whose towering sand dunes were once described by T.E. Lawrence as "vast, echoing and god-like". Embark on a jeep tour through the desert watching the landscape rise almost 2,000 metres from the desert floor, amidst which you'll find canyons, waterholes and rock paintings that span millennia. Return to Amman for your final night in Jordan, enjoying a Farewell Dinner with your travel companions. As the sun sets on this magical city, listen to the mystical call of the muezzin and reminisce over an enchanting trip into antiquity.
Day 13 - Depart Amman
This morning, we bid farewell to this extraordinary land. Transfers to Amman airport are available. Conditions apply.
Conditions apply. Subject to availability and change without notice. Full supplier conditions apply. Valid for new bookings only. Prices valid at the time of publication. Prices are per person based on twin share occupancy unless otherwise stated and displayed in AU$. Member savings are calculated using the original advertised price.