Arabian Nights Fantasy Tour
An 11-Day Egypt and Jordan Tour

A week in Egypt and a Foray into Jordan and Petra
We have even included al the tips. No hidden charges . No additional tax.

Here's the best of Egypt & Jordan in 11 - Days : a good look at Cairo , Jerash, Amman , Petra and even a 5-day cruise along the Nile . Tour Starts DAILY in Cairo , subject to the availability

Compare with the short Version : Start Cairo or Amman
Compare with 14 day A La Indiana Jones , the 22 days Wonders of Egypt & Arabia

DAY 1 - CAIRO Tour Starts DAILY in Cairo - Arrive any day of the week .
On arrival, our local rep. will escort you to your comfortable hotel. Our local representative greets you at the airport and whisks you to your hotel. Visa maybe issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for a limited number of citizens such as : American, EU , Canadian , EU Singaporean and Japanese citizens. For Americans , please pay the $ 15 USD fee in cash upon arrival . You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo. Our local rep. meets with a sign that carries your name you after you clear the passport and customs formalities . After exiting the terminal, our local representative will escort you (private vehicle) to the hotel.

DAY 2 - CAIRO (BLD)
On your first full day in Egypt we show you the Egyptian Museum, including the " Mummies Room" , and King Tut's gold treasure room , then on to Gize to tour : the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx,Cheops Royal Barge Museum , time permitting we may be able to enjoy a walk through Khan El Khalili bazaar district, the Citadel of Saladin, and the Mohammed Ali Mosque, made of alabaster.
Lunch is included at the Mena House . Dinner is included at La Bodega Restaurant.

DAY 3 - ASWAN ( or Luxor ) , -Board your Nile Cruise - Camel Caravan! (BLD)
We fly to Aswan and board our Nile cruiser in time for a delicious lunch. Complimentary welcome fruit basket awaits you in your cabin. In the afternoon we enjoy a leisurely sail by graceful felucca on the Nile. Only for those who are interested: a short camel caravan & ride for almost half an hour to visit a local Nubian Village.

Private touring on board the Nile cruise: more and more guests no longer want to with the pack stop where you wish to take that perfect photo, for private air conditioned vehicle, and private Egyptologist : Please add $ 250 per person for the full cruise/shore excursions.

Jacquie Kennedy & Abu Simbel:
All Americans alive during the 1960s remember President John F Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. Most Americans from that time also remember Abu Simbel, the dramatic, ancient pharaonic temple threatened by the rising waters blocked by the new Aswan High Dam.It’s worth remembering that it was Jacquie Kennedy who provided crucial support for the mammoth rescue project. Without her help, Abu Simbel might have been lost. Read More

DAY 4 - ASWAN - KOM OMBO (BLD)
First we tour new Nubian Museum then the awesome Aswan dams, and next an ancient granite quarry complete with an unfinished obelisk. Then we go by motor launch to the Island temple of Philae , dedicated to the Ancient Goddess ISIS :

The Mystery of Isis : Two millennia ago the Mediterranean world was enthralled by the mystery of Isis:

"I, Isis, am all that has been, that is or shall be; no mortal man hath ever seen me unveiled."

Called Aset by the ancient Egyptians, the goddess was a Madonna in the Mediterranean tradition that stretches far, far back to the primitive Mother Goddess from Anatolia, home to some of the oldest human communities on earth.

Isis was the powerful and quick-witted protector of her son Horus, the Sun God. Ancient peoples throughout the Mediterranean regarded Isis and Horus as the perfect Madonna and Child. Another legend says she was also the mother of the fertility god Min who, judging from the depiction of him on temple walls, needed no help from Viagra!

Because of her wisdom and skill at protection, she was admired as a good magician capable of healing the sick and protecting the dead in their journey to the Underworld.

Isis, the great Mother Goddess. Come explore her mystery in timeless
Egypt when you Travel in Style!

Re-embarking on our Nile cruiser, we sail downstream to Kom Ombo to visit its twin temples.

DAY 5 - EDFU - ESNA (BLD)
We moor in Edfu, climb aboard horse-drawn carriages, and clip-clop through the town to the Temple of Horus, Egypt's best-preserved temple. Re-embarking, we cruise to Esna and pass through Esna Locks . Evening finds us in Luxor.

DAY 6 - LUXOR (BLD)
We tour today as well the magnificent tombs in the Valley of the Kings , including Tutankaomn's tomb, and the great temple of Queen Hatshepsut, we stop at the Colossi of Memnon on the way back to our cruise.

Afterward, we'll continue on Luxor's west bank to get a totally different perspective on ancient Egyptian life, at the ancient workers' settlement of Deir el-Medinah. While most of the imposing stone monuments and sites of Egypt honor the lives and after-lives of royalty, Deir el-Medinah gives us unique and surprising insights into the ordinary citizens who constructed and decorated the tombs.

Here we'll see the excavated homes shared by laborers with their domestic animals. These quarters were surprisingly large, with three good-sized rooms, courtyard, kitchen, and even storage cellars. While ancient Egypt might not have been a workers' paradise, we'll see that artisans and builders were highly regarded in their community. We are proud to be the only operator to offer regular visits to this singular ancient settlement in its tour and cruise programs.

DAY 7 - LUXOR - CAIRO - Home Hosted Family Dinner (B)
The gigantic Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, and the mighty Temple of Luxor are our goals in the morning, followed by a return flight to Cairo. In the afternoon, wander through the city on your own, or do your last-minute shopping.

Dinner is included at a local home:
Meet the locals, you may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family ( T shirt , small souvenirs of your home town):
This evening we'll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread . . . right into the homes of some of the people of Cairo l! You'll be invited to a family dinner, and while you enjoy wholesome home-cooked specialties, you'll learn about and appreciate the outlook, aspirations, and way of life of your hosts. Be assured, as curious as you may be about your new friends, they're sure to have questions about your own background. Once the ice is broken, you'll enjoy a lively evening, and find that you have more in common than you ever suspected. Of course, you may enjoy dinner in a quiet restaurant with your travel companions, by letting us know your preferences.

DAY 8 - CAIRO-Amman (BD)
Our representative escorts you to the airport for your Amman bound flight. Bon Voyage ! Air fare is included in our rate between Cairo & Amman . tax included
We'll pick you up from Queen Alia Airport, visa is issued upon arrival with our compliment for citizens of the : USA, EU, Canada, Australia, NZ & Japan. Welcome complimentary dinner at the hotel.

DAY 9 -Amman (BL)
This day is dedicated to discovering Amman, the capital of the Kingdom of Jordan, with its unique combination of modern sites and archeological highlights, and Jerash, the best preserved Roman City of the East. Lunch is included at a local restaurant.
On to Mt. Nebo! Then we'll continue to Madaba and visit the site of the oldest map of the Holy Land, St. George's Cathedral. Back to Amman and your hotel .

Day 10 - Petra (BLD)
Early morning departure by an air conditioned sedan / van, lunch is included enroute
We'll spend the entire day at Petra, the stunning desert city hewn by the Nabateans from solid cliffs of pink and violet sandstone. Petra was known in the bible as Sela, and rediscovered only in 1812. You'll feel like Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark as you penetrate into the city through a narrow sandstone gorge, the Siq, and wander among the Temple of the Winged Lion, tombs, Roman theater, and the imposing Treasury.

Petra has a lot to tell. The visit starts at the visitor’s center, where each person is assigned a Bedouin guided horse for the journey to the entrance of the lost city. After passing some tombs which are located outside the city, the visitor passes through the SIQ, an immense crack in the Nubian sandstone. It is a winding, one-kilometer-long fissure between overhanging cliffs that seem to meet more than 300 feet overhead.
Near the end of the passage, the SIQ, with great style, makes one last turn and out of the gloom in towering brightness appears Petra’s most impressive monument, el Khazneh - The Treasury. This is one of the most elegant remains of antiquity, carved out of the solid rock from the side of the mountain, is nearly 140 feet high and 90 feet wide.
Beyond el Khazneh the visitor is surrounded on both sides by hundreds of Petra’s carved and built structures, soaring temples, elaborate royal tombs, a carved Roman theater, large and small houses, burial chambers and much more. The Victorian traveler and poet, Dean Burgon, gave Petra a description which holds to this day - “Match me such a marvel save in Eastern clime, a rose-red city half as old as time.” After that, we will return to the hotel to get prepared for a Moonlight dinner served at a Bedouin camp. This evening we have a fantastic traditional dinner under the stars in a Bedouin camp, at a site that dates back more than 2,000 years.

Day 11 - Departure (cB)
Our local rep. will escort you back to the airport ( Departure tax is included in our rate) . For those going on to Syria with us. You will continue on to The Syrian border, visit Bosra before continuing to Damascus. Or if you are touring Syria on your own, we'll be glad to arrange for the transfer to Bosra in Syria ( Supplement $165 per person, minimum 2 guests, private car/driver to Bosra)

For guests who have to fly back to Cairo to connect with their international flight from Cairo :
Please click here . Itinerary is subject to change without notice.

RATES per person in USD

• Private touring on board the Nile cruise: more and more guests no longer want to with the pack stop where you wish to take that perfect photo, for private air conditioned vehicle, and private Egyptologist : Please add $250 per person for the full cruise/shore excursions.
  
• For Dec 20-Jan 2 & Easter , please add % 15 supplement to any of the listed rates.

Rates includes

• All airfares within Egypt in "y" class as well as Cairo Amman flight . Tax included
  
• All transfers in Egypt & Jordan .
  
• Hotel accommodation with tax & service charges.
  
• Visa fee for Jordan ,visa will be issued upon arrival at Airports for : American,Australian, NZ, EU , Canadian & Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of your arrival.
  
• Nile Cruise with all meals and shore excursions .
  
• One large bottle water ( per person ) daily while on board the cruise .
  
• A welcome fruit basket when you arrive on board the Nile cruise
  
• All the shore excursions while on board the Nile Cruise.
  
• Preset menu meals including B = Breakfast, (or cB, Continental Breakfast) L = Lunch, D = Dinner .
  
• All guided sightseeing as per itinerary including all entrance fees. On board the cruise you'll be part of an average 10-15 English speaking group.
  

• We have even included al the tips. No hidden charges . No additional tax : All the tips to your drivers, porters, guides and the crew on board your cruise.

Not included:

• International airfares to or from Cairo.
• Travel Insurance.

More choices :

• Add Greece & Turkey .
  
• Add a tour of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

• Honeymooners , Private Parties ? Ask for a Private Sailing boat Cruise .

• Compare with the  9 day edition

• The Ultra Deluxe with Four Seasons Hotels , add Sharm El Sheikh Red Sea resort stay

• Add: Abu Simbel Temples as well as Dendera Abydos Temples

The King's Chamber in the Great Pyramid was not meant to be visited:
Getting to it is challenging, and once you enter, it is very difficult to turn back. The stone passage is only wide enough for one person. You must be in good physical condition, able to climb several flights of stairs, bend double, crouch and duck-walk for short distances. The King's Chamber itself is the world's most claustrophobic place, with dim light and heavy, hot, oxygen-poor air. There is no ventilation. If you are at all sensitive to claustrophobia or confinement, or if you have any sort of respiratory condition, for your own safety and the safety of others, you must not enter the pyramid because it is impossible to remove a person or to bring aid to them quickly .