Grand Tour of Arabia

Private Tour Egypt , Dubai and Jordan a la Indiana Jones

For Guests who can afford and want the Best when touring the Near East
A 19 day Ultimate Tour of : Egypt , The United Arab Emirates and Jordan ,
Including Alexandria and Abu Simbel Temples
We have even included all the tips, no hidden charges , no additional tax

Compare with the 6 day Dubai & Jordan Adventure , the 6 day Dubai version, Egypt and Dubai in 12 Days . Add African Safaris in Kenya , or add a camp stay in Wadi Rum in Jordan . Add Palestine and Israel . Return to Dubai Index Page

Indiana Jones himself couldn't squeeze more adventure into this journey: Cairo and the Pyramids, a cruise on the Nile, the fabled temples and tombs of Luxor and Thebes, Alexander the Great own city : Alexandria ! diving in the Red Sea, the mountains of Sinai, and a trek to the mysterious ruins of Petra in Jordan. And Dubai a true modern rendition of the 1001 Arabian Nights . Tour this Emirate on the Arabian Gulf . A taste of Arabia with a cosmopolitan lifestyle. In Dubai you'll find year round sunshine, un-crowded, clean sandy beaches.

DAY 1- CAIRO - Daily - Year Round - You choose your own dates
Our Egypt-based staff greets you in bustling Cairo airport and escorts you to your hotel .
Grand Hyatt ( Club level room ) , Conrad Cairo Hotel ( Club level room ) , Sonesta , J. W. Marriott ( Club level room ), Mena House ( Garden Wing - Pyramids View ) , or Meridien Pyramids -Pyramids view , or similar

Complimentary Egyptian visa fee (valid only for American, Australian , NZ , EU, Korean ( South) , Singaporean & Japanese citizens. Passports must be valid for at least 6 month upon arrival).

Visa will be issued upon arrival. As you exit the gate, you will pass through a door or two , down some stairs , then walk for 2-5 minutes , until you pass the duty free shops, at the end of a wide corridor , you will see the security officers. There you will be met by a local representative, who will be holding a sign with the name you prefer to use for the sign .

Our local representative will then take your passport to obtain a stamp from the cashier / bank window and escort you to speak with the passport officer. He will escort you through another last check on your passport as you exit the passport control, into customs area, he will assist you in collecting your luggage and clearing customs . After exiting the terminal, our local representative will escort you (private vehicle) to the hotel

DAY 2 - CAIRO (BLD)
Your exploration of the ancient world begins today! First stop is the Egyptian Museum, with its treasures of the ancient pharaohs: mummies, statuary, precious stones and metals. We'll also stop at the Citadel of Saladin and the Alabaster Mosque, before a walking tour of Khan El Khalili old district. Lunch is included at Naguib Mahfouz or similar . Dinner is included at the hotel

Private Guide- Private Chauffeur- Private air-conditioned vehicle

DAY 3 - CAIRO Tuesday (BLD) DAHSOUR - HOME HOSTED MEAL
After breakfast, we'll motor to the edge of Cairo, to the mysterious Sphinx and the Pyramids of Giza. The museum of the Royal Barge of Cheops The museum is built over the rectangular pit that housed the Royal Barge for thousands of years , the wooden boat was readied for the king's daily journey with the sun god, Ra . Discovered in 1954, in a completely dismantled state, the 43-metre (140-foot) cedar boat is a rare window on the Royal boats used by the kings of Ancient Egypt.

Those who are fit and adventurous enough may wish to penetrate into the heart of the Great Pyramid, to the King's Chamber your ticket is included with our compliments (or the interior of Kephren Pyramid). Taking a camel ride (Included) is entirely your own choice!

Continue to Dahshour, the newly-opened pyramid field south of Cairo. We visit the great pyramid of Senfru, father of Cheops, and other structure:

The "Discovery" of Dahshour:
For almost half a century, the great field of huge pyramids near the desert village of Dahshour, 25 miles south of Cairo, has been off limits to the public. Confined within the perimeter of a military base were many pyramids, including the great 4500-year-old pyramid built by Senfru, father of Cheops. Senfru's pyramid, the largest in Egypt until his son built Giza's Great Pyramid, is rhomboidal in shape: it tapers more distinctly on its upper half. All the pyramids were coated in thick plaster at one time. Most have lost these protective, decorative sheaths, but Senfru's--miraculously--is still in place.
Lunch is included at a local restaurant or at your hotel.

Complimentary 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 a quiet dinner back at the hotel with your travel companions, by letting us know your preferences.

Private Guide- Private Chauffeur- Private air-conditioned vehicle

Octavious visiting Alexander the Great's Tomb in Alexandria
Octavious had just defeated Cleopatra and Marc Anthony armies .
He left his coat at Alexander the Great's tomb as a token of respect to .
The search continues for Alexander the Great's Tomb.

DAY 4 - CAIRO / Alexandria - (BL)
After breakfast, your Cairo guide will be with you on board the train
we will escort you to Cairo Railway station to board your first class air-conditioned train to Alexandria , upon arrival at Sidi Gaber station , we will start with our full day touring :
The Roman Amphitheater, Qayet Bey Fortress built on the same site of the ancient wonder of the world : the famous Alexandria Light House. A brief stop at " El Selsela" the site of the Underwater reserve where Cleopatra Palace was discovered, as well as Caesar Kiosk.
Lunch is included at a local restaurant. On to the New Library of Alexandria before we head back to your hotel:
Palestine Montazah Hotel in the Royal Gardens of the former Royal Palace of King Farouk
or the Four Seasons San Stefano Hotel .
Private Guide- Private Chauffeur- Private air-conditioned vehicle

The New Alexandria Library

DAY 5 - Alexandria & Wadi El Natroun Monasteries / Cairo (BLD)
After breakfast , we 'll visit the new museum in Alexandria , the building was originally built in 1926 for the US consulate in Alexandria and is a masterpiece in 1920's architecture & Mediterranean style buildings , the USA sold the building at a token price to the Egyptian state to turn into a museum , then its off to the desert highway , heading south for Cairo , we'll stop at Wadi El Natroun monastery almost midway to Cairo , where early Coptic Christians retreated here to escape the Roman persecution in the 4th century AD. The Egyptian Pope of Alexandria is always chosen from the Monks of wadi El Natroun. Reach Cairo early evening and your hotel. J. W. Marriott ( Club level room ) or similar . Dinner is included at the hotel

Private Tour of Egypt & Turkey - Private Guide- Private Chauffeur

DAY 6 -CAIRO / ABU SIMBEL ( Private car/driver/Guide) (B. Lunch box . D)
After an early breakfast we fly to Abu Simbel ( via Aswan ) .
In Abu Simbel your private guide & private chauffeur will be waiting for you at the airport

Ramses the Great : Master Builder : We tour the larger temple dedicated to the Mighty Pharaoh , colossal figures of Ramses are seated with the gods and attended by his queen and daughters.
The smaller temple is dedicated to Queen Nefertari, who appears as Hathor, the goddess of love, joy and fertility, symbolized by the benevolent cow. We explore these fine temples , after which retire to a comfortable hotel for refreshments , fly back to Aswan and your hotel : the Old Cataract , Nile View superior room, or Aswan Movenpick Hotel - Junior Suite .Dinner is included at the hotel

DAY 7 - ASWAN- Nile Cruise - Private Egyptologist for all Cruise Shore Excursions (BLD)
Sonesta M/S Star Goddess Nile Cruise - All Suites - All with Private Balconies ( or similar )
, where we settle you into your cabin on your Nile steamer. Welcome drink served upon arrival.
A complimentary fruit basket awaits you in your deluxe cabin

We'll visit the world famous Nubian Museum, the enormous dams at Aswan, then board a launch on Lake Nasser to visit the Temples of Philae, rescued from rising waters.

Private Guide- Private Chauffeur- Private air-conditioned vehicle

DAY 8 - KOM OMBO (BLD)
We cruise northward down the Nile today, at a stately pace, disembarking for a visit to Kom Ombo, the twin temple dedicated to the crocodile river god, Sobek. We'll also see Haroeris, the solar disk. Private Guide- Private Chauffeur- Private air-conditioned vehicle

DAY 9 - EDFU and LUXOR (BLD)
Horse-drawn carriages or vans meet us at riverside to take us through Edfu to the Temple of Horus, best-preserved in all of Egypt. Then we'll continue beside the Nile to take in an array of ancient splendors: the Valley of the Kings; the imposing tomb-temple of Queen Hatshepsut ; and, back in Luxor, the Great Temple of Amon at Karnak.

Private Guide- Private Chauffeur- Private air-conditioned vehicle

DAY 10 - Disembark - Fly to SHARM EL SHEIKH - RED SEA (B)
Now that you've seen the best of the Egypt of the Pharaohs, our guides escort you to the airport. You'll fly over the Sinai Peninsula and land at historic Sharm El Sheik on the Red Sea. You're at the beach and free to swim, or explore under the waters.

Hotel : Hyatt Sharm El Sheikh ( ( Club level room ) , or Four Seasons Sharm El Sheikh ( Standard Room ) , or similar

DAY 11 - SHARM EL SHEIK (B)
Relax! Today is set aside as a strategic mid-journey break. Spend some time in the sun, but don't miss your chance to snorkel or dive under Red Sea waters for an array of coral and glittering tropical fish.

DAY 12 - MOUNT SINAI (BL)
Our knowledgeable guides arrange a pre-dawn departure into the still-cool wilderness of Sinai, through which Moses led the Children of Israel to the Promised Land. Our goal is the Monastery of St. Catherine, built of rock at the base of Mount Sinai, at the site of the Burning Bush. We tour the monastery, rich in history, icons and sacred paintings, then return to Sharm El Sheik. Private Guide- Private Chauffeur- Private air-conditioned vehicle

DAY 13 - Sharm , PETRA (B. Lunch Box. D)
Breakfast is included at the hotel. Lunch box will be prepared by your hotel chef.
We'll fly to Amman non-stop or via Cairo , our Jordan-based representative waits to greet you. You'll drive north under a towering ridge of mountains, and arrive at your hotel in Petra for the night. Complimentary Jordanian visa fee (valid only for American , Australian ,NZ , Canadian, EU Citizens, Singaporean & Japanese citizens. Passports must be valid for at least 6 month upon arrival).

In the evening we will call on you for a unique experience :
Dine as a local : The Petra Kitchen is a delightful way to round out your Jordan travel experiences. Like any home kitchen, The Petra Kitchen is a relaxed, informal atmosphere where you’ll gather to prepare an evening meal, working alongside local women under the supervision of our chef.

Each evening meal includes soup, cold and hot mezza ( appetizers ) and salads, and a main course—all typical Jordanian dishes. You will have get an inside glimpse of the secrets behind the famous regional cuisine of the Levant.

The Petra Kitchen offers an evening of learning, fun and a very special dining experience, with each dish gaining the special flavor of a reward well-earned. Great care has been taken to make The Petra Kitchen a truly Jordanian experience—right down to the furnishings, all crafted in Jordan, the tableware, all produced by the Iraq al Amir Women’s Co-operative, and the aprons and table linens, all hand-embroidered by the Jordan River Foundation.

Tour experience tonight includes the cuisine course, meal and all non-alcoholic beverages as well as take-home recipes for all dishes prepared that evening.

DAY 14 - PETRA (BD)
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, the group 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. Petra Marriott or Movenpick or similar .

Private Guide- Private Chauffeur- Private air-conditioned vehicle

DAY 15 - DEPARTURE FOR ARABIA (B)
DUBAI : WE fly to Dubai as we fly across the Arabian Peninsula to reach this charming Emirate on the Arabian Gulf. ( Click here to read more on Arabia' s early history). A taste of Arabia with a cosmopolitan lifestyle.

In Dubai you'll find year round sunshine, un-crowded, clean sandy beaches.

In this Arabian society you 'll find a very warm & welcoming team & society awaits you in Dubai. While shopping may not be high on your list, yet Dubai’s tax free markets means bargains galore. Attractive traditional Middle Eastern gifts - coffee pots, rugs, silverware, jewelry, brass, and one of the world’s greatest gold trading centers offering unbeatable value. Hong Kong is no longer able to compete with Dubai with the wide selection of low - priced international brand name products - audio equipment, VCRs, cameras, watches, fashions, perfumes and more , do not forget : the award-winning Dubai Duty Free at the airport. Upon arrival , our local rep will meet you and escort you to your hotel.

DAY 16 - DUBAI (BLD)
Half Day Dubai City Tour : Private Guide- Private Chauffeur- Private air-conditioned vehicle
Sample the historic sites and vibrant cosmopolitan life of Dubai on this comprehensive tour. The Tour begins in Jumeira, the picturesque palace and residential area of Dubai, also home to the famous Jumeira Mosque. The next stop is Sheikh Saeed House (former residence of ruling family). The Tour then continues to Al Bastakiya, the old part of Dubai, to reach the museum located in Al Fahidi Fort. All guests board the Abra (water taxi) to cross the Creek to the spice souk . Before savoring the sights and sounds of the fish, fruit and vegetable market, there is time to shop in the most famous landmark of Dubai – the Gold souk. Lunch is included at a charming local restaurant . We will have a brief stop at Ski Dubai ( guest who wish to ski will purchase tickets on own locally ).

Evening Dhow Cruise Dinner:
For a fabulous relaxing evening join our fully fitted Arabian dhow for an evening’s cruise on the Creek. Enjoy a sumptuous feast of Arabic and Western cuisine while gently gliding past illuminated souks, banks and palaces.

DAY 17 - Desert Safari with dinner in the Arabian Desert - DUBAI (BD)
Half  Day  Desert Safari (4 Wheel Drive ):
Morning at leisure , enjoy beach activities. This tour departs in the afternoon across the desert of Dubai with several photo-stops during an exciting dune drive to the first destination a camel farm. The drive continues across the desert.
We stop to watch the beautiful sunset before reaching our campsite

After working up an appetite enjoy a delicious barbecue dinner and a shisha (the most famous Arabic Water pipe). We conclude the evening with a true 1001 Arabian Nights tradition and With a belly dancer performing her dance around the campfire before we head back to your hotel in Dubai or Sharja.

DAY 18 - DUBAI -East Coast Tour- Arabian Emirates (BL)
After breakfast , we head for Dhaid and then on to the Hajar mountains that offer a beautiful natural backdrop for Dubai . A stop at a local market , where the local shop for locally made pottery, fruits and carpets . WE stop as well in Dibba and a brief stop at the colorful local fish market , always with the fresh catch from the Arabian Gulf., we drive along the coast passing by most enchanting small villages and fishermen wharfs , we arrive at Al Badiyah mosque, one of the earliest mosques built in the UAE, continue on to Khor Fakkan, a regional popular spot for diving and snorkeling, where there will be an opportunity to relax at the beach and have a refreshing swim., stop as well as the Khor Fakkah souk. Continue to Fujairah where we stop at the renovated Fort. Before returning to Dubai, stop at the oasis of Bitnah and time to wander on the “Friday Market” in Masafi. Lunch is included enroute in a charming local restaurant

DAY 19 - DUBAI - Departure (B)
Our staff escorts you to the airport for your flight home. Or, you may choose to add one of our extensions. Bon Voyage

RATES per person in USD

For Easter week , Christmas, New Year's : please note that a 15 % supplement will apply.

Prices include:

• All transfers in all three countries. Always with a : Private Guide- Private Chauffeur- Private air-conditioned vehicle .
• Tips to all your drivers, porters, guides, and the crew on board your Nile cruise
  
• One way air fare Cairo / Amman / Dubai in business class , tax included.
  
• All domestic flights in Egypt, as per itinerary all in business class , tax included .
  
  
• Air-conditioned hotel accommodations with tax and service charges
  
• Nile cruise including all shore excursion and all meals while on board
  
• Sightseeing with PRIVATE professional guide and entrance fees as indicated
  
• Meals as indicated, with pre-set menu (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner)
  
• Lonely Planet guidebook : Jordan and Egypt
  
• Jordanian , Emirates and Egyptian visa fee (valid only for American, Australian, NZ EU, Canadian , Mexican , Singaporean & Japanese citizens. Passports must be valid for at least 6 month upon arrival).
  
• Jordanian departure tax.
  
• Complimentary welcome drink upon arrival on board the Nile Cruise.
  
• Complimentary welcome fruit basket on board the Nile Cruise.
  
• Large bottle of water ( per person ) delivered to you cabin daily while you are on board the Nile Cruise.
  
Tea or coffee and bottled water with each / every meal while you are on board the Nile Cruise.


• We have even included all the tips to your porters, drivers, guides and the crew on board your Nile cruise .

Sample First class Hotels:

Not included:

• Personal expenses and beverages
• Additional meals and services
• Trip interruption and cancellation insurance
• International air fares from /to your home country
  
  
  
  

Hospitality Trumps Bottom Line at Emirates - April 2010

Dust cloud over Europe! A Volcano in Iceland Erupts ! Passengers stranded worldwide, usually without assistance from their airlines, except . . .

In keeping with its core values and traditional hospitality, Emirates Airlines stepped forward to ensure that each and every one of thousands of passengers delayed in Dubai and elsewhere received three meals a day and accommodations.

The cost to Emirates is well over $2 million a day in addition to its lost passenger revenue. But to passengers who would have been left out in the cold by other airlines, the value is priceless.

Maybe it's time for guests to consider travel with airlines that really care.

More choices :

• Read more on Arabia' s early history .
  
• Prefer to fly between Egypt and Jordan ( skipping Sinai and St. Catherine )

• Turkey and Arabia in 11 Days.
  
• Helicopter Flight over Dubai and the Emirates .
  
• Suggested restaurants and dinning in Dubai and the Emirates .
  
• Sample hotels in Dubai and the Emirates .

• Compare with the 6 day Dubai and Jordan Adventure

• Grand 12 days Tour of Arabia : Egypt & Dubai
  
• Grand Arabian Tour Dubai and Jordan in 12 days , Including Petra .Add Alexandria
  
• Return to Dubai Main Index Page
  
• Compare with the 1001 Arabian Nights Tour of Egypt & Jordan a la Indiana Jones in 17 days
  
• Add Abu Simbel Temples in Nubia Egypt
  
• Oman Discovery : The Sultanate of Oman ? The Forgotten Jewels of Arabia
  
• Add Syria and Morocco, in a Grand North African Crossing
  
• Add African Safaris in Kenya
  
• Add a camp stay in Wadi Rum in Jordan
  
• Arabian Adventure : A grand tour of the Near East : Egypt , Israel , Palestine add Jordan

• Dubai and India Tour .

Extend your stay to Jumeirah Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa