Grand Tour of Arabia

Dubai and Jordan a la Indiana Jones
12 - Day Adventure

Compare with the 6 day , or the 16-day: Egypt , Dubai and Jordan

Compare with the Ultra Deluxe Version . Compare with the Sharjah and Ajman edition

Compare with the 1001 Arabian Nights Tour of Egypt & Jordan a la Indiana Jones in 17 days
Add Syria Morocco . Egypt and Dubai in 12 Days . Add Alexandria , or add African Safaris in Kenya .

Combine with Palestine and Israel . Return to Dubai Index Page , Dubai in a 6 day version

DAY 1 - AMMAN - Tuesday - Weekly Year Round (B)
In Amman . Our local rep will assist with your visa : Complimentary Jordanian visa fee (valid only for American , Australian , Canadian, EU , NZ , Singaporean & Japanese citizens. Passports must be valid and in order .

DAY 2 - AMMAN - Wednesday (BLD)
After breakfast, starts a city tour of Amman, the capital of the Hashimite Kingdom. Often referred to as the “White City” because of the white stone used to build houses, Amman offers a contrast between oriental and cosmopolitan. The tour will take you to the museums, the Citadel, the amphitheater, the souks and the modern part of town. The tour will also include a stop at: “Wild Jordan Café
Wild Jordan is the vision of the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), a non-governmental organization devoted to the care and protection of Jordan's natural heritage. The Society was created in 1966 under the patronage of His Majesty, the late King Hussein. Its work is focused on the establishment of protected areas (nature reserves), enforcement of wildlife protection laws. Construction of the Wild Jordan Center was financed by USAID Jordan. It’s located in the heart of old Amman overlooking the Temple of Hercules... the Café served all nature and organic foods and drinks... Two whole floors are devoted to the unique crafts and gifts made by the people living around Jordan's nature reserves, like Dana and Mujib. All the crafts are inspired by nature and use natural materials. Here is their web site for more info http://www.rscn.org.jo/NatureCenterWhat.asp?ID=ctr2_3

In the afternoon, the group will proceed to the North of Amman for a 45 minute drive to the best preserved example of Roman civilization, the city of Jerash. Jerash, part of the Decapolis (the ten big Roman cities of the East) has been called the Pompeii of the East for its unique state of preservation. The city features theaters, churches, temples (Zeus and Artemis), a Nymphaeum and colonnaded streets. Lunch will be served at Jerash Rest house. In the late afternoon, the group will return back to Amman where they will have dinner at Kan Zaman Restaurant. The walled village of Kan Zaman is an old Ottoman settlement, located minutes from city center. It was transformed into a replica of an Jordanian village, affording its clientele the experience of the of life in such a village. The handicraft center sells only products, made on-site in various little studios where one watch craftsmen practice their trade. The Main Restaurant at the offers a variety of home-made Arabic food and at least 16 salads and appetizers. After dinner, l head back to Amman for overnight in Amman.

DAY 3 - PETRA - Thursday (BLD)
Depart Amman to Petra via the Kings’ Road. En route, visit the mosaic city of Madaba, where the oldest map of the Holy Land exists on the floor of Saint George’s Church. Madaba, or Medeba in antiquity, features many famous mosaics that exist in public and private buildings. After Madaba, a short drive will bring you to Mt. Nebo, the alleged burial site of Moses overlooking the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea. Here Franciscans have built a structure that protects a 4th and 6th Century Byzantine church. After visiting this site, continue on via the scenic canyons of Wadi Mujib (Arnon’s Valley in the Bible) to the Crusader castle at Kerak. This 12th Century hill top fortress features galleries, towers, chapels and ramparts that recall the gallantry of the Crusaders themselves. Then on to Petra for the check in at your Hotel in Petra for dinner and overnight. Lunch is included enroute

DAY 4 - PETRA - Friday (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.

DAY 5 - WADI RUM & AMMAN -Saturday (BD)
We board four-wheel-drive vehicles for an expedition to Wadi Rum, the "Valley of the Moon" where T. E. Lawrence ("Lawrence of Arabia") organized Arab resistance to Ottoman rule during World War I. After our visit, we return to Amman. Dinner is included at the hotel

DAY 6 - Amman / DUBAI -Sunday (BD)

We'll meet at your hotel in Amman and escort you to the Airport for your flight to Dubai . Air fare is included in our rate in economy class .

Arrive at Dubai International Airport at the United Arab Emirate on the Arabian Gulf. ( Click here to read more on Arabia' s early history).
Complimentary visa will be issued upon arrival for the following nationalities;

UK, EU , Switzerland, Sweden, USA, Canada , Australia, NZ, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei. You are responsible for having a valid passport .

Upon arrival , our local rep will meet you and escort you to your hotel. Complimentary welcome dinner at the hotel

A taste of Arabia with a cosmopolitan lifestyle. In Dubai you'll find year round sunshine, un-crowded, clean sandy beaches. In this crime-free 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.

DAY 7 - DUBAI - Monday (BD)
Half Day Dubai City Tour :
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.

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 8 - Desert Safari with dinner in the Arabian Desert - DUBAI - Tuesday (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 where you have the opportunity to do camel riding. 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 9 - DUBAI - Full day at Leisure on the Beach or Shopping Spree - Wednesday (B)
Full day on your own, maybe to explore the souks & Bazaars, or just relax on the beach.
Or maybe rent a Helicopter for a private tour / fly over Dubai : Helicopter Rental Dubai

DAY 10 - DUBAI - East Coast Tour- Arabian Emirates - Thursday (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 11 - DUBAI - Cairo - Friday (B)
Our staff escorts you to the airport for your flight to back to Cairo . Air fare is included in our rate , in economy class . Complimentary visa for a reentry into Egypt (valid only for American , Australian , Canadian, EU , NZ , Singaporean & Japanese citizens. Passports must be valid and in order . Our local rep will escort you to your hotel.

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 12 - Cairo Fayoum -Saturday (BL)
On Desert Safari for the Day - Fayoum Oases - And you thought the Pyramids were old

The wilds of the desert begin right on the outskirts of Cairo, and continue for hundreds of miles to the east and west, through sands, rock, mountains, oases, and a surprising variety of scenery and inhabitants.

Join us for a day ranging across the desert like modern nomads. In place of camels, we’ll travel in comfortable, reliable four-by-four Toyota Land Cruisers. Your guide and drivers will meet you at your hotel, and soon you’ll leave bustling Cairo behind as you undertake the drive toward the Oasis of El Fayoum, 150 kilometers to the southwest. Hard as it is to believe, a great inland sea once covered these sands. It was a holy reserve of sacred crocodiles, symbolized by the god Sobek.

We’ll visit the temple of Kom Oshim, drive over ancient lake beds, and alongside the waters of today’s Fayoum Lake to reach the fishermen’s village of Chak Chouk. There we’ll stop for a lunch of fish caught fresh that morning. There will be time to wander the village lanes and discreetly watch the everyday activities of baking flatbread, irrigating crops from the lake’s waters, and bringing in the catch. We’ll also include the craft and pottery museum where the best works of local artisans are on display.

Then it’s into our four-by-fours again, for an off-road adventure! We’ll head alongside and across desert washes, between dunes, and over ancient lake beds for 35 kilometers to the Valley of the Whales ( In Arabic : Wadi-El-Hitan) . Incredibly, these great mammals once thrived - almost forty million years ago- in waters surrounded by sands. We’ll stop and gaze in amazement at their fossilized remains alongside smaller sea creatures that remain in stone.
This valley was discovered in 1936 , by the German geologist George Schweinfurth in the northwestern corner of Wadi El-Rayan.

The valley provides evidence of one of the major changes in this mammal evolution has been declared by the UNESCO to be a World Heritage Site. It is believed that these land based whales once had feet that may have helped them somewhat while ashore . A team from the University of Michigan discovered in the late 80's that these Zeuglodon whales did have rudimentary feet , this was a startling discovery , suggesting that whales of Wadi -El-Hitan had recently started living in water as well , these whales were not related to any of the whales we have today , rather a more slender body and may grow up to 75 feet long. Several skeletons of whales are exposed in the sand. George Schweinfurth named this extinct specie the Zeuglodon Isis Whales .

In the evening, you’ll return to your hotel in Cairo. Land transportation in air-conditioned four-wheel-drive Toyota Land Cruiser with the services of driver and English-speaking driver. Lunch is included

DAY 13 - DEPARTURE Home -Sunday (B)
Our staff escorts you to the airport. Bon Voyage

Indiana Jones himself couldn't squeeze more adventure into this journey

RATES per person in USD

Sample Deluxe Hotels:

Sample First class Hotels:

Prices include:

• All transfers in Cairo Dubai & Jordan.
• Air fare in economy class : Dubai Amman Cairo , tax included
• Air-conditioned hotel accommodations with tax and service charges
• Sightseeing with professional guide and entrance fees as indicated
• Meals as indicated, with preset menu (B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner)
• UAE ( United Arab Emirates) & Jordanian visa fee (valid only for American , EU & Japanese citizens ( As well some other nationalities , please check with us). Passports must be valid for at least 6 month upon arrival).
• Jordanian departure tax.
• Hotel accommodation as per itinerary, tax included

Not included:

• Personal expenses and beverages

• International air fare from / to your home country
• Gratuities
• Additional meals and services
• Trip interruption and cancellation insurance
  
  

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 .

• Quick Tour of Dubai : 5 -Days
  
• Arabia in a Week : A 7-day Dubai and Jordan version
  
• Compare with : the one week Dubai

• Grand 12 days Tour of Arabia : Egypt and Dubai

• Grand Arabian Tour Dubai and Jordan in 12 days , start in Cairo , 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
  
• Consider adding 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 Nile Adventure : A grand 21 -day tour of the Near East : Egypt , Israel , Palestine and Jordan
  
  
• The Near East : Egypt with Palestine and Israel .