12 Days Egypt Nile Cruise & Jordan Tour

After breakfast, you set out on a private guided tour to the Giza Plateau, where the last surviving wonder of the ancient world rises straight from the desert. Standing before the Great Pyramid of Khufu and its companions, you feel the sheer scale of Egypt's Old Kingdom ambition, then meet the enigmatic gaze of the Great Sphinx guarding the plateau. Your private Egyptologist brings 4,500 years of history to life with stories of pharaohs, engineering, and myth. Later you visit the Grand Egyptian Museum, the dazzling new home of Tutankhamun's complete golden treasures and thousands of artifacts displayed beneath soaring glass. You'll have time to admire the towering statue of Ramesses II in the grand atrium and gaze back toward the pyramids on the horizon. After a relaxed lunch, you return to your hotel. Overnight in Cairo.

• Pyramids of Giza — The Great Pyramid of Khufu and its companions, the last surviving wonder of the ancient world.
• Great Sphinx — The colossal lion-bodied guardian carved from the bedrock of the Giza Plateau.
• Grand Egyptian Museum — Home to Tutankhamun's complete golden collection and a towering statue of Ramesses II.

Today you explore the older, layered soul of Egypt's capital on a private guided tour of Coptic Cairo. You wander the atmospheric lanes of Old Cairo to the Hanging Church, suspended above a Roman gate, and step into the ancient Ben Ezra Synagogue and the Church of St. Sergius, where tradition says the Holy Family once sheltered. Your Egyptologist explains how Christian, Jewish, and Islamic heritage have coexisted here for centuries. In the afternoon you dive into the sensory swirl of the Khan el-Khalili Bazaar, a medieval marketplace alive with spice merchants, coppersmiths, perfume sellers, and glittering lanterns. Pause at a traditional ahwa, or coffeehouse, for cardamom coffee and people-watching before bargaining for souvenirs and handmade treasures. It is an unhurried, immersive day among the sights, scents, and sounds of Islamic and Coptic Cairo. Overnight in Cairo.

• Coptic Cairo — The Hanging Church, Ben Ezra Synagogue, and the Church of St. Sergius in atmospheric Old Cairo.
• Khan el-Khalili Bazaar — A medieval marketplace of spices, copperware, perfume, and lantern-lit lanes.

This morning you transfer to the airport for a short flight south to Aswan, Egypt's serene Nubian gateway on the Nile. On arrival you begin sightseeing before boarding: you visit the mighty Aswan High Dam, an engineering marvel that tamed the river and created vast Lake Nasser, then continue to the elegant Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis and rescued island by island from rising waters. You also stop at the Unfinished Obelisk in its ancient granite quarry, where you can see exactly how the pharaohs' masons shaped these colossal monuments. You then embark on your five-star Nile cruise, settling into your cabin as the boat sits docked amid Aswan's golden dunes and white-sailed feluccas. Enjoy lunch and dinner on board and a tranquil first evening on the river. Overnight aboard the Nile cruise.

• Aswan High Dam — The twentieth-century engineering feat that created Lake Nasser.
• Philae Temple — An island temple of the goddess Isis, rescued stone by stone from the rising Nile.
• Unfinished Obelisk — A colossal obelisk still lying in its ancient granite quarry, revealing ancient stonecutting methods.

An early start rewards you with one of Egypt's greatest spectacles: the temples of Abu Simbel, hewn into solid rock by Ramesses II more than 3,000 years ago and famously relocated block by block to escape the rising waters of Lake Nasser. Standing beneath the four colossal seated statues of the pharaoh, you grasp why this UNESCO-listed site leaves every traveller speechless; inside, vivid reliefs celebrate his victories and his beloved queen, Nefertari. Returning to Aswan by early afternoon, you rejoin your Nile cruise for a relaxed few hours. Later, drift across the water aboard a traditional felucca, the lateen-sailed boat that has plied the river for millennia, gliding past Elephantine Island and Kitchener's Island as the sky turns rose and gold. Dinner is served on board. Overnight aboard the Nile cruise, full board.

• Abu Simbel Temples — The rock-cut temples of Ramesses II and Nefertari, relocated to escape Lake Nasser.
• Felucca Nile Sail — A traditional sailboat ride past Elephantine and Kitchener's Islands at sunset.

Today your Nile cruise embodies the timeless rhythm of the river as you sail gently downstream toward Luxor. Your first stop is the riverside Temple of Kom Ombo, a rare double sanctuary honouring both Sobek, the crocodile god, and Horus the Elder; don't miss the ancient medical and calendar reliefs and the small museum of mummified crocodiles. Back on board, you enjoy lunch as Egypt's fertile landscape of sugarcane fields, palm groves, and grazing water buffalo slips past your window. In the afternoon you dock at Edfu, where a short horse-drawn carriage ride carries you to the Temple of Horus, the most complete and best-preserved temple in all of Egypt, its towering pylon and falcon-god statues remarkably intact. As evening falls, the cruise glides through the historic Esna lock. Overnight aboard the Nile cruise, full board.

• Temple of Kom Ombo — A rare double temple honouring the gods Sobek and Horus the Elder.
• Temple of Horus at Edfu — Egypt's best-preserved temple, reached by a traditional horse-drawn carriage.

You wake in Luxor, the world's greatest open-air museum, built on the site of ancient Thebes. Crossing to the West Bank, you descend into the painted royal tombs of the Valley of the Kings, where pharaohs including Tutankhamun were laid to rest, then admire the striking terraces of the Temple of Hatshepsut set against sheer golden cliffs, and pause beneath the towering Colossi of Memnon. After lunch on board, you tour the East Bank's monumental Karnak Temple complex, wandering its unforgettable forest of giant columns in the Great Hypostyle Hall. You finish at the graceful Luxor Temple, especially magical in the low afternoon light along its avenue of sphinxes. Throughout the day your private Egyptologist illuminates each site with vivid history and myth. Overnight aboard the Nile cruise, full board.

• Valley of the Kings — The royal necropolis where pharaohs including Tutankhamun were entombed.
• Temple of Hatshepsut — The dramatic terraced mortuary temple of Egypt's greatest female pharaoh.
• Colossi of Memnon — Two towering stone statues guarding the Theban necropolis.
• Karnak Temple — A vast temple complex famed for its Great Hypostyle Hall of giant columns.
• Luxor Temple — An elegant riverside temple linked to Karnak by an avenue of sphinxes.

After a final breakfast on board, you bid farewell to your Nile cruise and disembark in Luxor with a treasury of memories from the river. Depending on your flight time, there may be a chance to enjoy one last Luxor highlight before your private transfer to the airport for the short flight back to Cairo. On arrival, your Travel Joy Egypt representative meets you and transfers you to your hotel for a restful evening. This gentle travel day marks the close of your Egyptian chapter and a pause before your Jordanian adventure begins. Relax at your leisure, perhaps savouring a final Egyptian dinner, and reflect on the pyramids, temples, and timeless Nile scenery you have experienced over the past week. Overnight in Cairo.

This morning you transfer to Cairo International Airport for your flight across the Sinai to Amman, the hospitable capital of Jordan. On arrival, your local representative greets you and assists with a smooth transfer to your hotel. Jordanian welcome is famously warm, and your first taste of it may be a glass of sweet tea and a plate of freshly prepared mezze. Depending on your arrival time, you might enjoy an orientation drive through Amman, a city where gleaming modern districts rise beside Roman ruins and the whitewashed houses of the old town cascade over rolling hills. Your evening is free to rest and prepare for two remarkable days ahead, exploring an ancient Roman city, floating in the Dead Sea, and discovering the legendary rose-red city of Petra. Overnight in Amman.

Today you journey north of Amman on a private guided tour of Jerash, one of the best-preserved Greco-Roman cities in the world. You stroll its colonnaded streets, step through the triumphal Hadrian's Arch, and stand in the vast Oval Plaza ringed by soaring columns, easily imagining the chariots and crowds of ancient Gerasa. Afterward, you descend to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth at more than 400 metres below sea level. Here you experience the surreal sensation of floating effortlessly on the mineral-rich, buoyant water, and coat your skin in the famous black mud prized for its healing properties. Relax on the shore, take in the hazy view across the water toward the distant hills, and unwind at your Dead Sea resort. Overnight at the Dead Sea.

• Jerash — One of the world's best-preserved Greco-Roman provincial cities, with colonnaded streets and Hadrian's Arch.
• Dead Sea — The lowest point on Earth, where you float effortlessly in mineral-rich water.

Today brings the crown jewel of Jordan: the ancient Nabataean city of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. You begin on a private guided tour through the Siq, a dramatic, winding gorge with soaring rock walls, until it suddenly parts to reveal the Treasury, or Al-Khazneh, its intricate façade carved directly into rose-coloured sandstone. Exploring deeper into this vast city, you pass royal tombs, a Roman theatre, and colonnaded streets, and, if you are feeling energetic, you can climb the ancient stairway to the majestic Monastery high above the valley. The shifting desert light sets the stone glowing in shades of pink, amber, and deep red throughout the day. Tonight you rest close to this wonder. Overnight in Petra.

• Petra — The ancient Nabataean rose-red city, a UNESCO site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
• The Siq — A dramatic narrow gorge that opens to reveal the Treasury.
• The Treasury (Al-Khazneh) — Petra's iconic façade carved into rose-coloured sandstone.

Your 12-day Egypt Nile cruise and Jordan tour draws to a close today. After a leisurely breakfast, you check out and, depending on your flight schedule, may enjoy a little free time before your journey home. Your private driver transfers you comfortably from Petra to Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, roughly three hours north along Jordan's scenic desert highway. Your Travel Joy representative assists with your departure formalities, and you set off carrying a lifetime of memories: the pyramids of Giza, the temples of the Nile, the golden treasures of Tutankhamun, the healing waters of the Dead Sea, and the rose-red wonder of Petra. We hope this journey through the very best of Egypt and Jordan is the first of many adventures you will share with us. Safe travels, and until we meet again.