Egypt, Jordan & Turkey: 16-Day Grand Journey

This morning you come face to face with the last surviving wonder of the ancient world. A short drive brings you to the Giza Pyramids complex, where your private Egyptologist guide reveals how the Great Pyramid of Khufu was raised more than 4,500 years ago. Stand before the enigmatic Great Sphinx, explore the granite chambers of the Valley Temple, and take in sweeping desert views. Next you tour the Grand Egyptian Museum, the vast new home of Tutankhamun's complete golden collection, framed by a towering statue of Ramses II. After lunch you continue to Saqqara to admire the Step Pyramid of Djoser, the earliest large stone monument on earth and the blueprint for everything that followed. Throughout the day your guide brings pharaohs, architects and hieroglyphs vividly to life on this unforgettable private guided tour of Egypt's greatest monuments.

• Giza Pyramids Complex — The plateau of three great pyramids raised for the pharaohs Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure.
• The Great Pyramid of Khufu — The largest and oldest of the trio and the only surviving wonder of the ancient world.
• The Great Sphinx — The colossal lion-bodied guardian carved from a single outcrop of limestone.
• The Valley Temple — A superbly preserved granite temple linked to Khafre's pyramid.
• The Grand Egyptian Museum — The world's largest archaeological museum and home of Tutankhamun's full treasure.
• Saqqara Step Pyramid — The Step Pyramid of Djoser, the first monumental stone structure ever built.

After breakfast you transfer to Cairo airport for the short flight south to Aswan, Egypt's most serene riverside city and the gateway to Nubia. On arrival you embark your Nile cruise ship, your floating home for the next three nights. You begin exploring at the mighty Aswan High Dam, an engineering marvel that tamed the river and created vast Lake Nasser. At the pink-granite quarries you stand over the colossal Unfinished Obelisk, still lying where ancient stonemasons abandoned it. A short motorboat ride then carries you across to the enchanting island Temple of Philae, dedicated to the goddess Isis and rescued stone by stone from the rising waters. Back aboard, you settle into your cabin and enjoy dinner as the sun sinks over the water. Tonight you sleep gently rocked by the Nile on your private guided Egyptian cruise.

• Aswan The High Dam — The 1960s dam that harnessed the Nile and formed Lake Nasser.
• The Unfinished Obelisk — A giant obelisk still lying in the ancient granite quarry, cracked and abandoned mid-carving.
• Philae Temple — The graceful island temple of Isis, relocated to Agilkia to save it from flooding.

Today rewards an early start with one of Egypt's most breathtaking sights. You travel south toward the Sudanese border to reach the twin temples of Abu Simbel, carved into a sandstone cliff by Ramses II more than 3,200 years ago. Four colossal seated statues of the pharaoh, each over twenty metres tall, guard the entrance to the Great Temple, whose inner sanctuary was aligned so the rising sun illuminates the gods twice a year. Beside it stands the smaller temple Ramses dedicated to his beloved queen Nefertari. Your guide recounts the astonishing 1960s rescue, when the entire complex was cut apart and lifted to higher ground to escape the waters of Lake Nasser. After time to marvel at the reliefs and photograph the famous facade, you return to your Nile cruise ship for lunch, an afternoon on deck and dinner aboard.

• Abu Simbel Temples — The Great Temple of Ramses II and the adjoining Temple of Nefertari, hewn from a cliff and moved to save them from Lake Nasser.

With full board aboard your Nile cruise, today unfolds at the river's own pace. As the ship sails north between palm-fringed banks and quiet villages, you visit two of Egypt's best-preserved temples. At Kom Ombo you explore the unusual double temple shared by the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon-headed Haroeris, where a wall of carved surgical instruments hints at ancient medicine and mummified crocodiles rest in an adjoining hall. Further along you step ashore at Edfu to tour the majestic Temple of Horus, the most complete pharaonic temple still standing, its towering pylons and soaring columns barely touched by time. Your private guide decodes the vivid reliefs of gods and kings before you return to the deck. Sailing onward toward Luxor, you enjoy leisurely meals, sweeping river views and a peaceful night on the water.

• Kom Ombo Temple — A rare symmetrical double temple honouring both Sobek the crocodile god and Haroeris.
• Edfu temple — The Temple of Horus, the most complete and best-preserved temple in all of Egypt.

This morning you disembark in Luxor, the open-air museum built upon the ancient city of Thebes. Crossing to the West Bank, you descend into the painted rock-cut tombs of the Valley of the Kings, where pharaohs including Tutankhamun were laid to rest for eternity. You marvel at the elegant terraces of the Temple of Hatshepsut, Egypt's most powerful female pharaoh, and pause beneath the towering Colossi of Memnon. After lunch you cross to the East Bank for the staggering Karnak Temple, wandering its forest of giant columns in the Great Hypostyle Hall. Your Egyptologist guide illuminates each chapter of this private guided tour. In the evening you transfer to Luxor airport for the short flight back to Cairo, where a representative meets you and escorts you to your hotel for a comfortable overnight stay.

• Valley of the Kings — The royal necropolis of the New Kingdom, riddled with painted tombs including that of Tutankhamun.
• Hatshepsut Temple — The dramatic terraced mortuary temple of Egypt's greatest female pharaoh at Deir el-Bahari.
• Colossi of Memnon — Two 18-metre stone giants that once flanked a vanished mortuary temple.
• Karnak Temple — A vast complex of sanctuaries and the awe-inspiring Great Hypostyle Hall of 134 columns.

Your final full day in Egypt uncovers Cairo's layered soul. You begin at the historic Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square, a treasure house of antiquities where your guide picks out royal jewellery and the everyday relics of the pharaohs. Continuing into Coptic Cairo, you visit the beautiful Hanging Church, the ancient Amr Ibn Al Aas Mosque, the first mosque in Africa, and the small but storied Ben Ezra Synagogue. At the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization you trace the whole sweep of the country's history and view the Royal Mummies Hall. As the afternoon light softens, you stroll medieval Al Muizz Street, lined with sultans' mosques and mansions, before losing yourself in the bustle of Khan El Khalili bazaar, haggling for spices, silver and lanterns over a glass of mint tea. Tonight you rest in Cairo, ready to fly onward tomorrow.

• The Egyptian Museum — The historic Tahrir Square museum brimming with pharaonic antiquities.
• The Hanging Church — The 3rd-century Coptic church suspended above a Roman gatehouse.
• Amr Ibn Al Aas Mosque — The oldest mosque in Egypt and Africa, founded in 641 AD.
• Ben Ezra Synagogue — A medieval synagogue in Coptic Cairo, famed for its ancient hidden document trove.
• The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization — Home of the Royal Mummies Hall and a sweeping timeline of Egyptian history.
• Al Muizz Street — A living open-air museum of medieval Islamic mosques, mansions and monuments.
• Khan El Khalili Bazaar — Cairo's legendary maze of a market, alive with spices, lanterns, silver and coffeehouses.

After a relaxed breakfast you check out and transfer to Cairo airport for your flight across the Red Sea to Amman, the hospitable capital of Jordan. On arrival your local representative greets you, assists with the simple entry formalities and drives you into the city. Amman is a warm, welcoming place of pale limestone hills, ancient citadels and lively cafes, and your comfortable hotel makes an ideal base for the Jordanian leg of your grand journey. Depending on your arrival time, you may enjoy a first orientation drive past the downtown souks and the Roman-era landmarks before checking in. The evening is yours to unwind, sample fragrant mezze and freshly grilled specialities, and rest ahead of two spectacular days exploring the biblical landscapes, desert wonders and rose-red city that have made Jordan legendary. Overnight in Amman.

• Amman — Jordan's welcoming, hilly capital of white limestone, Roman ruins and buzzing cafes.

Today you follow the ancient King's Highway through a landscape steeped in scripture. Your first stop is Madaba, the City of Mosaics, where the floor of St. George's Church holds the oldest known map of the Holy Land, pieced together from more than two million coloured stones. You then climb to Mount Nebo, the windswept summit where Moses is said to have gazed upon the Promised Land; on clear days the views stretch across the Jordan Valley toward the hills of Jerusalem. In the afternoon you descend to the shimmering Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth. Here you float effortlessly on the mineral-rich water, coat your skin in the famous black mud and watch the sun slip behind the distant hills. After lunch and time to relax at the shore, you continue south toward Petra for an overnight stay near the ancient site.

• St. George's Church — The Madaba church whose mosaic floor bears the oldest surviving map of the Holy Land.
• Mount Nebo — The biblical mountaintop from which Moses is said to have viewed the Promised Land.
• The Dead Sea — The salt-laden lake at the lowest point on earth, where you float effortlessly.

An unforgettable day awaits as you enter Petra, the rose-red Nabataean city carved into rugged sandstone and named a New Wonder of the World. You walk through the Siq, a narrow winding gorge, until it parts to reveal Al Khazneh, the Treasury, its ornate facade glowing in the sun. Your guide leads you deeper past the towering Royal Tombs, the Roman-style Theatre hewn from solid rock, and the great temple of Qasr al-Bint at the heart of the ancient city. In the afternoon you journey into Wadi Rum, the Valley of the Moon, boarding a 4x4 to bounce across crimson dunes past soaring rock bridges and towering monoliths. As the desert glows at sunset, you reach a Bedouin camp for a traditional dinner cooked underground, sweet tea and a canopy of stars overhead. Overnight under canvas in Wadi Rum.

• Petra — The rose-red Nabataean city carved into sandstone cliffs, a New Wonder of the World.
• Al Khazneh Temple — The Treasury, Petra's most famous facade, revealed at the end of the Siq gorge.
• Royal Tombs Of Petra — A row of grand tombs cut high into the cliff face above the ancient city.
• Theatre Of Petra — A Roman-style amphitheatre carved entirely from the living rock.
• Qasr al-Bint — One of the few free-standing structures in Petra, a major Nabataean temple.
• Wadi Rum — The Valley of the Moon, a vast desert of red dunes, arches and towering rock.

After breakfast and a last look across the silent red desert, you leave Wadi Rum and transfer to the airport for your flight onward to Turkey. Landing in Istanbul, the only major city in the world to straddle two continents, you are met by your local guide and driven to your hotel in the historic heart of the old town. Set where Europe meets Asia across the Bosphorus, Istanbul layers Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman splendour into one dazzling skyline of domes and minarets. The remainder of the day is free to settle in and begin soaking up the atmosphere. You might wander to a waterfront terrace for grilled fish and Turkish tea, watch the ferries crisscross the strait, or simply rest ahead of tomorrow's full day of sightseeing. Overnight in Istanbul.

• Istanbul — The storied city spanning Europe and Asia, layered with Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman wonders.

Today you explore the peerless monuments of imperial Istanbul on a private guided tour. You begin at Hagia Sophia, the soaring sixth-century masterpiece that served as cathedral, mosque and museum across fifteen centuries, its vast golden dome seeming to float on light. Nearby you tour the opulent Topkapi Palace, seat of the Ottoman sultans, with its jewel-filled treasury and sweeping views over the sea. After lunch you admire the cascading domes and six slender minarets of the Blue Mosque, famed for its twenty thousand hand-painted Iznik tiles. You stroll the Hippodrome, once the chariot-racing heart of Byzantium and still marked by ancient obelisks. Finally you plunge into the labyrinth of the Grand Bazaar, one of the world's oldest and largest covered markets, where thousands of stalls glitter with carpets, ceramics, gold and spices. Overnight in Istanbul.

• Hagia Sophia — The monumental 6th-century domed basilica turned mosque, an icon of Byzantine architecture.
• Topkapi Palace — The lavish palace of the Ottoman sultans, filled with treasures and imperial courtyards.
• The Blue Mosque — The 17th-century Sultan Ahmed Mosque, resplendent with blue Iznik tiles and six minarets.
• The Hippodrome — The ancient chariot-racing arena of Constantinople, marked by Egyptian and Serpent columns.
• The Grand Bazaar — A vast covered market of thousands of shops selling carpets, gold, lamps and spices.

This morning you fly to central Anatolia to discover Cappadocia, a surreal moonscape of rock formations, cave dwellings and hidden churches. You take in a commanding panorama from Uchisar Castle, a soaring outcrop honeycombed with tunnels, before exploring the UNESCO-listed Goreme Open-Air Museum, where Byzantine monks carved chapels adorned with vivid frescoes into the soft volcanic stone. In the pottery town of Avanos you watch artisans shape red clay on kick wheels just as their ancestors did along the Red River. After lunch you wander among the whimsical fairy chimneys of Pasabag, also known as Monks Valley, and marvel at the pink-and-honey hues of Devrent Valley, where wind and water have sculpted the rock into fanciful shapes. As the light turns golden, you return to your atmospheric cave-style hotel. Overnight in Cappadocia.

• The Uchisar Castle — A towering rock citadel riddled with tunnels, offering sweeping views over Cappadocia.
• Göreme Open-Air Museum — A UNESCO cluster of rock-cut monasteries and frescoed cave churches.
• Avanos — A riverside town famed for its centuries-old red-clay pottery tradition.
• Pasabag — Monks Valley, home to some of Cappadocia's most striking multi-capped fairy chimneys.
• Devrent Valley — The Imagination Valley, where eroded rock takes on whimsical animal-like shapes.

After breakfast you fly west to the Aegean coast to step into the magnificent Greco-Roman city of Ephesus, one of the best-preserved ancient metropolises in the Mediterranean. You begin near the site of the Temple of Artemis, once counted among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Walking its marble streets, you are awed by the elegant two-storey facade of the Celsus Library and the vast Theatre that once seated twenty-five thousand spectators. Your guide points out the intricate Temple of Hadrian and leads you down colonnaded Harbor Street, where senators and sailors once mingled. A short drive up the hillside brings you to the tranquil House of the Virgin Mary, a revered pilgrimage chapel where Mary is believed to have spent her final years. Afterwards you continue to the lively coastal resort of Kusadasi. Overnight in Kusadasi.

• The Temple of Artemis — The scant remains of the great temple, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
• Celsus Library — Ephesus's iconic two-storey Roman library facade, restored to its former grandeur.
• Theater of Ephesus — A colossal hillside amphitheatre with seating for around 25,000 spectators.
• Temple of Hadrian — A beautifully carved 2nd-century temple lining the city's Curetes Street.
• Harbor Street — The grand colonnaded avenue that once linked the city to its ancient harbour.
• House of the Virgin Mary — A hilltop pilgrimage chapel believed to be Mary's final home.

Today you journey inland to one of Turkey's most extraordinary landscapes, the dazzling white terraces of Pamukkale, whose name means Cotton Castle. Over millennia, mineral-rich thermal springs have cascaded down the hillside, depositing pools of gleaming travertine that shimmer in the sun. Above them spreads the ancient spa city of Hierapolis, founded by the kings of Pergamon. Your guide leads you through its sprawling Necropolis, past the Roman Baths, the monumental Domitian Gate and along colonnaded Frontinus Street to the Agora, once among the largest in the ancient world. You explore the remains of the Byzantine Cathedral, the Temple of Apollo and its eerie Plutonium, a sacred cave the ancients believed to be a gateway to the underworld, before climbing to the beautifully preserved Theatre for sweeping views over the valley. Overnight in Pamukkale.

• Pamukkale — The Cotton Castle, a hillside of brilliant white travertine terraces and thermal pools.
• Hierapolis — The ancient Greco-Roman spa city crowning the Pamukkale terraces.
• Necropolis of Hierapolis — One of the largest ancient cemeteries in Anatolia, with thousands of tombs.
• Roman Baths of Hierapolis — Grand thermal bath complex now partly housing the site's archaeological museum.
• Domitian Gate — A monumental triple-arched Roman gateway flanked by round towers.
• Frontinus Street — The main colonnaded avenue running through the heart of the ancient city.
• Agora of Hierapolis — A vast marketplace once ranked among the largest in the ancient world.
• Cathedral of Hierapolis — The ruins of an early Byzantine Christian cathedral.
• The Temple of Apollo — The city's principal temple, dedicated to its patron god Apollo.
• The Theater of Hierapolis — A superbly preserved Roman theatre carved into the hillside with panoramic views.
• The Plutonium — A sacred cave emitting toxic gases, revered by the ancients as a gateway to the underworld.

Every great journey must end, and today you bid farewell to a remarkable adventure that carried you across three countries and thousands of years of history. After a leisurely breakfast, you check out at your own pace and, at the appointed time, your driver transfers you to the airport for your onward flight home. As you depart, you carry with you the memories of golden pyramids and temple-lined riverbanks, the rose-red canyons of Petra and the star-filled silence of Wadi Rum, the domes of Istanbul and the cotton-white terraces of Pamukkale. From all of us at Travel Joy Egypt, we thank you for travelling with us and hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable expedition through the wonders of Egypt, Jordan and Turkey. We wish you safe travels and a warm farewell until we meet again.