Egypt & Jordan Grand Tour: 18 Days Adventure

This morning you meet your private Egyptologist guide and drive to the Giza Plateau, where the last surviving wonder of the ancient world rises from the sand. You stand before the Giza Pyramids Complex, tracing the staggering scale of the Great Pyramid built for Pharaoh Khufu, then walk down to meet the enigmatic Great Sphinx and the beautifully preserved granite halls of the Valley Temple. After lunch you continue to the Grand Egyptian Museum, the vast new home of Tutankhamun's treasures and thousands of artefacts displayed beneath soaring glass. Your private guided tour finishes at Saqqara, where the Step Pyramid of Djoser, Egypt's earliest monumental stone structure, reveals how pyramid design was born. Every stop is unhurried and expertly narrated, giving you the context behind the stone before you return to your Cairo hotel for the evening.

• Giza Pyramids Complex — The plateau of three great pyramids raised for the pharaohs Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure.
• The Great Pyramid — The colossal tomb of Khufu, the last of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world still standing.
• The Great Sphinx — The lion-bodied guardian with a pharaoh's face, carved from a single outcrop of limestone.
• The Valley Temple — The remarkably intact granite hall linked to Khafre's pyramid complex.
• The Grand Egyptian Museum — The vast new museum displaying the complete Tutankhamun collection beneath soaring glass.
• Saqqara Step Pyramid — Djoser's stepped pyramid, Egypt's earliest large stone monument and the ancestor of all pyramids.

After breakfast you leave the bustle of Cairo behind and travel northwest along the Mediterranean coast toward Marsa Matrouh, then turn inland across the Western Desert to reach the remote oasis of Siwa. The landscape softens into date palms, olive groves and salt lakes as you arrive in one of Egypt's most enchanting corners. You climb the crumbling mud-brick ramparts of the Shali Fortress, a medieval labyrinth of kershef walls that once protected the Siwan people, and watch the town glow amber in the late light. As the sun sinks, your guide takes you to Fatnis Island, reached by a slender causeway across a mirror-still lake, where locals gather to swim and the horizon dissolves into pink and gold. It is a long but rewarding day, ending with a peaceful night in tranquil Siwa.

• Shali Fortress — The crumbling 13th-century mud-brick citadel at the heart of old Siwa town.
• Fatnis Island — A palm-fringed islet on Lake Siwa reached by causeway, famed for its glowing sunsets.

Siwa's history stretches back to antiquity, and today you explore its most storied sites on a private guided tour. You visit the Temple of the Oracle of Amun, perched on the rocky outcrop of Aghurmi, where legend says Alexander the Great was hailed as a divine pharaoh after crossing the desert to consult its oracle. The views over the palm groves and distant dunes are extraordinary. After lunch you cool off at Cleopatra's Spring, known locally as Ain Cleopatra, a natural stone pool of clear, bubbling water where you can swim just as travellers have for centuries. Between the sites you sense the unhurried rhythm of oasis life, far removed from Egypt's crowded landmarks. Your evening is free to relax under a canopy of desert stars before another restful night in Siwa.

• Temple of Alexander — The Temple of the Oracle of Amun at Aghurmi, where Alexander the Great was proclaimed a son of the gods.
• Ain Cleopatra — Cleopatra's Spring, a clear natural stone pool bubbling up in the palm groves for a refreshing swim.

Today is devoted to the culture and character of the Siwa Oasis. You begin at the Siwan House, a small museum that preserves traditional dress, silver jewellery, pottery and building techniques, offering a window into a Berber community that has kept its own language and customs alive for generations. Next you wander the Siwan Oasis Bazaar, where you can browse hand-woven baskets, embroidered shawls, dates and pure olive oil, all local to this fertile pocket of the Western Desert. In the afternoon you head out to Taghaghien Island Resort on Lake Siwa, an idyllic spot to soak up the serene salt-lake scenery, feel the buoyant water and watch flamingos wade in the shallows. Your private guide keeps the pace gentle throughout, and you return to your lodging for a final evening in this timeless oasis.

• Siwan House — A traditional house museum preserving Berber dress, crafts and building methods.
• Siwan Oasis Bazaar — Local market for hand-woven baskets, embroidery, dates and Siwan olive oil.
• Taghaghien Island Resort — A serene eco-retreat on the buoyant salt waters of Lake Siwa.

After breakfast you bid farewell to the palm-fringed calm of Siwa and begin the long, scenic return journey across the Western Desert and back along the Mediterranean coast toward Cairo. The drive is a chance to watch Egypt's changing landscapes unfold: endless golden sand, shimmering salt flats and the deep blue of the sea near Marsa Matrouh, with comfortable stops along the way. Your private driver handles the route while you relax, and there is time to reflect on the oasis you are leaving behind. You arrive in the Egyptian capital in the evening and check back into your hotel, refreshed and ready for tomorrow's exploration of historic Cairo. Enjoy a quiet night in the city after a full and rewarding day on the road.

Today you delve into the layered heart of Cairo on a private guided tour. You start at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, home to an unrivalled collection of pharaonic antiquities, from royal mummies to golden funerary masks. Crossing into Coptic and Islamic Cairo, you visit the Amr Ibn Al Aas Mosque, the first mosque built in Egypt and all of Africa, then step into the atmospheric Hanging Church, suspended above a Roman gatehouse and adorned with delicate iconography. After lunch you stroll down Al Muizz Street, an open-air museum of medieval Islamic architecture, before losing yourself in the lively lanes of the Khan El Khalili Bazaar. Here you can sip mint tea, haggle for spices, lanterns and handcrafted souvenirs, and soak up centuries of trading tradition. Tonight you rest in Cairo, ready to fly south to Aswan in the morning.

• The Egyptian Museum — The historic Tahrir Square museum holding thousands of pharaonic treasures and royal mummies.
• Amr Ibn Al Aas Mosque — The first mosque founded in Egypt and on the African continent.
• The Hanging Church — A famed Coptic church suspended above a Roman fortress gatehouse.
• Al Muizz Street — A medieval thoroughfare lined with mosques, madrasas and Islamic architecture.
• Khan El Khalili Bazaar — Cairo's centuries-old souq of spices, lanterns, silver and crafts.

An early flight carries you south to Aswan, Egypt's most graceful Nile-side city, where you board your elegant Nile cruise ship and settle into your cabin. Your private guided sightseeing begins at the High Dam, the vast engineering feat that tamed the river's floods and created Lake Nasser. You then visit the Unfinished Obelisk, still lying in its ancient granite quarry, revealing how the pharaohs' stonemasons shaped these colossal monuments. Finally you take a short motorboat across to the island Temple of Philae, a romantic sanctuary dedicated to the goddess Isis and rescued from the rising waters in a remarkable UNESCO relocation. Back on board, you enjoy full-board dining and watch the sun set over the water as feluccas glide past. Tonight you sleep aboard your ship, gently moored on the Nile at Aswan.

• The High Dam — The colossal 20th-century dam that controls the Nile's flood and formed Lake Nasser.
• The Unfinished Obelisk — A giant abandoned obelisk lying in its ancient Aswan granite quarry.
• Philae Temple — The island temple of the goddess Isis, relocated stone by stone by UNESCO.

Today brings one of Egypt's most awe-inspiring excursions. You travel across the desert to Abu Simbel, the pair of colossal rock-cut temples carved for Pharaoh Ramses II and his queen Nefertari over three thousand years ago. Four seated statues of the king, each more than twenty metres tall, guard the entrance to the Great Temple, whose inner sanctuary was engineered so that sunlight illuminates the gods twice a year. Your Egyptologist guide brings the reliefs of Ramses' famed battles and devotion vividly to life. Equally moving is the temples' modern story, for the entire complex was cut into blocks and lifted to higher ground to save it from Lake Nasser. You then return to Aswan and your waiting Nile cruise, where full-board dining and easy comfort await. Overnight is spent aboard your ship as the river slips quietly by.

• Abu Simbel Temples — The twin rock-cut temples of Ramses II and Nefertari, relocated above Lake Nasser.

This morning your Nile cruise casts off and sails downstream through classic river scenery of palm groves, sandbanks and villages little changed for centuries. You disembark at Kom Ombo to explore its unusual double temple, dedicated jointly to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Horus, and admire ancient reliefs depicting surgical instruments and a small collection of mummified crocodiles. Continuing north, you arrive at Edfu, where a horse-drawn carriage carries you to the Temple of Horus, one of the best-preserved temples in all of Egypt, its towering pylons and dark sanctuary still remarkably intact. Between visits you relax on deck, enjoy full-board meals and let the timeless landscape drift past. Your private guide adds depth to every carving and column before you return to the comfort of your cabin for another night on the Nile.

• Kom Ombo Temple — A rare double temple honouring the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Horus.
• Edfu Temple — The Temple of Horus, one of Egypt's most complete and best-preserved temples.

You wake in Luxor, the world's greatest open-air museum, for a full day among the monuments of ancient Thebes. On the east bank you explore the immense Karnak Temple, a forest of towering columns raised over centuries to honour the god Amun. Crossing to the west bank, you visit the elegant terraced Temple of Hatshepsut, built for Egypt's most powerful female pharaoh against a backdrop of golden cliffs, then descend into the painted royal tombs of the Valley of the Kings, where Tutankhamun and other rulers were laid to rest. You pause at the towering Colossi of Memnon, two weathered guardians of a vanished temple. After lunch and disembarking your Nile cruise, you transfer by road across the Eastern Desert to the Red Sea resort of Hurghada, arriving in time to unwind. Overnight is spent at your Hurghada hotel.

• Karnak Temple — A vast temple complex of pylons, courts and the great hypostyle hall of Amun.
• Hatshepsut Temple — The dramatic terraced mortuary temple of Egypt's celebrated female pharaoh.
• Valley of the Kings — The royal necropolis of painted rock-cut tombs, including that of Tutankhamun.
• Colossi of Memnon — Two towering stone statues of Amenhotep III guarding a lost temple.

After days of temples and history, today is pure Red Sea relaxation. Following breakfast you head to Hurghada's marina and board a boat for a full-day snorkeling trip out to the sheltered reefs around Giftun Island. Slipping into the warm, crystal-clear water, you drift above vibrant coral gardens alive with clownfish, parrotfish, angelfish and the occasional sea turtle, enjoying some of the finest snorkeling in Egypt. Between swims you sunbathe on deck, enjoy a freshly prepared lunch on board and soak up views of the turquoise gulf and distant desert mountains. There is time to relax on a soft sandbar beach before the boat cruises back to shore in the afternoon. It is an easy, restorative day, and you return to your Hurghada hotel to enjoy the evening at leisure.

• Giftun Island — A protected Red Sea island ringed by vivid coral reefs, ideal for snorkeling and beach time.

Today swaps the sea for the sands with an exhilarating super safari into Hurghada's Eastern Desert. Climbing aboard a 4x4 jeep and quad bikes, you race across rolling dunes and open gravel plains, kicking up dust beneath a huge desert sky. You pause at a traditional Bedouin village to learn about desert life, sip sweet herbal tea, take a short camel ride and watch the wind sculpt the landscape. As the day cools, the desert glows in shades of ochre and rose, a photographer's dream. Your guide ensures the adventure stays safe and comfortable throughout. After a fun, adrenaline-filled outing you return to Hurghada, rinse off the desert dust and enjoy a relaxed final evening on Egypt's Red Sea coast before the Jordan chapter of your journey begins. Overnight is at your Hurghada hotel.

• Bedouin Village — A desert settlement where you share tea, a camel ride and stories of Bedouin life.

This morning marks the transition from Egypt to Jordan. After breakfast you are transferred to the airport for your flight north to Amman, the friendly, hilly capital of the Hashemite Kingdom. On arrival a Travel Joy representative meets you, assists with entry formalities and drives you to your hotel in a comfortable private vehicle. The rest of the day is yours to relax and adjust, perhaps stroll a nearby neighbourhood, sample Jordanian mezze and fragrant coffee, or simply rest ahead of the discoveries to come. Amman blends Roman ruins, bustling souqs and modern cafes, and its warm hospitality is the perfect introduction to Jordan. Tonight you settle in for a restful night in the capital, ready to explore Roman cities and desert wonders over the coming days.

Today you journey into Jordan's Roman past on a private guided tour. You drive north to Jerash, one of the best-preserved provincial Roman cities in the world, and walk its colonnaded streets, grand plazas and temples. You take in the vast Hippodrome, where chariots once thundered before roaring crowds, and climb to the majestic Temple of Artemis with its soaring, gently swaying columns. Continuing to the hills of Ajloun, you explore Ajloun Castle, a 12th-century Muslim fortress built to guard against the Crusaders and command sweeping views over the countryside. Returning to the capital, you visit the Amman Citadel atop Jabal al-Qal'a, where Roman, Byzantine and Umayyad remains, including the Temple of Hercules, overlook the whitewashed city below. Your guide weaves the layers of history together throughout the day before you return to your Amman hotel for the night.

• Jerash — A strikingly preserved Greco-Roman city of colonnaded streets, arches and temples.
• Hippodrome of Jerash — The ancient chariot-racing arena that once seated thousands of spectators.
• Temple of Artemis — A grand hilltop temple to the city's patron goddess, famed for its towering columns.
• Ajloun Castle — A 12th-century Ayyubid fortress overlooking the northern Jordanian hills.
• Amman Citadel — The hilltop site layering Roman, Byzantine and Umayyad ruins above the capital.

After breakfast you set out for the ancient town of Madaba, famed for its Byzantine mosaics. At St. George's Church you gaze down at the extraordinary 6th-century mosaic map of the Holy Land, the oldest known cartographic depiction of the region. You then drive to Mount Nebo, the windswept summit where, according to tradition, Moses looked out over the Promised Land; on a clear day the views stretch across the Jordan Valley to Jericho and the Dead Sea. In the afternoon you descend to the shore of the Dead Sea itself, the lowest point on Earth, where you can float effortlessly on the mineral-rich, buoyant water and coat your skin in its famous therapeutic mud. It is a uniquely relaxing experience found nowhere else. You spend the night at a comfortable Dead Sea resort, unwinding beside these legendary waters.

• St. George's Church — Home to the celebrated 6th-century Byzantine mosaic map of the Holy Land.
• Mount Nebo — The reputed site where Moses viewed the Promised Land, with sweeping valley vistas.
• The Dead Sea — Earth's lowest point, whose salt-rich waters let you float and whose mud soothes the skin.

Today you reach the highlight of Jordan, the rose-red city of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Walking through the Siq, a dramatic mile-long gorge of towering sandstone, you emerge before Al Khazneh, the Treasury, whose intricate facade glows in the morning light. Your guide leads you deeper into this Nabataean capital carved from the cliffs, past the elaborate Royal Tombs, the great Theatre hewn from solid rock, and the temple of Qasr al-Bint. There is time to absorb the scale and artistry of this lost city on foot. In the late afternoon you drive south to Wadi Rum, the Valley of the Moon, and enjoy dinner beneath a canopy of stars. Tonight you sleep in a desert camp, surrounded by the silence and towering rock formations of Jordan's most cinematic landscape.

• Petra — The Nabataean city carved into rose-coloured sandstone cliffs, entered through the Siq gorge.
• Al Khazneh Temple — The Treasury, Petra's iconic ornate facade revealed at the end of the Siq.
• Royal Tombs Of Petra — A row of monumental rock-cut tombs overlooking the ancient city centre.
• Theatre Of Petra — A vast amphitheatre carved directly into the mountainside by the Nabataeans.
• Qasr al-Bint — One of Petra's few free-standing structures, a major Nabataean temple.
• Wadi Rum — The Valley of the Moon, a protected desert of towering sandstone and red dunes.

You wake to sunrise over the crimson dunes of Wadi Rum, and after breakfast set out on a 4x4 exploration of this vast protected desert. You visit a small Nabatean Temple, evidence of the ancient traders who once crossed these sands, then stop at Lawrence Spring, linked to T. E. Lawrence of Arabia, where a trickle of water sustains a hanging garden high on the rock face. You wander into the narrow Khazali Canyon to see ancient inscriptions carved by desert travellers millennia ago. As your grand Egypt and Jordan adventure draws to a close, you are transferred to the airport for your onward departure, carrying home memories of pyramids, oases, the Nile, the Red Sea and the timeless wonders of Petra and Wadi Rum.

• Nabatean Temple — The remains of an ancient temple built by the Nabataean traders of Wadi Rum.
• Lawrence Spring — A hillside spring tied to T. E. Lawrence, with a lush hanging garden and desert views.
• Khazali Canyon — A narrow rock fissure carved with ancient Thamudic and Nabataean inscriptions.