20-Day Egypt, Jordan & Turkey Grand Tour

This morning you meet your private Egyptologist guide for a full day on the Giza Plateau, where the last surviving wonder of the ancient world rises straight out of the desert. Standing before the Great Pyramid of Khufu, you learn how millions of limestone blocks were raised more than 4,500 years ago, with the option to venture inside its narrow passages. You continue to the enigmatic Great Sphinx and the granite-lined Valley Temple, then step into the sleek Grand Egyptian Museum, home to Tutankhamun's complete collection beneath a vast glass atrium. In the afternoon your private guided tour reaches Saqqara and the Step Pyramid of Djoser, Egypt's earliest monumental stone structure and the blueprint for all that followed. You return to Cairo with the entire arc of pyramid-building laid clearly before you.

• Giza Pyramids Complex — The plateau of three great pyramids raised for the Fourth Dynasty pharaohs.
• The Great Pyramid — Khufu's colossal tomb, the only surviving wonder of the ancient world, with optional interior access.
• The Great Sphinx — The lion-bodied guardian carved from a single limestone outcrop.
• The Valley Temple — Khafre's granite-clad temple beside the Sphinx, part of his pyramid complex.
• The Grand Egyptian Museum — The vast new museum displaying Tutankhamun's full treasure beneath a glass atrium.
• Saqqara Step Pyramid — Djoser's stepped pyramid, Egypt's oldest monumental stone building.

After breakfast you catch a short domestic flight south to Aswan, Egypt's most relaxed and beautiful river city, where the Nile flows wide and blue between golden dunes and granite islands. Your guide begins at the mighty Aswan High Dam, the 1960s engineering feat that tamed the Nile's floods and created Lake Nasser. You then visit the Unfinished Obelisk, still lying in its ancient quarry and revealing exactly how the pharaohs shaped these colossal stones. A short motorboat ride carries you to the island Temple of Philae, dedicated to the goddess Isis and rescued stone by stone from the rising waters. In the late afternoon you embark on your elegant Nile cruise ship, settling into your cabin before dinner on board. As the lights of Aswan shimmer on the water, your classic river voyage toward Luxor begins.

• The High Dam — The great 1960s dam that controls the Nile's flood and forms Lake Nasser.
• The Unfinished Obelisk — A colossal obelisk abandoned in its granite quarry, revealing ancient stone-cutting methods.
• Philae Temple — The island temple of Isis, relocated to Agilkia to escape the rising waters.

Long before dawn you set out across the eastern Sahara for one of Egypt's most breathtaking sights, the twin temples of Abu Simbel near the Sudanese border. Carved into a sandstone cliff by Ramses II more than 3,000 years ago, the Great Temple is guarded by four colossal seated statues of the pharaoh, each over twenty metres tall. Your guide explains how the entire complex was cut apart and lifted to higher ground in the 1960s to save it from Lake Nasser, one of history's greatest rescue operations. Alongside stands the smaller temple honouring Ramses' beloved queen Nefertari. You have time to admire the vivid interior reliefs of battles and gods before returning to Aswan and your waiting Nile cruise ship. The rest of the day is yours to relax on deck as timeless riverside scenery drifts past.

• Abu Simbel Temples — Ramses II's rock-cut Great Temple and the Temple of Nefertari, relocated to save them from Lake Nasser.

Today your Nile cruise glides gently downstream, and you wake to breakfast on deck as farmers, palm groves and water buffalo slip past on the green riverbanks. Your first stop is the unusual Temple of Kom Ombo, built on a curve of the Nile and dedicated jointly to the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon god Horus. You explore its symmetrical twin sanctuaries and see mummified crocodiles in the small on-site museum. Sailing on, you reach Edfu, where a horse-drawn carriage carries you to the Temple of Horus, the best-preserved temple in all of Egypt. Its towering pylon, colossal falcon statues and richly carved walls give you a vivid sense of how these sacred spaces once looked. Back on board you enjoy full-board dining while the ship continues toward Luxor beneath a wide, star-filled sky.

• Kom Ombo Temple — The unique double temple honouring Sobek and Horus on a bend of the Nile.
• Edfu temple — The Temple of Horus, the best-preserved of all Egypt's temples, reached by horse-drawn carriage.

After a final breakfast on board you disembark at Luxor, the open-air museum built over ancient Thebes, and dedicate today to the grand temples of the east bank. You begin at the immense Karnak Temple complex, wandering the Great Hypostyle Hall where 134 giant papyrus columns rise like a stone forest above you. Your Egyptologist brings to life the centuries of pharaohs who each added their own halls, obelisks and sanctuaries to honour the god Amun-Ra. After checking into your Luxor hotel and resting through the warm afternoon, you return in the evening for a magical private guided tour of Luxor Temple by night, when floodlights throw its colonnades and statues into dramatic relief. Walking the ancient avenue between the ram-headed sphinxes under the stars makes an unforgettable close to your first day in this remarkable city.

• Karnak Temple — The vast temple of Amun-Ra with its forest of 134 papyrus columns in the Great Hypostyle Hall.
• Luxor Temple by Night — The riverside temple dramatically illuminated after dark, linked to Karnak by the Avenue of Sphinxes.

This morning you cross to Luxor's west bank, the realm of the dead, where pharaohs were buried in secret for greater security. In the Valley of the Kings you descend into several brightly painted royal tombs, their corridors and burial chambers still glowing with hieroglyphs and scenes of the afterlife carved for kings such as Ramses and Tutankhamun. Nearby you marvel at the elegant terraced Temple of Hatshepsut, rising in colonnaded tiers against a sheer desert cliff and honouring Egypt's most powerful female pharaoh. You pause too at the towering Colossi of Memnon, twin seated statues that have guarded the plain for over three millennia. In the afternoon your private vehicle carries you across the desert to the Red Sea resort of Hurghada, where you check in for two nights of well-earned relaxation beside turquoise water.

• Valley of the Kings — The royal necropolis of the New Kingdom, with painted rock-cut tombs of the pharaohs.
• Hatshepsut Temple — The dramatic terraced mortuary temple of Egypt's great female pharaoh at Deir el-Bahari.
• Colossi of Memnon — Two towering seated statues of Amenhotep III guarding the western plain.

Today is completely yours to enjoy at leisure in Hurghada, one of the Red Sea's most popular resort towns. After the fast pace of temples and tombs, you might spend the morning lazing beside the pool or on a soft sandy beach, letting the warm Egyptian sun and gentle sea breeze work their magic. The calm, clear waters of the Red Sea are famously inviting for a swim, and the shallow reefs close to shore reward even a short snorkel with flashes of colourful fish. If you prefer to explore, you could stroll the lively marina, browse the shops and cafes, book a relaxing spa treatment, or arrange an optional desert quad-bike adventure through your guide. However you choose to spend it, this free day lets you fully recharge before the next chapter of your journey unfolds along the coast.

This morning you head to Hurghada's marina to board a comfortable boat for a full-day snorkelling excursion across the sparkling Red Sea. Cruising out to sheltered offshore reefs, you drop anchor above gardens of living coral where clownfish, angelfish, parrotfish and perhaps a passing turtle drift through the crystal-clear water. Your crew provides masks, fins and guidance, so even first-time snorkellers can float safely above the reef and take in the astonishing marine life below. Between swims you relax on deck under the sun, and a freshly prepared lunch is served on board as the boat moves between snorkelling sites. The Red Sea's warm, calm waters and superb visibility make this one of the finest snorkelling destinations on earth. In the late afternoon you return to the harbour and transfer back to your hotel to unwind for a final Red Sea evening.

After breakfast you take a short flight back to Cairo for a full day among the treasures of the ancient and Islamic city. You begin at the historic Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square, whose crowded halls hold thousands of antiquities gathered over a century of discovery. Next you climb to the medieval Salah El Din Citadel for sweeping views over the rooftops and minarets, and step inside the alabaster Mohamed Ali Mosque with its soaring domes. At the striking National Museum of Egyptian Civilization you meet the Royal Mummies in their dramatic underground gallery. As evening falls your private guided tour winds through historic Islamic Cairo along atmospheric Al Muizz Street, ending amid the lanterns, spice stalls and coppersmiths of the great Khan El Khalili bazaar, where you can sip mint tea and shop for souvenirs before returning to your hotel.

• The Egyptian Museum — The century-old museum on Tahrir Square holding thousands of pharaonic antiquities.
• Salah El Din Citadel — Saladin's medieval fortress crowning Cairo, with panoramic city views.
• Mohamed Ali Mosque — The great Ottoman-style alabaster mosque within the Citadel walls.
• The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization — Home to the Royal Mummies gallery and a sweep of Egyptian history.
• Al Muizz Street — The atmospheric medieval spine of Islamic Cairo, lined with monuments.
• Khan El Khalili Bazaar — The famous historic market of lanterns, spices, jewellery and crafts.

Today you travel to the Mediterranean coast for a full-day tour of Alexandria, the fabled city founded by Alexander the Great. You descend into the eerie Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa, a multi-level Roman burial complex where Egyptian and classical art blend in remarkable carved tombs. Nearby you see the lone granite shaft of Pompey's Pillar, still standing amid the ruins of the ancient Serapeum. Driving along the sweeping seafront corniche, you reach the Qaitbay Citadel, a 15th-century fortress built on the very spot where the legendary Lighthouse of Alexandria once stood. Finally you visit the strikingly modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a vast disc-shaped library that revives the spirit of the greatest library of the ancient world. With the sea air and Alexandria's very different character to savour, you return to Cairo in the evening for your final night in Egypt.

• Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa — A multi-level Roman necropolis blending Egyptian and classical funerary art.
• Pompey's Pillar — A towering granite column standing amid the ruins of the ancient Serapeum.
• Qaitbay Citadel — A 15th-century seafront fortress on the site of the lost Lighthouse of Alexandria.
• Alexandria Library — The modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a striking revival of the ancient library.

After breakfast and a fond farewell to Egypt, you transfer to Cairo airport for a short flight across Sinai and the Red Sea to Amman, the hospitable capital of Jordan. On arrival your local representative assists with entry formalities and drives you into the city, which spreads across a series of hills topped with pale limestone houses. The rest of the day is at leisure to settle into your Amman hotel and recover from the transfer. You might take an easy evening stroll to sample Jordan's warm hospitality and celebrated cuisine, from freshly baked flatbread and mezze to sweet cups of cardamom coffee. Your guide confirms the plan for the days ahead, when you will explore Roman Jerash, the shores of the Dead Sea and the rose-red city of Petra. Tonight you rest, ready to discover a wholly new country and culture.

Today you explore some of Jordan's finest Roman heritage on a private guided tour north of the capital. At Jerash you walk through one of the best-preserved provincial Roman cities anywhere, entering beneath Hadrian's Arch and following colonnaded streets still rutted by ancient chariot wheels. You stand in the vast oval Forum, look down on the Hippodrome where chariots once raced, and climb to the graceful Temple of Artemis with its towering columns. Driving on, you reach the hilltop Ajloun Castle, a 12th-century Muslim fortress built to guard against the Crusaders and rewarding you with far-reaching views over green highlands. Returning to Amman, you tour the Citadel crowning the city centre, with its Temple of Hercules and Umayyad palace, before overlooking the restored Roman Theatre below. You return to your hotel with a rich sense of Jordan's deeply layered past.

• Jerash — One of the best-preserved Roman provincial cities, entered through Hadrian's Arch.
• Hippodrome of Jerash — The ancient arena where chariot races were once staged.
• Temple of Artemis — Jerash's grand hilltop temple with soaring Corinthian columns.
• Ajloun Castle — A 12th-century Muslim fortress guarding the highlands against the Crusaders.
• Amman Citadel — The ancient hilltop core of Amman, with the Temple of Hercules and Umayyad palace.

This morning you head southwest toward the biblical landscapes of Madaba and the Dead Sea. In Madaba you visit St. George's Church to see its famous sixth-century mosaic map of the Holy Land, the oldest surviving cartographic depiction of the region, pieced together from more than two million coloured stones. You continue to Mount Nebo, the windswept ridge where Moses is said to have gazed out over the Promised Land, and where on clear days you can see across to Jericho and Jerusalem. In the afternoon you descend to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on the surface of the earth, and enjoy the extraordinary experience of floating effortlessly on its mineral-rich waters. You can coat yourself in the famously therapeutic black mud before relaxing at your resort, watching the sun sink over the water toward the hills of the West Bank.

• St. George’s Church — Home to the sixth-century mosaic map of the Holy Land, the oldest of its kind.
• Mount Nebo — The ridge where Moses is said to have viewed the Promised Land.
• The Dead Sea — Earth's lowest point, famed for effortless floating and mineral-rich mud.

Today brings the highlight of Jordan, the ancient Nabataean city of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site carved from rose-coloured sandstone. You enter through the Siq, a long, winding gorge between towering cliffs, until it parts to reveal Al Khazneh, the majestic Treasury facade that has awed travellers for centuries. Beyond it you explore the Royal Tombs, their weathered facades glowing in the shifting desert light, the great Roman-style Theatre cut into the rock, and the standing Qasr al-Bint temple at the city's heart. Your guide fills the silent ruins with tales of the caravan traders who grew rich here. In the late afternoon you journey on to Wadi Rum, the sublime desert of red sand and soaring rock formations made famous by Lawrence of Arabia. You enjoy dinner beneath a canopy of stars at a traditional Bedouin camp.

• Petra — The rose-red Nabataean city carved into sandstone, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Al Khazneh Temple — The iconic Treasury facade revealed at the end of the Siq gorge.
• Royal Tombs Of Petra — A row of monumental tomb facades glowing in the changing desert light.
• Theatre Of Petra — A large amphitheatre cut directly into the rock by the Nabataeans.
• Qasr al-Bint — One of Petra's few free-standing structures, a temple at the city's heart.
• Wadi Rum — The vast red desert of towering rock formations, home to Bedouin camps.

You wake to sunrise over the vast red dunes of Wadi Rum, perhaps with a cup of sweet Bedouin tea, before saying goodbye to Jordan's magnificent desert. After breakfast you transfer to the airport for your flight onward to Turkey, the vibrant land where Europe and Asia meet. Touching down in Istanbul, a city that has served as capital to Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires, you are met by your representative and driven to your centrally located hotel. The rest of the day is free to begin soaking up the atmosphere of this extraordinary metropolis, straddling the Bosphorus strait between two continents. You might wander down to the waterfront, watch the ferries crossing at dusk, and enjoy your first taste of Turkish cuisine. Your guide confirms tomorrow's plans among the great monuments of the old city. Overnight in Istanbul, poised between Europe and Asia.

Today your private guided tour explores the imperial heart of old Istanbul, all within the historic Sultanahmet district. You begin at the awe-inspiring Hagia Sophia, a soaring sixth-century masterpiece that has been church, mosque and museum across nearly fifteen centuries, its vast dome seeming to float on light. Nearby you tour the sprawling Topkapi Palace, home to generations of Ottoman sultans, where you admire the treasury, imperial chambers and views over the Bosphorus. Across the square stands the elegant Blue Mosque, famous for the cascade of domes and thousands of blue Iznik tiles that give it its name. You walk the ancient Hippodrome, once the chariot-racing arena of Byzantine Constantinople, still marked by its Egyptian obelisk and serpent column. Finally you lose yourself in the labyrinthine Grand Bazaar, one of the world's oldest and largest covered markets, before returning to your hotel.

• Hagia Sophia — The monumental sixth-century domed structure, in turn church, mosque and museum.
• Topkapi Palace — The lavish palace of the Ottoman sultans overlooking the Bosphorus.
• The Blue Mosque — The great mosque famed for its cascade of domes and blue Iznik tiles.
• The Hippodrome — The ancient chariot arena of Constantinople, marked by an Egyptian obelisk.
• The Grand Bazaar — One of the world's oldest and largest covered markets.

This morning you fly to central Anatolia and the dreamlike region of Cappadocia, a landscape of surreal rock formations, hidden valleys and ancient cave dwellings. Your private tour begins at the towering Uchisar Castle, a natural rock citadel honeycombed with rooms and offering panoramic views across the whole valley. At the UNESCO-listed Goreme Open-Air Museum you step inside rock-cut churches adorned with beautifully preserved Byzantine frescoes. In the pottery town of Avanos, set on the Red River, you watch craftsmen shape clay on traditional wheels as they have for generations. You continue to the whimsical fairy-chimney formations of Pasabag, where wind and time have sculpted tall stone pillars, and to the colourful, lunar-like rocks of Devrent Valley. Cappadocia is also famous for its dawn hot-air balloon flights, which your guide can arrange as an optional add-on. Overnight in a characterful Cappadocian hotel.

• The Uchisar Castle — A towering natural rock citadel with panoramic views over the valleys.
• Göreme Open-Air Museum — A UNESCO site of rock-cut churches with preserved Byzantine frescoes.
• Avanos — A riverside town famed for its centuries-old pottery tradition.
• Pasabag — The valley of dramatic fairy-chimney rock formations.
• Devrent Valley — A lunar-like landscape of colourful, oddly shaped rocks.

Today you fly to Turkey's Aegean coast to explore Ephesus, one of the greatest and best-preserved ancient cities of the classical world. You begin near the site of the Temple of Artemis, once counted among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, now marked by a single reconstructed column amid the ruins. Walking through Ephesus itself, you are captivated by the magnificent two-storey facade of the Library of Celsus and the enormous Great Theatre, which once seated some 25,000 spectators. You admire the finely carved Temple of Hadrian and stroll down marble-paved Harbour Street, where merchants and sailors once thronged. A short drive away you visit the peaceful House of the Virgin Mary, believed by many to be where Mary spent her final years and now a revered place of pilgrimage. You then transfer back to Istanbul for your final night of the tour.

• The Temple of Artemis — The site of the ancient wonder, now marked by a lone reconstructed column.
• Celsus Library — The magnificent two-storey library facade, symbol of Ephesus.
• Theater of Ephesus — The vast Great Theatre that once seated around 25,000 spectators.
• Temple of Hadrian — An elegant temple with finely carved reliefs along Curetes Street.
• Harbor Street — The grand marble avenue that once linked the city to its harbour.
• House of the Virgin Mary — A revered pilgrimage site believed to be Mary's final home.

Your remarkable three-week journey across Egypt, Jordan and Turkey comes to a close today. After a final breakfast you check out of your Istanbul hotel, and at the appropriate time your private driver transfers you to the airport for your departure flight home. You carry with you a wealth of unforgettable memories, from the pyramids of Giza and a leisurely Nile cruise to the Red Sea's coral reefs, the rose-red city of Petra, the deserts of Wadi Rum and the minarets and fairy chimneys of Turkey. Our team hopes this grand tour has given you a deep appreciation for the ancient civilisations and warm hospitality that link these three extraordinary lands. Should you wish to return one day to discover even more, Travel Joy Egypt would be delighted to welcome you back. We wish you a safe and pleasant onward journey.