Egypt, Morocco & Jordan 18-Day Wonders

After breakfast, your private guided tour opens at the monumental Hassan II Mosque, whose 210-metre minaret soars above the Atlantic and whose prayer hall rests partly over the sea. You continue along the breezy Casablanca Corniche before driving to Rabat, Morocco's dignified capital. Here the unfinished Hassan Tower stands beside its forest of ancient columns, while the adjacent Mausoleum of Mohammed V dazzles with carved cedar, marble and a hand-painted ceiling. You wander the Kasbah of the Udayas, a serene clifftop quarter of blue-and-white lanes and Andalusian gardens overlooking the river mouth, then pause before the ceremonial gates of the Royal Palace of Rabat. Every stop is unhurried and richly explained by your private guide. This evening you settle into your Rabat hotel, the rhythms of Morocco already working their quiet magic.

• Hassan II Mosque — One of the largest mosques on earth, its towering minaret and glass-floored hall reach out over the crashing Atlantic.
• Casablanca Corniche — A breezy seafront promenade of cafés and Atlantic panoramas, ideal for a first taste of Moroccan city life.
• Hassan Tower — The stump of a colossal 12th-century minaret, surrounded by a field of columns from a mosque never completed.
• Mausoleum of Mohammed V — A masterpiece of modern Moroccan craftsmanship in cedar, marble and gold, housing the tombs of the royal family.
• Kasbah of the Udayas — A tranquil clifftop citadel of indigo-and-white alleys and Andalusian gardens above the Bou Regreg river.
• Royal Palace of Rabat — The ornate ceremonial gates and vast forecourt of the king's official residence in the capital.

This morning you journey north into the Rif Mountains toward Chefchaouen, Morocco's famous blue city. Founded in the fifteenth century as a mountain refuge, its old medina is washed in a thousand shades of indigo and powder blue, the walls, steps and doorways glowing softly in the crisp mountain light. You lose yourself among artisan workshops selling woven wool blankets and local goat's cheese, then gather in the lively Outa el Hammam Square at the heart of the old town, where cafés spill out beneath the shadow of the ancient kasbah and grand mosque. Your private guide shares the town's Andalusian roots and enduring spiritual reputation while you photograph one impossibly picturesque corner after another. As the afternoon cools, the blue deepens toward violet. Tonight you overnight in Chefchaouen, cradled by the peaks.

• Chefchaouen City — A dreamlike medina painted entirely in shades of blue, tumbling down the green slopes of the Rif Mountains.
• Outa el Hammam Square — The bustling central plaza framed by the red-walled kasbah and grand mosque, ringed with terrace cafés.

You travel on to Fez, Morocco's spiritual and intellectual capital, for a full day inside one of the world's greatest living medieval cities. Your private guided tour begins at Al-Qarawiyyin, founded in 859 AD and recognised as the oldest continuously operating university on earth. You admire the intricate carved stucco and zellij tilework of the Bou Inania Madrasa, then look down over the centuries-old Chouara Tanneries, where hides are still cured in honeycombs of stone vats exactly as they were in medieval times. You pause at the beautiful mosaic Nejjarine Fountain before threading deeper into Fes el-Bali, the labyrinthine walled old town where thousands of alleys hide coppersmiths, bakeries and secret shrines. You also visit the revered Moulay Idriss Mausoleum, resting place of the city's founder. Tonight you rest in Fez, your senses full.

• Al-Qarawiyyin University — Founded in 859 AD and often called the oldest continuously operating university in the world.
• Bou Inania Madrasa — A jewel of Marinid architecture, adorned with carved cedar, marble and dazzling geometric zellij tiles.
• Chouara Tanneries — Medieval stone vats where leather is still dyed by hand in a scene unchanged for a thousand years.
• Nejjarine Fountain — An exquisitely tiled public fountain beside the historic carpenters' square in the old medina.
• Fes el-Bali — The vast walled old town, a UNESCO-listed maze of car-free alleys, souks and hidden courtyards.
• Moulay Idriss Mausoleum — The revered shrine of the founder of Fez, a deeply important pilgrimage site for Moroccans.

Today you cross the spine of Morocco toward the Sahara. Leaving Fez, you climb through the cedar forests and alpine air of Ifrane and the Middle Atlas, cross the high passes near Midelt, and follow the palm-fringed Ziz Valley as the landscape ripens into date groves and open desert. By late afternoon you reach Merzouga and the towering golden dunes of Erg Chebbi, some rising nearly 150 metres. Here you trade your vehicle for a camel and ride in a gentle caravan over the sand as the sun sinks and the ridges blaze amber and rose. At your comfortable desert camp you are welcomed with tagine and mint tea beneath a canopy of stars unspoiled by any city light, perhaps drawn into the hypnotic rhythm of Berber drums. Tonight you sleep in the very heart of the Moroccan Sahara.

• Ziz Valley — A dramatic ribbon of palm groves and kasbahs winding through the desert on the road south to Merzouga.
• Erg Chebbi Dunes — The towering wind-sculpted sand sea of Merzouga, reached by camel caravan for an unforgettable Sahara sunset.

Wake early for one of Morocco's great spectacles: sunrise over the Erg Chebbi dunes, the sand shifting from deep rose to brilliant gold as the desert stirs. After breakfast at camp you visit nearby Rissani, the historic caravan town and cradle of the ruling Alaouite dynasty, whose bustling souk once anchored trans-Saharan trade. From here you drive west along the fabled Road of a Thousand Kasbahs, pausing at the dramatic cliffs of the Todra Gorge, where sheer rose-coloured walls tower hundreds of metres above a cool mountain stream. The route continues into the lush Dades Valley, a green ribbon threaded with crumbling mud-brick kasbahs and rock formations locals call the 'monkey fingers.' Your private guide sets the scene at every turn. Tonight you overnight amid the valley's cinematic scenery, the High Atlas rising all around you.

• Rissani — A historic market town and birthplace of Morocco's ruling dynasty, once a key trans-Saharan caravan hub.
• Todra Gorge — A breathtaking canyon where sheer rust-red cliffs soar hundreds of metres above a narrow river valley.
• Dades Valley — A verdant oasis valley of palm groves, old kasbahs and eroded rock formations along the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs.

A scenic morning drive brings you deeper into the land of kasbahs. You pass through the Skoura oasis and reach Ouarzazate, nicknamed the 'gateway to the desert' and home to famous film studios that have doubled for ancient Egypt, Rome and Westeros. The day's highlight is Aït Ben Haddou, a UNESCO World Heritage ksar of tightly packed earthen towers rising from the riverbank like a giant sandcastle city. You cross the streambed and climb its winding lanes to the old granary at the summit, where the whole Ounila Valley unfolds below. Gladiator, Lawrence of Arabia and countless other epics were filmed against these walls, and your private guide points out the very spots you will recognise. Tonight you overnight beside this timeless fortress, its mud-brick walls glowing warm copper in the setting sun.

• Ouarzazate — The 'door to the desert,' famed for its grand Taourirt Kasbah and Hollywood-scale film studios.
• Aït Ben Haddou — A spectacular UNESCO-listed fortified village of red-earth towers, backdrop to countless legendary films.

This morning you climb over the spectacular Tizi n'Tichka pass, the highest paved road in North Africa, as the High Atlas gives way to the red-walled city of Marrakesh. Your private guided tour takes in the exquisite Bahia Palace with its painted cedar ceilings, the towering minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque, and the tranquil reflecting pool of the Menara Gardens. You stroll the cobalt-and-lemon paths of the Majorelle Gardens, once owned by Yves Saint Laurent, and admire the carved treasures of the Dar Si Said Museum. As dusk falls you plunge into the Medina and its labyrinthine souks, a riot of spices, lanterns, leather and carpets, emerging into the legendary Jemaa el-Fna square, where storytellers, musicians and food stalls conjure Marrakesh's nightly carnival. Tonight you overnight in the Red City, intoxicated by its colour and energy.

• Bahia Palace — A 19th-century palace of gilded ceilings, tiled courtyards and fragrant gardens built to be the grandest of its age.
• Koutoubia Mosque — Marrakesh's iconic landmark, whose elegant 77-metre minaret has crowned the skyline for over 800 years.
• Menara Gardens — A serene olive-grove garden centred on a reflecting pool that mirrors the distant snow-capped Atlas peaks.
• Majorelle Gardens — A vivid cobalt-blue villa and exotic botanical garden lovingly restored by Yves Saint Laurent.
• Dar Si Said Museum — A beautifully preserved mansion showcasing Moroccan woodwork, carpets and traditional crafts.
• Medina & Souk of Marrakesh — A dizzying maze of covered markets brimming with spices, lanterns, leather goods and hand-woven carpets.
• Jemaa el-Fna — The city's legendary main square, transformed each evening into an open-air theatre of music, food and storytellers.

Your Moroccan chapter closes today as you bid farewell to Marrakesh. After breakfast you are transferred for your flight, connecting via Casablanca, onward to Cairo, the sprawling and electric capital of Egypt. It is a travel day, but a momentous one: in a few hours you exchange the red walls of the Atlas for the banks of the Nile, the river that gave rise to the world's oldest civilisation. On arrival at Cairo International Airport your Travel Joy representative greets you, assists with your Egypt entry visa, and whisks you by private transfer to your hotel. Tonight you rest in Cairo, with the pyramids waiting just across the city skyline. Tomorrow your Egyptologist-guided exploration of the land of the pharaohs begins in earnest, opening the next great act of your journey.

Today you stand before the last surviving wonder of the ancient world. On the Giza plateau your private Egyptologist unveils the Great Pyramid of Khufu, built more than 4,500 years ago from over two million limestone blocks, alongside its companion pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure. You come face to face with the enigmatic Great Sphinx, its lion's body and pharaoh's head guarding the plateau, and step inside the granite-pillared Valley Temple where royal mummification rites were once performed. After lunch you tour the magnificent Grand Egyptian Museum, the vast new home of Tutankhamun's complete treasures beside the pyramids. You continue to Saqqara to admire the Step Pyramid of Djoser, humanity's earliest monumental stone building and the blueprint for every pyramid that followed. Tonight you return to your Cairo hotel, awed by five millennia of history.

• Giza Pyramids Complex — The 4,500-year-old plateau of pyramids and tombs on Cairo's edge, the last of the Seven Wonders still standing.
• The Great Pyramid — The colossal tomb of Khufu, built from over two million stone blocks and once the tallest structure on earth.
• The Great Sphinx — The enigmatic limestone guardian with a lion's body and a pharaoh's head, watching over Giza for millennia.
• The Valley Temple — A remarkably preserved granite temple linked to Khafre's pyramid, used in royal purification rituals.
• The Grand Egyptian Museum — The vast new museum beside the pyramids, home to the complete treasures of Tutankhamun.
• Saqqara Step Pyramid — The Step Pyramid of Djoser, the world's oldest monumental stone building and ancestor of all pyramids.

After days among temples and tombs, today invites you to slow down beside the Red Sea. A short flight carries you from Cairo to Hurghada, Egypt's premier coastal resort, where turquoise water meets golden desert and the air turns soft and warm. The rest of the day is entirely yours: lie on a palm-shaded beach, float in the famously buoyant, mineral-rich sea, or slip beneath the surface to discover a dazzling coral world of angelfish, parrotfish and gently swaying reefs, some of the finest snorkelling and diving anywhere on the planet. You might simply savour fresh seafood at a marina restaurant as the sun sinks behind the mountains. This gentle interlude is the perfect midpoint of your grand journey, a chance to recharge before the temples of Luxor. Tonight you overnight in Hurghada, lulled by the sound of the sea.

• Red Sea, Hurghada — A famed resort coast of warm turquoise water and vibrant coral reefs, perfect for snorkelling, diving or simply relaxing.

This morning a scenic drive across the Eastern Desert brings you to Luxor, the open-air museum built upon ancient Thebes. Your private Egyptologist leads you into the colossal Karnak Temple, the largest religious complex ever raised, where the forest of 134 giant sandstone columns in the Great Hypostyle Hall dwarfs every visitor and 3,000 years of pharaohs each added their own mark. You wander among the sacred lake, towering obelisks and the ram-headed sphinx avenue. Later, as the heat fades, you return to see Luxor Temple illuminated after dark, its statues, pylons and colonnades glowing dramatically against the night sky, a magical and far quieter way to experience this riverside sanctuary once linked to Karnak by a grand processional way. Tonight you overnight in Luxor, on the banks of the timeless Nile.

• Karnak Temple — The largest religious complex ever built, famed for its awe-inspiring hall of 134 towering sandstone columns.
• Luxor Temple by Night — An elegant riverside temple dramatically floodlit after dark, its colonnades and statues glowing against the night.

Today you cross to the Nile's West Bank, the realm of the dead where Egypt's greatest rulers were laid to rest. Your private Egyptologist guides you into the Valley of the Kings, descending painted burial corridors, including those of Tutankhamun and mighty Ramesses, whose vivid hieroglyphs still blaze with colour after three thousand years. You marvel at the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, its bold colonnaded terraces rising in perfect harmony from the sheer cliffs of Deir el-Bahari, a monument to Egypt's most powerful female pharaoh. Before returning you pause at the Colossi of Memnon, two weathered eighteen-metre statues that have guarded the plain for millennia and once, it is said, sang at dawn. Every stop deepens your understanding of ancient Egyptian belief in the afterlife. Tonight you overnight once more in Luxor.

• Hatshepsut Temple — The striking terraced mortuary temple of Egypt's greatest female pharaoh, set against dramatic desert cliffs.
• Valley of the Kings — The royal necropolis of the New Kingdom, its hidden tombs adorned with vivid, well-preserved wall paintings.
• Colossi of Memnon — Two towering seated statues of Amenhotep III that have guarded the Theban plain for over 3,000 years.

A morning flight returns you to Cairo for a full day tracing Egypt's layered history. You begin at the historic Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, its halls brimming with pharaonic treasures and royal artefacts. You then step into Coptic Cairo to visit the ancient Hanging Church, suspended above a Roman gatehouse, and the venerable Amr Ibn Al Aas Mosque, the first mosque ever built in Africa. At the striking National Museum of Egyptian Civilization you view the Royal Mummies gallery in reverent hush. Finally you plunge into medieval Cairo along Al Muizz Street, a living open-air museum of Fatimid architecture, and haggle for lanterns, spices and silver in the labyrinth of the Khan El Khalili bazaar. Your private guide brings every era vividly to life. Tonight you overnight in Cairo, your Egyptian adventure complete.

• The Egyptian Museum — The historic Tahrir Square museum housing tens of thousands of pharaonic antiquities and royal treasures.
• The Hanging Church — One of Egypt's oldest Coptic churches, dramatically suspended above the towers of a Roman fortress.
• Amr Ibn Al Aas Mosque — The very first mosque built in Egypt and on the African continent, dating to 641 AD.
• The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization — A modern museum tracing Egypt's story from prehistory to today, home to the Royal Mummies gallery.
• Al Muizz Street — A medieval avenue lined with the finest concentration of Islamic-era architecture in the world.
• Khan El Khalili Bazaar — Cairo's atmospheric centuries-old market, a warren of stalls selling spices, lanterns, gold and crafts.

Today your journey carries you to its final country, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. After breakfast you are transferred to Cairo International Airport for your flight across the Sinai and the Red Sea to Amman. On arrival your local representative welcomes you and arranges your smooth private transfer into the capital. Amman is a city of gleaming white limestone spread across nineteen hills, where Roman ruins sit beside buzzing cafés and an ancient citadel overlooks a thoroughly modern downtown. Depending on your arrival time you may enjoy a first taste of Jordanian hospitality and its celebrated cuisine, from generous mezze to fragrant mansaf. The great rose-red city of Petra and the Martian sands of Wadi Rum now lie just ahead. Tonight you overnight in Amman, rested and ready for the grand finale of your adventure.

This morning you explore Jordan's biblical heartland. In the town of Madaba you enter St. George's Church to see its famous sixth-century mosaic map of the Holy Land, the oldest surviving cartographic depiction of Jerusalem and the region, pieced together from more than two million coloured stones. You then ascend Mount Nebo, the windswept summit where, tradition holds, Moses gazed upon the Promised Land; on a clear day the view stretches across the Jordan Valley to the distant hills of Jerusalem. In the afternoon you descend to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on the surface of the earth at over 400 metres below sea level. Here you float effortlessly on the hyper-saline water and coat yourself in its famously therapeutic black mineral mud. Tonight you overnight beside the shimmering, mineral-rich Dead Sea.

• St. George's Church — Home to the celebrated 6th-century mosaic map of the Holy Land, the oldest of its kind in existence.
• Mount Nebo — The revered mountaintop from which, tradition says, Moses viewed the Promised Land across the Jordan Valley.
• The Dead Sea — The lowest point on earth, whose salt-heavy water lets you float effortlessly amid mineral-rich mud.

Today you meet one of the world's true wonders. You journey to Petra and walk down the Siq, a narrow, winding gorge between soaring rose-coloured cliffs, until it parts to reveal Al Khazneh, the majestic Treasury carved directly into the rock face by the Nabataeans over two thousand years ago. Your private guide leads you deeper into this lost city, past the elaborate Royal Tombs, the great Roman-style Theatre hewn from the mountainside, and the towering Qasr al-Bint temple. In the afternoon you continue to Wadi Rum, the Valley of the Moon, and board a 4x4 to bounce across its crimson dunes, past wind-sculpted arches and monoliths that inspired Lawrence of Arabia. As the desert glows at sunset you settle into a Bedouin camp for a grilled zarb dinner, sweet tea and a night beneath a blazing canopy of stars. Tonight you overnight in Wadi Rum.

• Petra — The lost Nabataean city carved into rose-red sandstone, entered through the dramatic mile-long Siq gorge.
• Al Khazneh Temple — Petra's iconic Treasury, an ornate 40-metre facade sculpted straight from the living rock face.
• Royal Tombs Of Petra — A grand row of monumental tombs whose weathered stone glows in bands of rose, gold and violet.
• Theatre Of Petra — A vast amphitheatre carved into the mountainside, once seating thousands of Nabataean spectators.
• Qasr al-Bint — One of Petra's few free-standing structures, a towering temple at the heart of the ancient city centre.
• Wadi Rum — The 'Valley of the Moon,' a stunning desert of crimson sand, natural arches and towering rock monoliths.

Every great journey must end, and today yours draws to a close after eighteen unforgettable days across Morocco, Egypt and Jordan. You savour a final breakfast and, depending on your flight, perhaps a last quiet moment in the desert air before your private transfer to Queen Alia International Airport in Amman. Your Travel Joy representative ensures every detail of your departure runs smoothly. You leave with a lifetime of memories: the blue lanes of Chefchaouen, the golden dunes of the Sahara, the pyramids of Giza, the temples of Luxor, and the rose-red rock of Petra. We hope this private guided adventure is the first of many with Travel Joy Egypt, and we wish you safe travels until these three ancient lands welcome you back again. Until then, ma'a as-salama, and thank you for journeying with us.