Unveil the wonders of time as a private guide whisks you off to walk in the shadows of kings and ancient pyramids, starting with Cairo, Egypt. Trek through Memphis and Sakkara, with its palatial ruins, grand statues of Ramses II and temples dedicated to the dead. See the city and enjoy a trip to the bazaar and Cairo museum. A flight to Amman and private van and driver take you to the abandoned city of Petra, an outstanding sight for all who visit. It has been referred to by UNESCO as "one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage." After a trip to Petra's Kerak Fortress and a city tour of Jerash, fly to Tel Aviv and stay in Jerusalem. A short ride and your own personal driver and car will lead you to the Dead Sea, where you can float in rich black mud and climb the rock cliff fortress of Masada. Your own guide will take you through Bethlehem, the two sides of Jerusalem. Requiring several days and a car to see the miles of different temples and sights, the sheer size is overwhelming. A superb adventure with private guides and the hassle free comfort of Kensington's 24/7 support. Enjoy as an extension to another tour or a stand-alone vacation.

Day 1
Cairo
Travellers will be met in the tunnel by an airport representative who will in turn facilitate the visa process ($17 per person), escort your group through customs and immigration, off to baggage claim and finally to passenger pick up. It is here that your group will connect with our Kensington associate who will arrange airport transfer to your hotel. T Airport transfer with private vehicle, driver, and English-speaking guide. Kensington Tours donates a portion of our proceeds to our charitable initiative www.kensingtoncares.com which supports education-based initiatives in disadvantaged communities. Enjoy dinner at leisure (not included in tour price). The recently renovated Cairo Marriott Hotel, situated at the centre of the city, is surrounded by lush gardens and with a 19th century palace in its midst, on the Nile River. The grand hotel’s 1250 rooms are well appointed, with splendid views of the city and the Nile. One may take meals in any of the restaurants or cafes, which are reasonably priced and enjoyable, and feature especially hospitable staff. The city of Cairo is in itself a bustling source of amusement and history, including the Pyramids, though some guests prefer to stay on the hotel grounds and make use of the fitness centre or swimming pools. Cairo is the capitol of Egypt and the hub of the country. Millennia of history have made it one of the most fascinating places in the world. The Egyptian Museum whose 107 halls feature huge statues on the ground floor, and small statues, jewels, Tutankhamon treasures and the mummies on upper floors. Other downtown sights include the Saladin Citadel and Mohamed Ali Mosque, and Khan Khalili bazaar. Nearby Giza is famous for the Pyramids of Egypt, among the largest constructions ever built.

Day 2
Cairo
On this full day tour, explore the relics of ages past at ancient Memphis, Sakkara and the Great Pyramids of Giza. Includes entry to either Chephren (Khafre) or Menkaure (Mycerinus) pyramids and the Solar boat (Cheops Pyramid entrance Extra (Great Pyramid of Khufu), clients must arrive early to get into Cheops Pyramid as limited number of people are allowed to enter each day). Also see the famous Sphinx. Includes a trained Egyptologist guide and private vehicle and driver. Enjoy a personalized lunch with your guide at a great local restaurant. Enjoy dinner at leisure (not included in tour price). Overnight at Marriott.

Day 3
Cairo
This full day tour includes a private tour with your trained Egyptologist guide through the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities and its Mummy Room, which houses a priceless treasure of archaeological finds. In the afternoon visit Saladin Citadel, a spectacular medieval fortress dating from the 12th century, where you explore the mosque and tomb of the Ottoman ruler Mohamed Ali. Later, a walking tour will take you through the fabled Khan Khalili bazaar filled with exotic treats. Enjoy a personalized lunch with your guide at a great local restaurant. Enjoy dinner at leisure (not included in tour price). Spectacular sound and light show on the side of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Overnight at Marriott.

Day 4
Cairo - Petra
Airport transfer with private vehicle, driver, and English-speaking guide. CAI-ADJ Airport meet and assist/transfer in Amman with a private vehicle and English speaking driver. Roundtrip Transfer to/from Petra with private vehicle and driver. Self guided tour of the magnificent Crusader fortress of Kerak - Crak des Moabites, or Le Pierre du Desert to Crusaders - which soars above its valleys and hills like a great ship riding waves of rock. Enjoy dinner at leisure (not included in tour price). The splendorous Mövenpick Resort Petra is the close neighbor of the ancient, dusty rose city of Petra. The hotel, offering 183 rooms and suites, plays host to wanderers aching for the short trek into this well of history and ruins. Upon returning, spend time at one of the seven hotel restaurants, each of which opens doors to culinary persuasions from across the world, though special focus is given to Middle Eastern specialties. The hotel itself remains a centre of activity, with a fully equipped fitness gym, health and wellness swimming pool and steam bath, and views of open horizons. Sit down to some traditional Arabic argileh at the end of the evening, and absorb the sun as it sets. Petra is famously described as "a rose-red city half as old as time". A spectacular and unique sight, its massive buildings are carved directly into the sandstone cliffs. Enclosed by towering rocks and watered by a perennial stream, Petra controlled the ancient commercial routes across the desert to the Persian Gulf. The impressive eastern entrance leads steeply down through a dark and narrow gorge called the Siq (the shaft), a natural geological feature formed from a deep split in the sandstone rocks. It opens directly onto Petra's most elaborate ruin, Al Khazneh ("the Treasury") hewn directly out of the sandstone cliff. A little farther from the Treasury is a massive theatre, so placed as to bring the greatest number of tombs within view; and at the point where the valley opens out into the plain the site of the city is revealed with striking effect. Almost enclosing it on three sides are rose-coloured mountain walls, divided into groups by deep fissures, and lined with tombs cut from the rock in the form of towers.

Day 5
Petra
Petra is the treasure of the ancient world, and the rock-carved rose-red city is full of mysterious charm. Indeed, it was "designed to strike wonder into all who entered it". Petra is the legacy of the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled in southern Jordan more than 2,000 years ago. Admired then for its refined culture, massive architecture and ingenious complex of dams and water channels, this remarkable city of grand buildings carved into massive cliffs evokes wonder to this day. Enjoy being shown the wonders of the city in the company of your Driver-Guide. A Jordanian Tourism tax will be paid on your behalf to cover public liability insurance on equipment ie. Jeeps, camels and horses. Overnight at Movenpick Petra.

Day 6
Petra - Amman
Enjoy a private transfer from Petra to Amman. The transfer time is approximately 3hrs in duration. Jerash, located 48 km north of Amman and nestled in a quiet valley among the mountains of Gilead, rivals the grandeur of Imperial Rome being one of the largest and most well preserved sites of Roman architecture in the World outside Italy. To this day, its paved and colonnaded streets, soaring hilltop temples, handsome theaters, spacious public squares and plazas, baths, fountains and city walls pierced by towers and gates remain in exceptional condition. Enjoy visiting the sites in the company of your Driver-Guide. Enjoy dinner at leisure (not included in tour price). Recently renovated, the Amman Marriott Hotel offers comfort and convenience to those visiting Amman. The city center hotel is close to the business district and tourist attractions, just steps away from the allure of this modern yet ancient city. The location of the Amman Mariott ensures that you don't miss anything, with area attractions such as the Citadel and Jerash only minutes away. The hotel also offers delicious dining options, as well as a health club for maximum well being in the middle of the city. Amman's history dates from the bronze age and features grand Roman ruins and some of the region's finest mosques. The old city is centered around the Souk (a colorful traditional market) and the King Hussein Mosque. Since Amman resembles Rome, as it is situated on seven hills, the city was a favorite place for Roman soldiers and officials. Behind the Roman forum stands a Roman theatre—the largest theatre in Jordan—with room for 6,000 spectators. Amman is also home to some of the grandest mosques in the Middle East. The enormous King Abdullah I Mosque is capped by a magnificent blue mosaic dome beneath which 3,000 Muslims may offer prayer. The most unusual mosque in Amman is the Abu Darweesh Mosque covered with an extraordinary black and white chequered pattern and is unique to Jordan.

Day 7
Amman - Jerusalem
Airport meet and assist/transfer in Amman with a private vehicle and English speaking driver. AMM-TLV Transfer between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem with private vehicle and driver. Drive to the Mount of Olives for a panoramic view of the city. Enter the Old City and walk through the Armenian and Jewish quarters to the recently excavated and restored Cardo, the Roman road. See the Jewish Wailing Wall, the Kotel, and continue to the Christian quarter. Walk along the Via Dolorosa and visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Continue to Bethlehem for an overview of Shepherd’s field. Drive through Rachel’s tomb to visit Church of Nativity and Manger’s square. Return to meeting point. NOTE: Passports and modest dress required. (Business Class - up to 15 passengers)
Enjoy dinner at leisure (not included in tour price). Stylish Dan Boutique Hotel Jerusalem is located opposite Mt Zion and the Old City of Jerusalem, within easy reach of many tourist attractions, both ancient and new. A short walk away is the charming German Colony, with its lively caf's and restaurants and, in the other direction, is the picturesque Yemin Moshe neighborhood, and an array of fashionable cultural and entertainment venues. The guest rooms boast stunning views of Jerusalem?s cityscape, whilst most studio suites, suitable for families, face westwards, towards the leafy residential streets of the German Colony. Superior rooms offer spectacular views of the Old City and Mount Zion. Jerusalem for Christians, Jews and Muslims, is one of the most revered cities on earth. Attractions range from religious emblems and relics of antiquity to modern items of interest. Religious tours are available from West Jerusalem and include Mount Zion and the Tomb of David. Other sites are the Tomb of Judges; Yad Vashem, the memorial to the six million Jews who died in the Holocaust; and Mea Shearim (‘the hundred gates’). Visitors in East Jerusalem may follow the Way of the Cross, enter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, see the Wailing Wall, the Dome of the Rock and the Jaffa and Damascus gates. The Israel Museum in Jerusalem houses the Dead Sea Scrolls and is worth visiting.

Day 8
Jerusalem
Today you will learn about Massada and the heroic story of the fighters and you will visit the resort area of the lowest place on earth, the Dead Sea. Depart Jerusalem via the Judean Hills to the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth; drive along the shores of the Dead Sea to Massada. Ascend by cable car and tour the mountain fortress built by King Herod, where the Zealots made their last stand against the Romans. Visit the remains of the walls, palaces, the synagogue, water cisterns, mosaic floors roman bath etc. Descend by cable car. Travel along the sea and you will have free time to swim and float in the Dead Sea, which many believe has its curative effects. NOTE: comfortable walking shoes, head covering, sun protection, swimsuit and towel are recommended. (Business Class Group Tour - up to 15 passengers)
Enjoy dinner at leisure (not included in tour price). Overnight at Dan Boutique Jerusalem.

Day 9
Jerusalem - Tel Aviv
Enjoy a lovely day traveling at the outstanding landscape of the lower Galilee. Depart Jerusalem to via the coastal road and the landscape of lower Galilee, to Nazareth, the town where Jesus spent his childhood. Visit the Church of Annunciation and the Church of St. Josef. Continue via Kana, and proceed to Tiberias, the lovely resort town. Drive along lake Kinneret to visit Capernaum and view the ruins of the ancient synagogue. Continue to Tabgha, site of the Fish and Loaves miracle, located at the foots of the Golan Heights. Continue to Yardenit, the famous site where the Jordan River exits the Sea of Galilee towards the Dead Sea, before returning to point of departure. NOTE: modest dress (no shorts or sleeveless shirts) and head covering are required for visiting the holy places. (Tourist Class only - 30+ group size) Enjoy dinner at leisure (not included in tour price). The Carlton Tel Aviv is situated a short walk from the Tel Aviv train station, and even closer to the beach. Considered home to some of the best sand and water in the country, it is a hot spot for lounging, walks, and sunbathing. The rest of the time, guests enjoy roaming the 267-room Carlton Hotel, becoming acquainted with its numerous restaurants and facilities. Dining is a profound experience, with elegant beach settings or award winning breakfasts at Red & Green Pepper. The rooftop spa and health club offer services that will soothe the skin and bones, making it hard to leave this wonderful vacation spot. Tel Aviv is an exciting city offering commerce, culture, nightlife and sandy beaches. The Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra draws audiences from all over the world. The Museum of the Diaspora is internationally famous. The bustling Carmel Market is a popular place to visit. In 1950, Jaffa was united with Tel Aviv; situated a mile from the city, this is one of the oldest ports in the world. It has archaeological finds reaching back to the third century BC, a beach, lively nightlife in Old Jaffa and a flea market.

Day 10
Tel Aviv
Airport meet and assist/transfer with private vehicle and driver. Depart from Tel Aviv international airport - end of itinerary.