Explore the Pyramids, Sphinx, the Egyptian Museum with its incredible Tutankhamen exhibit, and the bustling bazaars. Then fly to Luxor/Aswan to board your deluxe Nile cruiser, this will be your floating hotel moving from city to city while you explore the river's edge temples and monuments including; the Valley of Kings & Queens and Karnak temple in Luxor, the ancient monuments in Edfu and Kom Ombo, and the High Dam and Philae in Aswan. Combining private tours and transfers with enjoyable group outings, you will experience the absolute best that Egypt has to offer. Fly to Jordan and drive to the ghost city of Petra carved into the sheer sandstone cliffs echoes the Nambatean culture that once controlled the trade routes in the area. You will visit the centuries old Crusader castle of Kerak, and the bustling bazaars of Amman which are some of the oldest in civilization.
NOTE; Travel in Egypt often involves early-morning starts, designed to avoid crowds and the hottest midday hours. It can be hot, especially in June, July and August, but there is virtually no humidity and evening temperatures cool off dramatically. Egypt is a moderate secular state, well used to hosting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. While you will want to avoid revealing clothing, loose shorts and short-sleeved shirts are fine for both genders on board your Nile cruise and while sightseeing.

Day 1
Cairo
Airport transfer with private vehicle, driver, and English-speaking guide. 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 Kensington Tours donates a portion of our proceeds to our charitable initiative www.kensingtoncares.com which supports education-based initiatives in disadvantaged communities. Le Meridien Pyramids resort is located twenty minutes from Cairo’s city centre, with a spectacular closeness to the Giza Pyramids, one of history’s greatest treasures and one of the Seven Wonders of the world. With 444 rooms, this hotel is the ideal combination of rich foliage blended with sultry sands and timelessness. From dining North American-style over Tex Mex dishes to closing off the night over traditional Arabic shisha, one can attain a true feel for Egypt while still retaining a level of comfort akin to home. Aside from Le Meridien offering resort-style facilities, from outdoor tennis courts kept lit at night to spa treatments, the distance to the city allows the curius traveler to discover the curving streets and bazaars that mark Cairo’s mysterious aura. 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 lunch at leisure (not included in tour price). Enjoy dinner at leisure (not included in tour price). Overnight at Meridien Pyramids.

Day 3
Cairo - Nile
Airport transfer with private vehicle, driver, and English-speaking guide. CAI-LXR Airport transfer with private vehicle, driver, and English-speaking guide. Visit the great temples of Karnak and Luxor on the East Bank to marvel at the achievements of one of the earliest civilizations. An evening of entertainment including local music. Presidential Nile Cruises offer a fleet of 7 deluxe boats that travel through the world’s most well-known river. These are the Nile Admiral, Nile Commodore, Nile Legend, Nile Plaza, Nile Symphony, Nile Ritz, and Nile Princess. Fully air conditioned and providing 50 cabins to guests, the ships are currently undergoing renovations and a revamping that will blow your mind away with elegance and charm. The cruise line aims for comfort and entertainment, with delightful and plentiful meals to tickle the fancy of those who step aboard. Their theme parties and group activities create a relaxed atmosphere. While some people like to lie by the pool, others like to jump in and get together other guests to play games and chat about the tour stops. Glide up the Nile at night and explore ancient temples during the day. Edfu (Idfu) is located on the west bank of the River Nile between Esna and Aswan. Of all the temple remains in Egypt, the Temple of Horus at Edfu is the most completely preserved. Kom Ombo was originally an Egyptian city called Nubt, meaning City of Gold. The town's location on the Nile 50 km north of Aswan (Syene) gave it some control over trade routes from Nubia to the Nile Valley, but its main rise to prominence came with the erection of the temple in the 2nd century BC.

Day 4
Luxor - Nile
Visit the valley of the Kings, the recently renovated mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the huge Colossi of Memnon which are all that remain of the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III. An evening of entertainment including local music. Overnight at Presidental Nile Cruise. Luxor, site of ancient Thebes, and the "world's greatest open air museum". Notable sights on the east bank include the Temple of Karnak and Luxor Temple. On the west bank is the spectacular Valley of the Kings. For a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BC, tombs were constructed for the kings and powerful nobles, including Tutankhamun. The nearby Valley of the Queens is said to hold more than seventy tombs.

Day 5
Nile
Visit the Nile-side Temple of Horus, the falcon god, built in 230 BC by Ptolemy III. An evening of entertainment including local music. Overnight at Presidental Nile Cruise.

Day 6
Nile
Visit a unique Greco-Roman temple dedicated to two gods: Sobek, the crocodile god, and Haroeris, the sun god. Visit the impressive Aswan High Dam and its huge lake were created to control the floodwaters of the Nile. View the Temple of Philae on the island of Agilika, stopping at the “unfinished obelisk,” a practical demonstration of the methods used by ancient craftsmen to create impressive monuments. An evening of entertainment including local music. Overnight at Presidental Nile Cruise.

Day 7
Aswan - Cairo
Airport transfer with private vehicle, and driver. ASW-CAI Airport transfer with private vehicle, driver, and English-speaking guide. Enjoy time at leisure to explore at your own pace, or relax in your hotel. Enjoy dinner at leisure (not included in tour price). The city of Cairo, with all its hustle and bustle, offers a comforting refuge at the Sheraton Cairo Hotel, Towers and Casino. Perched on the west bank overlooking the Nile, the hotel has 650 deluxe rooms to cater to guests from all over the world. Restaurants are numerous, with something for even the pickiest critic, and with entertaining performances setting the atmosphere nightly. Visitors are awestruck by the grand views of the city and the Nile, as the hotel’s height allows for a huge scope of the city. Discovering it hands-on is a very inviting prospect, with the Cairo Opera House and a host of other activities at the guest’s fingertips. Still, the prospect of relaxing at the hotel pools and fitness spas is tempting, presenting a pleasantly tough decision for guests. Aswan stands on the east bank of the Nile at the first cataract and is a busy market and tourist center. It contains the island of Elephantine. It is the terminus of the Nile cruise. Kitchener's Island is a paradise of exotic trees and plants and carefully planned walkways. Mausoleum of Aga Khan, Aswan High Dam and Philae are other notable sights. Aswan is also the connecting city for the Abu Simbel monuments in the south.

Day 8
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 lunch at leisure (not included in tour price). Enjoy dinner at leisure (not included in tour price). Overnight at Sheraton.

Day 9
Cairo - Petra
Airport transfer with private vehicle, driver, and English-speaking guide. CAI-ADJ Enjoy a half day city tour of Amman. The profusion of gleaming white houses, kebab stalls with roasting meat, and tiny cafes where rich Arabian coffee is sipped in the afternoon sunshine, conjure a mood straight from a thousand and one nights. Enjoy lunch at leisure (not included in tour price). Roundtrip Transfer to/from Petra with private vehicle and driver. A Jordanian Tourism tax will be paid on your behalf to cover public liability insurance on equipment ie. Jeeps, camels and horses. Enjoy one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Overlooking the dramatic Petra valley, the Petra Marriott Hotel combines the warmest Arabian hospitality with the splendor of an ancient city carved into rose-red cliffs. The hotel is a haven for comfort and luxury. The spacious rooms, most of which have spectacular views of the valley, feature mini-bar, safe, hair dryer, individual climate control and satellite TV 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 10
Petra - Dead Sea
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. Enjoy lunch at leisure (not included in tour price). Enjoy a private transfer from Petra to the Dead Sea. The transfer time is approximately 3hrs in duration. Set on the northern shores of the Dead Sea at the lowest point on Earth, the Movenpick Dead Sea deluxe resort is built in a traditional village style, and offers luxurious rooms, a range of outlets, first-class meeting and leisure facilities featuring the renowned ZARA Spa. The resort has a total of 358 rooms, of which over two-thirds are smoking; there are non-smoking rooms on several floors and blocks. All rooms have either a balcony or a terrace; interconnecting rooms and rooms for physically challenged are also available. With about ten different room categories to choose from, you can either choose a room in the main building, the village or the beachfront with mountain, garden or sea view. The rooms also vary in size, decor and furnishing. The Dead Sea is an inland lake lying 400m (1320ft) below sea level in the lower part of the Jordan Valley, it has more minerals and salt than any other body of water in the world and is renowned for its rejuvenating and health-giving properties. Other interesting sights around the Dead Sea include Mount Sodom, a 13km- (8 mile-) long mountain range made up of pure salt which has many caves with extraordinary hanging salt formations, and Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls, written by Essene scribes, were discovered in ancient pottery jars.

Day 11
Dead Sea - Amman
Enjoy a private transfer between the Dead Sea and Amman. Depart from Amman international airport - end of itinerary. 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.