Highlights of Jordan & Egypt: Amman to Cairo - 12 Days

Welcome to Amman. Upon arrival, meet your driver outside the airport and transfer to your hotel. The remainder of the day is free to relax after your journey or begin exploring Jordan's lively capital independently.

You may visit Rainbow Street, known for its cafés, colourful shops, galleries and street art, or discover Jordan's rich heritage at the Jordan Museum. In the evening, consider exploring the restaurants and vibrant atmosphere of Abdoun before returning to your hotel.

Travel north to the Archaeological Site of Jerash, one of the Middle East's best-preserved Greco-Roman cities. Explore its impressive amphitheatres, colonnaded streets, public squares and the ancient Hippodrome.

Continue into the highlands to visit the 12th-century Ajloun Castle. Walk through the historic fortress and enjoy panoramic views over the surrounding valleys and olive groves.

Return to Amman to visit the hilltop Amman Citadel and the second-century Roman Theatre. Afterwards, enjoy time to explore Amman's traditional souks, local shops and street-food scene before returning to your hotel.

Depart Amman and travel towards Petra along the historic King's Highway. Your first stop is Madaba, where the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint George houses the famous sixth-century mosaic map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land.

Continue to Mount Nebo, the biblical site from which Moses is believed to have viewed the Promised Land. On a clear day, the viewpoint offers sweeping vistas towards the Dead Sea and the surrounding landscape.

Stop at the spectacular Wadi Mujib viewpoint, often called the Grand Canyon of Jordan, before visiting the imposing Crusader fortress of Karak Castle. Continue through southern Jordan for a scenic stop overlooking the Dana Nature Reserve.

Subject to the day's timing, an additional stop may be made at Shobak Castle. Continue to Petra for your overnight stay.

Spend the morning exploring Petra, Jordan's celebrated Nabataean city and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Meet a local guide for an introductory tour before continuing to explore the site at your own pace.

Walk through the dramatic Siq to reach the magnificent Treasury. Continue among Petra's rock-cut tombs, temples and colonnaded streets, and discover the Nabataeans' remarkable water-management system. Your visit also includes the important temple of Qasr Al-Bint.

In the afternoon, travel south to Wadi Rum, the spectacular desert wilderness known as the Valley of the Moon. Pass red sandstone mountains, canyons and sweeping desert landscapes before arriving at your Bedouin-style camp for an atmospheric night in the desert.

Leave Wadi Rum and travel for approximately three and a half hours towards the Dead Sea along the scenic Dead Sea Highway.

En route, visit Wadi Mujib Reserve, the world's lowest nature reserve, where seasonal trails lead through dramatic sandstone gorges and striking natural scenery. Depending on the chosen trail, you may enjoy a guided or independent hiking experience.

Continue to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth. Spend the remainder of the day relaxing at your hotel, enjoying its facilities and experiencing the unique sensation of floating in the mineral-rich water.

Transfer from the Dead Sea to Queen Alia International Airport for your flight to Cairo. Upon arrival in Egypt, meet your driver and transfer to your hotel before beginning a half-day city tour.

Visit the Egyptian Museum, home to an extraordinary collection of ancient Egyptian objects, royal treasures, jewellery and archaeological discoveries. Continue to the medieval Cairo Citadel, located above the city on the Muqattam Hills.

Explore the historic Hanging Church, one of Cairo's best-known Coptic churches, before ending the tour at Khan El-Khalili. Browse its narrow lanes, traditional handicrafts, spices and local cafés, with the opportunity to try Egyptian favourites such as koshary.

Meet your guide and travel to the Giza Plateau to explore Egypt's most iconic ancient monuments. See the Great Pyramid of Giza, the only surviving Wonder of the Ancient World, together with the Pyramid of Khafre and the Pyramid of Menkaure.

Continue to the monumental Great Sphinx before travelling to the UNESCO-listed Saqqara Necropolis, home to ancient tombs, temples and the famous Step Pyramid complex.

Complete the day's exploration at Memphis, the first capital of unified ancient Egypt. Visit the open-air museum and see archaeological remains including the impressive colossal statue of Ramesses II, then return to your Cairo hotel.

Take a morning flight south to Aswan. Upon arrival, meet your guide and visit the beautiful Philae Temple, dedicated primarily to the goddess Isis and relocated to protect it from the rising waters of Lake Nasser.

Continue to the monumental Aswan High Dam, one of modern Egypt's most important engineering projects, situated between the Nile and Lake Nasser.

Transfer to your Nile cruise and check in for the next four nights. After lunch, enjoy a traditional felucca sailing experience around Aswan, passing landmarks such as Elephantine Island and El-Nabatat Island, home to the Aswan Botanical Garden. Return to the ship for dinner and the evening programme.

Enjoy breakfast on board as the cruise reaches the unique Temple of Kom Ombo. Explore the symmetrical double temple dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile god, and Horus the Elder. Visit its halls, courtyards and sanctuaries, as well as the nearby Crocodile Museum.

Return to the ship and continue to Edfu. Travel by horse-drawn carriage through the town to the remarkably preserved Temple of Edfu, dedicated to the falcon-headed god Horus.

Admire the monumental entrance, towering columns and carved reliefs before returning to the cruise. Enjoy dinner on board as the ship continues towards Luxor.

An optional early-morning hot-air balloon flight offers unforgettable sunrise views over Luxor, the Nile and the ancient monuments of the West Bank.

Continue to the UNESCO-listed Valley of the Kings, where many of Egypt's New Kingdom pharaohs and nobles were buried. Enter selected royal tombs and admire their detailed wall paintings and ancient inscriptions.

Visit the striking mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir El-Bahari, followed by the Colossi of Memnon, two monumental statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III.

Return to the cruise for lunch. The remainder of the afternoon is free to relax on board or arrange additional time in Luxor.

Disembark from your Nile cruise and visit the vast Karnak Temple Complex. Walk through its monumental gateways, courtyards and sanctuaries, and enter the spectacular Great Hypostyle Hall, famous for its forest of 134 decorated columns.

Continue along the historic Avenue of Sphinxes towards Luxor Temple. Explore its statues, obelisks, chapels and ceremonial spaces, which were closely connected with royal and religious life during the New Kingdom.

After completing your Luxor sightseeing, transfer to the airport for your domestic flight to Cairo. Upon arrival, meet your driver and transfer to your hotel for the night.

Depending on your flight schedule, enjoy your final hours in Cairo at leisure. You may visit Cairo Tower on Gezira Island for panoramic city views or return to Khan El-Khalili for last-minute shopping and souvenirs.

At the arranged time, meet your driver at the hotel and transfer to Cairo International Airport for your onward journey.