9-Day Egypt and Jordan Tour: Petra, Pyramids & Nile Cruise

Your private Egypt and Jordan tour begins at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman. Our representative meets you on arrival, helps with your Jordan visa and introduces you to your private driver and guide. You then drive north, about 1 hour 15 minutes, to Jerash.

Jerash, ancient Gerasa, is one of the largest and best-preserved Roman provincial cities in the world, and Jordan’s most visited site after Petra. You enter through Hadrian’s Arch, built in 129 AD for the emperor’s visit, and pass the Hippodrome where chariot races were held. The Oval Plaza is ringed by Ionic columns and opens onto the Cardo Maximus, a colonnaded street about 800 m long that still shows the grooves left by chariot wheels. Your guide shows you the Temple of Artemis, the Temple of Zeus and the South Theatre, where the acoustics still work today. You have lunch at a local restaurant near the site.

In the afternoon you drive south past Amman to Madaba, known as the City of Mosaics. In the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George, you see the Madaba Map, a 6th-century floor mosaic that is the oldest surviving map of the Holy Land, with Jerusalem clearly drawn at its center.

Just 10 km away you end the day at Mount Nebo, where, according to the Bible, Moses saw the Promised Land before he died. From the terrace by the Memorial Church of Moses, with its Byzantine mosaics and the Brazen Serpent sculpture, you look out over the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea. At sunset, on a clear day, you can see as far as Jericho and Jerusalem. Then you drive back to your hotel in Amman.

Overnight: Amman

Meals Plan: Lunch Only

After an early breakfast you drive south on the Desert Highway to Petra, about 3 hours from Amman, arriving in the cooler morning hours when the light is best on the rock.

Petra was the capital of the Nabataeans, Arab traders who carved temples and tombs straight into the pink sandstone cliffs more than 2,000 years ago and controlled the caravan routes for incense and spices. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. With your licensed Jordanian guide, you walk through the Siq, a winding canyon about 1.2 km long with walls up to 80 m high. At the end, the Treasury (Al-Khazneh) appears through the gap in the rock. It is the most famous view in Jordan, and it appeared in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

From the Treasury you continue along the Street of Facades to the Theatre cut into the mountainside, then to the Royal Tombs, including the Urn Tomb and the Silk Tomb with its striped rock. You finish on the Colonnaded Street near the Great Temple and Qasr al-Bint. The afternoon is free to explore at your own pace. If you have the energy, you can climb about 800 rock-cut steps to the Monastery (Ad Deir), Petra’s largest monument, or take the trail up to the High Place of Sacrifice for views over the whole city. You stay the night in Wadi Musa, the town at Petra’s gate, so there is no long drive back after a day of walking.

Good to know: wear comfortable walking shoes and bring a hat and water. You will walk about 4 to 8 km, depending on how far you go.

Overnight: Petra (Wadi Musa)

Meals Plan: Breakfast Only

After breakfast you leave Petra and drive about 3 hours north to the Dead Sea along the Dead Sea Highway, which runs beside the sea with views of the mountains of the West Bank across the water. The shore lies more than 430 m below sea level, the lowest point on land on earth. The water is around ten times saltier than the ocean, so you float on the surface without any effort. Take your time swimming, reading the paper on your back, or covering yourself in the mineral-rich black mud that people have used for skin care since the time of Cleopatra.

In the afternoon your driver takes you about one hour to Queen Alia International Airport for the flight to Cairo, which takes about 1.5 hours. In Cairo, our representative meets you as you arrive, helps you with your Egypt visa and passport control, and introduces you to your private driver. You are then driven to your 5-star hotel to rest before your first day in Egypt.

Good to know: bring swimwear and a towel, and don’t shave the day before. The salt stings any small cut, so keep the water away from your eyes. 

Overnight: Cairo

Meals Plan: Breakfast Only

Your private Egyptologist guide picks you up after breakfast for the short drive to the Giza Plateau. You stand at the foot of the Great Pyramid of Khufu, built around 2560 BC and originally about 146 m tall. It is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing. Your guide explains how the pyramids were built, who built them and why, then takes you to the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure. At the panoramic viewpoint you get the classic photo of all the Giza pyramids together against the desert.

You then visit the Great Sphinx, carved from the bedrock with the body of a lion and, most likely, the face of King Khafre, and the Valley Temple of Khafre beside it, built from huge granite blocks.

After lunch at a local restaurant, you continue to the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), the largest museum in the world devoted to one civilization. In the atrium you meet the 11 m statue of Ramses II, then climb the Grand Staircase lined with statues of kings and gods, with views of the pyramids at the top. The highlight is the Tutankhamun galleries. For the first time, the boy king’s whole tomb collection is shown together, more than 5,000 objects including his golden mask, chariots and thrones.

Optional: go inside the Great Pyramid (extra ticket)

Overnight: Cairo

Meals Plan: Breakfast & Lunch

Early in the morning you are driven to Cairo Airport for the flight to Aswan, which takes about 1 hour 20 minutes. Your Aswan guide meets you outside the arrivals hall to start your day in Egypt’s southernmost city, where the Nile runs between granite boulders and golden dunes.

Your first stop is the Aswan High Dam, completed in 1970. It ended the yearly Nile flood and created Lake Nasser, one of the largest man-made lakes in the world. From the top you see the lake on one side and the Nile on the other.

Next, a small motorboat takes you to Agilkia Island and Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis. When the dams threatened to flood it, UNESCO cut the whole temple into about 40,000 blocks and rebuilt it on higher ground. You explore its colonnades, the birth house and the graceful Kiosk of Trajan, one of the most photographed buildings on the Nile.

You finish at the ancient granite quarries to see the Unfinished Obelisk. Had it not cracked, it would have been the largest obelisk ever made, about 42 m tall. Its cut marks show exactly how the ancient Egyptians shaped their monuments. You then board your 5-star Nile cruise ship for lunch, and the afternoon is free to relax on the sun deck.

Overnight: Nile cruise, Aswan

Optional tour: Tour to the Nubian Village in Aswan

Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

The morning is free on board. Many travelers use it for the optional trip to Abu Simbel, about 280 km south of Aswan near the Sudanese border. There, Ramses II carved two giant temples into the mountain, one for himself and one for his queen Nefertari. Four 20 m seated statues of the king guard the entrance. In the 1960s the temples were cut apart and moved 65 m higher to save them from Lake Nasser.

In the afternoon you dock at Kom Ombo, a temple unusual for being built for two gods. One side is dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile god, and the other to Haroeris, Horus the Elder, each with its own entrance and sanctuary. Look for the carved temple calendar and a famous relief that many believe shows surgical instruments. Next door, the Crocodile Museum displays mummified crocodiles found nearby. Back on board, the ship sails on to Edfu, and you have dinner as the sun sets over the river.

Good to know: the Abu Simbel trip leaves very early, around 4 am by road, to arrive before the heat.

Overnight: Nile cruise, Edfu

Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Early in the morning, before the heat, a horse-drawn carriage takes you through the streets of Edfu to the Temple of Horus. It was built between 237 and 57 BC and is the best-preserved temple in Egypt, with its roof, walls and huge entrance pylon still standing. Inside, the reliefs tell the story of the battle between Horus, the falcon god, and his uncle Seth. In the dark inner sanctuary, a polished granite shrine still stands where the statue of Horus was kept.

Back on board, the ship sails north to Luxor through the lock at Esna, where boats wait their turn to pass between two water levels. Watch from the sun deck as local traders row alongside the ships to sell scarves and tablecloths.

In Luxor, ancient Thebes, you visit Karnak Temple, the largest religious complex ever built. It was enlarged by pharaohs over some 2,000 years. You walk through the Great Hypostyle Hall, a forest of 134 giant columns covered in carvings, and see the obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut and the Sacred Lake. The Avenue of Sphinxes, almost 3 km long, links Karnak to Luxor Temple, your next stop. Luxor Temple was built mainly by Amenhotep III and Ramses II for the god Amun. A mosque still stands on top of its ancient columns, showing how long people have used this site.

Overnight: Nile cruise, Luxor

Meals Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After breakfast you check out of your cruise ship and cross to the West Bank of the Nile, where the ancient Egyptians buried their kings and queens. Your first stop is the Valley of the Kings, the royal burial ground of the pharaohs of the New Kingdom (about 1550–1070 BC). More than 60 tombs are cut deep into the hills. Your ticket includes three tombs, chosen from those open that day, and their walls are still covered in brightly painted scenes of the journey to the afterlife. Your guide will tell you which tombs are the best to see on the day.

Next is the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir El-Bahari, built on three terraces against tall limestone cliffs. Hatshepsut was one of the few women to rule Egypt as pharaoh, for about 20 years. Her temple tells the story of her famous trading expedition to the land of Punt.

On the way back you stop at the Colossi of Memnon, two seated statues of Amenhotep III about 18 m tall. They once guarded the entrance to his memorial temple. After lunch on your own, you are driven to Luxor Airport for the flight back to Cairo, which takes about one hour. Your driver meets you in Cairo and takes you to your hotel for your last night.

Good to know: Tutankhamun’s tomb and the tomb of Seti I need extra tickets. Tell your guide if you’d like to see them.

Overnight: Cairo

Optional tour: Sunrise Hot Air Balloon over Luxor

Meals Plan: Breakfast Only

On your last day your guide shows you Islamic and Coptic Cairo. You start at the Citadel of Saladin, a hilltop fortress begun in the 12th century to defend the city against the Crusaders. Egypt was ruled from here for nearly 700 years. Inside stands the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, known as the Alabaster Mosque for its marble walls, with its great domes and slim Ottoman-style minarets. From the terrace you have one of the best views over Cairo, and on a clear day you can see the pyramids.

Next you visit Coptic Cairo, the oldest part of the city, built inside the walls of the Roman fortress of Babylon. The Hanging Church gets its name because it was built over the fortress gatehouse. It is known for its wooden ceiling shaped like Noah’s Ark and its fine icons. Nearby, the Church of Abu Serga (Saints Sergius and Bacchus) stands over a crypt where, by tradition, the Holy Family stayed during their flight into Egypt. You end at the Ben Ezra Synagogue, where the Cairo Geniza was found, a store of more than 300,000 medieval manuscripts.

Your last stop is Khan El-Khalili, Cairo’s great bazaar since the 14th century. Wander the narrow lanes for spices, lanterns, silver and perfume, and stop for mint tea at the historic El Fishawy café. Then your private driver takes you to Cairo Airport for your flight home.

Good to know: to finish the full day comfortably, book a departure flight that leaves after [time, e.g. 8 pm]. Women should bring a scarf to cover their hair in the mosque.

Meals Plan: Breakfast Only