Salaam Aleikum! Welcome to Egypt. When you arrive at the Cairo airport, meet an Intrepid representative and take an included transfer to your hotel. You’re adventure officially begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. If you arrive early, maybe get out and explore the busy streets, find a hole-in-the-wall eatery for a snack like ta’ameya (Egypt’s take on falafel) or relax at your hotel – the pool offers magnificent pyramid views! After your meeting, head out for an included dinner with the group. Your leader will introduce you to Egyptian cuisine, known for being fresh, delicious and unique to the country. Best enjoyed when shared, you’ll tuck into an array of traditional dishes like fatta (a dish made with rice, bread and meat in a garlic and vinegar sauce) and kushari (a delicious mixture of pasta, rice, lentils and fried onions).
This morning, tour the mighty Pyramids of Giza (one of the famed Seven Wonders of the World) and the Sphinx with your expert leader, who is a trained Egyptologist. Seeing these ancient and iconic structures up close is a memory that will stay with you long after your time in Egypt is over. For an additional charge, you may be able to go inside the Great Pyramid of Khufu (or Cheops). After some time for lunch, your adventure continues to the Egyptian Museum – home to one of the world's great collections of ancient artefacts. The masses of gleaming artefacts recovered from the tomb of Tutankhamun are an impressive sight – from jewellery to the famous golden death mask and his gilded sarcophagi, this pharaoh was certainly prepared for the afterlife. Your leader will take you through some of Egypt’s dynastic history and you’ll have plenty of time to explore on your own – home to almost 100,000 artefacts, there’s a whole ancient world to uncover!
Catch a morning flight to Aswan – Egypt’s southernmost city. Check into your hotel, then travel to Philae Island and visit the beautiful Temple of Isis – the goddess of health, marriage and wisdom – rescued from the rising waters of the Nile and relocated here. Your leader will share stories of the history and changing landscape of the island. Then, take a boat to a Nubian village on an island in the middle of the Nile. Walk through the village before sitting down to dinner with a local Nubian family in their home. Enjoy traditional Nubian food, swap stories with your friendly hosts and gain a unique perspective into their way of life.
After breakfast, you may like to take a stroll around Aswan or join an optional tour of Abu Simbel – a temple complex that was dismantled and moved to make way for the Aswan High Dam. Board a Nile riverboat – your Feature Stay accommodation for the next three nights! Travelling by riverboat allows you to get to the heart of each destination while ensuring the journeys in between are every bit as interesting. In the afternoon, board a traditional felucca sailing boat where you can sit back and relax with some drinks as the sun sets over your beautiful surroundings. Return to your riverboat for dinner.
Enjoy a peaceful morning on board your riverboat, then set out in the afternoon along the river, relaxing in the sun on deck and taking in the desert hills forming a backdrop over the lush riverbanks. Arrive at Kom Ombo Temple, sitting spectacularly on the river’s edge. Your leader will let you in on the secrets of this ancient temple. Built in approximately 181 BC, Kom Ombo is dedicated to two gods – Horus (god of protection) and Sobek (god of fertility, linked to the Nile’s water). Each god has a dedicated section – north or south – and there have been recent discoveries of mummified crocodiles in the Sobek section. After, return to your riverboat and continue to Edfu where you’ll dock for the evening.
This morning, you’ll be moored near Edfu and may have the option to venture independently into town to see the nearby temple. Sail towards Luxor passing through the Esna Locks. You may have to queue to proceed through the locks, but this is a great opportunity to sit back with a drink in hand and observe life on the Nile. Arrive at the open-air museum of Luxor – from the spectacular temple complex of Karnak to the Valley of the Kings, Luxor is full of wonderfully preserved reminders of the Pharaohs. Today you'll explore the Karnak Temple. One of the world's most celebrated temple complexes, Karnak is a house of the gods built over a period of some 200 years. Your guided tour of this vast temple of impressive pylons, obelisks and chapels will reveal its finest sections, such as the Avenue of Sphinxes and the Great Temple of Amun. You’ll also head over to our Intrepid Foundation partner, Animal Care in Egypt (ACE), a local NGO dedicated to providing free veterinary care for wounded working animals in the region.
Disembark your riverboat and travel to the Valley of the Kings. Buried under the arid hills are over 60 tombs of pharaohs, many richly decorated with reliefs and paintings. With your leader, explore the place where the pharaohs of the New Kingdom (16th to 11th century BC) were secretly interred for all eternity, and where discoveries are still being made. Your leader will explain the history and legends of these people and the significance of the many paintings and hieroglyphics, still well preserved in the deepest tombs. Entry is included to three tombs of your choosing, as well as access to the tomb of Tutankhamun. The unearthing of the young Pharaoh’s resting place is one of the world’s greatest archaeological discoveries, and today you’ll explore the painted chamber that holds his famous golden sarcophagus. Continue to the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut – a colonnaded building set against high cliffs that create a spectacular natural amphitheatre, then view the Colossi of Memnon – two 17-m-high statues on Luxor's west bank.
Board a flight bound for Cairo this morning. When you arrive, settle into your hotel then head out to the Al-Azhar neighbourhood to visit Khan al-Khalili Bazaar – a sprawling maze of alleyways including the gold market, cloth market, 'perfume street' and the spice market. Continue to the 9th-century Al-Azhar Mosque – one of the oldest and largest in Egypt. Its perfectly proportioned courtyard and distinctive minaret make it a masterpiece of Islamic architecture. Stop off in Cairo’s oldest coffeeshop for an Arabic coffee or mint tea as you watch the world go by. It’s a known fact that the very best food in Cairo is made inside local homes, but few visitors get the chance to experience this for themselves. This afternoon, you’ll be one of the lucky few as you’re welcomed into the home of a local family. Sit down to a wonderful meal of traditional dishes which you’ll share with your friendly hosts and gain an inside look at modern Egyptian life.
Today you’ll catch an unescorted flight to the Jordanian capital Amman to embark on the second half of your trip. On arrival, you’ll be met by an Intrepid representative at the airport and transferred to your hotel, where there will be a second welcome meeting with your new group and local leader at 6 pm. If you arrive early, maybe visit a local cafe and pick up a coffee and ara’yes (pita filled with spiced meats). Maybe head to the Old Town’s Roman Amphitheatre or the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts. After your meeting, head to a local restaurant for a welcome dinner with your group and leader. Sharing food is a huge part of Jordanian culture, and eating out is always a social affair. Tonight, your leader will introduce you to some of the country’s most beloved dishes, like mansaf (a dish made with lamb, yoghurt and rice) and kunafa (a dessert made with pastry and cheese).
This morning, leave Amman for a short drive north to Jerash where you’ll find some of the world’s best Greco-Roman ruins. Reaching its peak as a favourite of the emperor Hadrian, Jerash is home to a collection of archways, theatres, baths, public buildings and colonnaded streets. Your leader will share the incredible history of the ruins and help you imagine what life once looked like in this glorious Roman city. Grand columns encircle the city's centrepiece of the Oval Plaza – a great place to linger after exploring Jerash's riches. After, return to Amman and head to a cooking school for a look behind the scenes of Jordanian cuisine. During this hands-on activity, you will learn how to make some classic dishes like Maqlubeh, Mutabbal and Baba Ghanouj before sitting down as a group to enjoy the fruits of your labour.
Today, you’ll make the journey from Amman to the Dead Sea. Named for the lack of life in its waters, this lake is so intensely salty that the water density makes swimming very difficult, but bobbing on the water's surface is a fun experience. On the way, stop off at Mount Nebo and hear the story of how Moses saw the Promised Land before he died from what is believed to be this very spot, and St Georges Church, best known for its Byzantine mosaic depicting a map of the Holy Land. When you arrive, enjoy some time to float in the waters of the Dead Sea, relax on your hotel’s beachfront or take a dip in the infinity pool.
Depart the Dead Sea and drive to the ancient Crusader castle at Shobak – your leader will explain how this ancient castle was originally built to protect the eastern flank of the Latin Kingdom and its trade routes to the sea before it fell to Saladin in 1189. Enjoy superb scenery and stop off at the viewpoint overlooking the Dana Nature Reserve before arriving in the late afternoon to your Petra accommodation. Petra dates back to the sixth century BC and is considered the crown jewel of Jordan, featuring an impressive series of tombs and dwellings carved directly into the rock. When you arrive, start uncovering the secrets of Petra with the knowledgeable guidance of your leader. The iconic view of the Treasury's glorious facade, glimpsed from a narrow cleft known as the Siq, is perhaps the single-most striking sight of the entire region.
Today return to Petra to explore more of this remarkable and enormous site under your own steam. Walk once more through the Siq that leads through the rock and is at points only a few metres wide, with walls soaring up to 180 m on either side. You’ll also have time to climb to the Monastery if you wish, providing a magnificent view of the entire site. Or take a free transfer to Little Petra with the option of hiking through the back door to Petra. There is a cafeteria on the site, where you can enjoy your own light lunch.Tonight, maybe take the chance to witness Petra by night – seeing the Treasury Plaza lit up by candlelight while Bedouin music plays is a truly memorable experience.
This morning, drive to Wadi Rum – a protected area of desert that impresses with sandstone mountains, canyons and arches. Enjoy some lunch in the small village of Rum and browse the informative visitor’s centre. After, jump into a local jeep and journey into Wadi Rum with your Bedouin hosts. Visit several of the area’s distinctive rock formations and appreciate the silent desert landscapes, home to hardy Bedouin communities that live in scattered camps. Gain a deeper understanding of their way of life as you join them for a zarb (underground oven) dinner at one of their camps, set deep in the desert. Tonight’s Feature Stay accommodation is a camp that offers a base among remote and wild surroundings. Spacious tents are fitted out with creature comforts like king-sized beds, air conditioning and en suite bathrooms, with decor inspired by Bedouin culture. Fall asleep in your tent after witnessing a magnificent canopy of stars outside, and wake up to a sunrise over the red-hued landscape.
After waking up in the unique surrounds of your Bedouin camp this morning, take a walk around the area before scaling one of the large dunes for panoramic views of your surroundings. After, return to Amman for the evening. Tonight, you might like to join your group for a final dinner to round off your adventure – speak to your leader about the best restaurants in the city that are popular with the locals.
Your trip will come to an end today after breakfast. If you have arranged a private airport transfer, you will be advised of the pick-up time. If you would like to spend more time in Amman, just get in touch with your booking agent ahead of time to organise additional accommodation.
