Jerusalem

Arrival at Tel Aviv airport. Welcome to Israel! Border procedures and transfer to the hotel in Jerusalem. Free time.

Jerusalem -  Ajlun – Jerash – Amman.-

06.15 hrs.-: Early departure to the Israel-Jordan border. Arrival at Sheik Hussein Bridge to complete border and visa procedures.

11.00 hrs.-: Approximate departure time from Sheikh Hussein border. Welcome to Jordan.

12.30 hrs.-: Arrival at the Ajlun Fortress, an imposing castle from the twelfth century, which is located in the middle of a fertile valley of vineyards and pine forests that gives us a particular view of the green side of the Hashemite Kingdom. It is considered one of the greatest examples of Arab military architecture, has spectacular panoramic views of the Jordan Valley and the three wadis constituted a strategic defense in the defensive chain that existed in the area. In this area Muslims and Orthodox Christians have always lived together, we will visit the old CHURCH OF SAN SERGIO. Shall we all pray together for peace?.

13.30 hrs.-: End of the visit and departure to Jerash.

14.00 hrs.-: Arrival in Jerash and transfer to a local restaurant for lunch (included).

15.00 hrs.-: Visit of the Roman ruins of Jerash, one of the best preserved archaeological sites in the Middle East, it is called the Asian Pompeii and the second most visited attraction in Jordan.
Jordânia.

17.00 hrs.-: End of the visit to Jerash and return by road to Amman. Arrival in Amman in about an hour.

NOTE: The Sheik Hussein border must be crossed on a special bus for this purpose. This costs around $3 per person, which must be paid directly by the passengers themselves.

IMPORTANT NOTE: There are customs regulations upon arrival in JORDAN that prohibit the entry of religious objects. These objects can be withdrawn from the passenger without prior notice and without any compensation. Europamundo is not responsible if this happens.

FEES: Each country requires an entry/exit fee that passengers must pay directly at their destination. For guidance purposes, these are the fees/visa fees that may apply (prices subject to change without notice): Israel: $32 (Departure Fee to Jordan); Jordan: 40 dinars/$60 (Sheik Hussein Border visa).

Amman- Castles of the Desert- Madaba- Mount Nebo- Amman.-

Breakfast.

07.30 hrs.- Departure to the Desert Castles built between the 7th and 8th centuries. We´ll head to the first castle, Qusayr Amra.

09.00 hrs.- Depart for Qusayr Amra Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Built in the early 8th century as a holiday resort for the caliph, it is preserved as one of the finest desert castles in Jordan.

10.30 a.m.- End of the visit to Qusayr Amra Castle, we will arrive in approximately 30 minutes at Qasr Kharana Castle built by the Umayyads from the year 661 to become an oasis of rest for the caravans of merchants who crossed the desert transporting their goods.

11.30 a.m.- Once the visit to Kharana Castle is over, we will head to Madaba.

13.00 hrs.- Arrival in Madaba.
We´ll visit the Madaba Archaeological Park, crossed by an old Roman road and the Church of St. George, with its fantastic mosaic from the sixth century. where the map of Madaba is exhibited, the oldest cartographic representation of Jerusalem and the Holy Land that is preserved to this day.

13.30hrs.- End of the visit to Madaba and departure to Mount Nebo, being a place of great importance at a historical, religious and cultural level for being the place from which Moses contemplated the Promised Land before he died. You will have the opportunity to admire the beautiful views from the viewpoint where on a clear day you can see places as far away as Bethlehem, the Mount of Olives and the Dead Sea.

13.45 hrs.- Arrival at Mount Nebo and lunch included.

15.30 hrs.- Departure from Mount Nebo to Amman.

17.00 hrs.- Arrival at the hotel in Amman. Free time. Accommodation.

Amman- Bethany- Panorama Complex- Dead Sea.-

Breakfast.

07.30 hrs.- Departure from Amman and panoramic tour on the bus (without tickets) and continuation to Bethany.

09.45 hrs.- Arrival in Bethany on the banks of the Jordan River, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, it is the place where John the Baptist baptized Jesus Christ.

11.00 hrs.- Departure from Bethany.

11.30 a.m.-Arrival at the Dead Sea Museum, it is an impressive panoramic complex.

12.00 hrs.- Departure from the Dead Sea Museum.

12.30 hrs.- Arrival at the Dead Sea hotel and lunch included. Free time to take a dip in the salty sea at a lowest altitude on Earth. Dinner included. Accommodation.

Dead Sea- Karak Castle- Dana- Shobak- Petra.-

Breakfast.

09.00 hrs.- Departure from the Dead Sea.

10.30 hrs..- Arrival at Kerak Castle, a former stronghold of the Crusaders, rising 900 meters above sea level, between the walls of an ancient city.

12.00 hrs.- Departure from Kerak and heading to the local restaurant where we will have lunch (included) until 14.00 hrs.

15.00 hrs.- Continuation to Dana, a small picturesque rural village of stone houses on a huge cliff located at the foot of the largest biosphere nature reserve in Jordan. We´ll take a panoramic tour where we´ll be able to take photos.

15.30 hrs.- Departure from Dana we will head towards Shobak.

16.00 hrs.- Arrival at Shobak Castle, built by the Crusaders in 1115 to control the trade routes between Egypt and Syria, as well as the passage permits for pilgrims and caravans. We will be able to take some photos to remember.

16.30 hrs.- Departure from Shobak, we will head to Wadi Musa where the Spring of Moses is located.

17.00 hrs.- Arrival and brief visit to the Spring of Moses, where Moses supposedly hit the rock with his rod and the water gushed out.

17.15 hrs.- Departure to Moses Spring.

17.30 hrs.- Arrival at the Petra Museum, an excellent exhibition that allows us to understand the history of the Nabataeans and learn about magnificent pieces found in the area.

18.00 hrs.- Departure from the Petra Museum.

18.15 hrs.- Arrival at the hotel. Dinner included. Overnight in Petra. Petra is the ancient capital of the kingdom of the Nabataeans. This civilization occupied the city in the 6th century B.C. and took advantage of the city´s location as a strategic lodging point for caravans during the Silk Road

Petra- Wadi Rum.-

Breakfast.

Known as the "Pink City", the "Lost City" or the "City of Stone", it is considered the jewel of Jordan and one of the Seven Wonders of the World since 2007.

07.00 hrs.-Departure from the hotel to visit Petra, we will access through the narrow canyon and discover the temples and tombs carved into the cliffs in this city founded 300 years before Christ. Lunch included.

14.00 hrs.- Departure from Petra to Wadi Rum, an impressive desert that is famous for being the setting for famous films where ´Dune´, ´Lawrence of Arabia´ or ´Star Wars´ have been filmed. We will be able to enjoy unparalleled sunsets and starry nights.

16.00 hrs.- Arrival at Wadi Rum- Valley of the Moon, a magical ecosystem of the Jordanian desert that has extensive red sand dunes and imposing sandstone arches, at the visitor center we take all-terrain vehicles to visit some of the most impressive landscapes, we stop in the town of Rum where we know the ruins of the Nabataean temple. We include a ride of about 45 minutes on a camel through the desert. We will also visit the Khazali Canyon, in this spectacular place we will see the engravings that show us the origin of the Arabic language.

18.00 hrs.- End of activities in Wadi Rum.

18.15 hrs.- Arrival at the camp. Dinner included. Accommodation.

Wadi Rum- Aqaba- Eilat- Saint Catherine.-

After breakfast.

08.00 hrs.-: we leave for AQABA, Jordan’s second city, lying on the banks of the Red Sea.

08.45 hrs.-: Arrival in the city of Aqaba.

09.45 hrs.-: Panoramic city tour of Aqaba.

10.00 hrs.-: Arrival at the Araba border crossing with ISRAEL, EILAT, and arrive in this modern and tourist city with its excellent beaches. There’s time to relax, have lunch and stroll around. Are you tempted to have a swim?.

14.00 hrs.-: We then continue towards the EGYPT border, and into Sinai. On the way, there’s chance to take photographs of the Pharaoh’s Island with the powerful fortress of Saladin. Continue to SAINT CATHERINE /TABA. Arrival, accommodation and dinner included.

Arrival time from Santa Catalina / Taba will depend on the duration of border crossing procedures.

FEES: At the border crossing from Jordan to Israel and from Israel to Egypt, every traveler must pay an entry/exit fee for the different countries. Jordan: $15 (exit fees), Israel: $32 (exit fee), Egypt: $45 (entry visa, which is actually $25 visa + $20.Approximate rates and subject to change without prior notice by the authorities of the country.
Drones and cameras with a 5,5 mtr zoom are prohibited as well as other types of professional equipment cameras ( Europamundo is not responsiblefor objects that may be seized at borders by the authorities of the countries)

IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to exceptional circumstances or due to a small number of participants, it may happen that we will cross directly from Jordan to Egypt by boat, taking the AQABA- TABA FERRY with a duration of just over two hours. During the ferry crossing, there will be no assistance from any guide.

Saint Catherine- Well of Moses- Cairo.-

Breakfast.

07.00 hrs.-: Departure from the hotel and drive to St. Catherine´s Monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai.
09.00 hrs.-: We visit the impressive walled monastery of SAINT CATHERINE. According to tradition, this is where Moses saw “the Burning Bush that burned without being consumed”. The monastery, which is a sacred place for Jews, Christians and Muslims, belongs to the Orthodox Church and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

12.00 hrs.-: Stop at the WELL OF MOSES, a biblical site that looks like a small oasis.

16.00 hrs.-: Lunch included in route. After lunch, We will leave Sinai through the tunnel under the SUEZ CANAL.

20.00 hrs.- : Arrival in CAIRO at the end of the afternoon. Accommodation.

Cairo.-

Note: In summer temperatures are higher, so visits to archaeological sites are made earlier in the day to avoid the hottest hours of the day. It is recommended to wear sports shoes, sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat or cap for these visits.

Breakfast.

07:00 hrs.-: We will visit the esplanade of the Pyramids, the most famous of which are those of the pharaohs Cheops, Kephren and Mykerinos (entrance to the interior of the pyramids not included), as well as the enigmatic Sphinx. Afterwards we will visit the Papyrus Institute for about 30 minutes, where we will see how the papyrus is handmade.

11:30 hrs.-: Visit the Coptic Quarter, which is nowadays one of the meeting places of the Egyptians and one of the oldest areas of the city. Visit the Hanging Church.

12:30 hrs.-: Visit the Citadel, built by order of Saladin in 1176 and completed in 1182. From 1218 until the 19th century it was the official seat of the Egyptian government. The history of this area is full of palace intrigues, assassinations, overthrows and massacres such as that of the Mamluks in 1811. Representative buildings include the Muhammad Ali Mosque, also known as the Alabaster Mosque, built on the model of Istanbul´s Hagia Sophia.

13.45 hrs.-: Lunch included in a local restaurant.

15:00 hrs.-: Visit the Egyptian Museum, which is about 10 km from the Pyramids and contains one of the most important and impressive archaeological exhibits in the world. The jewel of this exhibition is the treasure of Tutankhamun which occupies the entire upper floor. Remember that it takes at least a week to visit it in its entirety.

17:00 hrs-: Departure from the Egyptian Museum and return to the hotel.

18:00 hrs.-: Arrival at the hotel and accommodation.

Cairo – Pyramid of Meidum – Oasis Al Fayoum – Wadi Rayyan – Wadi al Hittan – Menia.-

Distance: 510 km
Landscapes: Spectacular landscapes, lakes and deserts of multiple colors.

Note: We suggest comfortable shoes and bring water on visits. Sometimes, police checkpoints can delay the route. We suggest always carrying your passport at hand.

07.00 hrs.-: Cairo. Leaving Cairo early in the morning, we will see an Egypt that you probably never imagined: a country of large lakes in the middle of the desert! We head towards the Oasis of Al Fayum and we will drive around the great Lake Qarum which allows the irrigation of the whole oasis making this area ‘the garden of Egypt’. The shores of the lake have numerous leisure spots for the Egyptians. Al Fayum is also known for the ‘Portraits of Al Fayum’, the oldest portraits in the world which today are housed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

09.00 hrs.-: Tunis Village. Stop at this pleasant place with great ceramic craftsmanship.
artesanatos em cerâmica.

10.30 hrs.-: Pyramid of Meidum. Entrance included in this pyramid, considered as the first pyramid that the ancient Egyptians tried to build, 2600 years before Christ, with its amazing, stepped structure. We can climb to the door that gives access to the burial chamber (after descending 75 meters) and see the large mastabas that house the tombs of some relatives of the pharaoh.

11.30 hrs.-: End of the visit to the Pyramid of Meidum. Departure.

13.00 hrs.-: Wadi Rayyan. A few kilometers away, we stop at the saltwater lake declared a National Park, where rare species of birds and gazelles live. Time for a walk next to the small falls.

13.30 hrs.-: Wadi Rayyan. We continue our journey into the desert.

14.00 hrs.-: Wadi al Hittan. Arrival and entrance included to the so-called "Valley of the whales", declared by Unesco a World Heritage Site. The number, concentration, and quality of the fossils, as well as their location in a protected landscape of great beauty, make the site an exceptional place in all aspects. We get to visit the museum about fossilized whales and climate change and we will walk to see the skeletons of fossilized whales.

14.30 hrs.-: Lunch at a local restaurant in Wadi Hittan.

15.30 hrs.-: Departure from Wadi Htitan.

18.00 hrs- Menia, arrival in this city of 300 000 inhabitants where we can have an active and pleasant walk along the Nile River. Dinner included.

Menia- Zawiyyet Sultan – Beni Hassan – Deir Al Muharraq- Tombs of Mir- Assiut

Distance: 210 km
Landscapes: Great landscapes on the Nile Valley.
Notes: We suggest comfortable shoes. Sometimes police controls can delay the route, we suggest always carrying the passport at hand. The program may be modified by security regulations given by the police during the trip. In the Coptic temples visited we suggest wearing appropriate clothing. According to the schedule, we can visit Deir al Muharraq before the tombs of Mir.

08.00 hrs- Menia. Exit. We start another exciting day in the center of the Nile Valley.
08.30 hrs- Zawiyyet Sultan. Stop and entrance included in this immense cemetery, called place of the dead, at the foot of a small pharaonic necropolis, whose peculiar architecture of vaulted adobe mausoleums leads us to feel "in another world".

09.15 hrs- Zawiyyet Sultan, we continue our route.
10.00 hrs- Beni Hassan. A new stop to visit the necropolis that stands on cliffs above the Nile Valley, 39 tombs (four are visited) dating from 2125 to 1795 years b.C. and offer us a fascinating idea of the daily life of that time. Entrance included.

11.30 hrs- Beni Hassan, departure. We continue touring the Nile Valley. Lunch included en route.
14.15 hrs- Tombs of Mir. Entrance included to visit this new necropolis, open to the visit, of nine tombs of the Old and Middle Kingdom. The solitude of the place is impressive (practically without tourism).

15.15 hrs- Very close to the tombs we make a new stop.
15.30 hrs- Deir Al Muharraq. Arrival at the monastery and entrance included to this place of Coptic pilgrimage. Monks indicate that here, in a cave, Mary and Jesus lived for six months after fleeing from Herod. According to tradition the church was built around the year 60, being "the oldest Christian church in the world".

16.30 hrs- Deir Al Muharraq- departure.
18.00 hrs- Assiut, arrival in the provincial capital. Dinner included.

Assiut – Sohag – Abydos - Luxor

Distance: 420 km
Landscapes: Interesting landscapes following the Nile Valley and stretches of arid deserts with different colors.
Notes: We suggest comfortable shoes. Sometimes police controls can delay the route, we suggest always carrying the passport at hand. The program may be modified by security regulations given by the police during the trip. In the Coptic temples visited we suggest wearing appropriate clothing.

08.00 hrs- We will leave Assiut for the region of Sohag, in Upper Egypt. We are located in one of the main Coptic areas of Egypt.
10.30 hrs- White Monastery (entrance included). Stop to visit this Coptic monastery, built in the fourth century (destroyed several times) and powerfully walled. For the construction of this monastery the stones that came from pharaonic temples were used and we can find, in some of its ancient blocks, pharaonic gods and hieroglyphics of that time. At the time, this monastery housed the largest library in Egypt.

11.15 hrs- After that we visit the Red Monastery (entrance included), one of the most impressive Christian buildings in Egypt. Its old chapel of the fourth century, has most of its surface covered with frescoes (restored) that give us an idea of what religious buildings were like at the time.

12.15 hrs- Red Monastery, departure.
13.45 hrs. Abydos. Entrance included to the most important place of worship of Osiris -God of the dead. Lunch included. The necropolis of Abydos was a place of pilgrimage for more than 4500 years (from 4000 years BC to 600) and there are still many unexcavated tombs. It highlights the impressive temple of Seti, one of the most complete and beautiful in Egypt.16.00 hrs- Abydos, departure. We continue to Luxor. Accommodation.

Luxor.-

Luxor, the city of 100 gates is located in ancient Thebes where it was the capital of Egypt during the New Kingdom for 1500 years. Luxor, Arabic for ‘palaces’ is considered ‘the best open-air museum’ in the world with immense cultural and architectural heritage.During our stay in Luxor we will get to know one of the most impressive ancient cities on the planet (tickets included to the places mentioned). Early in the morning (around 06.00 hrs.), from our hotel we will take a private boat to cross the Nile River, with its peace and impressive views early in the morning, we go to the west bank.

07.00 hrs.-: We stopped in front of the Colossi of the Memnon, two impressive statues of Amenhotep II. After that, we visit the fantastic temple of Medinet Habu, the temple of Ramses II, large and magnificently preserved, its scenes of wars will surprise us.

08.30 hrs.-: We visited the "Valley of the Artisans" Deir el-Medina, a little-visited place, here they lived and are the tombs of great builders and craftsmen who built and decorated the royal tombs of ancient Egypt. We will visit three tombs, their paintings show scenes of daily life at that time

10.30 hrs.-: We will visit the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut (Deir el Bahari) is located, considered the first woman to occupy the position of pharaoh.

11.30 hrs.- We also visit the famous VALLEY OF THE KINGS where the tombs of the main pharaohs are hidden. Among these tombs, composed of several rooms and corridors leading to the corresponding burial chambers (we include, in addition to the general admission, a ride in an electric cart to access the enclosure and tomb of Ramses -which requires additional entry-). Return to the east bank of Luxor. Free time for lunch.Lunch not included.

15.00 hrs.-: We visit KARNAK, it housed the most important religious complex in Ancient Egypt, highlighting the immense temple of Amun-Ra, our guide will take us to the little-crowded temple of Khinsu.

17.00 hrs.- visit the LUXOR MUSEUM, which shows us an impressive collection of objects and mummies found in this area.

18.30 hrs.- After sunset we include entrance to the Temple of Luxor, its illumination makes it magical at this hour. Time to stroll in the commercial area (souk) near the temple.

Note: The order of the visits will vary based on climatological factors and procuring to visit the different locations at times of less affluence.

Luxor - Esna - Edfu - Kom Ombo - Aswan.-

After breakfast, 07.00 hrs. we start our beautiful road stage following the Nile valley. Beautiful landscapes with the presence of the Nile, its immense palm groves, its small and very active populations.

08:00 hrs.-: We visit ESNA, its great temple is one of the few Egyptian temples that still retains its original roof, providing a unique view of the ancient architecture and original colors. The temple was buried under sediment and mud from the Nile for centuries, which helped preserve it from erosion and degradation. It was rediscovered in the 19th century. In Esna we can also see the restored caravanserai and from the outside we can see the floodgates on the Nile.

09.00 hrs.-: Departure from the temple of Esna.

11.00 hrs.-: We arrived at the temple of EDFU, here we visit one of the best preserved and most impressive temples in all of Egypt: the Temple of Edfu, also known as the Temple of Horus. Built 2300 years ago dedicated to Horus, the God of the sky.

13:00 hrs.-: Departure from the temple of Edfu.

14.30 hrs.- We arrived at the temple of KOM OMBO, lunch (included).

15.30 hrs.- We visit the temple overlooking the Nile River, it is dedicated to two deities: Sobek, the crocodile god, and Horus, the falcon god. The temple is symmetrical and is divided into two identical parts, one dedicated to Sobek and the other to Horus. The temple is famous for its reliefs and hieroglyphs depicting daily life in ancient Egypt, as well as mythological and medical scenes. We will also visit the impressive museum of Crocodiles (several of them mummified).

16.30 hrs.-: Departure from the temple of Kom Ombo. We continue our route to ASWAN, arriving at the end of the afternoon. Overnight at our excellent hotel.

Note: Lunch included may be in Kom Ombo or Aswan depending on the route.

Aswan

Arrival to ASWAN, the ancient city of Swenet, was an important commercial port, is located in the southernmost Egypt, located on the banks of the Nile River, is a charming city with a personality and a special charm influenced by the Nubian culture that makes it so special.

Optional visit to Abu Simbel (visit NOT included in your programme), located two hundred and eighty kilometres from Aswam and visit the temples carved into the western cliff of the desert by Ramses II in the twelfth century BC, with statues of 20 meters high, If you book the excursion to Abu Simbel, the departure of the boat will be in the early morning and the journey takes 3 and a half hours one way and three and a half hours return, the visit lasts approximately 2 hours and the return to Aswan is approximately at 12:00 hrs. Afterwards you will visit the Aswan Dam (duration of the visit is half an hour). At about 13.00 hrs. you will visit the temple of Philae dedicated to the goddess Isis and located on a small island which can only be reached by boat and at about 14.00 hrs. you will visit the Unfinished Obelisk.

In case you do not hire Abu Simbel, departure at 08:00 hrs. to visit the Aswan Dam; it is a huge engineering work that retains the waters of the Nile River, creating Lake Nasser. Around 09:00 hrs. visit the Philae temple dedicated to the goddess Isis and located on a small island that can only be reached by boat. At about 11:00 hrs. visit the Red Granite Quarry, where the famous Unfinished Obelisk, forty-one metres high, is located and where you can observe the ingenious procedure used by the ancient Egyptians for the extraction of the granite blocks. The visit lasts about 30 minutes. Return to the boat for lunch.

At about 16:00 hrs. you will take a trip on the river in the typical fishing boats, called ‘falucas’. The ride lasts between 45 and 60 minutes. The faluca always comes very close to the boat.

Full board on board. Accommodation on board.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport and end of our services.