Nabateans & Nubians

This two-week Jordan and Egypt tour is packed full of iconic highlights mixed in with some different activities and experiences to really bring these fascinating countries to life. We start in Jordan with a tour into the desert to discover some of Jordan's famous Umayyad 'Desert Castles', before exploring Downtown Amman on foot, trying local food, walking through the markets and learning some simple Arabic phrases for the tour ahead. Next we head north to visit of the best preserved Roman cities in the region at Jerash, and then seeing the imposing Ajloun castle and taking a short hike through the surrounding hills and forests to some Bronze Age dolmens. A night in a friendly local village homestay follows before we descend to the Dead Sea for a swim and float in its incredibly salty waters. Another beautiful walk follows as we explore the surroundings of the restored Dana village amidst the hills and canyons of the Dana Nature Reserve on a stop en-route to Jordan's biggest highlight, the hidden city of Petra. We have a full day to explore the site and then head into the desert sands and towering cliffs of Wadi Rum where we'll camp with the Bedouins and learn about their nomadic desert lifestyle. The tour then flies to Egypt to start our exploration of the country's Pharaonic history and Nile Valley. We'll tour the Pyramids, Sphinx and Egyptian Museum in Cairo, and take a boat trip to the beautiful Philae temple in Aswan. Then we take to the Nile on a traditional felucca sailboat for a relaxing overnight cruise down the river, watching rural Egyptian life pass us by as we chat with the friendly Nubian crew. We'll sleep on the deck of the boat, with a hotel upgrade available for those who want some more comfort. Our final guided sightseeing is then in Luxor, home to one of the largest concentrations of ancient monuments in the world. We'll see the huge columned temples and halls at Karnak, delve into the Pharaonic tombs in the Valley of the Kings, see the imposing temple of Queen Hatchepsut and walk around Luxor temple as it is beautifully lit up at night. Finally we take the sleeper train back to Cairo where this tour will come to an end after a walk through the back streets of the Khan-el-Khalili bazaar.