Breakfast. PICK UP AT THE HOTEL RECEIPTION BETWEEN 07:45 HOURS (AM) AND 08:00 HOURS (AM). Excursion to visit the New City of Jerusalem, seeing the Shrine of the Book in the Museum of Israel, where the Dead Sea Scrolls are displayed, and the model that represents the city of Jerusalem at the time of Jesus. We will go through the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, then going toward Ein Karen, a picturesque neighbourhood on the outskirts of the city to visit the Shrine of Saint John the Baptist. We will also see Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum and Memorial. In the afternoon, we will travel to BETHLEHEM, located behind the wall built in recent years to separate the two communities. We will take a Palestinian guide to visit the Church of the Nativity, the Grotto of the Manger and the Shepherds’ Field. Return to Jerusalem and accommodation.

We include a visit to the old city of Jerusalem. Excursion by Mount Scopus toward the Mount of Olives. There is an extraordinary view of the walled Holy City from the top. We then continue to Gethsemane, the Basilica of the Agony. Departure toward the Old City. Visit to the Western Wall (Wailing Wall). We will continue along the Via Dolorosa to arrive at Calvary, the place where Christ was crucified, and to see the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. We then go onward to Mount Zion to visit the Tomb of King David, the Cenacle (Hall of the Last Supper) and the Abbey of the Dormition. Accommodation in Jerusalem.

Breakfast. Early departure to border of Israel and Jordan. Arrival at Sheik Hussein Bridge to complete border and visa procedures. Welcome to Jordan! We explore the FORTRESS OF AJLUN, an imposing castle dating back to the 12th century. In this area, Muslims and Orthodox Christians have always lived together. We visit the historic CHURCH OF SAINT SERGIUS. Shall we all pray for peace? Lunch included. We continue to JERASH to visit its impressive Roman archaeological site. We then travel to AMMAN. Arrival and accommodation.

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 These objects can be withdrawn from the passenger without prior notice and without any compensation.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).

We will depart towards the CASTLES OF THE DESERT, built between the 7th and 8th centuries. We will visit QASR KHARANA, with its imposing structure of thick walls and the QUSAYR AMRA World Heritage Site, notable for its remarkable frescoes. Then, we travel to MADABA, lunch is included. We will visit the Madaba Archaeological Park, which we cross via an ancient Roman road, and the Church of St. George, with its fantastic 6th Century mosaic representing the oldest known map of the Holy Land. We continue to MOUNT NEBO, where Moses stopped to look over the Promised Land. Return to Amman. Arrival and free time.

We leave for BETHANY on the banks of the River Jordan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; this is where John the Baptist baptised Jesus. Then we visit the DEAD SEA MUSEUM, which an impressive Panorama Complex. Lunch is included. Arriving at our hotel at the DEAD SEA, do not forget to take a dip in the saltiest sea and lowest altitude on earth. Dinner and accommodation included.

Exciting section in the heart of Jordan. We ascend to the historic King´s Road, which tells us about the Moab Kingdom of the Bible. At the top of a hill we will be surprised by the castle of KARAK (entrance included), an impressive example of military architecture of the twelfth century. It soon became one of the most important fortresses between Jerusalem and Aqaba. Arrival at DANA, a small picturesque town of stone houses on a huge cliff. Lunch is included. We continue along the King´s Route to SHOBAK, where we take photographs (outside only) of the great Crusader Castle. We continue to WADI MUSA (the site around Petra). We will explore the MOSES SPRING, where Moses is said to have tapped the rock with his rod and the water gushed out, and the Petra Museum, an excellent exhibition that enables us to learn about the history of the Nabateans and to see magnificent pieces found in the area. Dinner and accommodation. Any travelers who wish can go to an old Turkish bath or see a light and sound show in Petra.

Today we have the most exciting day of the trip: First, we visit the impressive archaeological site of PETRA, which is accessed through a narrow canyon, and discover the temples and tombs excavated on the cliffs in this city that was founded 300 years before Christ. After lunch (included) we leave for the impressive desert of WADI RUM. At the Visitor Centre we board 4x4 vehicles to visit some of the most impressive landscapes. We stop in the town of RUM to visit the ruins of the Nabatean temple. We include a 45-minute camel ride through the desert. We will also visit the Khazali Canyon. In this spectacular place, we will see the engravings that reveal the origins of the Arabic language. Dinner and accommodation included in a desert camp.

After breakfast, we leave for AQABA, Jordan’s second city, lying on the banks of the Red Sea. We walk through the center before continuing to the border of 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? 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. Arrival, accommodation and dinner included.

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.

At the foot of Mount Sinai, 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. We then continue on through the Sinai Desert’s picturesque landscapes. Lunch included in route. Stop at the WELL OF MOSES, a biblical site that looks like a small oasis. We will leave Sinai through the tunnel under the SUEZ CANAL. Arrival in CAIRO at the end of the afternoon. Accommodation.

Full day visit where we explore the famous Pyramids of Cheops, Kefren and Micerinos (tickets to go inside the pyramids are not included), and also the impressive Sphinx, which is sculpted from rock. Visit to the Egyptian Museum with its ancient art and where the treasure of the Lost Tomb of Tutankhamen is kept. Lunch included. Citadel of Saladin and the Alabaster Mosque. We will take a walk through the Coptic neighborhood where we visit the Hanging Church built above a Roman fortress.

We start the tour at Cairo airport to take a regular flight (included) to LUXOR (the booked flight can be between 06:00 and 08:30 AM). This flight lasts one hour and 10 minutes. Once you arrive in Luxor according to the flight schedule, we will visit the temples of Karnak and Luxor, which build the most important monumental complex in Egypt, built over two thousand years. The temples are about 3 km from the cruise and the visit lasts 3 hours. Transfer to the boat. Distribution of cabins. Full board. Night on board.

Full board on board. Breakfast at 05:00. We leave the ship at 06:00. Visit of the Necropolis of Thebes, comprising the famous Valley of the Kings, which is 18 km from the boat. Arrival at the Valley of the Kings around 06:45 and we finish the visit around 08:30. Then, at about 4 km, we will have the panoramic visit of the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut in Deir Al Bahari, by bus 10 minutes away is Deir Bahari. The visit lasts an hour and then it takes another 10 minutes by bus to reach the temple of Medinet Habu located about 4 km from the temple of Hatshepsut and another hour to visit the temple and on the way back to the boat, a stop to see the Colossi of Memnon. After the visit, return to the boat. Navigation to Edfu crossing the Esna lock. Luxor is 120 km from Edfu It takes 4 hours to reach the Esna lock; we need to wait for the turn to pass and sail for another 4 hours to reach Edfu. Accommodation on board.

Breakfast is from 06:00 to 07:00. Full board on the ship. At 7.00 AM visit of Temple of Edfu. The temple is 1km from the boat. The transfer of the boat to the temple of Edfu is done in carriages. It is almost 15 minutes each way, and an hour and a half in the temple. The Temple is dedicated to the Falcon God Horus and is the best preserved in Egypt as well as being the second largest in the country. At 09:00 return to the boat. Navigation to Kom Ombo. It takes almost 6 hours to get to Kom Ombo. Arrival around 17:00. Departure to visit the Temple of Kom Ombo; we walk there because it is very close to the boat, about 200 meters. The visit lasts a total of an hour and a half. It is the only temple dedicated to two Gods: Haroeris, who had a falcon´s head and Sobek, with a crocodile head and God of fertility. At Kom Ombo, we will also visit the Nilometer, used by the ancient Egyptians to measure the water level of the Nile. After the visit return to the ship at 18:30. Navigation to Aswan (almost 4 hours).

Arrival to ASWAN. Possibility of getting the optional tour to Abu Simbel (visit NOT included in the itinerary), located two hundred and eighty kilometers from Aswam, visit the western desert and the temples carved on the cliff by Ramses II during the twelfth century BC, with 20 meters high statues, dedicated to the god Amon Ra, and the Temple of Nefertari, dedicated to the goddess Hathor. Visit the Red Granite quarry where is the famous 41 meters high Unfinished Obelisk. We will also visit the Aswan Dam, one of the largest in the world, which created Lake Nasser with a length of more than 500 km. We will visit the beautiful Temple of Philae dedicated to the goddess Isis and located on a small island that can only be accessed by boat. In the afternoon, a felucca cruise on the Nile, typical sailing boats in the area, heading to the island of Kitchener where the Botanical Garden is located. Full board. Accommodation on board.

Breakfast. Transfer to the airport to take the plane to Cairo (flight included). Arrival to CAIRO airport and transfer to the hotel. During the evening, visit the Light and Sound Show at the Giza Pyramids. Accommodation.

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