This 22-day premium small-group tour explores Egypt and Jordan in depth, combining the great monuments of the pharaohs with Alexandria, the Western Desert and the rose-red city of Petra. Groups have no more than 12 travellers aged 15 and over. An Egyptologist leader guides you in Egypt, and a local leader takes over in Jordan. You stay in comfortable hotels, a Nile riverboat with a pool and sundeck, a lakeside resort at Abu Simbel and a desert camp with en-suite tents. Flights from Cairo to Luxor, Aswan to Cairo and Cairo to Amman are included. The trip is land-only.

Cairo begins with the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx and a visit to the city's great museum of antiquities. You then drive through Wadi El Natron, a centre of early Christian monasticism, to Alexandria for its Roman catacombs, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and Fort Qaitbay. On the way back you stop at the Second World War cemeteries and museum at El Alamein.

Four nights on a Nile riverboat take you from Luxor to Aswan. You visit Karnak, the Valley of the Kings with three tombs plus Tutankhamun's, the temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon. Further upriver come Kom Ombo and the island temple of Philae. A night at Abu Simbel lets you see the temples of Ramses II at a gentler pace, with the sound and light show. Back in Aswan there is afternoon tea at the Old Cataract Hotel, sunset drinks on a felucca and dinner in a Nubian village. Back in Cairo you explore Islamic Cairo and the Khan al-Khalili bazaar and share a home-cooked dinner. A 4WD trip from Fayoum reaches Wadi Al-Hitan, the UNESCO-listed Valley of the Whales, with its fossil whales in the desert.

In Jordan you visit the Roman city of Jerash and join a cooking class in Amman. You also see the Byzantine mosaic map at Madaba and Mount Nebo, then float in the Dead Sea. After Shobak Castle, you spend two days in Petra, with a guided tour and time to climb to the Monastery, and dinner with a local family. The trip ends with a jeep tour, a night in a Wadi Rum camp and a walk on the dunes.

The pace is steady, with early starts for the big sites and some long drives. It suits travellers who want to see both countries properly, in comfort and with expert guiding.

Trip highlights

The Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx with an Egyptologist leader (Day 2)
Alexandria's catacombs, library and Fort Qaitbay, and the El Alamein memorials (Days 4–5)
Four nights on the Nile, with Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and Philae (Days 6–9)
A night at Abu Simbel and the sound and light show (Day 10)
The fossil whales of Wadi Al-Hitan (Day 14)
Two days in Petra, including the climb to the Monastery (Days 18–19)
A jeep tour and a night in a Wadi Rum desert camp (Day 20)

Map of the 22-day tour from Cairo to Alexandria, by Nile riverboat from Luxor to Aswan and Abu Simbel, then Jordan from Amman to Petra and Wadi Rum — 22-day route: Cairo – Alexandria – El Alamein – Luxor – Aswan – Abu Simbel – Fayoum – Amman – Jerash – Dead Sea – Petra – Wadi Rum

Cairo Days 1–2, 5 & 13–14
Wadi El Natron Day 3
Alexandria Days 3–4
El Alamein Day 5
Luxor Day 6
Edfu Day 7
Kom Ombo Day 8
Aswan Days 8–9 & 11–12
Abu Simbel Day 10
Wadi El Rayan Day 14
Amman Days 15–16 & 21
Jerash Day 16
Mount Nebo Day 17
Madaba Day 17
Dead Sea Day 17
Shobak Castle Day 18
Petra Days 18–19
Wadi Rum Day 20

Few tours combine so much of Egypt — Alexandria, El Alamein, the Western Desert and a night at Abu Simbel — with the highlights of Jordan. Small groups, an Egyptologist leader, a riverboat with a pool and three internal flights make a long journey comfortable.

Best suited to

Travellers with a deep interest in ancient history
Anyone who wants Egypt and Jordan in one trip without rushing
Travellers who like comfortable hotels and small groups
Second World War history enthusiasts

The avenue of sphinxes at Karnak Temple, Luxor

Day 1 · Cairo Arrive in Cairo

You are met at Cairo airport and taken to your hotel, which has a pool. The welcome meeting is at 6pm, followed by a welcome dinner with your leader and group.

Hotel
Hyatt Regency Cairo West or similar

Meals
Dinner
Day 2 · Giza, Pyramids of Giza, Sphinx Pyramids and Sphinx

Visit the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx with your leader, a trained Egyptologist. For an extra fee you can go inside the Great Pyramid. You also visit the city's great museum of antiquities, with treasures from thousands of years of Egyptian history.

Hotel
Hyatt Regency Cairo West or similar

Meals
Breakfast
Day 3 · Wadi El Natron, Anba Bishoy Monastery, Alexandria Wadi El Natron to Alexandria

Drive north through Wadi El Natron, a refuge for Christian monks since the 4th century, where four monasteries remain. Visit the Anba Bishoy Monastery before continuing to Alexandria on the Mediterranean.

Hotel
Palestine Montaza Alexandria Hotel or similar

Meals
Breakfast
Day 4 · Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Fort Qaitbay Alexandria

Explore the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, a Roman burial site mixing Greek, Egyptian and Roman styles, rediscovered in 1900. Visit the modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina and Fort Qaitbay, built on the site of the ancient lighthouse.

Hotel
Palestine Montaza Alexandria Hotel or similar

Meals
Breakfast
Day 5 · El Alamein, Cairo El Alamein to Cairo

Visit the battlefield of El Alamein, where the Allied victory turned the North African campaign. See the war cemeteries, which remember nearly 12,000 Commonwealth servicemen, and the military museum, before returning to Cairo.

Hotel
Steigenberger Hotel El Tahrir or similar

Meals
Breakfast, Lunch
Day 6 · Luxor, Karnak Temple Fly to Luxor and the Nile

Fly to Luxor, the pharaohs' capital at the height of their power, and board your riverboat for four nights. Visit the vast temple complex of Karnak before dinner on board.

Hotel
Amwaj Nile Cruise or similar

Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7 · Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, Colossi of Memnon Valley of the Kings

An early start for the Valley of the Kings, entering three tombs plus the tomb of Tutankhamun. Then visit the terraced temple of Queen Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon before sailing south.

Hotel
Amwaj Nile Cruise or similar

Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8 · Edfu, Kom Ombo Temple, Aswan Edfu and Kom Ombo

Moored near Edfu, you may visit its temple independently. Cruise on past desert hills and green riverbanks to Kom Ombo Temple on the water's edge, dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek, and on to Aswan.

Hotel
Amwaj Nile Cruise or similar

Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9 · Philae Temple, Aswan Philae

Visit the temple complex of Philae, including the Temple of Isis, moved stone by stone to Agilkia Island to save it from the rising waters of the dam. The rest of the day is free in Aswan.

Hotel
Amwaj Nile Cruise or similar

Meals
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 10 · Abu Simbel Abu Simbel

Drive south to Abu Simbel and stay overnight by Lake Nasser, so you can visit the great temples of Ramses II and Nefertari without rushing. In the evening, watch the sound and light show.

Hotel
Seti I Resort or similar

Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 11 · Aswan, Old Cataract Hotel Aswan and the Old Cataract

Return to Aswan for lunch and free time. Later, take afternoon tea at the Old Cataract Hotel, built in 1899 and once home to Agatha Christie, then enjoy sunset drinks on a felucca.

Hotel
Sonesta Nouba or similar

Meals
Breakfast
Day 12 · Aswan High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk, Elephantine Island Aswan

Visit the Aswan High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk, which would have been the largest ever carved. Explore Elephantine Island and the market street, then end the day with dinner in a Nubian village.

Hotel
Sonesta Nouba or similar

Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 13 · Cairo, Khan al-Khalili, Ibn Tulun Mosque Fly to Cairo: Islamic Cairo

Fly back to Cairo and explore Islamic Cairo. Visit the Ibn Tulun Mosque and the Gayer-Anderson Museum, have coffee in a local café and wander the alleys of the Khan al-Khalili bazaar. In the evening, share a home-cooked dinner with a local family.

Hotel
Steigenberger Hotel El Tahrir or Sonesta Cairo, or similar

Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 14 · Wadi El Rayan, Wadi Al-Hitan Fayoum and Wadi Al-Hitan

Drive to Fayoum to see the lakes and waterfall of Wadi El Rayan. Then take a 4WD into Wadi Al-Hitan, the UNESCO-listed Valley of the Whales, where fossils of early whales lie in the desert, and visit its Fossil and Climate Change Museum.

Hotel
Steigenberger Hotel El Tahrir or Sonesta Cairo, or similar

Meals
Breakfast, Lunch
Day 15 · Amman Fly to Amman

Fly to Amman, Jordan's capital, where you are met and taken to your hotel. A welcome meeting with your Jordan leader and new group is at 6pm, followed by dinner.

Hotel
InterContinental Amman or similar

Meals
Dinner
Day 16 · Jerash, Amman Jerash and cooking class

Drive north to Jerash, one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the world, with its arches, theatres and colonnaded streets. In the evening, join a cooking class in Amman and eat what you make.

Hotel
InterContinental Amman or similar

Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 17 · Madaba, Mount Nebo, Dead Sea Madaba, Mount Nebo and the Dead Sea

Visit St George's Church in Madaba, with its 6th-century mosaic map of the Holy Land, and Mount Nebo, where Moses is said to have seen the Promised Land. Spend the afternoon floating in the salty water of the Dead Sea.

Hotel
Mövenpick Resort & Spa Dead Sea or similar

Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 18 · Shobak Castle, Petra Shobak Castle to Petra

Visit Shobak, a Crusader castle that fell to Saladin in 1189, and stop above the Dana Nature Reserve. In Petra, your leader guides you through the Siq to the Treasury and around the ancient Nabataean city. Dinner is with a local family.

Hotel
Petra Moon Hotel or similar

Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 19 · Petra, The Monastery Petra

Return to Petra to explore at your own pace. Walk the Siq again, between walls up to 180 metres high, and climb the steps to the Monastery for views across the whole site. You could also see Petra by Night on selected evenings.

Hotel
Petra Moon Hotel or similar

Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 20 · Wadi Rum Wadi Rum

Drive to Wadi Rum, a protected desert of sandstone mountains, canyons and arches. After lunch in Rum village, Bedouin hosts take you by jeep to the rock formations. Dinner is zarb, cooked in the sand, at your camp.

Hotel
Mazayen Camp or similar

Meals
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 21 · Wadi Rum, Amman Back to Amman

Take an early walk and climb a dune for views over the desert, then drive back to Amman. In the evening you could join the group for a final dinner.

Hotel
InterContinental Amman or similar

Meals
Breakfast
Day 22 · Amman Trip ends in Amman

The trip ends after breakfast in Amman. A departure transfer can be booked in advance, and extra nights can be arranged when you book.

Meals
Breakfast

The colossal statues of Ramses II at Abu Simbel, Egypt

Cairo (2 nights) Hyatt Regency Cairo West or similar
Alexandria (2 nights) Palestine Montaza Alexandria Hotel or similar
Cairo (1 night) Steigenberger Hotel El Tahrir or similar
Nile riverboat (4 nights) Amwaj Nile Cruise or similar
Abu Simbel (1 night) Seti I Resort or similar
Aswan (2 nights) Sonesta Nouba or similar
Cairo (2 nights) Steigenberger Hotel El Tahrir or Sonesta Cairo, or similar
Amman (2 nights) InterContinental Amman or similar
Dead Sea (1 night) Mövenpick Resort & Spa Dead Sea or similar
Petra (2 nights) Petra Moon Hotel or similar
Wadi Rum (1 night) Mazayen Camp or similar
Amman (1 night) InterContinental Amman or similar

Hotel names are indicative and may be replaced with a property of similar standard and location.

Included

Accommodation 21 nights in hotels, a Nile riverboat, a lakeside resort and a desert camp
Meals 20 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 14 dinners, including a home-cooked dinner in Cairo, a Nubian dinner, a cooking class in Amman and dinner with a family in Petra
Flights Cairo to Luxor, Aswan to Cairo and Cairo to Amman
Transport private vehicles, the Nile riverboat, a felucca, 4WDs in Wadi Al-Hitan and jeeps in Wadi Rum, plus an arrival transfer in Cairo
Guided visits the Pyramids, Alexandria, El Alamein, Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and Tutankhamun's tomb, Philae, Abu Simbel, Islamic Cairo, Jerash, Madaba, Mount Nebo, Shobak and Petra
Egyptologist leader in Egypt and a local leader in Jordan

Not included

International flights to Cairo and home from Amman
Visas for Egypt and Jordan, if required
Meals not listed, drinks on the riverboat and alcohol
Optional activities, such as entering the Great Pyramid, a Luxor balloon flight or Petra by Night
Departure transfer in Amman, single supplement, tips and travel insurance

Philae Temple on its island in the Nile near Aswan

Honest disclaimer — please read

You want international flights included — they are not
You dislike early starts — the big sites are visited early to avoid heat and crowds
You want a beach break — this is a sightseeing tour
You want all meals included — 20 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 14 dinners

FCDO advice UK FCDO travel advice for Egypt · UK FCDO travel advice for Jordan

12 Oct 2026 Twin share

£8,390pp

Single from £10,675

Trip highlights

Best suited to

Included

Not included

Not quite the right fit? Make it tailor-made.

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