Itinerary

Day 1 Cairo

Cairo is the capital of Egypt and the hub of the country. Millennia of history have made it one of the most fascinating places in the world. The Egyptian Museum whose 107 halls feature huge statues on the ground floor, and small statues, jewels, Tutankhamon treasures and the mummies on upper floors. Other downtown sights include the Saladin Citadel and Mohamed Ali Mosque, and Khan Khalili bazaar. Nearby Giza is famous for the Pyramids of Egypt, among the largest constructions ever built.

Transfer to/from Cairo Airport in private vehicle with English speaking driver.

You will be met in the tunnel by an airport representative who will in turn facilitate the visa process ($15 per person - included in tour cost), escort you through customs and immigration, off to baggage claim and finally to passenger pick up. It is here that you will connect with our representative associate who will arrange airport transfer to your hotel.

Kensington Tours donates a portion of proceeds to our charitable initiative www.kensingtoncares.com which supports education-based initiatives in disadvantaged communities.

Le Meridien Pyramids resort is located twenty minutes from Cairo’s city centre, with a spectacular closeness to the Giza Pyramids, one of history’s greatest treasures and one of the Seven Wonders of the world. With 444 rooms, this hotel is the ideal combination of rich foliage blended with sultry sands and timelessness. From dining North American-style over Tex Mex dishes to closing off the night over traditional Arabic shisha, one can attain a true feel for Egypt while still retaining a level of comfort akin to home. Aside from Le Meridien offering resort-style facilities, from outdoor tennis courts kept lit at night to spa treatments, the distance to the city allows the curious traveler to discover the curving streets and bazaars that mark Cairo’s mysterious aura.

Overnight at Meridien Pyramids.

Day 2 Cairo

Enjoy this tour which explores the relics of ages past, and includes visits to ancient Memphis, Saqqara and the Great Pyramids of Giza. Already millennia old by the birth of Christ, the elaborate statues and astonishing scale of these sites will amaze all who visit. This tour also features the famous Sphinx, whose constructor's still remains unknown, but its sheer beauty and allure has mystified the likes of Alexander the Great and Napoleon Bonaparte. This tour includes a private vehicle, a driver, and a highly trained Egyptologist, and entry to either Chephren (Khafre) or Menkaure (Mycerinus) pyramids, as well as the Solar boat. Entrance to the Pyramids come with an additional cost, and be aware that a limited number of people are allowed inside daily, so arrive early so you will not be disappointed.

Enjoy a personalized lunch with your guide at a great local restaurant.

Overnight at Meridien Pyramids.

Day 3 Nile

Glide up the Nile at night and explore ancient temples during the day. Edfu (Idfu) is located on the west bank of the River Nile between Esna and Aswan. Of all the temple remains in Egypt, the Temple of Horus at Edfu is the most completely preserved. Kom Ombo was originally an Egyptian city called Nubt, meaning City of Gold. The town's location on the Nile 50 km north of Aswan (Syene) gave it some control over trade routes from Nubia to the Nile Valley, but its main rise to prominence came with the erection of the temple in the 2nd century BC.

Transfer to/from Cairo Airport in private vehicle with English speaking driver.

Take your flight from Cairo to Luxor. The flight duration is approximately 1 hour.

Airport transfer with a private vehicle and English-speaking driver in Luxor.

Visit the great temples of Karnak and Luxor on the East Bank to marvel at the achievements of one of the earliest civilizations.

Enjoy an evening of entertainment including local music.

Presidential Nile Cruises offer a fleet of 7 deluxe boats that travel through the world’s most well-known river. Presidential Nile Cruises was founded in 1979 and was the first company to commercialize cruises on the Nile. Throughout the years they have successfully grown to a fleet of 7 boats and a total of 500 cabins. To this day they are recognized as one of the most established and successful companies in the business; constantly striving for excellence and continual improvement, always focusing on the comfort and needs of our customers. For almost 30 years, Presidential Cruises have been consistently exceeding the expectations of their customers and guarantee you the trip of a lifetime in the magical land of the pharaohs.

Overnight at Presidential Nile Cruise.

Day 4 Nile

Visit the Valley of the Kings, specifically, the recently renovated mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the huge Colossi of Memnon which are all that remain of the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III.

Enjoy an evening of entertainment including local music.

Overnight at Presidential Nile Cruise.

Day 5 Nile

Visit the Nile-side Temple of Horus, the falcon god, built in 230 BC by Ptolemy III.

Enjoy an evening of entertainment including local music.

Overnight at Presidential Nile Cruise.

Day 6 Nile

Visit a unique Greco-Roman temple dedicated to two gods: Sobek, the crocodile god, and Haroeris, the sun god.

This tour begins with a visit to the impressive Aswan High Dam. The water which was collected behind created Lake Nasser, the world's largest artificial lake. View the Temple of Philae on the island of Agilika, stopping at the “unfinished obelisk,” a practical demonstration of the methods used by ancient craftsmen to create impressive monuments.

Enjoy an evening of entertainment including local music.

Overnight at Presidential Nile Cruise.

Day 7 Cairo

Airport transfer with private vehicle, and driver in Aswan.

Take your flight from Aswan to Cairo. The flight duration is approximately 1 hour and a half.

Transfer to/from Cairo Airport in private vehicle with English speaking driver.

Enjoy time at leisure to explore at your own pace, or relax at your hotel.

The recently renovated Cairo Marriott Hotel, situated at the centre of the city, is surrounded by lush gardens and with a 19th century palace in its midst, on the Nile River. The grand hotel’s 1250 rooms are well appointed, with splendid views of the city and the Nile. One may take meals in any of the restaurants or cafes, which are reasonably priced and enjoyable, and feature especially hospitable staff. The city of Cairo is in itself a bustling source of amusement and history, including the Pyramids, though some guests prefer to stay on the hotel grounds and make use of the fitness centre or swimming pools.

Overnight at Marriott .

Day 8 Cairo

This full day tour includes a private tour with your trained Egyptologist guide through the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities and its Mummy Room, which houses priceless archaeological finds including the treasures of Tutankhamun and the Greco/Roman period. In the afternoon visit Saladin Citadel, a spectacular medieval fortress built by the renowned leader himself and dating back from the 12th century. Here you will explore the mosque and tomb of the Ottoman ruler Mohamed Ali, whom laid the foundation for the modern nation of Egypt. Later, on a walking tour, you will get to stroll through the fabled Khan Khalili bazaar, absorbing the sights, scents, exotic treats and energy of this ancient yet vibrant meeting place.

Enjoy a personalized lunch with your guide at a great local restaurant.

Overnight at Marriott .

Day 9 Petra

Petra is famously described as "a rose-red city half as old as time". A spectacular and unique sight, its massive buildings are carved directly into the sandstone cliffs. Enclosed by towering rocks and watered by a perennial stream, Petra controlled the ancient commercial routes across the desert to the Persian Gulf. The impressive eastern entrance leads steeply down through a dark and narrow gorge called the Siq (the shaft), a natural geological feature formed from a deep split in the sandstone rocks. It opens directly onto Petra's most elaborate ruin, Al Khazneh ("the Treasury") hewn directly out of the sandstone cliff. A little farther from the Treasury is a massive theatre, so placed as to bring the greatest number of tombs within view; and at the point where the valley opens out into the plain the site of the city is revealed with striking effect. Almost enclosing it on three sides are rose-coloured mountain walls, divided into groups by deep fissures, and lined with tombs cut from the rock in the form of towers.

A Jordanian Tourism tax will be paid on your behalf to cover public liability insurance on equipment such as Jeeps, camels and horses.

Transfer to/from Cairo Airport in private vehicle with English speaking driver.

Take your flight from Cairo to Amman. The flight duration is approximately 1 hour.

You will be met by an airport representative who will facilitate the visa process , escort you through customs and immigration, then it is off to baggage claim and finally to passenger pick up. It is here that you will connect with our Kensington associate who will arrange airport transfer to your hotel.

Airport meet and assist/transfer in Amman with a private vehicle and English speaking driver.

Avail of a transfer to Petra with a private vehicle and driver.

The splendorous Mövenpick Resort Petra is the close neighbor of the ancient, dusty rose city of Petra. The hotel, offering 183 rooms and suites, plays host to wanderers aching for the short trek into this well of history and ruins. Upon returning, spend time at one of the seven hotel restaurants, each of which opens doors to culinary persuasions from across the world, though special focus is given to Middle Eastern specialties. The hotel itself remains a centre of activity, with a fully equipped fitness gym, health and wellness swimming pool and steam bath, and views of open horizons. Sit down to some traditional Arabic argil at the end of the evening, and absorb the sun as it sets.

Overnight at Movenpick Petra.

Day 10 Dead Sea

The Dead Sea is an inland lake lying 400m (1320ft) below sea level in the lower part of the Jordan Valley, which has more minerals and salt than any other body of water in the world and is renowned for its rejuvenating and health-giving properties. Other interesting sights around the Dead Sea include Mount Sodom, a 13km- (8 mile-) long mountain range made up of pure salt which has many caves with extraordinary hanging salt formations, and Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls, written by Essene scribes, were discovered in ancient pottery jars.

Petra is the treasure of the ancient world, and the rock-carved rose-red city is full of mysterious charm. Indeed, it was "designed to strike wonder into all who entered it". Petra is the legacy of the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled in southern Jordan more than 2,000 years ago. Admired then for its refined culture, massive architecture and ingenious complex of dams and water channels, this remarkable city of grand buildings carved into massive cliffs evokes wonder to this day. Enjoy being shown the wonders of the city in the company of your Driver-Guide.

Enjoy a private transfer from Petra to the Dead Sea. The transfer time is approximately 3hrs in duration.

Set on the northern shores of the Dead Sea at the lowest point on Earth, the Movenpick Dead Sea deluxe resort is built in a traditional village style and offers luxurious rooms, a range of outlets, first-class meeting and leisure facilities featuring the renowned ZARA Spa. The resort has a total of 358 rooms, of which over two-thirds are smoking; there are non-smoking rooms on several floors and blocks. All rooms have either a balcony or a terrace; interconnecting rooms and rooms for physically challenged are also available. With about ten different room categories to choose from, you can either choose a room in the main building, the village or the beachfront with mountain, garden or sea view. The rooms also vary in size, decor and furnishing.

Overnight at Movenpick Dead Sea.

Day 11 Amman

Avail of a private transfer between the Dead Sea and Amman.

Depart from Amman international airport - end of itinerary.

Overnight at Depart.

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