Petra and Pyramids holiday, Amman to Cairo
| country: | Egypt, Jordan |
| trip type: | A small group adventure |
| departures: | 2010: 27 Feb, 13 Mar, 27 Mar, 10 Apr, 21 Aug, 2 Oct, 16 Oct, 30 Oct, 18 Dec 2011: 26 Feb, 12 Mar, 26 Mar, 9 Apr, 20 Aug |
| price: | From £1340 - £1625 (14 days) including flights from the UK, from £870 - £995 excluding flights |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Petra - the 'Rose Red City':
Beginning with a visit to the remarkably intact remains of ancient Jerash, we journey southwards through Jordan and the Dead Sea to the rocky pinnacle of Kerak. From the Crusader castle of Kerak, the sweeping views across the ochre landscape are unforgettable. Continuing to Petra - the 'Rose Red City half as old as time' - we enjoy the best part of two full days exploring on foot the hidden corners of this evocative site.
Wadi Rum & St Catherine's:
Travelling to the awesome desert landscapes of Wadi Rum, we can ride camels or take a jeep safari through terrain once familiar to Lawrence of Arabia. Then from Aqaba we take a ferry across the Red Sea to Nuweiba and continue to Dahab. After time spent relaxing on the coast, with opportunities to snorkel over multi-coloured coral reefs, we strike into Sinai's wild and mountainous heart to visit the isolated monastery of St Catherine, in the shadow of Mount Sinai. A hike up the mountain allows us to witness truly breathtaking views over the barren peaks of the Sinai.
The Giza Pyramids:
After free day in Dahab, we fly to Cairo and transfer to our hotel. The following day we visit the enigmatic pyramid complex of Giza, perhaps the most recognised remains in the world, and sense the brooding majesty of a site regarded as 'ancient' even by the ancient Greeks.
Highlights:
Beginning with a visit to the remarkably intact remains of ancient Jerash, we journey southwards through Jordan and the Dead Sea to the rocky pinnacle of Kerak. From the Crusader castle of Kerak, the sweeping views across the ochre landscape are unforgettable. Continuing to Petra - the 'Rose Red City half as old as time' - we enjoy the best part of two full days exploring on foot the hidden corners of this evocative site.
Wadi Rum & St Catherine's:
Travelling to the awesome desert landscapes of Wadi Rum, we can ride camels or take a jeep safari through terrain once familiar to Lawrence of Arabia. Then from Aqaba we take a ferry across the Red Sea to Nuweiba and continue to Dahab. After time spent relaxing on the coast, with opportunities to snorkel over multi-coloured coral reefs, we strike into Sinai's wild and mountainous heart to visit the isolated monastery of St Catherine, in the shadow of Mount Sinai. A hike up the mountain allows us to witness truly breathtaking views over the barren peaks of the Sinai.
The Giza Pyramids:
After free day in Dahab, we fly to Cairo and transfer to our hotel. The following day we visit the enigmatic pyramid complex of Giza, perhaps the most recognised remains in the world, and sense the brooding majesty of a site regarded as 'ancient' even by the ancient Greeks.
Highlights:
- A fascinating journey of discovery.
- Visit two spectacular sites of the Middle East; Petra & the Pyramids.
- Hike in the footsteps of Moses to the summit of Mount Sinai.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Join tour Amman (Jordan). Arrive Amman and check into hotel. |
| Day 2: | Drive via Jerash and the Dead Sea to Kerak. A short drive brings us to the extensive ruins of Jerash, considered to be best preserved of the Decapolis confederation of Roman cities. |
| Day 3: | Drive to Petra. We set out today on one of the oldest trade routes in the world, the King’s Highway. Travelling south along this road that once carried the richly laden caravans of Solomon, we arrive at the lost city of Petra. |
| Day 4: | In Petra. Our second day in Petra is left free to explore at your own pace and lose yourself in the atmosphere of the past. |
| Day 5: | Visit Wadi Rum. Today we experience the beautiful area of Wadi Rum and some of the most spectacular desert scenery of the Middle East. |
| Day 6: | By Four Wheel Drive to Aqaba. Leaving Wadi Rum in four wheel drive vehicles we drive to Aqaba on the Red Sea. |
| Day 7 - 9: | Ferry to Nuweiba; drive to Dahab. This morning we make the trip across the Red Sea by ‘sea cat’ ferry to Egypt and the small town of Nuweiba on the Sinai Peninsula. |
| Day 10: | Drive to St. Catherines; ascent of Mount Sinai. Late this morning we drive to St Catherine’s to visit the monastery and make the optional ascent to the summit of Mt. Sinai to the spot where Moses is said to have received the ten commandments from God. |
| Day 11: | Return to Dahab; fly to Cairo. This morning we return to Dahab for some free time, last minute shopping and lunch before driving to Sharm El Sheik for our flight to Cairo. |
| Day 12: | In Cairo; visit Pyramids, Sphinx and Museum. Africa’s largest capital, Cairo is situated mainly on the east bank of the Nile. Driving to Giza we see the Pyramids and Sphinx, among the most impressive man-made spectacles in the world. |
| Day 13: | In Cairo; optional visit to Islamic Cairo and Khan el Khalili. Today we have all day to explore some of Cairo’s hidden treasures. You may chose to visit the illustrious Citadel, one of Saladin’s many strongholds during the Crusades period. |
| Day 14: | Tour ends Cairo. |
small group cultural tours
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends it's good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as experiencing new cultures.how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment:
Conscious that we are travelling in a fragile environment, we try to minimise our impact on the areas we are travelling through by adhering to strict environmental guidelines and educating crew and customers on the ‘do’s and don’ts’. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost. Community: As a company we aim to encourage interaction with local communities whilst showing respect for local culture, beliefs and traditions. We’ve created plenty of opportunities to meet the people on this tour, whether it is our local guides, cameleers or Bedouin during our stay in Wadi Rum and our leaders ensure the interactions are respectful and fun for both sides. As well as respecting local people, we also like to be an economic benefit to them. We do this by using locally owned hotels, spreading our business to a variety of local restaurants (which is a great way to sample delicious Jordanian food!) and employing local guides where we can. As well as a UK leader, we also employ Jordanian and Egyptian guides for the whole trip meaning that you’ll get that in-depth information only a local can give. We like to support local development through business but there are always some who are out of reach of the tourist pound and where we can, we like to extend some support to them. Our agent in Jordan supports the Petra School for the Deaf and our groups have raised funds for equipment for the school in the past. As well as the above, we support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |