Egypt-Jordan

• Departure from Montreal (P.E. Trudeau) airport on an international flight to Cairo.

Note: Arrival at the airport at least 3 hours before departure.

❖ Meals included : Breakfast / Accommodation : 5* Hotel / Transport : Air-conditioned vehicle.

• Arrival in Cairo. Welcome, transfer to hotel for installation.

❖ Meals included : Breakfast / Accommodation : 5* Hotel / Transport : Air-conditioned vehicle.

Departure for a day of discovering the famous monuments of the capital region:

• Pyramids of Giza: a vast funerary complex housing the tombs of the pharaohs and comprising three great pyramids. The Pyramid of Khufu, the only one of the Seven Wonders of the World to have survived to the present day, is among these imposing remnants of ancient Egypt. It appears that the pyramids were built approximately 4,500 years ago and that their construction was facilitated by the existence of a branch of the Nile River—now dried up—which would have allowed for the transport of stones from nearby quarries. However, the engineering challenges involved in their construction still leave many unanswered questions in the scientific community today.
• The Sphinx, a monument carved from a single block of limestone, stands before the three famous pyramids. It is the largest monolithic sculpture in the world.
• The Mosque of Mohammed Ali : an important Islamic sanctuary in Cairo, erected in the heart of the citadel in the 19th ^-century Ottoman architectural style for Viceroy Mohammed Ali Pasha, considered the father of modern Egypt. He is credited with ushering Egypt into the industrial age, making the country one of the world’s leading cotton producers. He initiated the first railway construction projects and the digging of canals for transporting export goods. Egypt owes him significant social reforms, including the country’s first military, medical, and pharmaceutical schools.

❖ Meals included : Breakfast / Accommodation : 5* Hotel / Transport : Air-conditioned vehicle.

A great trip through theEl Fayoum region, a refreshing oasis an hour south of the capital:

• Explore Lake Qârun (Moéris), a very important nature reserve for the region, as well as a body of water that is very popular with fishermen and waterfowl.
• Visit to the Wadi El Rayan Falls, the highest waterfalls in the country, which offer a striking contrast to the arid landscape around them.
• Dinner prepared by villagers, featuring regional Egyptian specialties.
• Sandboarding on the sandy high plateau—a one-of-a-kind experience!
• A memorable 4×4 ride through the desert.
• Tour of pottery workshops, a regional specialty.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast / Accommodation: 5* Hotel / Transport: Air-conditioned vehicle.

Continuation of the visit of the capital :

• The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), a very recently built museum, is the largest museum dedicated to ancient Egypt. Its monumental collection is the culmination of decades of archaeological research focused on the country’s history. Visitors can see everything from colossal statues of pharaohs to the most common household objects of ancient Egypt.
• Coptic Cairo, a neighborhood that reflects the city’s Christian life. The Copts belong to the Church of Alexandria of St. Mark the Evangelist and form one of the oldest Christian communities in the world.
• Khan el Khelili Bazaar, the most famous market in the Middle East, is a bustling place renowned for its many shops selling local products and souvenirs (colorful lamps, fabrics, copperware, jewelry, spices, perfumes, musical instruments, etc.).
• Al Mo’ez Street, anopen-air museumand a must-see opportunity to immerse yourself in the Islamic world! It is one of the oldest streets in the city, home to some of the country’s most remarkable Islamic monuments and buildings.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner / Accommodation: 4* hotel / Transport: Air-conditioned vehicle and internal flight.

• AM: Fly to Hurghada.

The town and its beaches stretch for almost 40 km along the Red Sea, making Hurghada the country’s leading seaside resort. World-renowned for its clear waters and coral reefs, Hurghada welcomes visitors from all over for diving and windsurfing.

• PM: Guided tour of the city of Hurghada. Visitto the Grand Mosque of Hurghada, its port, and its fish market.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner / Accommodation: 4* hotel / Transport: Air-conditioned vehicle.

• Free time to enjoy this little paradise on the Red Sea. Beach and optional activities.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner / Accommodation: 4* hotel / Transport: Air-conditioned vehicle.

• Free time to enjoy this little paradise on the shores of the Red Sea.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner / Accommodation: 5* cruise / Transport: air-conditioned vehicle and boat.

Drive to Luxor and board the cruise ship. Departure to discover the majestic monuments on the banks of this mythical river:

• The Karnak Temple, the largest religious complex in the city of Thebes in ancient times, when Thebes was the name given to Luxor. The complex—which consists of temples, chapels, colonnades, and corridors that are magnificently decorated and carved—is undoubtedly the longest-running construction project in history, as its construction spanned more than 2,000 years.
• The Temple of Luxor , dedicated to the worship of Amun, was integrated into the religious urban landscape of ancient Thebes, as the religious ceremonies performed there echoed those of the great temple of Karnak, located less than 2 km away. The Opet Festival, one of the most lavish festivals of ancient Egypt, was celebrated there. The avenue lined with sphinxes and its grand, harmonious colonnades are highly noteworthy sculptural features.

❖ Meals included : Breakfast, lunch, dinner / Transport and accomodation : 5* cruise

Departure in an air-conditioned vehicle for a grand discovery tour:

• The Valley of the Kings , which stretches along the west bank of the Nile, is a region renowned for housing the tombs of the pharaohs of the New Kingdom ( ^16th to ^11th centuries BC) and those of their families. Visit three temples with richly decorated tombs.
• Hatshepsut Temple, an ancient mortuary temple comprising a very well-preserved complex of chapels, galleries, terraces, and porticoes carved from limestone. It is said that the construction of this imposing structure took place over a period of only 15 years.
• The Colossi of Memnon are giant stone sculptures located on the west bank of the Nile, on the road leading to Thebes, and are the last vestiges of a vast temple that has now disappeared.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner / Accommodation and transport: 5* cruise

• The Temple of Edfu, dedicated to the worship of Horus, the god of kingship and great protector of the pharaohs. Built during the reign of King Ptolemy in^{the 3rd} century B.C. in the Pharaonic style. This temple is the^{second-largest} sanctuary in Egypt after Karnak.
• Temple of Kom Ombo, dedicatedto the gods Sobek (god of fertility) and Haroëris (benevolent god and protector of Upper Egypt in the^2nd century B.C.). Arrival by boat offers a truly breathtaking view of the site.

• The Temple of Philae, dedicated to the worship of Isis, the goddess who protects the hearth, was the last place where this cult was practiced. It was, in fact, the last bastion of the religion of ancient Egypt, which continued to experience sporadic resurgence until the early^5th century CE.
• The Aswan High Dam is a hydroelectric dam built on the Nile in the 1960s and considered one of the largest in the world. Its purpose is not only to produce electricity for the country, but also to create a water reservoir and a means of flood control for agriculture.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast / Accommodation: 5* hotel / Transport: air-conditioned vehicle and plane.

Continue by bus in a south-westerly direction:

• The Temples of Abu Simbel, twoarchitectural gems dating from the^13th century B. BC, carved directly into a rocky cliff face with ochre and pink hues, and dedicated to the worship of several deities, as well as to that of Pharaoh Ramses II, who was himself deified. The pharaoh initiated this grand construction project through which he sought to assert his power over the territory and the gold resources of Nubia
• Return to Aswan airport and internal flight to Cairo.

❖ Meals included: lunch and dinner / Lodging: 4* hotel / Transportation Transportation: air-conditioned vehicle.

Departure for a tour of the region:

• Jerash, an exceptional archaeological site known for the excellent state of preservation of its Roman ruins dating from the 1st century B.C.
• Drive through magnificent pine and olive groves.
• In Ajlun, take a tourto explore the Arab-Islamic fortress that served as a defensive stronghold during the Christian Crusades in the 12th century. Spectacular view of the Jordan Valley.
• Return to Amman.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast and dinner / Lodging: 4* hotel / Transportation: Air-conditioned vehicle.

Departure for another day of discovery:

• Madaba, the “city of mosaics,” is best known for the Map of St. George, a remarkable mosaic work that details the geography of the region, from the Nile Delta to Lebanon.
• Stop at Mount Nebo, the summit from which Moses is said to have seen the Promised Land before his death. View of the West Bank and, on a clear day, the cities of Jericho and Jerusalem.
• Stop at Little Petra tosee this impressive complex of dwellings carved directly into the sandstone of the canyon by the Nabataeans in the 1st century.

Continue to Petra and check into hotel.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast and dinner / Tented accommodation / Transport: Air-conditioned vehicle.

• Visit to Petra, an archaeological site of exceptional value listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its entire structure carved directly into the sandstone cliffs—an ancient city home to Nabatean tombs and temples. Free time to stroll through this remarkable ancient city.
• Drive to the Wadi Rum Desert. Journey through the magnificent Rum Valley, where ochre sandstone rocks mingle with expanses of pink sand. Overnight stay in a luxury camp, in Bedouin country.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast and dinner / Accommodation: 5* hotel / Transport: Air-conditioned vehicle and plane.

• 4×4 Jeep Tour through this magnificent desert. (Duration: 2 hours)
• We continue on to the Dead Sea toenjoy its therapeutic waters, renowned for their health benefits. Its high concentration of salts and minerals allows bathers to experience a surreal sensation of floating.
• Transfer to Amman airport and international flight to Cairo. Welcome, transfer and installation at the hotel.

❖ Meals included: Breakfast / Transport: Air-conditioned vehicle and plane.

Transfer to Cairo airport and international flight to Montreal.

• Cairo: 5* Hotel CONCORDE EL SALAM or equivalent
• Hurghada: Hotel 4* FORT ARABESQUE or equivalent
• 5* cruise (name of cruise ship to be determined, as cruise departure times vary according to the day of the week)
• Amman: 4* AMMAN WEST Hotel or equivalent
• Petra: Hotel 4* AMRA PALACE or equivalent
• Wadi Rum: HARIR CAMP or equivalent

• Jordan Visa
• 4 International flights: Montreal-Cairo, Cairo-Amman, Amman-Cairo and Cairo-Montreal.
• 2 internal flights: Cairo-Hurghada and Aswan-Cairo
• Airport shuttles
• Transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle with a professional driver
• All accommodations (4- and 5-star)
• 2 meals a day (on average)
• All activities and admissions to sites shown in red on the program and accompanied by a local guide
• Certified French-speaking local guide present with the group at all times, except during the beach stay and the Hurghada-Louxor trip
• Visit the temples of Abu Simbel
• 1 village dinner in the El Fayoum region
• Sandboarding down the El Fayoum plateau
• A 4X4 ride in the desert at ElFayoum
• Visit Petra in Jordan
• Overnight in a luxury bivouac in the Wadi Rum desert
• Jeep 4X4 tour of the Wadi Rum desert
• All taxes
• 24/7 Support
• Organization from A to Z

• Egypt Visa
• Some meals
• Beverages
• Tips
• Personal Expenses
• Optional activities

• Please note that the itinerary may change at any time for logistical reasons, but that the list of activities and visits on the program is always respected. Please also note that the version of the program appearing on our website takes precedence over any printed version.