The 2011 GeoTours EGYPT/JORDAN trip was excellent and the group was great!
GeoTours Trip to Egypt & Jordan – January 1 – 19, 2011
$1950 – Land only (hotels, transportation within Egypt and Jordan, entries/activities, some meals)
International Airfare is extra; LAX-CAIRO; AMMAN-LAX costs about $1230 (taxes included)
Sat 1/1/11 Depart USA
Sun 1/2 Arrive Cairo; Welcome to Egypt!
Cairo - Night #1
Mon 1/3 Cairo – full day to enjoy the ancient wonders of Egypt
Pyramids & Sphinx of Giza
Marvel at the most famous ancient site on the planet,
Option to ride a camel to the best viewpoints
Option to enter the interior of one of the pyramids
Egyptian Museum in the afternoon
Admire the treasures from the tomb of King Tut
Option to see the unwrapped mummies of ancient pharaohs and queens
Cairo - Night #2
Tu 1/4 Islamic Cairo – explore on foot
The Citadel (home to Egypt’s rulers for 700 years)
Superb views over Cairo
Mohammed Ali Mosque
Khan al-Khalili Bazaar
Medieval-era marketplace with shops selling everything
Night train (11 hours) to Aswan in southern Egypt
Sleep in comfortable twin-bed compartments with lockable doors
Wed 1/5 Arrive Aswan at 8:30 am
Morning and early afternoon are free
Option to visit the Temple of Philae on an island in Lake Nasser
Option to visit the Aswan High Dam
Mid-afternoon – ride a felucca (traditional sailboat) across the Nile River
Ride a camel (30 minutes) to the ruined 7th-century monastery of St. Simeon
Late afternoon - visit a Nubian village and have dinner in a local home
Aswan - Night #1
Thu 1/6 Early morning option to visit Abu Simbel, perhaps the most impressive monument in Egypt
Low-cost option is a 3-hour bus ride at 4 am (~$60), + 3 hours back
Expensive option is a 30-minute flight (~$200)
Afternoon free to shop in the bazaar, walk along the Nile promenade, or visit the Temple of Philae
Aswan – Night #2
Fri 1/7 Board a felucca to sail down the Nile towards Luxor
Feluccas are traditional sailboats, very relaxing and a highlight for many travelers
Only our group is on the felucca along with the Nubian crew
Absorb the views of traditional, rural Egyptian culture along the river
There are no toilets on the felucca, but we have a private support boat with toilets & showers
Night is spent on deck, sleeping under the stars as we are docked on the Nile riverbank
Sat 1/8 Felucca trip ends in Kom Ombo
Bus from Kom Ombo to Luxor
Afternoon is free in Luxor
Option to visit Luxor Temple, spectacularly lit in the evenings
Luxor – Night #1
Sun 1/9 Cross the Nile by boat, then travel by donkey to the sites on the West Bank
Option to walk or take taxi (2- 3 miles)
Colossi of Memnon, standing solitary in a field
60’ tall statues are the sole remains of an ancient temple
Temple of Hatshepsut, dramatically nestled amidst stark limestone outcrops
Valley of the Kings, descend the rock-cut corridors to tombs of the pharaohs
Entry ticket allows visits to 3 tombs of your choice; King Tut’s tomb is $18 extra
Relax in the afternoon or visit Karnak, seat of the pharaohs for over a thousand years
Board the night train ( 9:45 pm) for the trip back to Cairo
Sleep in comfortable twin-bed compartments with lockable doors
Mon 1/10 Arrive Cairo around 7 am
Private bus to the St. Catherine’s village on the Sinai Peninsula
Brief stop at the Suez Canal en route
One night at St. Catherine’s Monastery Guesthouse, spectacularly located below Mt. Sinai
Tue 1/11 Pre-dawn start to hike up Mt. Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God
Takes 2-3 hours to ascend; can ride a camel most of the way if you prefer
Watch the sunrise from the summit
After the hike visit the Greek Orthodox Monastery of St. Catherine’s
St. Catherine’s is oldest functioning monastery in the world
Continue to the Red Sea coast
Nuweiba – Night #1
Wed 1/12 Free day to relax on the Red Sea in Nuweiba
Can relax on the beach or at the pool
Outstanding snorkeling right in front of the hotel
Option to take a day safari into the desert to “ Coloured Canyon”
Nuweiba – Night #2
Thu 1/13 We make a land crossing from Egypt to Jorda via Eilat, Israel
Continue to Wadi Rum, our first destination in Jordan
Wadi Rum has some of the most spectacular desert scenery in the world
Featured in the movie “Lawrence of Arabia”
Home to Bedouin nomads
One night in a desert camp, with beds in a goathair tent
Absorb the Bedouin culture with a traditional meal and music around the campfire
Fri 1/14 In the morning see more of the desert at Wadi Rum by 4X4
Leaving Wadi Rum we continue 2 hours towards Petra
En route we stop at the rock-carved city of Bayda (“Little Petra”)
Continue to Petra, arguably the most impressive ancient city of the entire Middle East
Petra – Night #1
Sat 1/15 Petra for the entire day
Walk through the Siq (narrow canyon) to reach Petra, just like Indiana Jones in the “Last Crusade”
Gaze at the Treasury, the towering facade carved into the red sandstone cliffs
Hike up to the High Place of Sacrifice, with stunning views over Petra
For the energetic, hike an hour to the Monastery, the most imposing facade of Petra
Petra - Night #2
Sun 1/16 Drive the panoramic King’s Highway
Visit the Shobak Castle and Kerak Castle, built by the Crusaders almost a thousand years ago
Mt. Nebo, awesome views from the mountain where Moses died
Beautiful Byzantine mosaics at Madaba,
St. George’s Church has a remarkable 6th century mosaic map of the Holy Land
Madaba – Night #1
Mon 1/17 Descend to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on the surface of the earth
Go for a swim (float) in the extremely salty water; it is impossible to sink!
Option to visit Jesus’ Baptism Site on the Jordan River
Continue to Amman, Jordan’s capital city
Amman – Night #1
Tue 1/18 Departure day from Jordan (or extend your travels to visit Israel on your own)
Many flights leave Amman late at night ( 11 pm), providing a full day to explore Amman
Amman has an excellent Roman theatre and 8th century palace on a hilltop with great views
Wed 1/19 Arrive home in the USA
Egypt/Jordan, January 2011
