Arabia, Jordan and Secrets of the Nile (2025)

Jour 1

Welcome to Saudi Arabia, a country of contrasts that will leave you with amazing memories. A transfer to your hotel in JEDDAH, on the shores of the Red Sea, the country´s second city, with four million inhabitants.19:00 hrs.- We meet our guide at the hotel reception. We will take a walk through the historic center, better known as Al-Balad, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, with its impressive set of medieval alleys and its houses made with coral and wooden balconies. The lighting of the neighborhood at night makes it especially attractive and there are very nice restaurants.

Jour 2

Full day in Jeddah. With a local guide we will explore this city of astonishing contrasts. At the moment a large part of the city is being rebuilt to make it a great global megalopolis. The construction, among other things, of the Jeddah Tower stands out, which will be the tallest building in the world upon completion with more than a thousand meters high. We will continue towards the Corniche, with its beautiful views, its mosques by the sea and its recreational areas. We will contemplate the King Fahd Fountain, the highest of its kind in the world, its water jets reach more than 300 meters high. We will make a stop at the active and picturesque fish market. We will include admission to “Al Taybat International city”, an architectural complex of great beauty with very interesting history and ethnography museums. We will visit the historic center again, entering through Bab Makkah - the most important gate in Jedah. We will see inside the elegant house of Beit Salloum, today converted into a museum. We will also pass through the Eve cemetery, where, according to the tradition, Eve, Adam´s wife and the first woman of humanity, according to the Bible, was buried. Free time for lunch in a shopping center - Mall - where you can choose among various restaurants and types of food offered there.In the afternoon we will visit the Al Rahma Mosque, better known as the floating mosque, as it was built on the shores of the Red Sea with pillars on the water. We will also enjoy the lively marina, very close to the tracks, where the Formula 1 racetrack is held.

Jour 3

After breakfast we leave for the Arabia inland, large highways crossing deserts and mountains take us to the holy city of MEDINA - “the luminous city”. Arriving at noon, we will make a stop at a large shopping center at the entrance to the city to have lunch in its “food court”, according to your preferences. We are in an imposing historical destination, one of the two most sacred cities in Islam, a destination, where millions of pilgrims arrive every year and a city prohibited for non-Muslims until very recently. It is in a holy place, respect for its inhabitants and beliefs and wearing an appropriate way of dressing is required. We will walk around the immense Prophet´s Mosque (Al Masjid an Nabawi), an amazing and luminous mosque with 10 minarets with capacity for a million visitors, built by the prophet himself and the place where he is buried. We will visit the UHUD mountain, an important pilgrimage site, where the prophet´s forces clashed against the troops of Mecca. You can walk along its immense esplanade and climb the mountain, but remember to do so in silence and respecting the hundreds of pilgrims who will surround us any day. In the Quba Mosque, in the year 622, the prophet and his followers laid the first stone of what would be the first mosque in history, although the current building is more recent. From this point we will walk to the nearby garden and well of Ethiq, where the different tribes of the place came out to greet and give water to the Prophet and his companions who had recently arrived in Medina after his persecution in Mecca. We will then have some free time in the city center so you can stroll through its shopping areas or - if you’d like to - visit the Hejaz Railway Museum (in the old Ottoman train station).In the afternoon we will visit the Al Madinah museum about the history of the city. At dusk we will go towards the Al Masjid mosque to feel once again the emotions, when we observe the thousands of people entering at prayer time and admire the illuminations. Dinner included.

Jour 4

After breakfast we continue our route. We travel to some of the most beautiful desert regions in the world. In a volcanic area with impressive landscapes we visit KHAYBAR, a historical region. It was a Jewish settlement on the Arabian Peninsula in the 7th century and is famous for the Battle of Khaibar, which took place in 628 AD. during the life of the prophet Muhammad. In this battle Muslim forces led by Muhammad defeated the Jewish tribes. We will see its historic fortress and we will walk through its beautiful oasis (entrance fees included). Among impressive desert landscapes we continue towards one of the most spectacular places in the world, the region and oasis of Al-Ula: an authentic open-air museum surrounded by nature, where there are rock formations, canyons and ravines that compete with the majestic treasures carved by its former inhabitants. Upon arrival we will go to the Elephant Rock, “Jabal Al Fil”, an impressive geomorphological phenomenon, a 52 meter high rock in the shape of an Elephant. Dinner included and accommodation.

Jour 5

In the region of Al-Ula we will visit the enclosure of HEGRA (Madain Saleh), declared World Heritage by UNESCO, of Nabataean culture "the Other Petra" amazes us with its tombs excavated in the rock in a desert environment full of mystery. Lunch included. We will have free time to stroll and enjoy its comercial streets, and its magnificent Oasis. In the afternoon we will leave for TABUK. Dinner included.

Jour 6

We visit Tabuk, a city over half a million inhabitants, active provincial capital and one of the oldest cities in the country. We will visit the castle whose origin is 3500 years before Christ, and inside it, a museum tells the history of the castle and the city, from the great explorers who visited it, such as Ibn Battuta, to the pilgrims who stopped to drink from the fountains on their way to Mecca or Medina. After the visit, we will enter the Mud House Museum, a recreation of the interior of an adobe house where we will learn what traditional life was like in the past in this type of housing. Subsequently we walk through the active commercial area of the city center and we reach the old train station, today a museum that preserves the steam machines that connected Damascus with Medina. Only 100 km separate us from JORDAN. Border procedures and continuation to WADI MUSA (town created around Petra), we will visit the Spring of Moses, where allegedly Moses hit the rock with his rod and the water gushed out, and the Petra Museum, an excellent sample that allows us to understand the history of the Nabataeans and get to know magnificent pieces found in the area. Dinner included. Travelers who wish to do so can go in their free time to an old Turkish bath or get to see the lights and sounds show in Petra.

Jour 7

Today we have the most exciting day of the trip: First, we visit the impressive archaeological site of PETRA, which is accessed through a narrow canyon, and discover the temples and tombs excavated on the cliffs in this city that was founded 300 years before Christ. After lunch (included) we leave for the impressive desert of WADI RUM. At the Visitor Centre we board 4x4 vehicles to visit some of the most impressive landscapes. We stop in the town of RUM to visit the ruins of the Nabatean temple. We include a 45-minute camel ride through the desert. We will also visit the Khazali Canyon. In this spectacular place, we will see the engravings that reveal the origins of the Arabic language. Dinner and accommodation included in a desert camp.

Jour 8

After breakfast, we leave for AQABA, Jordan’s second city, lying on the banks of the Red Sea. We walk through the center before continuing to the border of ISRAEL, EILAT and arrive in this modern and tourist city with its excellent beaches. There’s time to relax, have lunch and stroll around. Are you tempted to have a swim? We then continue towards the EGYPT border, and into Sinai. On the way, there’s chance to take photographs of the Pharaoh’s Island with the powerful fortress of Saladin. Continue to SAINT CATHERINE. Arrival, accommodation and dinner included.FEES: At the border crossing from Jordan to Israel and from Israel to Egypt, every traveler must pay an entry/exit fee for the different countries. Jordan: $15 (exit fees), Israel: $32 (exit fee), Egypt: $45 (entry visa, which is actually $25 visa + $20.Approximate rates and subject to change without prior notice by the authorities of the country.Drones and cameras with a 5,5 mtr zoom are prohibited as well as other types of professional equipment cameras ( Europamundo is not responsiblefor objects that may be seized at borders by the authorities of the countries)IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to exceptional circumstances or due to a small number of participants, it may happen that we will cross directly from Jordan to Egypt by boat, taking the AQABA- TABA FERRY with a duration of just over two hours. During the ferry crossing, there will be no assistance from any guide.

Jour 9

At the foot of Mount Sinai, we visit the impressive walled monastery of SAINT CATHERINE. According to tradition, this is where Moses saw “the Burning Bush that burned without being consumed”. The monastery, which is a sacred place for Jews, Christians and Muslims, belongs to the Orthodox Church and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We then continue on through the Sinai Desert’s picturesque landscapes. Lunch included in route. Stop at the WELL OF MOSES, a biblical site that looks like a small oasis. We will leave Sinai through the tunnel under the SUEZ CANAL. Arrival in CAIRO at the end of the afternoon. Accommodation.

Jour 10

Full day visit where we explore the famous Pyramids of Cheops, Kefren and Micerinos (tickets to go inside the pyramids are not included), and also the impressive Sphinx, which is sculpted from rock. Visit to the Egyptian Museum with its ancient art and where the treasure of the Lost Tomb of Tutankhamen is kept. Lunch included. Citadel of Saladin and the Alabaster Mosque. We will take a walk through the Coptic neighborhood where we visit the Hanging Church built above a Roman fortress.

Jour 11

Transfer to the airport first thing in the morning to depart by flight (included) to ASWAN airport. From the airport we continue directly by road towards ABU SIMBEL. We include a boat trip on Lake Nasser and from the lake we will contemplate its impressive architecture. Lunch included in a typical Nubian restaurant. We will visit the temples of Abu Simbel carved into the western cliff of the desert by Ramses II in the 12th century BC, with 20-meter-high statues, dedicated to the god Amon Ra, as well as visit the Temple of Nefertari, dedicated to the goddess Hathor. In the middle of the afternoon we return to ASWAN, overnight in our excellent hotel.

Jour 12

Full day in ASWAN, including a visit to the city and the Red Granite Quarry, where the famous Unfinished Obelisk is located. We´ll observe the ingenious procedure used by the ancient Egyptians for the extraction of granite blocks. We will visit the beautiful Temple of Philae dedicated to the goddess Isis and located on a small island that is only accessible by boat. After that, we´ll enjoy a felucca ride along the river, typical fishing boats. By felucca we will go to the picturesque NUBIAN VILLAGE, with its colorfully painted houses, its tourist and commercial life, lunch included. In the afternoon (including arrival on felucca and a stretch of about 15 minutes of camel ride!) we will visit the Monastery of SAINT SIMEON, it was a large monastery in Roman times, then it was transformed into a caravanserail. We also pass by the modern Coptic church and the mausoleum of the Aga Khan (not visited). Afterwards, free time in our excellent hotel, where you can enjoy its large swimming pool and its facilities.

Jour 13

After breakfast we start our beautiful road stage following the Nile valley. Beautiful landscapes with the presence of the Nile, its immense palm groves, its small and very active populations. We stop next to the temple of KOM OMBO, overlooking the Nile River, dedicated to two deities: Sobek, the crocodile god, and Horus, the falcon god. The temple is symmetrical and is divided into two identical parts, one dedicated to Sobek and the other to Horus. The temple is famous for its reliefs and hieroglyphs depicting daily life in ancient Egypt, as well as mythological and medical scenes. We also visit the impressive museum of the Crocodiles (several of them mummified). After that we continue to EDFU, we visit here one of the best preserved and most impressive temples in all of Egypt: the Temple of Edfu, also known as the Temple of Horus. Built 2300 years ago dedicated to Horus, the God of the sky. Lunch included. We continue to ESNA, its great temple is one of the few Egyptian temples that still retains its original roof, providing a unique view of the ancient architecture and original colors. The temple was buried under sediment and mud from the Nile for centuries, which helped preserve it from erosion and degradation. It was rediscovered in the 19th century. In Esna we can also see the restored caravanserai and from the outside we can see the floodgates on the Nile. We continue our route to LUXOR, arriving at the end of the afternoon. Night at hotel.

Jour 14

During our stay in Luxor we will get to know one of the most impressive ancient cities on the planet. Early in the morning, from our hotel we will take a private boat to cross the Nile River, with its peace and impressive views early in the morning, we go to the west bank. We visited the "Valley of the Artisans" Deir el-Medina, a little-visited place, here they lived and are the tombs of great builders and craftsmen who built and decorated the royal tombs of ancient Egypt. We will visit three tombs, their paintings show scenes of daily life at that time. After that, we visit the fantastic temple of Medinet Habu, the temple of Ramses II, large and magnificently preserved, its scenes of wars will surprise us. We stopped in front of the Colossi of the Memnon, two impressive statues of Amenhotep II. We will visit the VALLEY OF THE QUEENS where the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut (Deir el Bahari) is located, considered the first woman to occupy the position of pharaoh. We also visit the famous VALLEY OF THE KINGS where the tombs of the main pharaohs are hidden. Among these tombs, composed of several rooms and corridors leading to the corresponding burial chambers (we include, in addition to the general admission, a ride in an electric cart to access the enclosure and tomb of Ramses -which requires additional entry-). Return to the east bank of Luxor. Free time for lunch.In the afternoon we visit KARNAK, it housed the most important religious complex in Ancient Egypt, highlighting the immense temple of Amun-Ra, our guide will take us to the little-crowded temple of Khinsu. We will also visit the LUXOR MUSEUM, which shows us an impressive collection of objects and mummies found in this area. After dark we include the entrance to the LUXOR TEMPLE, its lighting makes it magical at this time. Time to walk in the commercial area (souk) near the temple.Note: The order of the visits will vary based on climatological factors and procuring to visit the different locations at times of less affluence.

Jour 15

After breakfast, transfer to the airport and end of our services.