Israel, Jordan and Egypt Tour with Nile Cruise

• Arrive in the Holy Land.
• After landing at Ben Gurion Airport, located in Tel Aviv, you will be greeted by our representative and escorted to your hotel in Tel Aviv for an overnight stay.

• Your tour guide will pick you up at your hotel and you will embark on the beginning of your journey.
• After a short drive to the picturesque city of Jaffa (Joppa), there is a short guided walk through the charming lanes and alleyways of this beautiful port city. Your tour will pass by the home of Simon the Tanner before ending atop the hill, where you will have the opportunity to take in the stunning view.
• Next is a journey up Via Maris, the coastal road, to the ruins of Caesarea, a city of spectacular archaeological ruins built by Herod the Great to honor Augustus Caesar.
• After the ruins, you will visit Megiddo, an ancient city with a long history. It is mentioned in the book of Revelations as the site of the great battle, “Armageddon.” For more than five thousand years (6000-500 B.C.), Megiddo was inhabited continuously, making it one of the oldest settlements in the world.
• On the journey to the Sea of Galilee, you will stop at Cana to visit the Wedding Church where Jesus is said to have performed his first miracle – turning water into wine.
• Finally, make a short trip to Tiberias, located on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, where you will check in to your hotel.

• Tour significant locations along the north coast of the Sea of Galilee, which will provide deep insights into Jesus’ life as well as the time during which he lived.
• You continue your trip along the shore, making your way to Capernaum, also known as “His Town”. Jesus spent a substantial amount of his ministry here, performing miracles and healing the sick.
• Next stop, Tabgha. This is the site of the miracle of the loaves and fishes, where Jesus fed 5,000 people. The Church of Multiplication is on this part of the tour. You will marvel at the beautiful mosaic floor depicting a basket filled with loaves of bread and two fish. You will also have the opportunity to see the Church of the Primacy of St Peter, which honors Jesus’ reinstatement of Peter as the head of the apostles.
• Proceed to the seaside Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus preached his “Sermon on the Mount”, which emphasizes humility, compassion, and generosity. It is believed that Jesus also selected his 12 apostles in this spot.
• Next, enjoy a panoramic view of the snow-capped Mt. Hermon and the vast Golan plateau from the Golan Heights.
• Travel on to Banias (Caesarea Philippi), a source of the River Jordan, where Jesus proclaimed to his disciplines His purpose and His Church, as well as revealed his divinity. It was here that Simon identified Jesus as the Messiah.
• And finally, you will drive to the southern tip of the Sea of Galilee to visit Yardenit Baptismal Site.
• Upon your return to Tiberias, enjoy another relaxing night in town and an overnight stay.

• Traverse the Sea of Galilee on a ship, experiencing beauty and serenity untouched by the last 2000 years. (This trip is subject to conditions and fees.)
• Journey through Galilee to the site where Jesus spent his childhood: the city of Nazareth. Also tour the Church of Annunciation, which is built over the spot where the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would give birth to the son of God. You will also view Joseph’s Church and Mary’s Well.
• Next, you make your way to the Jordan Valley. On the way, you will stop at Beit Alpha, located at the bottom of the Gilboa Mountains, to see the most preserved and beautiful mosaic in Israel.
• As you move through the Jordan Valley, you will pass Jericho, and then travel through the Judean Mountains to Jerusalem.
• Enjoy your evening at your Jerusalem hotel.

• Move through the astounding scenery of the Dead Sea on your way to Masada, one of the most famous historical sites in Israel. This mountain stronghold is located on a high, isolated plateau in the Judean Desert and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001.
• Travel via cable car to the fortress itself, which was the final holdout of Jewish Zealots in their battle against the Romans. Explore King Herrod’s palace, the excavations, a synagogue, the bathhouse, and more at this incredible site. Soak in the stunning view of the Roman encampments and the Dead Sea below.
• Next: on to the site of the Qumran Caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered.
• The Dead Sea is situated nearly 1,300 feet below sea level. Be sure to bring your swimsuit to be able to enjoy the unique experience of floating in the mineral-rich, hypersaline water of the lowest point on earth! (weather permitting)
• Afterward, ascend to Jerusalem for another overnight stay.

• Begin your day at the Israel Museum with a visit to the Shrine of the Book where you can view the ancient Dead Sea scrolls. After that, see the restored model of Herodian Jerusalem from the Second Temple period.
• Visit the memorial of the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, Yad Vashem, which was established in 1953 and is located at the foot of Mt. Hertzl.
• Then, on to Ein Karem, a village in the southwestern outskirts of Jerusalem that is both picturesque and of great significance in Christian traditions, since it is allegedly where John the Baptist was born.
• Visit the Church of the Nativity and Manger Square in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus.
• Spend the night in Jerusalem.

• Travel to the Western Wall, which is located in the Old City of Jerusalem where you can also see the site of the Second Temple, the Temple Mount.
• Walk the path of suffering, the Via Dolorosa, to the Calvary hill and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where both the traditional site of the Crucifixion and the Tomb of the Resurrection are located.
• Next, travel southwest of the Old City to Mount Zion, where you’ll find King David’s tomb and the Room of the Last Supper.
• Visit the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus spent his last night praying before his arrest after having been betrayed by Judas.
• Relish the dramatic view of Jerusalem’s holy cityscape from atop the Mount of Olives. Each of the world’s three great religions – Christianity, Judaism, and Islam – have a presence in this holy city.
• Enjoy your last night at your Jerusalem hotel.

• Enter Jordan after passing through the Sheikh Hussein Border Crossing and completing all procedures for gaining entrance.
• Proceed to Jerash, an ancient Roman city located in the fertile heights of the Gilad, about 45km north of Amman. Jerash is one of the largest and best-preserved Roman sites in the world outside of Italy, and is sometimes referred to as the “Pompeii of the East.”
• Drive to Amman, Jordan’s capital, and enjoy a scenic city tour.
• Spend the night in Amman.

• Travel to Mount Nebo in the lovely Jordan Valley, where Moses is said to have been granted a view of the Promised Land before he died. From the top of Mount Nebo, you will witness an incredible panorama of the Jordan Valley, Dead Sea, and Jericho.
• As you move along the Desert Highway to the site of Petra, you will travel through Wadi Musa, a stunning location that is home to many ancient artifacts and historical landmarks.
• Upon entering Petra, walk or ride on horseback to the entrance of the “Siq”, a narrow canyon.
• Move through the “Siq” gorge to the ancient red-rock city, the capital of the Nabateans from 3rd Century BC to 2nd Century AD.
  -Visit the most interesting carved monuments – such as the Treasury (El Khazneh – a tomb of a Nabatean king), the field of tombs, the obelisks, and the altar. You can view the whole of the rock city from this point.
• Return to Wadi Musa after this visit.
• Spend the night in Petra.

• Drive south to the imposing mountains and rocks of Wadi Rum, a location said to have amazed Lawrence of Arabia with its beauty.
• Then, enjoy a jeep safari through the spectacular desert landscapes, visiting Lawrence Spring and Khazali Canyon.
• Begin your journey north to Madaba, where you can explore the ancient remains of a Byzantine church with its intricate mosaic floor map. This mosaic is one of the oldest surviving original depictions of the Holy Land and Jerusalem.
• Spend the night in Amman.

• This morning, you will be transferred from your Amman hotel to Queen Alia International Airport in Amman.
• Fly from Amman to Cairo.
• After you have arrived at Cairo International Airport, our representative will greet you at passport control by holding a sign with your name. This representative will help you with the formalities of your passport and visa. After that, you will be accompanied as you meet the driver who will take you to your hotel.
• Spend the night in Cairo.

• Start the day by touring the Egyptian Museum, which features treasures from the burial site of TutAnkh-Amun.
• Continue on to the Citadel to experience a scenic view of the bustling cityscape of Cairo.
• Next, the towering Alabaster Mosque is a must-see when visiting Cairo. It’s an impressive sight that adds to the city’s skyline.
• Enjoy yourself at the Khan-el-Khalili bazaar, an enchanting market located within a maze of cobbled paths where you can find almost anything your heart desires. Search for souvenirs or gifts, enjoy the vibrant atmosphere, and negotiate with the friendly shopkeepers.
• Spend the night in Cairo.

• Visit the colossal Statue of Ramesses II and the Alabaster Sphinx in Memphis, the ancient capital of the Old Kingdom of Egypt.
• Move on to the “Cemetery City” of Sakkara where you can view the very oldest pyramid: the Step Pyramid of King Zoser.
• Then, see the Great Pyramids of Giza, which are some of the oldest and most impressive structures in the world and the only remaining wonder of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
• Nearby, the immense mystical Sphinx, designed to be a “living image of the sun-god” watches over the Giza plains. This sculpture, which is a mix of human and animal features, was built by Chephren to protect the entrance to the pyramids. At 20m high, it is the largest monolith statue in the world.
• Spend the night in Cairo.

• You will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Aswan.
• After boarding your Nile cruise ship, set off to visit the Aswan High Dam, an engineering miracle built in the 1960s that captures the world’s longest river and provides irrigation and electricity for the entire country.
• Then, on to the Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis, which is an impressive sight full of beautiful carvings and hieroglyphs.
• Travel by Felucca, a traditional Egyptian boat, to the Botanic Garden on Kitchener’s Island. Elephantine Island and the Aga Khan’s Mausoleum are also on today’s itinerary.
• Spend the night on the Nile cruise ship.

• Visit the Temple of Sobek and Haroeris in Kom Ombo, a temple dedicated to the crocodile god and the falcon-headed god.
• Continue the cruise along the Nile towards Edfu.
• Stay overnight on the cruise ship.

• Today, by horse-drawn carriage, you will visit the Horus Temple in Edfu. This temple, built on a slight incline to escape the annual floods of the Nile, is one of the largest and most well-preserved temples in all of Egypt.
• After touring the temple, return to your Nile Cruiser and continue to Esna while enjoying the lush scenery along the river before crossing through the Esna Lock.
• Spend the night on board the cruiser.

• Travel to the West Bank and visit Thebes Necropolis and the Valley of Kings, a vast City of the Dead for generations of Pharaohs, where magnificent tombs were carved into the desert rock, richly decorated and filled with treasures for the afterlife.
• Visit the Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut.
• See the Colossi of Memnon, which is all that remains of the Temple of Amenophis, destroyed by the annual flooding of the Nile.
• Visit the Luxor Temple, discovered beneath the shifting desert sands and originally joined to the Karnak Temple by an avenue of Sphinxes.
• Transfer to Luxor Airport for flight to Cairo and transfer to Cairo hotel.
• Overnight in Cairo.

The tour will conclude with a transfer to Cairo Airport for your departing flight.