Israel, Egypt & Jordan (2024)

Overnight flight from Toronto to Tel Aviv.

Morning arrival at Ben Gurion International Airport. Meet your guide and start your tour of Israel with a scenic drive to Jaffa, the oldest port in the world. Walk through the Artists’ Quarter in the Old City, then head to Jerusalem. On the way, your luxury coach takes you through the Valley of Elah, where David took on Goliath, up historic Beth Horon road to the Benjamin Plateau, and past the ancient city of Gibeon. Finally, atop Mt. Scopus, behold majestic Jerusalem. Then proceed to your hotel, and get together with fellow travelers for a pre-dinner welcome drink. Dinner is served at the hotel.

Accommodation: American Colony Hotel or similar (3 nights)
Meals included: Lunch, Dinner

Start your tour of Jerusalem with an ascent up the Mount of Olives for a panoramic view. Walk down the Palm Sunday road, stop at the Russian Church of Mary Magdalene, then proceed to the Church of Gethsemane and the Valley of Jehoshaphat. Drive up Mt. Zion to the Church of Saint Peter in Gallicantu, which provides the best view of Jerusalem from the west, then continue towards Bethlehem, passing Rachel’s Tomb and Shepherds’ Field. In Bethlehem, walk through the alleys and markets to the Church of the Nativity. Dinner at a local restaurant.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The day begins with a Ramparts Walk on the walls of the Old City. Afterward, visit the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest site, and the Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam. In the Western Wall Tunnels, see well-preserved segments of the Wall that are hidden from view. Explore the Jewish Quarter, then continue to the City of David, where you will descend into Hezekiah’s underground tunnel, built around 700 BCE to bring fresh water into the fortified city. Wrap up the day with dinner at the Al Diwan Middle Eastern Restaurant at the Ambassador Hotel.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, travel to St. Stephen’s Gate. Just inside the gate is the Church of St. Anne, a Byzantine basilica with exquisite acoustics perfect for Gregorian chant. Nearby, view the two Pools of Bethesda, where it is said that Jesus healed the cripple. Walk along the Via Dolorosa to the church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Mosque of Omar, then proceed through the Christian Quarter and the Arab souks and bazaars to the Jaffa Gate. Board your tour bus, and travel to the New City of Jerusalem. Transfer to Ashdod for embarkation before 1:30PM. Late evening sailing to Egypt. Overnight at Sea to Port Said, Egypt.

Accommodation: Onboard M/Y Harmony V (5 nights)
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Early afternoon arrival in Port Said. Depart for an excursion to the gateway city to the Suez Canal.

Our tour will take us to the memorial of De Lesseps statue, the El Salam Mosque and Christian Cathedral. We will continue to the Memorial of unknown soldiers and the nearby Islamic-style of Suez Canal Authority Building with its green dome before we return to our boat. Time permitting our visit to the Port Said Museum will be included in the City Tour.

Late night canal crossing with a convoy. Overnight cruising on the Canal.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Suez Canal transit day. Exit the canal in the afternoon, and arrive in Suez. Overnight in Port.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Board luxury vehicles for a full-day tour. The first stop is the Giza Plateau, and the only remaining Wonder of the Ancient World, the Great Pyramid. Here you see the three major tombs, and of course the legendary guardian of this ancient mortuary complex, the Great Sphinx. The next stop is the Egyptian Antiquities Museum. Opened in 1902, it has the world’s largest and richest collection of Egyptian antiquities, including statues, mummies, and the priceless treasures of King Tutankhamen. Return to the ship in the afternoon and sailing to Hurghada.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Late afternoon arrival in Hurghada. Cocktails and Bedouin Evening with live music. Overnight in port.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

In the morning, board a bus for a two-day trip to Luxor. After checking into your hotel, depart for an excursion to the Karnak and Luxor Temples. The first stop is the Valley of the Kings, home of remarkable tombs of pharaohs, their families and other Egyptian nobility. Here you will have ample time to fully explore the site. Next, it’s on to Hatshepsut Temple, built by the only woman to rule as a Pharaoh, and the Colossi of Memnon, two massive statues that once flanked the entrance of Amenhotep III’s mortuary temple. Return to the hotel for dinner.

Accommodation: 4-star hotel in Luxor (1 night)
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Early morning excursion to West Bank section of Luxor. The first stop is the breathtaking Temple of Karnak, with its celebrated Hypostyle Hall, Sacred Lake and Avenue of the Sphinxes. Then, proceed to the spectacular Luxor Temple complex, with its collection of statues, obelisks and temples that date back to the 14th century BCE. In the afternoon, return to your ship in Hurghada. Overnight at sea, en route to Aqaba, Jordan.

Accommodation: onboard M/Y HARMONY V (1 night)
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Arrive in Aqaba at midday, disembark and depart for an excursion to Wadi Rum, the home of “Lawrence of Arabia”, sometimes called the Valley of the Moon. This valley, cut into desert sandstone and granite, has represented extraterrestrial planets in many science fiction films. Overnight in port.

Accommodation: The Old Village Hotel & Resort or similar (1 night)
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Meet your local guide at the pier and depart for a tour of Petra. Enter the ancient city on foot through the Siq, a narrow, winding gorge 1.2 km long, emerging at the majestic Treasury, with its elaborately carved façade. Explore the tombs of the ancient inhabitants of this city, the Nabateans, and the amphitheatre built by the Nabateans and later expanded by the Romans to seat 7,000 people. After a break for lunch, walk back to the entrance to meet your bus and travel back to the hotel.

Accommodation: Dead Sea Hilton or similar (2 nights)
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today’s tour starts in Mount Nebo, 710 metres above sea level, where the Bible says Moses first glimpsed the Promised Land. From here, on a clear day, you can see the Mount of Olives, Jericho, and the Jordan Valley. Drive to Madaba, the land of fruit and water. Break for coffee or tea, then continue to Umm ar-Rasas, with its remarkable Church of St. Stephen, which has a perfectly preserved 8th-century mosaic floor. Travel back to the Dead Sea, and spend the rest of the day at leisure.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, travel to the Allenby Bridge, crossing to the West Bank for a drive to Jericho. There, visit the Tell es-Sultan archaeological site, sometimes called the oldest town in the world. Continue to Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, and on to Masada, where you will take the cable car to the top, visiting Herod’s mountain bunker and the last stronghold of the Jewish revolt against Rome in 66-73 CE. Then drive back to Jerusalem through the Jordan Valley. Atop Mt. Scopus, behold majestic Jerusalem for the last time, before continuing on to Tel Aviv for a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

Accommodation: Carlton Hotel or similar (1 night)
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Transfer to the airport for your return flight home.

Meals included: Breakfast