Morning departure by bmi from London Heathrow to Cairo arriving in the mid afternoon. Transfer to the Oberoi Mena House, Garden Section with Pyramid View for 3 nights.

This morning you will have a morning visit to the Pyramids & Sphinx. Situated on the Giza plateau is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and now one of the wonders of the modern world too, the three Great Pyramids of Giza. Visit the Pyramid of Cheops, the Sphinx, and the Granite Temple (you can visit the solar boat museum for a small extra cost payable locally). The afternoon is at leisure.

This morning you will visit the world-famous Egyptian Museum. With more than 100,000 artefacts spanning Egyptian history from the earliest dynasties to the Roman era, the Egyptian Museum represents the largest collection of its kind in the world. A minimum of three to four hours is necessary to take in the highlights. The collection was first assembled by the French archaeologist Auguste Mariette in 1858 and the top attractions are the Tutankhamun Galleries, which display the gold and gem-inlaid funerary mask and 1700 other treasures found in the tomb of the Boy King, and the Royal Mummy Room (there is a small additional charge payable locally to enter the Mummy Room), which contains the corpses of 11 of Egypt’s most powerful pharaohs including Seti I and his son Ramses II. Room 27 displays intricate models of ancient life on the Nile during the Middle Kingdom, while the Old Kingdom Rooms contain beautiful statues and death masks from Giza and Sakkara. The Akhenaten Room, Jewellery Rooms and animal mummies are also fascinating. Afternoon at leisure.

Morning flight from Cairo to Luxor and transfer to the Sonesta St George Hotel for 2 nights. Afternoon excursion to the Luxor Temple to see its courtyard and the granite statues of Ramses the Great. This is followed by a visit to Karnak, a series of temples built in different reigns. Starting by the Avenue of Sphinxes visit the Unfinished Propylon, the Hyostyle Hall with its 134 gigantic columns, the Obelisks of Queen Hatchepsut and Tutmosis III, the temple of Amon adorned with lotus and papyrus designs, the Granite Scarbeus of Amenophis III and the Sacred Lake.

This morning you will cross to the West Bank of the Nile where you will visit the vast Theban Necropolis, containing some of the world’s finest tombs; The Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens and Tombs of the Nobles. On the return journey, stop at the Colossi of Memnon which are two, gigantic, sitting statues representing Amenopis III facing the Nile. Afternoon at leisure.

Early morning transfer to the airport for the morning flight from Luxor to Sharm el Sheikh and transfer to the Hyatt Regency Hotel for 3 nights.

Day at leisure.

Excursion to St. Catherine’s Monastery. The origins of St Catherine’s can be traced to the order in 337 AD by the Empress Helena, mother of Constantine, for a sanctuary to be built around the site of the burning bush. Please note the monastery is closed on Friday and Sunday.

This morning you will be transferred to Nuiwba in order to catch the catamaran to Aqaba in Jordan. On arrival you will be met and transferred to Petra where you will transfer to the Beit Zaman for 3 nights.

Lost for centuries before its dramatic discovery in 1812, Petra, the ‘Rose-Red City’, was the ancient stronghold of the Nabateans, who dominated the caravan routes throughout this region for four centuries. Approaching the city through the Siq, its famous narrow gorge of towering sandstone walls, Petra and its majestic Treasury open up before you. There is little that can prepare the visitor for the first glimpse of this unique city, surely one of the most remarkable and inspiring of all ancient sites. A guided tour of the city this morning takes in its colonnaded streets and royal tombs and visits its spectacular theatre, where its 8,000 seats are carved from the very rock. After your morning guided tour, you are free to return to the hotel, or to stay longer to visit the mysterious High Place of Sacrifice, or the magnificent Monastery - for many people the most spectacular of Petra’s numerous monuments.

Morning at leisure. You may wish to revisit Petra (a special entrance ticket which is valid for 2 days is included in the cost of your holiday – this second visit will not be with a guide). Afternoon excursion to Wadi Rum (about an hour’s drive from Petra). Wadi Rum is an amazing landscape of red sandstone and shifting sands and it would be well worth waiting at Wadi Rum until the sunsets.

Travel along the ancient King’s Highway to Madaba, which is famous for its mosaic map of Palestine and also the biblical heights of Mount Nebo. Finally, continue to the Dead Sea for 2 nights at the Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea.

Day at leisure to enjoy the unique experience of floating in the Dead Sea or indulge in one of the luxurious Spa treatments on offer (these should be booked in advance to avoid disappointment – please ask for details). Alternatively you may like to take an optional visit to the spectacular Roman city of Jerash.

Early morning transfer to the airport for the bmi flight from Amman to London Heathrow.