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| Trip Extension |
| Ancient Egypt & the Nile |
| print friendly version |
 Amman & Petra, Jordan
6 Nights from only $760
On this extension you’ll explore Jordan’s ancient capital, Amman, then visit Petra, the “Lost City” carved out of rose-red sandstone.
Your Vantage price includes:
- Roundtrip airfare from Cairo to Jordan
- Accommodations — for 3 nights in Amman at the Amman International (or similar), 2 nights in Petra at the Petra Marriott (or similar), and 1 night at the Cairo Movenpick Heliopolis.
- 15 meals: daily breakfasts, 4 lunches, and 5 dinners
- 4 exclusive, guided sightseeing tours — Amman city tour, Petra city tour, Dead Sea tour, and Madaba & Mt. Nebo
- All transfers
- Services of a Vantage Program Manager
Please Note: Prices are per person, based on double occupancy and include all air taxes & fuel surcharges. Singles add $195.
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| Your Trip Extension Itinerary |
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| Day | Schedule and Accommodations |
| 1 |
Cairo, Egypt / Amman Jordan
Today, you have the day to continue your exploration of Cairo. Later this afternoon, transfer to the airport for your flight to Amman, Jordan. Please refer to your personal air itinerary for exact departure and arrival times.
Amman International (D) |
| 2 |
Amman / The Dead Sea
Following breakfast, explore this ancient yet contemporary city on an included tour. Amman was besieged and captured by King David and later, by the Egyptian King Ptolemy, and was occupied by the Byzantine Empire and Christian Crusaders. Today, it is a thriving modern metropolis that has taken great care to preserve its historical heritage. Drive up Citadel Hill for views across the Old City, with its Roman amphitheater and lovely Abu Darwish Mosque.
Before lunch, set off on a ride to the Dead Sea. You'll have lunch at a local restaurant after we reach the sea, and then spend the afternoon swimming and floating in the waters of the Dead Sea.
At 1,360 feet below sea level, this is the lowest point on earth. As its name implies, there is no life in the Dead Sea because of high concentrations of salt and minerals. These minerals, ironically, are the source of the famous curative powers of the water and its mud—powers first recognized by King Herod the Great.
You return to your hotel in time for dinner. The rest of the evening is at leisure.
Amman International (B,L,D) |
| 3 |
Amman / Optional Jerash & Ajloun
After breakfast at your hotel, spend the day exploring Amman on your own.
Amman is called the "White City" because of its many houses built from characteristic local stone materials. You may want to stroll the streets or perhaps visit its museums. At the Darat el-Funun (House of Art) Gallery, you can view artworks by contemporary Arab artists. The restored house itself is of archaeological interest. You might have the chance to talk to an artist to get an insider's perspective on modern Arab art.
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Optional Tour:
Jerash & Ajloun
After breakfast, join us on an optional tour exploring Jerash, the world's best-preserved and most complete Greco-Roman city. First established as a town in the year AD 70, it's a sprawling, open-air museum of monumental temples, baths, theaters, and lovely Byzantine churches.
You'll be greeted by the triple-arched gateway built to honor the arrival of the Emperor Hadrian in the year AD 129. Next to Hadrian's Arch stands the massive hippodrome, partially reconstructed. Wander through this amazing site and marvel at the Zeus Temple, Oval Plaza, and splendid avenues and plazas lined with graceful colonnades
You'll have lunch in Jerash, and then drive through fertile green hills lined with olive groves to Ajloun—famous for its imposing castle. Built in the late twelfth century by the nephew of Saladin, it is known as Qalat ar-Rabad and dominates the skyline for some miles.
This evening we have dinner at a local restaurant.
Amman International (B,D) |
| 4 |
Petra / Mujib Valley
This morning, after breakfast, set off on your ride to Petra. Travel through the hilly district of Mt. Nebo, commanding spectacular vistas across the Jordan Valley and Dead Sea. En route, you'll visit Madaba, known for its striking Byzantine mosaics, including the earliest surviving map of the Holy Land. Set in a mosaic floor, the map dates to about the sixth century. We also visit Mt. Nebo. It is said that the tomb of Moses lies in this region.
After lunch in Madaba, travel along the Kings Way, an international trade route for the last 5,000 years. The route is scenic, and dotted with picturesque villages and historic sites mentioned in the Bible.
You arrive in Petra in the early evening and check into your hotel.
Spend your first evening in Petra at leisure. Dinner is at your hotel.
Marriott Hotel Petra  (B,L,D) |
| 5 |
Petra / City Tour
Today is devoted to one of the most beautiful of all ancient ruins — the fabled red city of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Reached through a narrow, 200-meter-deep gorge, the city is carved into the solid red sandstone cliffs of the desert that Lawrence of Arabia so loved.
For more than 2,000 years, the name Petra was just a mysterious sound, a name in dusty documents. Only the local Bedouin people knew of its existence, because they lived in its caves. In fact, this area has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Converted to Islam and disguised as an Arab, Swiss traveler Johann Ludwig Burckhardt found the lost city in 1812. You'll recognize Petra from the film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
It's a massive complex of caves carved and shaped into rooms, ornate temples, churches, and tombs. It is said that Petra's massive Treasury, with its portico and pillars, was the storeroom for the Queen of Sheba's gifts to Solomon. You'll have lunch in Petra during your tour, as well as time to explore on your own.
Spend the evening at leisure. Dinner is at your hotel.
Marriott Hotel Petra (B,L,D) |
| 6 |
Petra / Amman / Cairo, Egypt
After packing your bags and enjoying breakfast, you have a free morning in Petra. You may want to take a stroll, write your last postcards, catch up on your travel journal—whatever you wish. Lunch is included at your hotel.
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Cairo, where you'll arrive in the evening for an overnight stay before your flight home. Dinner is on your own.
(B,L) |
| 7 |
Cairo / U.S. Gateway
After breakfast, transfer to the Cairo airport for your flight home.
(B) |
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