Israel, Jordan, Eqypt & the Nile - A Journey for the Ages
Day 1: Arrive Tel Aviv, Israel / Jerusalem - American Colony Hotel (Junior Suite)
Today your flight arrives into Israel, the "Promised Land" of the Bible, and the scene of some of the most stirring events in history. Upon arrival at Ben-Gurion airport, you will be met by your representative who will assist you in passing through customs and immigration procedures before transferring you to your hotel.
While in Jerusalem, you will stay at the famous American Colony Hotel. The American Colony was a colony established in Jerusalem in 1881 by members of a Christian utopian society led by Anna and Horatio Spafford. Now a hotel in East Jerusalem, it is still known by that name today. The American Colony Hotel, a landmark in Jerusalem for more than 120 years, is an elegant boutique hotel that prides itself in offering guests an enchanting ‘east-meets-west’ experience in a distinctively tranquil and romantic setting. With its lush gardens, world-class restaurants, rich theme-night entertainment offerings and quintessential style, the American Colony has earned a distinguished reputation as an ‘oasis’ where timeless elegance meets contemporary facilities to provide guests with an extraordinary experience. The American Colony Hotel has hosted many renowned guests from all walks of life: Sir Winston Churchill, Laurence of Arabia, Sir John Gielgud, Lauren Bacall Peter O’Toole, Marc Chagall, Alec Guiness, Richard Widmark, Joan Baez, Richard Gere, Leon Uris, Donald Pleasance, John le Carre, Graham Greene and the Empress of Ethiopia, among many other celebrities and dignitaries, have all made the Colony their home away from home.
Day 2: Jerusalem - American Colony Hotel (Junior Suite)
A day of expeditions in the remarkable Old City begins with a drive to the Mount of Olives for a wonderful view of Jerusalem. At the foot of the hill you will see the Garden of Gethsemane with its ancient olive trees.
You then enter the Old City through the Dung gate to visit the Wailing (or Western) Wall and view the Temple Area with the Al-Aksa Mosque and Dome of the Rock.
Next, it is on to the Jewish Quarter where you will visit the renovated synagogues. You will take a walk through the Cardo (where you visit Burnt House which dates back to Second Temple period) and along the Via Dolorosa.
From here, you continue on to the Convent of Zion Sisters, formerly the Antonia Fortress, and the huge cistern and the Lithostrotos (pavement) with its soldiers' games. Passing the Stations of the Cross, you come to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
You then depart the Old City through the bazaars to the west near Jaffa Gate and you begin your drive to Mt Zion to view St. Peter in Gallicantu, which was built over the palace of the High Priest Caiaphas. Your busy day of sightseeing will also include stops at the traditional Tomb of King David and the Chamber of the Holocaust. (B)
Day 3: Jerusalem - American Colony Hotel (Junior Suite)
After breakfast, you depart overland, past the Good Samaritan Inn, and along by the Dead Sea to Masada, where 
you continue by cable-car up to the last stronghold of the Zealots and see Herod's palaces, baths etc. Some 2000 years ago, Roman legions stormed one of the two paths to the top of this sandstone mountain to reach the Jewish Zealots headquartered there.
After visiting Masada, you begin your return trip to Jerusalem, pausing for a quick dip in the Dead Sea (weather permitting). During your return trip to Jerusalem you will stop at Qumran Caves, located on the Dead Sea’s northern shore, and the place where the Dead Sea scrolls were found. Now a national park, the caves were once the stronghold of the Bar Kochba revolt. They were also the home to the Essenes, a mystical sect that started after the death of Jesus. In 1947, a young Bedouin shepherd discovered manuscript fragments in the caves hidden for centuries in airtight jars. The fragments from the Books of Exodus, Isaiah and Psalms are now on exhibit in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. (B)
Day 4: Jerusalem - American Colony Hotel (Junior Suite)
Today’s sightseeing begins as you drive past the Knesset, Israel's Parliament enroute to your visit to the Israeli Museum, the largest and most important cultural institution in all of Israel. The museum houses some 500,000 archeological and anthropological exhibits, displays of Judaica and ethnography, Israeli and international art and one of its premier exhibits, the Shrine of The Book and the Dead Sea Scrolls. 
Next, it’s on to Yad Vashem - the Jewish people’s memorial to the six million lives lost to the Holocaust. Containing the world’s largest repository of information on the Holocaust, Yad Vashem is a leader in Shoah education, commemoration, research and documentation.
From here you continue on to Bethlehem, one of the most picturesque towns in the Judean hills. Here you will visit the Church of the Nativity, which rests over the cave where Jesus was born and was, originally built by the Emperor Constantine in the 4th century. Then it’s on to Shepherd's Field in Beit Sahour, where according to the Bible, an angel announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds. At the conclusion of your sightseeing, you return to Jerusalem and your hotel. (B)
Day 5: Jerusalem / Nazareth / Tiberias - Rimonim Galei Kinnereth Hotel (Junior Suite)
Today you journey overland, heading north into the Jordan valley to Bet Shean, the biblical Scythopolis, to visit the Israel’s best preserved Roman amphitheater and the Crusader fortress of Belvior. The fortress is perched on the highest hill in the region and offers superb views of the valleys below and of neighboring Jordan.
Continue on to Nazareth, the sacred town where Jesus spent much of his life. There are numerous churches and historical sites marking the miracles Jesus reputedly performed in this region known as the ‘Cradle of Christianity”.
During your time in Nazareth you will visit the Basilica of the Annunciation built on the spot where the Archangel Gabriel is supposed to have informed the Virgin Mary that God has chosen her to bear His son.
You will also visit Mary’s Well, the Church of St. Gabriel and the basement of the Church of St. Joseph that contains a cavern said to have been the carpentry workshop of Joseph, before continuing on toCana – the site where Christ’s first miracle took place.
At the conclusion of your sightseeing you continue overland to Tiberias and on to your hotel. (B)
Day 6: Tiberias - Rimonim Galei Kinnereth Hotel
(Junior Suite)
This morning, you discover the secrets of Biblical echoes as you set of by boat from Tiberias to Capernaum; there you will see an ancient synagogue and St. Peter's house which was later converted into a church.
You will also visit Tabgha with the Church of Peter's Primacy and the ancient mosaic of the Loaves and Fishes, before you continue on to the Mount of Beatitudes, the site where Christ issued his famous Sermon on the Mount.
In the afternoon drive up to the Golan Heights, a natural cliff-like area of land overlooking Upper Galilee, and stop at Banias Springs, one of the sources of the Jordan River, before returning to your hotel. (B)
Day 7: Tiberias / Madaba, Jordan / Mount Nebo / Wadi Rum / Petra - Petra Movenpick Resort (Junior Suite)
From Amman, begin touring the King's Highway which runs south over the biblical mountains of Amman, Moab, and Edom, and through the beautiful gorge of Amman, known today as Wadi Mujib. Further on at Madaba, dozens of mosaic tiles from Byzantine churches have been uncovered. This region is rich with biblical history. Only six miles west of Madaba is one of the traditional burial sites of Moses on Mount Nebo.
Today visit Wadi Rum, where T.E. Lawrence (“of Arabia”) lived with his Bedouin friends and allies during World War I. The area takes its name from the largest and grandest of the whole network of wadis, meaning valleys. For the past thousand years these valleys offered the easiest passage to the Nomadic Bedouin and the trading caravans en route to or from the Arabian Peninsula.
Explore amid sand dunes and rose-tinted mountains where Bedouin tribes still camp. See the inscriptions the Bedouin have engraved on the rocks representing animals, people and events of their world. This afternoon you will explore the area on 4x4 vehicles during a two hour excursion around Wadi Rum. You continue to Petra. Upon arrival and check in at the hotel, the balance of the evening is at your leisure. (BL)
Day 8: Petra - Petra Movenpick Resort (Junior Suite)
Today you have a full-day to explore the city of Petra with traditional horse and cart transportation. Petra is a city carved in the mountains and set in a canyon that has only one entrance, known as the "Siq," a very narrow passageway, which could be easily defended against attack by an invading army.
Dubbed the "rose-red city half as old as time" by an English poet, was the capital of the Nabataean Arabs who came from northern Arabia long before the Greeks and Romans.
You arrive on horseback, then walk down the narrow, twisting canyon of the Siq, which in some places is over 300 feet deep, to enter the Nabataean stronghold of Petra. Petra is a death city with great facades of tombs and burial halls, courts and temples, all hewn deep in the mauve, rose, ochre and blue sandstone. Under the Romans, Petra reached its zenith and many buildings were added, including a rock-carved theater, colonnaded street, and temple that can be seen today. (BL)
Day 9: Petra / Kerak / Dead Sea - Dead Sea Kempinski Hotel Ishtar (Junior Suite)
Following breakfast this morning, you will travel to the Dead Sea. Along the way, you will stop and visit the predominantly Muslim town of Kerak. Kerak was a Crusader town, built and walled for defense. The exploration of this and other Crusader fortresses leads to an interesting discovery: from the Gulf of Aqaba to Turkey, the crusaders built a chain of hilltop fortifications each about one day's journey from the next. Strategically located near the routes of commercial caravans between Egypt and Syria, collection of passage revenues were one way of income for these fortresses.
Later, continue on towards the Dead Sea. At 400 meters below sea level, the Dead Sea is infinite in what it has to offer. Ever since the days of Herod the Great, people have flocked to the Dead Sea in search of its curative secrets. Due to high annual temperatures, low humidity and high atmospheric pressure, the air is extremely oxygenated, and the high content of oxygen and magnesium in the air make breathing a lot easier. With the highest content of minerals and salts in the world, the Dead Sea water possesses anti-inflammatory properties, and the dark mud found on The shores have been used for over 2000 years for therapeutic purposes. (BL)
Day 10: Dead Sea - Dead Sea Kempinski Hotel Ishtar (Junior Suite)
Two days to enjoy at leisure soaking in the amazing waters of the Dead Sea and relaxing on the beach or at your hotel. (B)
Day 11: Dead Sea / Amman / Cairo, Egypt - Four Seasons First Residence (Deluxe Room)
Departing from the Dead Sea today, you will return to Amman, where you will board your flight to Cairo. Upon your
arrival, and after clearing the usual arrival procedures, you will be met by your representative and transferred to your hotel.
Situated on the west bank of the Nile, the Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at The First Residence is a gracious sanctuary of hospitality and service with impressive views of the Great Pyramids over the old-growth canopy of Cairo’s ancient Zoological and Botanical Gardens. At the First Residence, First-class comfort and convenience are combined with Four Seasons’ renowned standards of service. Facilities include a gracious Belle Epoque sanctuary with excellent restaurants, a lounge serving tea in the afternoon, a pool, poolside bar and grill, and health club offering massage and spa treatments. The hotel also offers high-speed email and internet access. (B)
Day 12: Cairo - Four Seasons First Residence (Deluxe Room)
This morning is yours to enjoy at leisure. Your touring this afternoon is devoted to the world famous Egyptian Museum of Antiquities. This museum, which houses relics dating back to 4000 BC, gives you an introduction to the different periods of ancient Egypt and the individual artistic and architectural styles of these periods. Among the many relics, you may see the beautiful statue of Tuthmosis III and the extraordinary statue of Akhenaten with its strangely deformed head that contrasts the great beauty of his favorite queen Nefertiti. The highlights of your museum visit will be the treasures of Tutankhamen and the Mummy Room. (BL)
Day 13: Cairo - Four Seasons First Residence (Deluxe Room)
This afternoon, visit Old Cairo, this time touring the Roman fortress of Babylon which was seized by the Islamic forces of Amr in 640 AD. Within the fortress are the Christian sanctuaries, which, built three centuries before, were left untouched. In particular you see the Coptic Museum where there are many fine examples of pagan and Christian art. Nearby is the Christian Abu Serga Church or the "Hanging Church," where tradition says Jesus, Joseph and Mary took refuge when they fled Palestine. Finally, near the fortress is the Synagogue of Ben Ezra, the oldest in Egypt.
Later today, you will concentrate on a different period of Cairo’s history, dating from 640 AD when the Caliph Amr conquered the Roman fortress. Since then the Islamic culture has dominated in Egypt. When Egypt was conquered by the Fatamids in 969 AD they built a new city named ‘El Kahira, The Victorius’ Over the following centuries, the different rulers built a capital city to rival any in the Islamic world, and the 250 mosques remaining in Cairo today are evidence of their work. You visit the 14th century Mosque of sultan Hassan, the mosque of Refaie and the medieval citadel of Salah El Din, situated high above the city and containing within it’s walls the ottoman style alabaster mosque of Mohammed Ali with it’s many domes, minarets and cupolas.
Finally, visit the famous Khan al Khalili bazaar, the best in Cairo. This bazaar contains 17 square miles of shops containing beautiful jewelry, leather, rugs and countless other items irresistible to the visitor. (BL)
Day 14: Cairo / Memphis - Four Seasons First Residence (Deluxe Room)
After breakfast, you will be driven to Memphis, capital of the ancient kingdom and one of ancient Egypt's most important cities. Its splendor has been destroyed, but the Alabaster Sphinx built in the 18th Dynasty still remains, as does a beautifully carved statue of Ramses II. You continue to Sakkara, the vast necropolis of ancient Memphis, whose surviving pyramids include the famous Step Pyramid built by Zoser I in 2686 BC: the world's oldest stone structure. 
After lunch, you drive to Giza to visit the Pyramids and Sphinx, certainly one of the highlights of this program. Cheops' Pyramid, the largest of the three, was built in the 4th Dynasty about 2690 BC and was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. In front of the Pyramid of Chephren you find the Sphinx, 190 feet long and 65 feet high, carved out of a single piece of rock in the shape of a lion with a pharaoh's head.
Your trip to Giza will also include a visit to the Solar Boat Museum, which houses Cheops' 142-foot funerary boat. Discovered in 1954, the Solar Boat is considered one of the most important archeological finds of recent date. (BL)
Day 15: Cairo / Aswan / Abu Simbel / Aswan - MS Sun Boat III (Presidential Suite)
Early this morning you fly south to Aswan. Aswan has long been a trade center and a gateway to the south, with today's city being an intriguing blend of African and Oriental influences.
After a short stop in Aswan, the flight continues to Abu Simbel, site of the magnificent temple of Ramses II. The face of the great temple is dominated by four enormous statues of the Pharaoh Ramses II, each over 60 feet high. Impressive in itself, this great temple is further remarkable in that it was raised up the hillside when threatened by floodwaters from Lake Nasser and the High Dam project.
After completing your sightseeing tour of Abu Simbel, you board your flight for the short trip back to Aswan, where you will then continue overland and on to your 5-star deluxe Nile cruise boat moored in Abercrombie & Kent’s private dock. You will be welcomed onboard by the reception staff, who will offer you chilled fruit juice while assisting with your check-in.
Following lunch, weather permitting; you take a sail in a traditional Nile felucca, (a typical Egyptian sailing boat) around Elephantine and Kitchener's Islands with an opportunity to view the splendid Botanical Gardens and Aga Khan Mausoleum, which sits high above the river.
This evening you will be greeted by your Boat Manager, who will introduce you to the boat staff and review on-board facilities and your cruise program for the next few days. Complimentary cocktails and a selection of canapés will be served before enjoying a delicious gourmet dinner. (BD)
Day 16: Aswan - MS Sun Boat III (Presidential Suite)
Start your day with a visit to Aswan's High Dam. At a length of 1500 feet long; it is the world's largest rock-filled dam. From the dam you can gaze down the huge lake that has been created to control the floodwaters of the Nile.
From here, you take a short boat ride to view the exquisite Temple of Philae on the island of Agilika. Recently moved from the dam submerged Island of Philae, the temple was reconstructed stone by stone on Agilika and was dedicated to Isis and decorated with the image of her alter ego, Hathor.
Continuing on, proceed to the Granite Quarries, which supplied the ancient Egyptians with most of the hard stone used in pyramids and temples. Here you will find the enormous 'unfinished obelisk’, which weighs 1500 tons and is an example of the technique used by the ancient Egyptians in producing these enormous monoliths.
At the conclusion of your sightseeing, you return ‘Sun Boat III’ for lunch and some time at leisure. Afternoon tea will be served in the lounge.
Later this afternoon you will pay a visit to the Nubian Museum. The Nubian Museum is dedicated to the artifacts and culture of the “Land of Gold,” as ancient Nubia was known by the Pharaohs. The museum contains many rare artifacts, unique statues and mummies.
The museum also houses several models showing Nubian heritage, the panorama of the Nile and a Nubian-style house. The Nubians’ unique cultural heritage, so vital in the history of Egypt, is preserved and well represented in this elegant museum.
After returning to your vessel, there will be time to freshen-up before enjoying another gourmet dinner. (BLD)
Day 17: Aswan / Kom Ombo / Edfu - MS Sun Boat III (Presidential Suite)
This morning, you enjoy a leisurely breakfast as the ‘Sun Boat III’ makes her way to Kom Ombo where you disembark and pay a visit to the site of the lovely Greco-Roman temple, uniquely dedicated to Haroeris (the sun god) and Sobek (the crocodile god). The temple, built in the 3rd century BC, stands at a bend in the Nile where in ancient times; sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the riverbank. 
After your sightseeing in Kom Ombo, you will return to your vessel in time for lunch. This afternoon there will be some time at leisure and you will once again enjoy afternoon tea as you sail for Edfu.
Early this evening you will visit the beautifully preserved Temple of Horus (the falcon-god), built in 230 BC by Ptolemy III. This well-preserved structure makes it easy to imagine what temple worship in ancient Egypt would have been like.
Back on board ‘Sun Boat III’, this evening’s dinner will be an “Egyptian Night” costume party for all guests, with a chance to dress up in traditional Egyptian “galabeyyas”. Dinner will be a lavish buffet of Egyptian specialties, followed by Arabic music and dancing for everyone. (BLD)
Day 18: Edfu / Esna / Luxor - MS Sun Boat III (Presidential Suite)
This morning, your cruise takes you to Esna, where your Egyptologist will guide you round the Greco-Roman Temple of Khnum. The beautifully preserved Great Hypostyle Hall was built during the reign of the Roman Emperor Claudius.
You take a short walk through Esna's crowded streets to the temple site, located about 36 feet below the present level of the town where it was excavated from the silt that had accumulated through centuries of annual Nile floods. The walls of the temple are covered with inscriptions, most of which date back to the Roman period – proving that it was a popular attraction even then. From here, you return to your vessel in time for another mouthwatering lunch.
The balance of your afternoon is at leisure to sit back and enjoy the breathtaking scenery passing by as the ‘Sun Boat III’ makes her way along the Nile towards Luxor. Afternoon tea will be served in the lounge and this evening you enjoy another gourmet dinner onboard. (BLD)
Day 19: Luxor - MS Sun Boat III (Presidential Suite) 
Today you cross the Nile to explore the West Bank - the Necropolis of Thebes - the burial ground of the Great Pharaohs of the New Kingdom. Your journey takes you first to the famous Valley of the Kings & Queens, where so far, sixty-four tombs have been discovered. The Valley of the Kings is the burial ground of the Pharaohs of the New Kingdom when ancient Egypt was at its most powerful. And of course, no tour to the Valley of the Kings would be complete without a visit to the Tomb of the famous “Boy King” Tutankhamun.
From here, you visit the lovely, terraced funerary temple of Queen Hatshepsut - Egypt's first female pharaoh. Continuing on, you pass by the fabled Colossi of Memnon, two enormous seated statues of Amenophis III, known in Ancient Greek times for their haunting voices at dawn.
Your journey then takes you to the fabled Colossi of Memnon, two enormous seated statues of Amenophis III, known in Ancient Greek times for their haunting voices at dawn.
After returning to the ‘Sun Boat III’ for lunch, you pay a visit to the awe-inspiring Temple of Karnak, a huge complex 2,000 years in the making. It is here that nearly all of the pharaohs wished to record their names and deeds for posterity.
Karnak Temple is a temple within a temple, a shrine within a shrine. The Karnak Temple, the Seat of Amun, the Imperial god, is focused upon the awesome Hypostyle Hall. Covering 50,000 square feet (an area larger than the whole of Notre Dame Cathedral), there are 134 great columns that once supported an enormous roof, an extraordinary engineering feat for the 12th century BC.
There are also superb statues of Ramses II and Tutankhamun, in addition to the fine Obelisks of Queen Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis I.
At the conclusion of your sightseeing, you will return to the ‘Sun Boat III’ in time for afternoon tea and some time at leisure before dinner. (BLD)
Day 20: Luxor / Abydos, Nagaa Hammadi / Qena - MS Sun Boat III (Presidential Suite)
Enjoy breakfast this morning as the ‘Sun Boat III’ cruises northwards to Nagaa Hammadi passing by Qena. This part of your cruise is very much off the beaten track, and passes through some of the most beautiful scenery along the Nile, far away from the crowds or other cruise boats.
Later today, you disembark for a tour of Abydos, which stands apart from other sites in Egypt, as it was in fact the center of a holy city dedicated to Osiris, Lord of the Netherworld. It was also the burial-place for pre-dynastic kings & pharaohs dating back to the fourth millennium BC.
From here you return to your vessel for lunch. This afternoon is at leisure to rest and enjoy your surroundings or make use of the many onboard facilities as you cruise back to Qena. Afternoon tea will be served in the lounge and this evening you are treated to yet another gourmet dinner. (BLD)
Day 21: Qena / Denderah / Luxor - MS Sun Boat III (Presidential Suite)
Your port of call today is at Denderah, where you visit the darkly beautiful Ptolemaic Temple of Goddess Hathor. This wonderfully preserved temple complex is a rare sight to behold, complete with a massive stone roof, dark chambers, underground passages and towering columns inscribed with hieroglyphs. The main Temple of Hathor is almost intact, making it one of – if not the best preserved Greco-Roman temple in Egypt.
Hathor was the goddess of pleasure and love, usually represented as a cow, or a woman with a cow’s head. She was the beneficent deity of maternal and family love, of beauty and light; the Greeks associated her with Aphrodite.
Within the walls of this ancient complex, you will view the ancient Denderah zodiac, considered to be the basis on which later astronomy systems were founded. You will also get a chance to observe the ancient chapel converted to a Coptic Orthodox Basilica, the ancient necropolis and the mysterious crypt. Within the complex you can also see the traces of the Pharaonic Temple built underneath the existing temple, view the best preserved Roman Mammisi (birth house), the sacred bark shrine, the unique relief depicting Cleopatra VII with her son Caesarian as well as much, much more.
After returning to the ‘Sun Boat III’ for lunch, the afternoon is free to enjoy the facilities on board, or simply enjoy watching life on the banks of the Nile, which in many areas has remained almost, unchanged for centuries. Since the dynastic period of Pharaonic Egypt and until this present day there has always been a special bond between the Egyptian farmer and the Nile.
Afternoon tea will be served in the lounge as you sail back to Luxor, where early this evening, your Egyptologist will take you on a guided tour of the strikingly graceful Temple of Luxor, built by Amenophis III, Tutankhamon, Haremhab and Ramses II during their respective reigns and dedicated to the god Amun. Along the front of the temple pylons there are six large statues of Amenhotep, while behind the East Tower, inside the Courtyard of Ramses II, is a mosque built over a portion of the temple. The Colonnade of Amenophis III contains 14 papyrus-headed columns, some fully 50 feet in height and 32 feet in circumference, leading to the Court of Amenophis III, also surrounded by gigantic columns.
From here, you return to the ‘Sun Boat III’ where there will be a chance to freshen up before the evening’s “farewell dinner”, which will be a gala affair, with white gloved waiters serving gourmet cuisine. (BLD)
Day 22: Luxor / Cairo - Four Seasons First Residence (Deluxe Room)
Today you bid farewell to the crew of the ‘Sun Boat IV’, as you disembark. You will find an A&K representative waiting on the dock to escort you on your next adventure. From here, you will transfer to the airport for a return flight to Cairo. Upon your arrival, you will be met and transferred to the Four Seasons First Residence for an overnight stay. (B)
Day 23: Cairo / Depart - Four Seasons First Residence (Deluxe Room)
Your adventure ends this morning as you are met at your hotel and transferred to the airport. There, you will board your international return flight, and begin the journey home. (B)
in association/Abercrombie & Kent
