Day 1 (Tue.)
Board your overnight transatlantic flight.
Day 2 Arrival in Cairo, Egypt. (Wed.)
Transfer to your hotel. Balance of the day is at leisure. Enjoy this evening’s welcome dinner with your traveling companions. (D)
Day 3 Cairo. The Pyramids. (Thu.)
Meet your Egyptologist for a spectacular day of guided sightseeing including the EGYPTIAN MUSEUM, MEMPHIS with the statues of Ramses II and the Alabaster Sphinx, and SAKKARA’S “Stairway to the Sky” (the oldest of the pyramids). Afterward, visit GIZA’S SPHINX and the GREAT PYRAMIDS. (BB)
Day 4 Cairo. (Fri.)
Full day of guiding sightseeing in Old Cairo. Visit the “HANGING CHURCH” (EL-MUALLAQA) and ST. SERGIUS CHURCH, said to stand above a crypt which sheltered the Holy Family during their flight from Egypt (Matt 2:13-23). Afterward, visit the COPTIC MUSEUM as well as the ST. MERURIUS CHURCH (Abu Seifein) with its extraordinary collection of icons and Coptic art. (BB,D)
Day 5 Cairo–Sharm el Sheikh. (Sat.)
Fly from Cairo to Sharm el Sheikh, the most popular Red Sea resort on the Sinai Peninsula. Balance of the day is at leisure to swim in the pool or ocean, snorkel, or simply relax. (BB)
Day 6 Sharm el Sheikh. Excursion to St. Catherine. (Sun.)
Enjoy a full-day excursion to ST. CATHERINE’S MONASTERY, situated at the foot of Mount Sinai—or Mount Moses (Biblical Mount Horeb), where Moses received the Ten Commandments (Exodus: 19 & 20). One of the jewels of Western Civilization, this monastery is home to some of the world’s richest collections of icons and ancient manuscripts and is built on the reputed site of the “Burning Bush” (Exodus: 3 & 4). (BB,D)
Day 7 Sharm el Sheikh. Red Sea Crossing: Nuweiba, Egypt to Aqaba, Jordan–Petra. (Mon.)
Reminiscent of the miraculous parting of the Red Sea (Exodus 13:17-22, 14:1-31), today sail by CATAMARAN from Nuweiba, Egypt, to Aqaba, Jordan. Continue to Petra. (BB,D)
Day 8 Petra. (Tue.)
Full day of guided sightseeing in the “rose-red city” of PETRA, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lost to the world for centuries, it is located in the biblical land of Moab (Judges 11:17 18). Enjoy an unforgettable experience as you walk down the SIQ, the narrow gorge made famous in the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Stand in awe in front of the iconic and famed TREASURY. In addition to seeing numerous spectacular temples and tombs, sip tea in a BEDOUIN TENT. This evening experience an unforgettable candlelit “PETRA BY NIGHT” TOUR. (BB)
Day 9 Petra–Kerak–Wadi Mujib–Madaba–Dead Sea. (Wed.)
Drive to Kerak and visit the CRUSADER CASTLE. Next visit Wadi Mujib, the “Jordanian Grand Canyon,” and Mukawir (Biblical Machaerus), where Salome danced and John the Baptist was imprisoned and beheaded (Mark 6:14-29). At Madaba visit ST. GEORGE’S CHURCH, which houses a precious 6th-century mosaic map of the Holy Land. Also explore the MADABA ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM. Today’s major highlight—visit MOUNT NEBO where Moses saw the Promised Land (Deut. 34:1-12). Afterward, journey to the Dead Sea (Gen. 14:3), the lowest point on Earth. (BB,D)
Day 10 Dead Sea. Excursion to Bethany Beyond-the-Jordan. (Thu.)
Experience Bethany Beyond-the-Jordan and the BAPTISMAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK, the wilderness home of John the Baptist where Jesus was immersed in the baptismal springs (John 1:26-34) and where Elijah ascended to heaven in a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2:1-18). Afternoon at leisure to enjoy your world-class resort and spa. (BB,D)
Day 11 Dead Sea. Excursion to Amman, Jerash, Ajloun, and Um Qais. (Fri.)
Enjoy guided sightseeing of Amman (Deut. 2:37), including the Citadel and a visit to the ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM. Then travel north to Jerash (Luke 8:26), the best-preserved Greco-Roman city in the Middle East. Also visit Ajloun and its “HILLTOP CASTLE.” While en route, stop at the Jabbok River where Jacob wrestled with the Angel (Gen. 32) and in Um Qais, site of the Gadarene swine miracle (Mt. 8:28-34). Enjoy this evening’s farewell dinner. (BB,D)
Day 12 Dead Sea–Amman. (Sat.)
Transfer from the Dead Sea to Amman airport for flights leaving no earlier than 10 a.m. Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (BB)
