Bedouin Trails of Jordan & Egypt

Welcome to Jordan, where our adventure begins. It's a gentle start, with free transfers to the hotel in Madaba from Amman airport for all customers today. Stay: Black Iris II (or similar).

This morning, we'll have our welcome briefing with our Jordanian tour leader. We'll leave the hotel and head to St George's Church in the centre of Madaba, about a 10-minute walk away. After admiring the church's mosaic floor, considered the oldest map of Palestine in existence, we'll make the short drive to Mount Nebo. From this 2,295ft (700m) high viewpoint overlooking the Dead Sea to Palestine and Israel beyond, Moses is said to have first seen the Promised Land. There are more impressive mosaics here, which we'll visit before driving onwards to the lowest point on Earth, the Dead Sea. We have time to bob around in the salty waters.

Next, we drive to Amman, capital of Jordan. We visit Amman Citadel, which sits atop the highest hill in the city and has a long history, having been occupied by various civilisations from the Bronze Age. There are Roman, Byzantine and Umayyad structures visible today. We'll walk from the citadel to the Roman amphitheatre (if short on time, we may drive). Constructed in the second century, when Amman was called Philadelphia, the steep-sided structure is built into a hillside and is one of the most popular attractions in the city. Finally, we'll drive back to our hotel for the night. Stay: Black Iris II (or similar) (B).

Following an early start this morning, we'll drive for about 2hr 30min via the Desert Highway to Dana village, the starting point of our walk in Dana Nature Reserve, the largest in Jordan. Our walk is about 9mi (15km) and will take about five to six hours at a fairly leisurely pace. The route is mostly downhill at the start and then levels towards the end.

The area is home to many bird species and elusive mammals and wildflowers are abundant in spring. In the lower section of the route, we'll pass Bedouin camps. We end our walk at Feynan; from there, we are driven to our camp near Petra, about two hours away. Stay: The Rock Camp, Petra (or similar) (B/L/D).

Today, we visit Petra, one of the New Wonders of the World. It was founded by the Nabateans, an Arab tribe that arrived here in the sixth century BCE. It's now one of the most recognisable monuments on the planet, built down a series of chasms and carved directly into red-yellow sandstone that glows in the sunlight. First, we visit Little Petra, a short drive from our camp, which archaeologists believe was a suburb of Petra where visiting Silk Road traders may have stayed.

We then have another short drive to Kharrubat al-Fajja. From here, we take the lesser-known Back Trail to Petra, cutting through a rocky landscape overlooking Wadi Araba. In contrast to the typical tourist track, we arrive first at the Monastery, giving us the chance to see it at a quieter time. From here, we proceed through the vast site, exiting via the Treasury and the Siq at the end of the day. We'll spend about six hours in total walking through Petra. Stay: The Rock Camp, Petra (or similar) (B/D).

We'll drive south for a couple of hours this morning to reach the Unesco-listed site of Wadi Rum, where sandstone mountains rise from the sandy desert floor. It was here that Lawrence of Arabia and Prince Faisal assembled the Arab tribes for the attack on Aqaba in the First World War and where sections of the 1962 epic film Lawrence of Arabia were shot.

After checking into our private Exodus camp, we'll take a 4x4 ride (approximately four hours) to explore some of the highlights of the protected area. We have time to sample Bedouin tea, and then watch the sunset from the vantage point of a rock formation. We return to our camp for a traditional zarb dinner, which is cooked underground. Stay: Exodus Private camp (permanent Bedouin camp) (B/D).

This morning starts with a 30-minute 4x4 ride to Siq Al Barrah. We'll walk through this long, deep canyon, which has a sandy floor, to Al Desse, about four hours of walking. After, we leave Wadi Rum and drive to Aqaba, on the Red Sea, arriving late afternoon. Stay: Lacosta Hotel (or similar) (B/L).

Today is a long one, starting with a 20-minute drive from Aqaba to Tala Bay. Here we say goodbye to our Jordanian leader, pay a 10 Jordanian dinar (US$14) departure fee in cash and catch the ferry to Egypt. The rocky mountains of the Sinai Peninsula rising out of the Red Sea provide a backdrop to our journey, which takes about an hour.

Please see the Essential Info section for information on the ferry and our contingency plans in the event of unfavourable weather conditions or cancellation of the ferry. We arrive in Egypt at Taba and are met by our Egyptian leader. Egypt immediately has a different feel to Jordan and this part of the Sinai Peninsula has a remoteness to it.

After clearing immigration, a short drive takes us to Taba Heights. Here we take a boat trip to the Castle of Saladin, which is set imposingly on Pharoah's Island just offshore. Twelfth-century crusaders built a fortress here to protect pilgrims travelling from Jerusalem to St Catherine's Monastery.

Later, Sultan Salah El Din took over the island and strengthened the fortress. The boat ride takes about 25 minutes each way and we have around an hour to explore the island. We continue for about 45 minutes by road, heading south along the coast to Nuweiba, where we have lunch (not included). A further 1hr 30min drive takes us inland through rocky desert to St Catherine's. We'll make a short walk to Harun's (Aaron's) Tomb, which sits on a small hill. We then have time to rest at our simple hotel, have dinner and prepare ourselves for Mount Sinai (B/D).

We'll return to the summit of Mount Sinaifor sunrise. By now, the summit will be busy. After sunrise, we'll descend, which can take around 2 hours, back via the same route to our hotel.

Following breakfast we visit St Catherine's Monastery. This is the oldest continually inhabited Christian monastery in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During our short visit, we'll see some of the highlights of the monastery, including what is reputed to be the biblical Burning Bush (the library will not be visited). From St Catherine's we drive to Dahab, about an hour and a half away. We check-in to our beachfront hotel and have the rest of the day free for some well earned rest. Stay: Swiss Inn Resort (or similar) (B/D).

A day of activity awaits. We start with a 30-minute drive to the Blue Hole. This submarine sinkhole is 395ft (120m) deep and has a fearsome reputation among scuba divers. We'll stay close to the surface and snorkel around the hole, admiring coral and aquatic life. Those who don't wish to snorkel can relax in one of the simple seaside restaurants.

Next, we'll walk for about two hours from the Blue Hole to Abu Galoum. The path ascends initially then, after descending, is largely flat as it runs close to the Red Sea shore. The path is fairly easy, but there are some loose stones underfoot in places and the sun is strong. Once at Abu Galoum, we have another opportunity to snorkel. We'll be met by our 4x4s and drive a short way to the Blue Lagoon. Popular with kite surfers, this is a pleasant place to spend about an hour relaxing by the sea. The day ends with a drive in the 4x4s back to Dahab, taking about two hours, initially on bumpy tracks, then back on the main road to Dahab. Stay: Swiss Inn Resort (or similar) (B/D).

Following an early start, we drive for approximately 1hr 30min to the resort city of Sharm El Sheikh to catch our flight to Cairo. The trip changes pace again from the tranquillity of Sinai into hectic Cairo, one of the largest cities in Africa.

This afternoon, we have a walk in Old Cairo, visiting El Moez Street and Khan El Khalili Bazaars. We then drive to our hotel. Stay: Hilton Golf, Steigenberger Cairo Pyramids Hotel (or similar) (B).

We mark our final full day with a real highlight: a visit to the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Great Pyramid of Giza, the tallest human-made structure in the world for more than 3,800 years. We'll also see the pyramids of Khufu, Chephren and Mycerinus and the mysterious Great Sphinx. We have an introduction to the pyramids from our tour leader and then time to explore on our own. You can enter the Pyramid of Khufu at an extra cost, though there is confined space and it is often hot and crowded.

There will also be an opportunity for a short camel ride at an extra cost, alternatively you can just admire the view. We continue the day with a visit to the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities near Tahrir Square. The museum contains relics dating to 4,000 BCE, including the fantastic riches of Tutankhamun's tomb. Here is a unique opportunity to survey the many fabulous treasures of Egypt in one place. Note: once the new Grand Egyptian Museum is fully open, we will visit that instead. Stay: Hilton Golf, Steigenberger Cairo Pyramids Hotel (or similar) (B).

Our trip ends in Cairo. There are free transfers to Cairo International Airport included for all customers today (B).