DETAILS
Join us on this custom-designed, 14-day journey to the very cradle of civilization. Visit three continents, navigate the legendary Red, Mediterranean and Aegean Seas, transit the Suez Canal and experience eight UNESCO World Heritage sites. Spend three nights in Amman to visit Greco‑Roman Jerash and dramatic Wadi Rum, and one night adjacent to the “rose‑red city” of Petra. Cruise for eight nights aboard the exclusively chartered, Five-Star Le Bougainville, featuring 92 Suites and Staterooms, each with a private balcony. Mid‑cruise, overnight in a Nile‑view room in Luxor and visit Queen Nefertari’s tomb. Marvel at the wonders of the Great Pyramids of Giza and see the 4,000 treasures of King Tutankhamen in the Grand Egyptian Museum.
- Pricing from
- $7,995
Early booking savings up to $5,400 if booked by Sept. 12, 2022!
- Trip Type
- Group Travel Tour, International Ocean & Sea Voyages
- Departure Dates
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Apr 14, 2023 - Apr 27, 2023
Pre‑Program Option – Israel: The Holy Land
April 10 to 15, 2023 or Nov. 13 to 18, 2023 (Post-Program for Oct. 31 departure)
Expand your exploration of the great civilizations to include captivating biblical, historical, and cultural sites in and around Jerusalem. Tour UNESCO World Heritage-designated Masada, see where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, visit Bethlehem, and enjoy an unforgettable float in the Dead Sea. In historic Jerusalem, a holy city for three of the world’s major religions, walk in the footsteps of Jesus, see evocative religious sites, and visit the poignant Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum. Enjoy four nights in the deluxe Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem.
Price per person, based on double occupancy: $2,295
Price per person, based on single occupancy: $3,595
Post‑Program Option – Ancient Greece
April 10 to 15, 2023 or Oct. 29 to Nov. 1, 2023 (Post-Program for Oct. 31 departure)
Enhance your Athens experience with an immersion into this ancient city. Enjoy a full-day excursion to the mystical UNESCO World Heritage Site of Delphi and its Archaeological Museum. Explore Plaka, Athens’ oldest neighborhood, at leisure. At the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Acropolis, see the archaeological treasures in the Acropolis Museum and tour the perfectly proportioned Parthenon, a graceful example of Doric architecture.
Accommodations are for two nights in the deluxe Grand Bretagne Athens Hotel.
Price per person, based on double occupancy: $995
Price per person, based on single occupancy: $1,395
BOOK WITH CONFIDENCE!
No cancellation fees for new bookings until 96 days prior to trip departure.
TOUR MAP
ITINERARY
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day 1
Depart the U.S.
(Itinerary operates in reverse Oct. 31) Depart home city for Amman, Jordan.
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days 2-3
Amman, Jordan
Arrive in Amman and check in to the five-star Fairmont Hotel Amman. Enjoy a tour of Amman, starting with the blue-domed King Abdullah Mosque. See the ruins of Hercules temple at the Amman Citadel. Explore the Roman Amphitheater and then continue to the Jordan Museum.
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day 4
Amman/Jerash/Amman
Enjoy a scenic journey to Jerash, Jordan’s most captivating Greco-Roman site. See baths, theaters, plazas, fountains, and arches—incredibly still as they were 2,000 years ago. Marvel at the three-gated Hadrian’s Arch, walk the Sacred Way to the Temple of Artemis, and take in the sublime architecture of the Forum. Enjoy lunch in Jerash before heading back to Amman where you’ll have an evening at leisure.
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day 5
Amman/Petra
The ancient “rose-red city” of Petra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Its majestic ensemble of temples, dwellings, and tombs—carved directly into the sandstone cliff face—still holds a mythical appeal. Tonight, check into the five-star Movenpick Hotel.
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day 6
Petra/Wadi Rum/Aqaba/Embark Le Bougainville
Check out of the hotel and traverse the awe-inspiring wilderness of UNESCO World Heritage-designated Wadi Rum, known as the “Valley of the Moon.” Enjoy a Jeep ride through this ethereal landscape of striated canyons, soaring mountains, undulating sand dunes, and rocky caverns. After lunch, travel to Aqaba to embark Le Bougainville and enjoy the Captain’s Welcome Reception.
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day 7
Safaga for Luxor, Egypt
Travel into the mountains and across the arid desert to Luxor to see the great temples of ancient Thebes. Arrive in Luxor and check into a Nile-view room for an overnight at the Steigenberger Hotel. Explore UNESCO-designated ancient Thebes with a visit to the magnificent Karnak Temple complex. Walk along the avenue of the ram-headed sphinxes into the Great Court and then continue to the Luxor Temple.
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day 8
Luxor/Hurghada
Cross the Nile to visit one of the world’s most important archaeological sites, the Necropolis at Luxor in the Valley of the Kings. Explore the tomb of Tutankhamen and enjoy an exclusively arranged visit to Queen Nefertari’s tomb in the Valley of the Queens.
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day 9
Ain Sokhna for Giza (Great Pyramids and Sphinx)
See the last remaining Wonder of the Ancient World, the Great Sphinx, and the pyramids of the Old Kingdom pharaohs. Visit the Grand Egyptian Museum (officially opening November 2022), where you’ll see the amazing Grand Staircase, King Tut’s wonderous treasures, and the well-preserved 4,600-year-old Sun Boat of King Khufu.
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day 10
Transit the Suez Canal
Experience one of the most momentous voyages between continents transiting the 120-mile Suez Canal—Egypt’s Victorian-era engineering marvel. Enjoy a lecture on board the ship with renowned Egyptologist Dr. Tarek Sayed Tawfik Ahmed.
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day 11
Alexandria or Historic Cairo
Discover Egypt’s most enchanting city—founded by Alexander the Great in the fourth century B.C. Visit the Alexandria Library, the Roman Amphitheater, Catacombs, and tour Qaitbey Fort.
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day 12
Cruising the Mediterranean Sea
Enjoy stunning views as you spend a day cruising the Mediterranean Sea.
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day 13
Heraklion, Crete, Greece
Travel to one of the most legendary sites of antiquity, the Minoan Palace at Knossos where, in Greek myth, Theseus defeated the Minotaur in the Labyrinth built by Daedalus. Dating from the 17th century B.C., the palace is a maze of chambers, staircases, and courtyards. Continue to Heraklion to visit the Archaeological Museum. This evening, attend the Captain’s Farewell Reception.
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day 14
Athens/Disembark ship/Return to the U.S. or Canada
Disembark the ship and transfer for your flights home.
Everything you need to know about the tour
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