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Mrhbaan! Welcome to Egypt. Your adventure begins in Cairo – a city just as captivating as it is chaotic. You’ll be met at Cairo International Airport and transferred to your hotel where you can explore the extensive hotel bar and pool area. You’re free until your welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight, where you’ll meet your local leader and fellow travellers. After, get your first taste of Egyptian cuisine with a welcome dinner at a fantastic local restaurant, where you can try out some classic dishes like fatta (a dish made with rice, bread and meat in a garlic and vinegar sauce) and kushari (a delicious mix of pasta, rice, lentils and fried onions).

This morning after breakfast, travel to arguably the most recognisable structures in the world – the Great Pyramids of Giza (the only reminaing Wonder of the Ancient World) and the Sphinx. Your leader is a trained Egyptologist and will share the fascinating history of these incredible feats of engineering. For an additional charge, you may be able to step inside the Great Pyramid of Khufu (or Cheops). After spending some time here, your adventure continues to the Grand Egyptian Museum – home to one of the world’s greatest collections of ancient artefacts. Wander the treasure-filled halls for a close encounter with some of the country’s most important queens and pharaohs. The masses of gleaming artefacts recovered from the tomb of Tutankhamun are an impressive sight – from jewellery to the famous golden death mask and his gilded sarcophagi, this pharaoh was certainly prepared for the afterlife! Gain special insight by exploring with a guide, then have some time to visit independently. Tonight you might like to take a taxi into town to explore Cairo further or book in for a dinner cruise on the Nile.

Take to the road this morning for a journey to Alexandria, stopping in Wadi El Natron along the way. Your leader will explain how this area became a sanctuary for Christians after Saint Macarius the Great retreated here in AD360. There were once some 60-odd monasteries in the Wadi, though now only four remain. One of these is Anba Bishoy Monastery, named for Saint Bishoi who came to the site to live in solitude. Wander around the gardens and observe the resident monks as they go about their daily lives, then visit the church for expansive views over the desert. Continue to the city of Alexandria, founded by Alexander the Great and often referred to as the Pearl of the Mediterranean.

Enjoy a full day uncovering Alexandria’s secrets with your knowledgeable leader’s guidance. Visit the Catacombs of Kom El Shoqafa – a Roman burial site dating back to the second century that wasn’t discovered until 1900. The fascinating tombs were created during a transitional period in Alexandria’s history and interestingly feature Greek, Egyptian and Roman elements. Continue to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (once the Great Library of Alexandra), where the Library of Ptolemies once stood some 1700 years ago. Finish up with a stop at Fort Qaitbay – a 14th-century complex designed to defend Alexandria from the Ottoman Empire, built on the site of the former Alexandria Lighthouse. Spend the evening wandering along the corniche by the water or maybe relax at your hotel.

Today, travel south of Alexandria for a more sombre experience at the historic battle site of El Alamein. Here, British and Commonwealth soldiers fought a decisive Allied victory against the German Afrika Korps that defined the North African campaign. Both sides suffered heavy losses, and the memorial commemorates nearly 12,000 Commonwealth servicemen who died in the Western Desert campaigns during World War II. Stop to enjoy your late lunch, brought with you from Alexandria – a delicious feteer meshaltet (layered pastry filled with a range of sweet or savoury ingredients). Return to Cairo in the afternoon and enjoy an evening at leisure.

Transfer to Cairo Airport after breakfast this morning and board a short flight to Luxor – the pharaohs’ capital during the height of their power and now known as the world’s greatest open-air museum. When you arrive, transfer to your Feature Stay riverboat on the Nile, your home for the next four nights. You’ll enjoy all the comforts of a world-class hotel, including a swimming pool, sundeck, restaurant and cabins with panoramic windows to watch riverside life stream by. This afternoon, visit Karnak – one of the world’s most celebrated temple complexes built over approximately 200 years. Some parts date back to 2055 BC and your local guide will take you to its finest sections. You’ll also head over to our Intrepid Foundation partner, Animal Care in Egypt (ACE) – a local NGO dedicated to providing free veterinary care for wounded working animals in the region.

Rise early this morning to journey into the Valley of the Kings. There are over 60 pharaoh tombs buried under the hills here, many of which are richly decorated, and your guide will take you through this spectacular place where discoveries are still being made. Learn about the funerary rites of the ancient Egyptians and the significance of the paintings and hieroglyphics and visit the final resting place of Tutankhamun. The discovery of the young Pharaoh’s tomb is undoubtedly one of the greatest archaeological finds of all time, and here you will have the opportunity to enter it yourself, exploring the painted chamber and admiring his famous sarcophagus. Visit another three royal tombs and continue to the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, set in a spectacular natural amphitheatre. Your final stop is the Colossi of Memnon – giant statues that once formed part of an impressive colonnade – before returning to the boat for a leisurely lunch. Enjoy some time relaxing either on deck or in your cabin before setting sail upstream to Edfu, where you’ll arrive in the evening.

Today you’ll catch an unescorted flight to the Jordanian capital Amman to embark on the second half of your trip. When you arrive, you’ll be met by an Intrepid representative at the airport and transferred to your hotel, where there will be a second welcome meeting with your new group and local leader at 6 pm. If you arrive early, maybe visit a local cafe and pick up a coffee and ara’yes (pita filled with spiced meats). Maybe head to the Old Town’s Roman Amphitheatre or the Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts. After your meeting, head to a local restaurant for a welcome dinner with your group and leader. Sharing food is a huge part of Jordanian culture, and eating out is always a social affair. Tonight, your leader will introduce you to some of the country’s most beloved dishes, like mansaf (a dish made with lamb, yoghurt and rice) and kunafa (a dessert made with pastry and cheese).

This morning, leave Amman for a short drive north to Jerash, where you’ll find some of the world’s best Greco-Roman ruins. Featuring an 11 m (36 ft) arched gateway built for a visit from the Roman Emperor Hadrian in AD 129, Jerash is home to a collection of theatres, baths, public buildings and colonnaded streets. Your leader will share the history of the ruins and help you imagine what life once looked like in this Roman city. After, return to Amman and head to a cooking school for a look behind the scenes of Jordanian cuisine. During this hands-on activity, you will learn how to make some classic dishes like maqlubeh, mutabbal and baba ghanouj before sitting down as a group to enjoy the fruits of your labour. Finish the day with a walking tour of Amman with a local guide. Set off from Jabal Amman, learning the story of the city, through waves of migration and the global events that influenced it, to longstanding cultural and culinary traditions.

Today, journey from Amman to the Dead Sea. Named for the lack of life in its waters, this lake is so intensely salty that the water density makes swimming very difficult – but bobbing on the water’s surface is great fun! On the way, stop off at Mount Nebo and hear the story of how Moses is said to have seen the ‘promised land’ before he died from what is believed to be this very spot. At St Georges Church, see a Byzantine mosaic depicting a map of the Holy Land. When you arrive, enjoy some time to float in the waters of the Dead Sea, relax on your hotel’s beachfront or take a dip in the infinity pool.

Depart the Dead Sea and drive to the ancient Crusader castle at Shobak – your leader will explain how this fortress was originally built to protect the eastern flank of the Latin Kingdom and its trade routes to the sea before it fell to Saladin in 1189. Enjoy the scenery then continue to your Petra accommodation. Petra dates to the 6th century BC and is considered the crown jewel of Jordan, featuring an impressive series of tombs and dwellings carved directly into the rock. When you arrive, you’ll have some free time to start uncovering the secrets of Petra at your own pace. The iconic view of the Treasury’s glorious facade, glimpsed from a narrow cleft known as the Siq, is perhaps the most striking sight of the entire region.

Today, you’ll explore Petra on a guided walking tour. Walk through the Siq that leads through the rock and is at some points only a few metres wide, with walls soaring up to 180 m (590.5 ft) on either side. If you wish, you’ll also have time to climb to the Monastery, providing a magnificent view of the entire site. Dinner this evening is a special one – you’ll visit the home of a local Bedouin family for a homemade dinner and the chance to learn more about life in Petra. Tonight, maybe take the chance to witness Petra’s transformation at nightfall – seeing the Treasury Plaza lit up by candlelight while Bedouin music plays is a truly memorable experience.

This morning, drive to Wadi Rum – a protected area of desert that impresses with sandstone mountains, canyons and arches. Enjoy some lunch in the small village of Rum, then jump into a local jeep and journey into Wadi Rum with your Bedouin hosts. Visit several of the area’s distinctive rock formations and appreciate the silent desert landscapes, home to hardy Bedouin communities that live in scattered camps. Gain a deeper understanding of their way of life as you join them for a zarb (underground oven) dinner at one of their camps, set deep in the desert. Tonight’s Feature Stay accommodation is a camp that offers a base among remote and wild surroundings. Spacious tents are fitted out with comforts like king-sized beds, air conditioning and ensuite bathrooms. Join your group to watch the sunset with a trained astronomer, who will explain how Bedouins used the stars as navigation. Enjoy fresh dates, nuts and local wine or champagne in Bedouin-style seating as the sun dips behind the sandstone mountains. Later, fall asleep in your tent before awaking up to an equally dramatic sunrise over the red-hued landscape.

After waking up in the sweeping surroundings of your Bedouin camp this morning, take a walk around the area before scaling one of the large dunes for panoramic views. After, return to Amman for the evening. Tonight’s farewell dinner is at one of Amman’s most celebrated farm-to-table restaurants. Indulge in traditional, seasonal Jordanian dishes within a beautifully restored, century-old villa with a garden terrace, an artisan boutique and even a soulful vinyl collection. It’s an atmospheric way to reminiscence with your group and say goodbye to Jordan.