12-Day Israel, Jordan, and Egypt Tour with Nile Cruise

Pickup from your Tel Aviv hotel between 7:20 and 7:50 AM. Drive north through the Jezreel Valley to Megiddo, the biblical site of Armageddon, for a guided tour of the ancient ruins. Continue to Nazareth to visit the Church of the Annunciation and the Church of St. Joseph. Pass through Cana and drive up to the Mount of Beatitudes for panoramic views over the Sea of Galilee. Visit the Benedictine Church at Capernaum, believed to be the town where Jesus lived and preached. Drive along the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Optional: baptism in the Jordan River if time permits. Overnight in the Galilee/Tiberias area.

After breakfast, head south along the Mediterranean coast to Caesarea. Tour the Roman amphitheater, the hippodrome, and the remains of the Roman temple built by Herod the Great. Continue to Haifa to visit the Baha'i Gardens and Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with terraced gardens cascading down Mount Carmel. Drive north to Rosh Hanikra, where a cable car takes you down the cliff face to explore the sea grottos carved into the white chalk rock by centuries of waves. End the day with a walking tour of Acre's Crusader City, a remarkably preserved medieval fortress and port. Overnight in the Tel Aviv/Netanya area. Meals: Breakfast

Begin at the Mount of Olives for a panoramic view of Jerusalem's Old City and the Temple Mount. Walk down to the Garden of Gethsemane and visit the Church of All Nations. Enter the Old City through the Zion Gate and walk through the Armenian Quarter, the restored Byzantine Cardo, and the Jewish Quarter to reach the Western Wall. Follow the Via Dolorosa through the Stations of the Cross to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Explore the Old City markets. In the afternoon, drive to Bethlehem to visit the Church of the Nativity and Manger Square. View the fields of Ruth on the way back. Overnight in the Jerusalem/Bethlehem area.

Drive east through the Judean Desert, passing the Inn of the Good Samaritan and the sea level marker. Ride the cable car up to the fortress of Masada, a UNESCO World Heritage Site perched on a plateau above the Dead Sea. Tour the ancient synagogue, the Roman barracks, the bathhouse, and Herod's palaces while your guide explains the dramatic story of the Jewish revolt against Rome. Descend and continue to the Dead Sea for a float in the world's saltiest body of water at the lowest point on earth. Continue south toward Eilat. Meals: Lunch

Cross the border into Jordan at Eilat/Aqaba and drive to Petra. Enter through the Siq, the narrow canyon corridor that opens dramatically to reveal the Treasury, Petra's most famous facade. Tour the ancient Nabataean city with your guide, including the amphitheater, the Street of Facades, and the royal tombs. Lunch at a local Jordanian restaurant. After Petra, drive south through the desert to Wadi Rum for the night. Meals: Lunch

Morning jeep tour through Wadi Rum's dramatic red desert. Visit Bedouin settlements, see ancient sandstone rock drawings, and drive through the towering rock formations and sand dunes. After the safari, cross back into Israel at Eilat. Continue through the Taba border crossing into Egypt and begin the overnight drive through the Sinai Peninsula to Cairo. Arrive in Cairo late at night or early morning. Check in to your Cairo hotel.

Full-day guided tour of Cairo's top landmarks. Start at the Giza Plateau to see the three Great Pyramids (Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure) and the Great Sphinx with an Egyptologist guide. Visit the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square to explore its vast collection of ancient artifacts, including Tutankhamun's golden death mask, royal mummies, and pharaonic jewelry. End the day at the Khan El Khalili Bazaar, Cairo's legendary 14th-century market, where you can shop for spices, jewelry, leather goods, and souvenirs. Overnight in Cairo.

Visit the Saqqara archaeological complex, home to the Step Pyramid of Djoser, the oldest monumental stone structure in the world. Explore the surrounding tombs and temples. In the afternoon, tour Old Cairo, including its ancient churches, historic fortifications, and narrow streets that reveal layers of Coptic and Islamic history. Overnight in Cairo.

Fly from Cairo to Aswan and board your Nile cruise ship. After settling in, begin your Aswan city tour. Visit the Aswan High Dam, one of the largest engineering projects of the 20th century. Take a motorboat to Philae Island to tour the Temple of Isis, beautifully relocated stone by stone to save it from the rising waters of Lake Nasser. End the afternoon with a felucca sailboat ride around the islands of Aswan. Dinner and overnight on the cruise ship. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast on board as the ship sails downstream toward Luxor. First stop is the Temple of Kom Ombo, an unusual dual temple dedicated to both Sobek (the crocodile god) and Horus (the falcon god), perched on a bend in the Nile with views over the river. Continue sailing to Edfu, where you visit the Temple of Horus, one of the best-preserved ancient temples in Egypt with massive pylons and detailed wall carvings. Return to the ship and continue sailing toward Luxor. Lunch and dinner on board. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Cross to the West Bank of Luxor for a guided tour of the Thebes Necropolis. Enter three royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings, where pharaohs including Tutankhamun and Ramesses II were buried in elaborately decorated underground chambers. Return to the cruise ship for lunch and a relaxed afternoon on the Nile. Evening entertainment on board. Optional: Sound and Light show at Karnak Temple (available upon request at extra cost). Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast on the ship. Disembark and visit the Karnak Temple complex, a massive site of sanctuaries, pylons, and obelisks that served as the religious center of ancient Thebes for over 2,000 years. Walk through the Great Hypostyle Hall with its 134 giant columns. Continue to Luxor Temple, connected to Karnak by the recently restored Avenue of the Sphinxes. Transfer to Luxor Airport and fly to Cairo. The tour ends at Cairo International Airport. Meals: Breakfast