Tuesday March 5: Depart for Cairo. Turkish offers by far the best schedules, both directions;  we are exploring the advantages of a group contract and will share that information as soon as we have it.

Wednesday March 6: Late evening arrival in Cairo and transfer to the Steigenberger Hotel El Tahrir for a 5-night stay.

Thursday March 7: Today we discover Islamic Cairo. We drive to the  citadel of King Saladin, one of the most impressive defensive fortresses dating to the Middle Ages, offering sweeping views over Cairo. The citadel is home to the 19th-century Muhammad Ali (Alabaster) Mosque and a number of museums including Al Gawhara (Jewel) Palace Museum. 14th-century Sultan Hassan Mosque, located just below the Citadel, is one of the largest mosques, not only in Egypt, but in the whole Arab world. Continue to visit Khan El Khalili Bazaar. Lunch included.

Friday March 8: The pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx are among the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Each of these spectacular structures served as the final resting place of a king of the 4th Dynasty (c. 2613–2494 BC). The Great Pyramid of Giza was built for king Khufu (c. 2589–2566 BC), and the other two for Khafre and Menkaure, his son and grandson. Khufu’s pyramid is both the oldest and largest of the three, and the first building to exceed it in height would not be built for another 3,800 years! Following lunch, we visit the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), scheduled to open this year - one of the largest, most modern, and most talked-about new museums in the entire world. When everything is finally transferred not only from the current Egyptian Museum’s publicly displayed collections but also from its much more vast private storage areas, the GEM will host about 100,000 ancient artifacts, 4,549 of which will be from the tomb of the famous King Tutankhamun.

Saturday March 9: Visit Saqqara, the necropolis site of the ancient capital city of Memphis and Egypt's largest archeological site. We will discover the famous Step Pyramid of Djoser, the oldest known complete stone building complex in the world (2630 to 2611 BC) built by Imhotep, one of the first recognized architects in history.  The step pyramid was the Egyptians' first successful attempt to build a pyramid. Lunch included. The Cairo Symphony typically performs at the historic Cairo Opera House on Saturday evenings; if they do, we plan to attend.

Sunday March 10: Discover the oldest part of the city, known locally as Masr al-Qadima or “Old Cairo,” the heartland of Egypt’s indigenous Christian (Coptic) community. When Jews were exiled from Jerusalem in AD 70, some found refuge in Egypt; Ben Ezra, the country’s oldest (9th-century) synagogue is here. We discover the narrow cobbled alleyways running between high stone walls, and visit the Church of the Virgin Mary (aka the "Hanging Church") and the Church of St. Sergius (Abu Serga). The former was built atop the southern gatehouse of the Roman-built Babylon Fortress, and gets its name from the fact that its nave is suspended over a passageway. This unique location gives the church the impression of hanging in mid-air. We finish over lunch "with a view."

Monday March 11: Fly to Luxor and transfer to the Luxury Sonesta St. George, one of the newest, smallest, and most elegant ships on the Nile, offering a full-service spa and fitness center, restaurant, bars, and nightly entertainment.  All cabins come with  double-glass panoramic French windows that open to bring in fresh breezes from the Nile, and impressive bathrooms featuring spa units including steam bath, Jacuzzi and water massage. Throughout, the imaginative decor is in a vintage French style, creating an air of decadence and luxury.

During our four-day cruise, with our own private guide, we will see Kom Ombo with its unusual double temple; Edfu, the largest temple dedicated to Horus; Luxor with the Valley of the Kings and the greatest monument to the gods of ancient Egypt, Karnak Temple; the temple of Queen Hatshepsut; the tomb of Nefertari, and the Colossi of Memnon. All meals included on board.

Friday March 15: Early morning disembarkation and flight to Abu Simbel to visit the Great Temple, dedicated to Ramses II, and the Small Temple dedicated to Queen Nefertari, the beloved and favorite wife of Ramses II (1244 BC). Carved out of a sandstone cliff on the west bank of the River Nile, these temples are among the most magnificent monuments of the ancient world, built to celebrate King Ramses II’s victory over the Hittites at the Battle of Kadesh (1274 BC), which was believed to be one of the largest chariot battles in history. The two temples were moved from their original location in 1968 after the Aswan High Dam was built, as it threatened to submerge them. The relocation was completed thanks to an international effort led by UNESCO, and the temple was admitted into its list of World Heritage Sites in 1979. Fly back to Cairo where we overnight at a hotel near the airport, to facilitate your departure tomorrow, whether onward to Jordan or back to the States.

Saturday March 16: Those not heading home today will take a morning flight to Amman, Jordan. After dropping our bags at the House Boutique Suites, we visit the Amman Citadel with its impressive historic buildings including the remains of the Temple of Hercules and the 8th-century Umayyad Palace, an extensive complex of royal and residential buildings that was once home to the governor of Amman. We continue to the 6,000-seat 2nd-century Roman theater, the most impressive monument of old Philadelphia, as Amman was known when it was part the Roman Decapolis, the cities network on the frontier of the Roman Empire in the southeastern Levant.  Then we stroll through an open-air marketplace. Dinner follows.

Sunday March 17: This morning, we drive to Jerash, often called the "Pompeii of the East." Being one of the largest and best-preserved Roman ruins outside Italy, Jerash impresses with its Forum, Hadrian's Arch, the Colonnaded Street, Oval Plaza, Nymphaeum (ornamental fountain), and the Temple of Artemis.

Today's lunch is a "do-it-yourself" affair at Beit Sitti in Amman: established in 2010, Beit Sitti ("Grandmother's House") was created by 3 sisters to keep their grandmother's legacy alive. It offers a cook-and-dine experience: you learn how to prepare a traditional  4-course Arabic meal with the help of a Hajjeh (grandmother figure), and then get to eat the food that you prepared. The business employs many Jordanian women experiencing hardship, empowering with monthly income as well as independence and new experiences with people from various backgrounds. Beit Sitti is more than just food: it’s an opportunity to immerse in another culture, to ask questions, and to learn.

Monday March 18: This morning, we head south along the King’s Highway, forged by ancient royalty, stopping at Mount Nebo, were Moses by tradition first caught sight of the Promised Land. After soaking up panoramas of Israel and the River Jordan, we travel to Madaba, stopping at St. George’s Church to see a treasure of early Christianity: a 6th-century Byzantine mosaic floor that is the oldest surviving map of Palestine. We then continue to Wadi Musa, the town where Petra, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, is located and rest overnight before tomorrow's full-day visit. Dinner is included at the hotel.

Tuesday March 19: Hidden behind an almost impenetrable barrier of rugged mountains, the rock-carved city of Petra enchants visitors. Siq, a long narrow gorge, opens into a natural square dominated by Petra's most famous monument, the Khasneh (Treasury). The ancient city gradually unfolds, one monument leading to the next. The sheer size of the city and the quality of beautifully carved facades is staggering, displaying the creativity and industry of the Nabateans who made Petra their capital more than 2, 000 years ago. From here, they established an elaborate network of caravan routes which brought spices, incense, myrrh, gold, silver, and precious stones from India and Arabia. Dinner is included at the hotel.

Wednesday March 20: On our way back to a hotel near Amman airport, we stop at Kerak to view its crusader castle, one of the largest in the region, and at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Umm ar-Rasas, a mostly unexcavated archaeological site known for its magnificent Byzantine mosaics. Farewell dinner is a farm-to-table experience: after exploring the owner's house, we sit around a communal table and enjoy an artisanal 5-course meal. Each dish is cooked using locally-sourced ingredients, with a cultural relevance and a story shared with us as we enjoy our last meal together.

Thursday March 21: Depart from Amman airport for home or further adventures.