Pyramids, Petra & a Greek Isle Getaway

from 

AU$15,399

per person
 
Duration: 35 Nights
Destination: Venice, Italy
Region: Multi Region
Deal Code: PAF206M

 

 

Description

Cruise the Mediterranean with MSC Cruises and come into reach of the best in culture, tradition and monuments that have for centuries enriched its shores. Enjoy the Greek sunshine while visiting important archaeological sites and indulging in the delicious cuisine.


Awaken your inner explorer on this expedition through the lush river valleys and golden desert landscapes of Egypt. Cruise the Nile past the pharaonic temples of Luxor to the Nubian treasures of Aswan. Your voyage will also take you to the mystical Pyramids of Giza, Tomb of the Nobles and the Sphinx.


From the Wailing Wall to the rose-red façades of Petra, this historical interlude with Israel and Jordan will see you visit the tomb of King David, the Mount of Beatitudes and the Dead Sea, before following in the footsteps of spice traders across desert landscapes.


Your Fly, Cruise & Tour Package Includes:

  • Economy class flight from Sydney to Venice, returning from Amman
  • 2 nights 4-star accommodation in Venice
  • 7 night Mediterranean cruise onboard MSC Sinfonia, Venice return
  • All onboard meals in complimentary dining venues & selected non-alcoholic beverages
  • A wide range of onboard activities & entertainment
  • 1 night 4-star accommodation in Venice
  • Economy class flight from Venice to Cairo
  • 3 nights 4-star accommodation in Cairo
  • 8 night Best of Egypt guided holiday with Trafalgar, Cairo return
  • 13 night Best of Israel & Jordan including Dead Sea Extension guided holiday with Trafalgar, Tel Aviv to Amman
  • 1 night 4-star accommodation in Amman
  • Private transfers throughout
  • Port charges, fees onboard your cruise & airline taxes

Pricing is per person twin share and based on travel 03 November – 08 December 2022

**Single traveller pricing available. Please speak to one of our travel consultants for more details

Call us to add flights from your city!


Cruise Itinerary:

Date

Itinerary

Arrive

Depart

05 Nov 23

Venice, Italy

-

4.30 pm

06 Nov 23

Kotor, Montenegro

2.00 pm

8.00 pm

07 Nov 23

At Sea

-

-

08 Nov 23

Mykonos, Greece

9.00 am

Overnight

09 Nov 23

Mykonos, Greece

-

2.00 am

09 Nov 23

Santorini, Greece

8.00 am

8.00 pm

10 Nov 23

At Sea

-

-

11 Nov 23

Bari, Italy

7.00 am

1.00 pm

12 Nov 23

Venice, Italy

9.30 am

-


Best of Cairo

Itinerary:

Day 1

Welcome to Cairo

Embark on an expedition to the land of the Pharaohs, starting your journey in Egypt’s effervescent capital, Cairo. Refreshed and ready to embrace the intoxicating energy of this ancient and modern city, you’ll be thrilled with the many treasures that will give you a preview of what’s about to come – an incredible encounter with antiquities you’ll be sharing with friends for years to come.

Day 2

Fly to Luxor and Embark on Your Nile Cruise

Fly to Luxor this morning and connect with the remnants of ancient Thebes during a visit to the Temple of Amun and the imposing Avenue of the Sphinx. Board your cruise ship in time for lunch, then visit the Luxor Museum before returning to your cruise ship for dinner.

Day 3

A Day to Explore the Valley of the Kings

Journey to the final resting place of Egypt’s Pharaohs, immersing yourself in the ancient history of Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. Visit the mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the Colossi of Memnon and the Grand Temple of Luxor. Connect With Locals as you enjoy a traditional Be My Guest bite to eat of freshly baked bread with honey and mint tea in the archaeological paradise that is Luxor's West Bank.

Day 4

Journey to Ancient KomOmbo

Sail upstream to Kom-Ombo, where life remains much as it was a thousand years ago. Standing at the threshold of the imposing Temple of Kom-Ombo on the banks of the Nile, you’ll imagine visitors over the centuries arriving to pay homage to the gods Horus the Elder and Sobek. Tour the Temple, learning all about its ‘double’ and perfectly symmetrical design for the duo of gods – one side dedicated to the crocodile god, the other to the falcon god. After a captivating encounter with the ancients, we enjoy a traditional Egyptian dinner on our cruise boat. Watching the sun set over the shimmering Nile, we’ll don our galabeas and toast to legends of the past and new friends.

Day 5

Onwards to Aswan

Set sail on a traditional felucca across the mighty Nile to voyage around the Botanical Gardens on Kitchener’s Island. On arrival explore the Aswan Dam, built to curb the periodic flooding of the Nile. Our next stop is the Temple of Isis, followed by a visit to the Unfinished Obelisk, lying semi-carved from the solid bedrock.

Day 6

Disembark and Fly to Cairo

Enjoy a day at leisure or perhaps join an Optional Experience to the Sun Temple of Abu Simbel before flying back to Cairo this afternoon.

Day 7

Discover Colourful Cairo

Embark on a sightseeing tour through the cacophony of Cairo’s busy streets. Visit the Hanging Church of St. Mary and the Sultan Hassan Mosque in Old Cairo and see the ancient Citadel, the Alabaster Mosque and Tutankhamun's priceless treasures at the Egyptian Museum.

Day 8

Admire the Wonders of Giza

The Great Pyramids of Giza beckon today and we have an opportunity to embark on a soul-stirring encounter with its treasures – the Colossus of Ramses II, the Step Pyramid of Saqqara and the enigmatic Great Sphinx. Enjoy some free time this evening or consider joining a Nile dinner cruise.

Day 9

Farewell Cairo

Our epic journey at its end, we say farewell to newfound friends.


Best of Israel and Jordan with Dead Sea Extension

Itinerary:

Day 1

Journey from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem

Your journey through a land regarded by many as the holiest of the holy begins in the sacred city of Jerusalem, which you will have an opportunity to explore before joining your Travel Director and fellow travellers for a Welcome Drink to herald an epic journey into antiquity. L'chaim!

Day 2

A Day to Explore the Dead Sea and Masada

Journey across the rocky Judean Desert to the site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found accidentally by a Bedouin boy in 1947. Visit the striking clifftop fortress of Masada, where a Roman siege ended in the tragic mass suicide of over 900 Zealots. Their sacrifice remains as a symbol of Israel's pledge to remain free. Stroll through the excavations of Herod's palatial retreat, before returning to the lowest point on earth to float in the salty waters of the Dead Sea (time permitting). This evening, we share a traditional meal at our hotel.

Day 3

The Church of Nativity in Bethlehem

Tread in the footsteps of prophets, crusaders and kings, admiring the Old City of Jerusalem from the sacred vantage point of the Mount of Olives. Stroll through the Jewish Quarter where you’ll Dive Into Culture at the Wailing Wall and watch faithful Jews cede their prayers to the crevices of its ancient rocks. See the Dome of the Rock on Temple Mount and follow the path taken by Christ past the Stations of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa to Golgotha, arriving at the 4th century Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Christians gather to commemorate at the traditional site of His Resurrection. Later this afternoon, travel to Bethlehem where the story of Mary, Joseph and Jesus officially begins. Visit the Church of Nativity, built on the site traditionally considered to be the birthplace of Jesus, and the Manger Square before returning to Jerusalem.

Day 4

Onwards to Lower Galilee

This morning, continue your compelling discovery of Jerusalem and visit Yad Vashem to commemorate the millions of lives lost in the Holocaust during World War II. See the Dead Sea Scrolls at Israel Museum's Shrine of the Book, the Knesset, and the Givat Ram Campus of the Hebrew University, before travelling through the farmlands of the Jordan Valley. In Nazareth, you’ll have an opportunity to visit the sacred Catholic Shrine of the Church of Annunciation, whose cupola overlooks the cave in which Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary to share the blessing that she would conceive and give birth to the Son of God. Celebrate a strong sense of community at your overnight stop at a Kibbutz hotel, where you'll dine this evening.

Day 5

Admire Capernaum, the Mount of Beatitudes and Safed

Begin the day with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and visit the Jesus Boat, an ancient fishing vessel dating to the 1st century AD. Continue to the ruins of the old synagogue at Capernaum, said to have been built on the home of St. Peter. Then visit the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. Next, venture to one of Judaism's Four Holy Cities and the birthplace of the Kabbalah movement, Safed. Proceed to your Kibbutz hotel in Lower Galilee where you’ll enjoy dinner.

Day 6

On to Acre, Haifa, Caesarea and Tel Aviv

Continue to the almost-intact 12th-century underground City of Acre to admire its medieval Crusader buildings, before enjoying views of the Baha'i Shrine and the beautiful Persian Hanging Gardens of Haifa, created as a memorial to the founders of the Baha'i faith. Imagine seafaring traders plying their wares in the ancient port city of Caesarea where we visit the Roman Amphitheatre, then travel to the vibrant city of Tel Aviv, our home for the next two nights.

Day 7

Discover Coastal Tel Aviv

Visit Rabin Square this morning. Here you’ll learn about the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who has become a symbol of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Continue to Newe Zedek, the first neighbourhood of Tel Aviv and soak up the cosmopolitan atmosphere of Rothchild Boulevard. Next, stroll through the ancient ruins of Old Jaffa and explore the biblical stories and ancient mythology of the Old Port. The robust aroma of coffee makes an appearance next at an exclusive Be My Guest experience and lunch in Ajami neighbourhood where you’ll Connect With Locals and learn about the personal story of a Christian girl of the evening.

Day 8

Off to Amman

We leave the sacred lands of Israel and journey to the white stone city of Amman. Meet your fellow travellers this evening for a cocktail reception followed by dinner.

Day 9

Explore Ancient Jerash

This morning, we embark on a city tour of Amman to see its Citadel, Archaeological Museum, Roman Amphitheatre and Folklore Museum. Our next stop is to Iraq al-Amir where we’ll visit at the Iraq al-Amir Women's Association for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience. Learn first-hand how they make soap from olive oil and craft greeting cards and note books from recycled paper. Try your hand at making your own before enjoying a lunch prepared by the women. We continue to the ancient city of Jerash, a favourite city of the Roman emperor Hadrian and an important stop on the incense and spice trade route to the Mediterranean. Amble past its soaring Corinthian columns and view its almost intact city walls, before returning to the seven hills of Amman, where tonight we’ll Connect With Locals over an exclusive Be My Guest experience with a local family featuring Jordanian favourites for dinner.

Day 10

Onwards to Petra

The enchanting rose-red façades of Petra, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, beckon. Your journey continues on the fabled King's Highway to visit Mount Nebo, one of the most revered holy sites of Jordan and the place where Moses is buried. You'll see the Madaba Mosaic Map that covers the floor of the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George in Madaba and ascend to the Crusader Shobak Castle, perched on the side of a mountain. Arriving in Petra later, you'll join a Bedouin tribe for a traditional dinner in their camp, under the clear night sky.

Day 11

Discover Colourful Petra and Scenic Wadi Rum

Imagine silk and spice caravans plying their wares as we Dive Into Culture and enter this mystical trading city through the narrow Siq, flanked by towering cliffs soaring 80 metres high. Emerging from the path, the stone façade of the Treasury with its ornate decoration looms ahead – the first of many wonders to be explored. Leaving this ancient wonder behind, you'll trek through the timeless landscapes of the Wadi Rum desert, once described by T.E. Lawrence as 'vast, echoing and god-like'. Check into your luxury accommodation in Bedouin tents and soak up the endless desert landscapes. Watch a breath-taking sunset lighting up the surrounding sandstone mountains in brilliant golden hues, then gaze up as the day turns to night and the star-studded sky takes centre stage for the rest of the evening.

Day 12

Admire Scenic Wadi Rum and on to the Dead Sea

This morning, we journey through desert landscapes to Wadi Rum, a timeless place whose towering sand dunes were once described by T.E. Lawrence as 'vast, echoing and god-like'. Embark on a jeep tour through the desert watching the landscape rise almost 2,000 metres from the desert floor, amidst which you'll find canyons, waterholes and rock paintings that span millennia. Return to Amman before continuing to the Dead Sea and checking in to your hotel. Begin the day with a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee and visit the Jesus Boat, an ancient fishing vessel dating to the 1st century AD. Continue to the ruins of the old synagogue at Capernaum, said to have been built on the home of St. Peter. Then visit the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. Next, venture to one of Judaism's Four Holy Cities and the birthplace of the Kabbalah movement, Safed. Proceed to your Kibbutz hotel in Lower Galilee where you’ll enjoy dinner.

Day 13

Float in the Dead Sea

Set in a beautiful and dramatic landscape, the Dead Sea is famous for its mineral-rich waters. Relax and enjoy the resort, luxuriate in the warm, stimulating black mud and float in the calming water. 

Day 14

Farewell Jordan

This morning, we bid farewell to this extraordinary land.


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Terms & Conditions

Prices listed are per person in Australian/New Zealand Dollars, based on twin occupancy, including all discounts unless otherwise stated. The offer is subject to availability at time of booking and shown on the lowest inside category available at the time.  Fares are capacity controlled and are subject to change at any time without notice. Prices/Offers are correct as at 29 July 2022 and can be withdrawn without notice.   Cabin categories include prepaid government fees and port taxes unless otherwise stated.  Hotels may charge resort fees not included in this package, payable direct upon check in. Visas are not included.  Payments made by credit card will incur a surcharge. Airfares are based on economy class flights from Sydney and are subject to the carriers’ flight schedules and conditions, please call us for prices from other cities.