Ahlan wa sahlan! Welcome to Jordan. Your trip begins in Amman with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight, where you’ll meet your local leader and fellow travellers. If you arrive early, maybe take in the sweeping views of Amman from the citadel, explore the Jordan Museum (home to the Dead Sea Scrolls) or take a trip to the ruins of Jerash – an ancient walled town from 2000 years ago. After your meeting, maybe head out on the town in search of arayes (pita bread packed full of spiced meats). It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance and emergency contact details at this time. If you are going to be late, please let your travel agent or hotel reception know. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place. The total price for optional activities, including transportation and local guides where applicable, has been listed wherever possible. This is to help you budget for any additional excursions you might like to do on your trip. Some activities require minimum numbers to operate. If you prefer to do your own thing, taxis are available and your leader can assist in organising.

This morning, travel by minibus to Mt Nebo – the place where the prophet Moses is said to be buried and where he saw the 'Promised Land'. Check out the mosaics inside its 4th-century church. On a clear day, the views over the Dead Sea to Israel and the Palestinian territories are spectacular. After, drive to the super salty Dead Sea – sitting well below sea level, this is the lowest point on earth, and you’ll float rather than swim due to the water’s high concentration of salt. The mud on the sea floor is said to have healing properties, so maybe lather up and enjoy Mother Nature’s spa. Continue to the Crusader castle of Kerak, sitting on top of a cliff overlooking the town and valley below. Explore the seven-level fortress and learn the legends of 12th-century battles between Crusaders and Muslim armies, then continue to Petra for the night. Your travel time today will be approximately 6 hours. Today’s itinerary includes stops at the Dead Sea, Mt Nebo and Kerak Castle, but keep in mind that entry fees are not included. When swimming at the Dead Sea, towels are available for hire. The optional Petra by Night activity runs every Sunday to Thursday, starting at 8.30 pm at the Petra Visitor Centre and finishing back at the Visitor Centre around 10.30 pm. Please ensure you check your departure date if you are planning to book this activity as it is not available on all departures.

Spend today exploring Petra – the jewel of Jordan, the lost city of the Nabateans and one of the Seven Wonders of the World! Squeeze through a narrow path called the Siq until you reach the grand entrance of the Treasury. Gaze up at the intricate carvings and spend the afternoon exploring the site at your own pace. You might like to visit the old Roman road, other temples and old tombs or the rock-hewn amphitheatre. If you’re feeling more adventurous, you could take a challenging hike up a set of stairs to the smaller but no less impressive monastery, which takes about an hour. After arriving back at your accommodation, why not find a traditional bathhouse to rejuvenate after a day of incredible sightseeing. One day's entrance fee to Petra is included in your trip. A horse ride is offered as part of the ticket price (not including tip) from the entrance point down to the Siq. Tuuur doesn't recommend that passengers take this option due to the safety and insurance liability involved.

This morning, you’ll drive to Wadi Rum – a rugged, lunar-like landscape framed by huge sandstone mountains. Embark on a half-day jeep safari, taking you through desert scenery to uncover traces of ancient civilisations in the many carved inscriptions scattered throughout the area, from pictographs to Thamudic, Nabataean and Arabic texts. The most enduring monuments in Wadi Rum are those carved by nature – natural rock bridges, towering sand dunes and scattered rocky peaks. Spend the night sleeping in a simple desert camp under a camel hair tent. Tuck into a dinner cooked in an earthen oven by your Bedouin hosts and soak in the unforgettable surroundings as a sky full of stars stretches out above you. Your travel time today will be approximately 2 hours. Conditions are basic at the desert camp, but the hospitality of your hosts is excellent, and you'll treasure the memory of sleeping beneath the rugged landscape. Tonight, a mattress and blankets are provided. Please be aware that while the desert may be very hot during the day, it will still be cool at night. Warm clothes and a sleeping bag are highly recommended when travelling outside of the summer months. Western-style toilet facilities are available.

This morning, leave Wadi Rum and make the journey to Dahab. You’ll drive to Aqaba, then bid your Jordan local leader farewell and board a ferry bound for Taba. When you arrive, you’ll be met by your Egypt local leader and drive to the laidback resort area of Dahab – your base for the next two nights. Dahab, meaning 'gold' in Arabic, has transformed from a Bedouin fishing village to a popular tourist town, thanks to the excellent conditions for activities like diving, windsurfing and rock climbing. However, the town hasn't lost the authenticity and lowkey appeal that’s attracted visitors since the 1970s. The rest of the day is free for you to wander through the cafes, find some fresh seafood or do some snorkelling in the Red Sea. Dahab is well known for its drop-offs – spectacular coral reef shelves that plunge into the vast blue depths of the ocean. Your travel time today will be approximately 5 hours. In the unlikely event of the Aqaba to Taba passenger ferry being cancelled, you will travel as a foot passenger on the vehicle ferry from Aqaba to Nuweiba. Please refer to the Transport section of your Essential Trip Information for more details. At the Aqaba ferry terminal, you’ll pass security and pay a JOD10 departure tax, keeping the receipt to get stamped. On board, take your passport to the counter in the middle of the ferry where it will stay for the journey. When you arrive, an escort will take you and your passport to the arrival terminal, where you will pass through immigration and then meet up with your Egypt trip leader. Any camera with a resolution exceeding 50 megapixels, regardless of the camera type, including GoPro cameras, can be confiscated by the local authorities at Taba Port. Binoculars are also not allowed. We've had reports of such confiscation, even if it's not on the official banned list. Please be aware of this possibility.

This morning, why not strap on a mask and head to the Blue Hole for some snorkelling at one of the best diving spots in the world. The area gets its name from a submarine sinkhole about 94 m deep, with an arch in the coral reef down at 54 m – a challenge that’s only open to highly experienced technical divers. Float on the surface and look down into an endless world of blue, then make your way around to the ‘Bridge’, where the visibility is always great and the untouched coral swarms with a variety of colourful fish and other marine life. Later today, return to Dahab, where you might like to seek out a waterside restaurant for an evening feast or maybe head inland to Assalah, where local joints serve up plates of roast chicken and falafel with regional beer.

Check out of your hotel in Dahab, then have lunch before driving to St Catherine in the late afternoon. Check into your hotel before heading out for dinner to get your first glimpse of the area. There’s the option to hike up Mt Sinai tonight – starting the hike after midnight, you’ll watch the sunrise before descending the mountain. Ask your leader for more details if you’re interested. Your travel time today will be approximately 2 hours.

This morning, you’ll have the option to visit St Catherine's Monastery. Located at the foot of Mt Sinai and built over 1500 years ago, this is the oldest continuously inhabited Christian monastery. Legend has it that the monastery encloses what's claimed to be the burning bush seen by Moses. The monastery is named after Catherine of Alexandria, who is buried here – it has since become an important pilgrimage site. It’s now also a UNESCO World Heritage site, holding incredible significance in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Later today, you’ll hit the road to Cairo, arriving in the late afternoon. Settle into your hotel before you head out for an optional farewell dinner to celebrate this incredible journey. Your driving time today will be approximately 7 hours. For those who are taking the optional hike up Mt Sinai, you'll start hiking at around 1 am tonight. There are two hiking routes, one steeper and one less so. Both will meet for the final 750 steps to the summit. You'll need to have sturdy shoes, comfortable clothes and head torch for the hike. It'll take around 3 hours to hike to the top and around 2 hours down the same way. You'll then meet the rest of the group for the visit to St Catherine’s Monastery.

With no further activities planned, your adventure comes to an end. As this trip doesn’t include time to explore Cairo, it’s highly recommended you spend a few extra days here to see more of what the city offers. If you’d like to extend your stay here, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time.