Jeddah.-

Welcome to Saudi Arabia, a country of contrasts that will leave you with amazing memories. A transfer to your hotel in JEDDAH, on the shores of the Red Sea, the country´s second city, with four million inhabitants.

19:00 hrs.- We meet our guide at the hotel reception. We will take a walk through the historic center, better known as Al-Balad, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, with its impressive set of medieval alleys and its houses made with coral and wooden balconies. The lighting of the neighborhood at night makes it especially attractive and there are very nice restaurants.

21.00 hrs.- Transfer to the hotel.

Jeddah.-

The order of the itinerary as well as the timetables are subject to change.



09.30 hrs.- Departure from the hotel.

Full day in Jeddah. With a local guide we will explore this city of astonishing contrasts. At the moment a large part of the city is being rebuilt to make it a great global megalopolis. The construction, among other things, of the Jeddah Tower stands out, which will be the tallest building in the world upon completion with more than a thousand meters high. We will continue towards the Corniche, with its beautiful views, its mosques by the sea and its recreational areas. We will contemplate the King Fahd Fountain, the highest of its kind in the world, its water jets reach more than 300 meters high. We will make a stop at the active and picturesque fish market. We will include admission to “Al Taybat International city”, an architectural complex of great beauty with very interesting history and ethnography museums. We will visit the historic center again, entering through Bab Makkah - the most important gate in Jedah. We will see inside the elegant house of Beit Salloum, today converted into a museum. We will also pass through the Eve cemetery, where, according to the tradition, Eve, Adam´s wife and the first woman of humanity, according to the Bible, was buried. Free time for lunch in a shopping center - Mall - where you can choose among various restaurants and types of food offered there.

In the afternoon we will visit the Al Rahma Mosque, better known as the floating mosque, as it was built on the shores of the Red Sea with pillars on the water. We will also enjoy the lively marina, very close to the tracks, where the Formula 1 racetrack is held.

19:00 hrs.- Transfer to the hotel.

Jeddah - Medina.-

After breakfast.

Total distance covered: 423 km.

09:00 hs.- we leave for the Arabia inland, large highways crossing deserts and mountains take us to the holy city of MEDINA - “the luminous city”.

13.30 hrs.- Arriving at noon, we will make a stop at a large shopping center at the entrance to the city to have lunch in its “food court”, according to your preferences. We are in an imposing historical destination, one of the two most sacred cities in Islam, a destination, where millions of pilgrims arrive every year and a city prohibited for non-Muslims until very recently. It is in a holy place, respect for its inhabitants and beliefs and wearing an appropriate way of dressing is required. We will walk around the immense Prophet´s Mosque (Al Masjid an Nabawi), an amazing and luminous mosque with 10 minarets with capacity for a million visitors, built by the prophet himself and the place where he is buried. We will visit the UHUD mountain, an important pilgrimage site, where the prophet´s forces clashed against the troops of Mecca. You can walk along its immense esplanade and climb the mountain, but remember to do so in silence and respecting the hundreds of pilgrims who will surround us any day. In the Quba Mosque, in the year 622, the prophet and his followers laid the first stone of what would be the first mosque in history, although the current building is more recent. From this point we will walk to the nearby garden and well of Ethiq, where the different tribes of the place came out to greet and give water to the Prophet and his companions who had recently arrived in Medina after his persecution in Mecca. We will then have some free time in the city center so you can stroll through its shopping areas or - if you’d like to - visit the Hejaz Railway Museum (in the old Ottoman train station).

In the afternoon we will visit the Al Madinah museum about the history of the city. At dusk we will go towards the Al Masjid mosque to feel once again the emotions, when we observe the thousands of people entering at prayer time and admire the illuminations. Dinner included.

22:30 hrs.- Arrival at the hotel.

Medina - Khaybar - Al-Ula.-

After breakfast, we’ll continue our journey, traveling through some of the most stunning desert regions in the world. In a volcanic area with breathtaking landscapes, we’ll visit Khaybar, a historic region. This area was a Jewish settlement on the Arabian Peninsula in the 7th century and is renowned for the Battle of Khaibar, which took place in 628 AD during the time of the Prophet Muhammad. In this battle, Muslim forces led by Muhammad defeated the Jewish tribes. We’ll explore its historic fortress and walk through its beautiful oasis (admission included). Surrounded by impressive desert scenery, we’ll proceed to one of the most spectacular places in the world: the region and oasis of Al-Ula, an authentic open-air museum nestled in nature. Here, you’ll encounter stunning rock formations, canyons, and ravines, rivaling the majestic treasures carved by its former inhabitants. Upon arrival, we’ll visit the iconic Elephant Rock (Jabal Al Fil), an awe-inspiring geomorphological phenomenon—a 52-meter-high rock shaped like an elephant. Dinner will be included.

Al-Ula - Tabuk.-

Departure from the hotel and arrival in Tabuk according to the timetable of the Hegra visit.

In the region of Al-Ula we will visit the enclosure of HEGRA (Madain Saleh), declared World Heritage by UNESCO, of Nabataean culture "the Other Petra" amazes us with its tombs excavated in the rock in a desert environment full of mystery. Lunch included. We will have free time to stroll and enjoy its comercial streets, and its magnificent Oasis. In the afternoon we will leave for TABUK. Dinner included.

Tabuk – Petra.-

08.00 hrs.- Departure from the hotel.

We visit Tabuk, a city over half a million inhabitants, active provincial capital and one of the oldest cities in the country. We will visit the castle whose origin is 3500 years before Christ, and inside it, a museum tells the history of the castle and the city, from the great explorers who visited it, such as Ibn Battuta, to the pilgrims who stopped to drink from the fountains on their way to Mecca or Medina. After the visit, we will enter the Mud House Museum, a recreation of the interior of an adobe house where we will learn what traditional life was like in the past in this type of housing. Subsequently we walk through the active commercial area of the city center and we reach the old train station, today a museum that preserves the steam machines that connected Damascus with Medina.
12.00 p.m. - We finish our sightseeing.
Departure to Al Mudawara border. Only 100 km separates us from JORDAN.

13.00 hrs.- Arrival at the border of Al Mudawara on the Jordanian side from Tabuk.
15.00 hrs.- Arrival and departure to Wadi Musa, brief stop where we will visit the Spring of Moses where supposedly Moses hit the rock with his rod and the water gushed out.
15.15 hrs.- Departure from Spring of Moses.
15.30 hrs.- Arrival at the Petra Museum, an excellent exhibition that allows us to understand the history of the Nabataeans and learn about magnificent pieces found in the area.
16.00 hrs.- Departure from the Petra Museum.
14.15 hrs.- Arrival at the hotel. Dinner included. Overnight in Petra. Petra is the ancient capital of the kingdom of the Nabataeans. This civilization occupied the city in the 6th century B.C. and took advantage of the city´s location as a strategic lodging point for caravans during the Silk Road.

Travelers who wish to do so can go in their free time to an old Turkish bath or get to see the lights and sounds show in Petra.

Petra- Wadi Rum.-

Breakfast.

Known as the "Pink City", the "Lost City" or the "City of Stone", it is considered the jewel of Jordan and one of the Seven Wonders of the World since 2007.

07.00 hrs.-Departure from the hotel to visit Petra, we will access through the narrow canyon and discover the temples and tombs carved into the cliffs in this city founded 300 years before Christ. Lunch included.

14.00 hrs.- Departure from Petra to Wadi Rum, an impressive desert that is famous for being the setting for famous films where ´Dune´, ´Lawrence of Arabia´ or ´Star Wars´ have been filmed. We will be able to enjoy unparalleled sunsets and starry nights.

16.00 hrs.- Arrival at Wadi Rum- Valley of the Moon, a magical ecosystem of the Jordanian desert that has extensive red sand dunes and imposing sandstone arches, at the visitor center we take all-terrain vehicles to visit some of the most impressive landscapes. We include a ride of about 45 minutes on a camel through the desert. We will also visit the Khazali Canyon, in this spectacular place we will see the engravings that show us the origin of the Arabic language.

18.00 hrs.- End of activities in Wadi Rum.

18.15 hrs.- Arrival at the camp. Dinner included. Accommodation.

Wadi Rum- Aqaba- Eilat- Saint Catherine.-

After breakfast.

08.00 hrs.-: we leave for AQABA, Jordan’s second city, lying on the banks of the Red Sea.

08.45 hrs.-: Arrival in the city of Aqaba.

09.45 hrs.-: Panoramic city tour of Aqaba.

10.00 hrs.-: Arrival at the Araba border crossing with ISRAEL, EILAT, and arrive in this modern and tourist city with its excellent beaches. There’s time to relax, have lunch and stroll around. Are you tempted to have a swim?.

14.00 hrs.-: We then continue towards the EGYPT border, and into Sinai. On the way, there’s chance to take photographs of the Pharaoh’s Island with the powerful fortress of Saladin. Continue to SAINT CATHERINE /TABA. Arrival, accommodation and dinner included.

Arrival time from Santa Catalina / Taba will depend on the duration of border crossing procedures.

FEES: At the border crossing from Jordan to Israel and from Israel to Egypt, every traveler must pay an entry/exit fee for the different countries. Jordan: $15 (exit fees), Israel: $32 (exit fee), Egypt: $45 (entry visa, which is actually $25 visa + $20.Approximate rates and subject to change without prior notice by the authorities of the country.
Drones and cameras with a 5,5 mtr zoom are prohibited as well as other types of professional equipment cameras ( Europamundo is not responsiblefor objects that may be seized at borders by the authorities of the countries)

IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to exceptional circumstances or due to a small number of participants, it may happen that we will cross directly from Jordan to Egypt by boat, taking the AQABA- TABA FERRY with a duration of just over two hours. During the ferry crossing, there will be no assistance from any guide.

Saint Catherine- Well of Moses- Cairo.-

Breakfast.

07.00 hrs.-: Departure from the hotel and drive to St. Catherine´s Monastery at the foot of Mount Sinai.
09.00 hrs.-: We visit the impressive walled monastery of SAINT CATHERINE. According to tradition, this is where Moses saw “the Burning Bush that burned without being consumed”. The monastery, which is a sacred place for Jews, Christians and Muslims, belongs to the Orthodox Church and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

12.00 hrs.-: Stop at the WELL OF MOSES, a biblical site that looks like a small oasis.

16.00 hrs.-: Lunch included in route. After lunch, We will leave Sinai through the tunnel under the SUEZ CANAL.

20.00 hrs.- : Arrival in CAIRO at the end of the afternoon. Accommodation.

Cairo.-

Note: In summer temperatures are higher, so visits to archaeological sites are made earlier in the day to avoid the hottest hours of the day. It is recommended to wear sports shoes, sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat or cap for these visits.

Breakfast.

07:00 hrs.-: We will visit the esplanade of the Pyramids, the most famous of which are those of the pharaohs Cheops, Kephren and Mykerinos (entrance to the interior of the pyramids not included), as well as the enigmatic Sphinx. Afterwards we will visit the Papyrus Institute for about 30 minutes, where we will see how the papyrus is handmade.

11:30 hrs.-: Visit the Coptic Quarter, which is nowadays one of the meeting places of the Egyptians and one of the oldest areas of the city. Visit the Hanging Church.

12:30 hrs.-: Visit the Citadel, built by order of Saladin in 1176 and completed in 1182. From 1218 until the 19th century it was the official seat of the Egyptian government. The history of this area is full of palace intrigues, assassinations, overthrows and massacres such as that of the Mamluks in 1811. Representative buildings include the Muhammad Ali Mosque, also known as the Alabaster Mosque, built on the model of Istanbul´s Hagia Sophia.

13.45 hrs.-: Lunch included in a local restaurant.

15:00 hrs.-: Visit the Egyptian Museum, which is about 10 km from the Pyramids and contains one of the most important and impressive archaeological exhibits in the world. The jewel of this exhibition is the treasure of Tutankhamun which occupies the entire upper floor. Remember that it takes at least a week to visit it in its entirety.

17:00 hrs-: Departure from the Egyptian Museum and return to the hotel.

18:00 hrs.-: Arrival at the hotel and accommodation.

Cairo – Wadi Natrum – Alexandria

Distance: 280 km

Landscapes: Stretches of deserts and the rich agricultural region of the Nile Delta.
Notes: Please dress appropriately for the visit of the monasteries. On certain religious festivals monasteries may remain closed to tourist visits.

07.30 hrs- We leave Cairo, traveling to the Wadi Natrum region, an area known for its Coptic monasteries since thousands of Christians, fleeing in the fourth century from Roman persecutions, settled in the area. The monasteries, fortified because of the attacks suffered in different historical periods, are places that receive the visit of many pilgrims and will allow us to discover their traditions. Coptic popes are chosen from among the monks of these monasteries.

09.00 hrs- Monastery of Saint Macarius. Entrance included to the monastery, founded in 360, where one of its monks will guide us through the enclosure.

10.00 hrs- Saint Macarius, departure.
10.45 hrs- Anba Bishoy´s Monastery. Entrance included. The fortified tower of this monastery, founded in 340, is accessed by a drawbridge. We will visit - also guided by a monk - the church, the refectory and the fortress, where several Coptic Popes are buried. Time to stroll through the lively area and visit the huge new cathedral.

11.45 hrs- Anba Bishoy, departure. We continue our route to the north of the country.
13.45 hrs- Alexandria, arrival in this port city of more than 5 million inhabitants. Lunch included. We visit this afternoon the great fortress Qaitbey (entrance included), built in 1480 on a narrow peninsula where the Hellenistic lighthouse was located, which was considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. After that, by coach we travel the cornice, chaotic, noisy, commercial or elegant according to the areas. Free time. Accommodation.

Alexandria – Rashid- Rosetta – Cairo

Distance: 350 km.
Landscapes: Landscapes of the Nile Delta, with its fertile lands, small towns and thousands of palm trees.
NOTE: The fortress of Rashid is not very visited, sometimes it can be closed (in that case we will see it externally and walk through the picturesque village of fishermen and farmers)

08.30 hrs- We continue our visit of Alexandria, entering the impressive Catacombs Kom Shuqqafa (entrance included) , the largest Roman cemetery in Egypt, we will be surprised by the fusion of Pharaonic and Greco-Roman style. From here we will walk with our guide between narrow, very commercial and bustling alleys to the Pompey Column, an immense column 30 meters high that rises on the ruins of a temple. Afterwards we will stop to photograph externally the new Library of Alexandria, inaugurated in 2002 with a very modern architecture and that reminds us that this city, in the third century BC. was one of the greatest cultural centers in antiquity. The Library of Alexandria at that time guarded more than half a million papyrus scrolls. Lunch included.

13.00 hrs- Alexandria.- departure. Continuation of our route to Rosetta. In this small city, very close to the mouth of one of the tributaries of the Nile, the Rosetta Stone was found, just over a meter high, which was key to deciphering the hieroglyphic writing of the Egyptians since it contains the same text written in hieroglyphics, demotic and ancient Greek.

14.15 hrs- Rashid Fortress, located within walking distance, in a picturesque small village of streets full of local life and with numerous multi-colored fishing boats on the banks of the Nile. Inside its fortress (entrance included) we can see a replica of the Rosetta Stone.

15.00 hrs- Fortress of Rashid- departure
15.30 hrs- Rosetta. Arrival in this pleasant small town next to the Nile where we will walk through the center seeing (externally) the old Ottoman houses with their brick and wood architecture. We will also include a ride on the Nile by boat to admire the views and activity of the fishing boats in the area.

17.00 hrs- Rosetta- Departure.
21.00 hrs- Cairo. Arrival at the end of the day.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport and end of our services.