Tour Highlights

• Pyramids
• Great Sphinx
• Nile River dinner cruise
• Luxor Valley of The Kings
• Red Sea visit
• Dead Sea visit
• Wadi Rum
• Petra
• Jerusalem

• International RT airfare from USA gateway city
• Internal airfare
• Local Experienced English-speaking guides
• All hotel stays
• Meals as mentioned in the Program (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
• Land transfer by air-con vehicle, comfortable for guests in the group
• Admission fees

What’s Not Included

• Any Passport and Visa arrangements
• Early check-in, late check-out surcharge
• Additional drinks and other personal expenses (alcoholic drinks, laundry, phone calls etc.)
• Any services not specifically mentioned in the tour program
• Tips for guides or baggage handlers
• Airport Taxes

Tour Itinerary

Day 1: – Depart USA to Cairo

Morning departure from USA on our flight to Cairo, Egypt

Day 2: – Cairo, Egypt

Welcome to Egypt! Arrival in Cairo where we’ll be met by our representative to assist us through security & customs and provide transfer to our hotel.  Evening introduction, orientation & Dinner (Meals: D)

Day 3: – Cairo

After breakfast we will have a full day to photograph the Pyramids and Great Sphinx. We’ll take a mid afternoon visit to the Egyptian Museum, the Citadel and the Khan El Khalili Bazaar.  In the evening we will have a Dinner Cruise on the Nile where we should have excellent sunset opportunities awaiting us.  Return to the Hotel and overnight.

(Meals: B, D)

Day 4: – Luxor

Today we will take an early flight to Luxor to explore and shoot the Valley of the Kings for the entire day and overnight. (Meals: B, D)

Day 5: -  Sinai

Take and early flight back to Cairo and then travel east towards Sinai, going through the tunnel under the Suez Canal.  We’ll drive along the west branch of the Red Sea where there will be some landscape opportunities.  We’ll visit Oasis of Paran (Faran), Mt. Sinai, and St. Catherine’s Monastery where we’ll enjoy some prime opportunities to capture classic shots of these historical locations. (Meals: B, D)

Day 6: – Sinai – Jordan

If you wish, climb Mt. Sinai in the early morning (3 am), renting a camel for assistance and fun for the first 2/3 of the way up to capture an awesome sunrise. After late breakfast we Visit St. Catherine’s Monastery which was constructed by the Roman Emperor Justinian (527 and 565 AD).   The Greek Orthodox church is the oldest continuously used church building in the world.  Leaving St. Catherine’s we drive to Nuweiba.  Take fast ferry to Aqaba, Jordan and check in at a Bedouin camp for the night.  This is an awesome opportunity to capture the classic candid of the Bedouin camp and the tribes people showing how they have lived for thousands of years.   (Meals: B, D)

Day 7: – Petra – Amman

We will rise early this morning and head to Wadi Rum to catch the beautiful sunrise.  We will then continue on into Petra and go by horseback or on foot to explore and photograph this breathtaking and ancient rose-colored rock city.  This afternoon we will travel up to the Jordan capital of Amman for dinner and our hotel for the night.  The night markets offer us continued street scene photography. (Meals: B, D)

Day 8: – Jordan – Israel – Jezreel Valley – Galilee

We will get an early start today and travel into Israel via the Sheik Hussein bridge and on to the site of Beth Shean.  This is an active archeological site that clearly shows the history of this ancient Roman city.  We’ll have plenty of time to compose images to express the history and meaning of this location.  We will continue on to Megiddo and the Valley of Armageddon, a great battle site where you can actually see city after city in layer after layer of building on top of each other.  Here too we’ll have plentiful opportunity to express history and civilization through our photography.  After lunch we’ll continue on to Nazareth to shoot the bustling street scenes and markets the city has become – once a sleepy village now bustling with markets, vendors and locals looking for deals.  Great street photography to be had here too!  We will then drive up to Mt Precipice for a panoramic view of the Jezreel Valley which will offer some vast landscapes of the greater region.  This evening we check into our rooms at the Kibbutz on the Sea of Galilee.  (Meals: B, D)

Day 9: – Galilee

We’ll start today by driving up into the Golan.  We then head down the mountain to the site of the Sermon on the Mount.  We will then visit St. Peter’s Primacy before traveling to the 2000 year old remains of Capernaum.  We will shoot Tabgha to see the ancient mosaic celebrating the Fish and Loaves miracle and then on to Ein Gev, where we will be served a traditional fish lunch. We then board a boat and ride across the Sea of Galilee.  Our last stop of the day will be at a traditional site on the Jordan River where we will photograph pilgrims from around the world performing baptisms.  (Meals: B, L, D)

Day 10:– Galilee – Dead Sea – Jerusalem

Following breakfast we will depart Galilee heading south along the Jordan border.  Our first stop will be Qumran, site of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and an ancient Essene community.  Then we head to Ein Gedi and visit caves where David is said to have composed several of the Psalms.  Then we will climb to the mighty fortress of Massada, the spectacular mountaintop fortress built by Herod, famous for being the last stronghold of the Jewish rebellion against the Romans.  We will end our day at the Dead Sea where we can take a swim or simply await a beautiful desert sunset. (Meals: B, D)

Day 11: Jerusalem

Following breakfast we will start our photography today with a visit to the Western Wall and the western wall tunnels to capture prayer time candids.  Continue to the Southern Steps that lead to the original Temple Mount, where Herod’s temple stood and now the Dome of the Rock stands.  We will travel through the Jewish Quarter, walking through some of the ancient city and photographing the shops and unique way that the ancient customs and lifestyles are maintained.  These are unique and awesome opportunities to capture candid shots of the local lifestyle.  After lunch we will visit the traditional site of Calvary, the Upper Room where it is believed the last supper was held and then travel the short distance to Peter in Gallicantu, site of Caiaphas the high priest’s house and see the dungeon that would hold the prisoners and the ancient steps that date back to Christ’s time.  (Meals: B, D)

Day 12: Jerusalem.

We begin our day a top of the Mount of Olives.  The vineyards of olive trees on the Mount of Olives date back to the time of Christ and offer some unique shooting opportunities. We’ll take the historic Palm Sunday road down to the Garden of Gethsemane.  We continue on to visit the Pool of Bethesda and the Sisters of Zion Church.  Continue to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher to end the day with some secluded shots of the Garden Tomb.  (Meals: B, D)

Day 13: Jerusalem

After Breakfast we start our day traveling into Bethlehem.  The busy streets and crowded shops at Manger Square provide more opportunity to capture candid street scenes.  At the Church of the Nativity we will enter Jerome’s cave (stable) to see where Jesus is said to have been born.  This afternoon we will have some free time in Jerusalem to finish our shopping and take in the last of the experience before we head back towards Tel Aviv for our farewell dinner and then back to the airport for our transatlantic flight back home. (Meals: B, D)

Day 14: USA

Arrive home with memories that will last a lifetime.