4-night post-extension - $2,199 per person
Day 1
After breakfast at your Cairo hotel, we take you to the airport for your morning flight to Amman, Jordan. Transfer to Petra, having lunch on the way and stopping at the ancient town of Madaba, Mt. Nebo (where tradition tells us Moses was buried), and the ruins of the Crusader-era Kerak and Shobak Castles. Upon arrival in Petra, check in to your hotel and enjoy dinner there. (L, D)
Day 2
This morning you have a half-day tour of Petra, carved by the Nabateans into the rose-red Sharah Mountains. Walk through the Siq, a narrow fissure between cliffs, to visit Al Khazneh (the Treasury), the Roman amphitheater cut into the hillside, the Monastery and other monuments. Return to your hotel in the evening. (B)
Day 3
Relax over breakfast this morning or take an optional visit to the dramatic landscape of Wadi Rum, where Lawrence of Arabia and other movies were filmed. Proceed to the newly opened Dead Sea Museum to learn about the area’s geological and cultural history. Check in to your first-class hotel for a one-night stay; you may choose to take a dip in the Dead Sea to experience the water’s high salt concentration. Have dinner and an evening at leisure. (B, D)
Day 4
After breakfast, check out of your hotel and travel to Jerash, an ethnically diverse city featuring extensive Greek and Roman ruins. Continue to Amman and check in to the first-class Landmark Amman Hotel (or similar), then enjoy a city tour and lunch. Take the afternoon at leisure to explore Jordan’s capital city on your own. Enjoy the city’s liberal culture, thriving art scene and many beautiful churches and mosques. (B, L)
Day 5
This morning, take free time to explore more of Amman on your own. If time permits, visit the National Gallery of Fine Arts or the Royal Automobile Museum, or shop in one of the city’s colorful souks. If you have a late flight, you can request a late check-out, which may be provided if available. Otherwise you may check your bags at the hotel while you see the sights. Proceed to the Queen Alia Airport in Amman for your journey back home.* (B)
The following meals are included:
B = Breakfast; L = Lunch; D = Dinner
*For 2012, transfers are not included. Let us know if you would like help arranging your airport transfers. For 2013, airport transfers are included if Viking air offer is purchased and flight arrival or departure date coincides with cruise/tour start or finish date only.