February 15-March 8 2024
Many of you have been waiting to hear the details on the Holy Land tour, planned for 2024.
A truly extraordinary travel experience awaits us in Egypt, Jordan and Israel, set for February 15 - March 8, 2024. My travel partner, Ric Rodman, and I have been busily working in conjunction with our travel associates in Egypt, Jordan and Israel to put together a trip of a lifetime.
It all begins with your flight to Cairo, Egypt, to join AmaWaterways, and their exclusive luxury 7-night cruise of the Nile aboard the AmaDahlia cruise ship. Ama Waterways is a Germany-operated river cruise company catering primarily to seasoned U.S., Canadian and UK travelers. They offer top-of-the-line service aboard immaculate ships throughout the world.
The AmaDahlia provides an intimate setting of only 36 staterooms, with a maximum of 72 passengers. The staterooms are exquisite, and there are a variety of levels to choose from, including the popular French balcony stateroom. Keep this in mind when planning, as the room reservations are “first come, first served” and vary in price, starting from $5649 for a Category E stateroom (see attached deck plan for more information). As a note, there are only 4 Category E staterooms onboard, and these are ideal for our single passengers, like me, or for those who are particularly budget-conscious. The AmaDahlia provides delicious cuisine (all meals during the 7-night cruise), including the Chef’s Al Fresco Restaurant, a heated sun-deck swimming pool, and regionally inspired entertainment. We will depart our luxury floating hotel each day to explore Egypt’s treasures, without having to transfer luggage from location to location.
The exciting daily itinerary while in Egypt includes the new Cairo Museum, the Great Sphinx, the Three Pyramids of Giza, the Temples of Luxor and Karnak, and many more historic sites! This part of our trip, includes 7 nights aboard the AmaDahlia, and 4 nights in a Cairo hotel. A full daily itinerary follows below.
As we complete our tour of Egypt, we fly to Amman, Jordan, to explore its wonders, including the awe-inspiring Petra, where we will travel by horse, carriage, or camel to explore the ancient city of the Nabateans carved into the red cliffs. Be your own Indiana Jones, and explore the Treasury, the Urn Tomb, and the Monastery.
From Petra, we travel to Israel, via Eilat, near the Dead Sea. You’ll discover why those who visit Israel long to return again and again. Jerusalem, the holy city, sacred to many cultures and religions, shines like the golden Dome of the Rock on the top of Temple Mount. We will sail on the Sea of Galilee, visit the Garden Tomb, the BYU Jerusalem Center, spend time at the Orson Hyde Memorial Garden, Masada, and Yad Vashem (and much more). See the attached itinerary for more details.
The cost of the full three-week trip starts at $11,644, including your entry into the various sites, most of the meals, and amenities. The starting cost is variable, based on the stateroom you choose on the beautiful AmaDahlia; $11,644 is representative of the Category E stateroom. Airfare is not included, as so many of you request using your own miles, but is currently running $1981 economy airfare from Seattle to Cairo, then Cairo to Amman, and the flight back to Seattle from Tel Aviv. Two items not currently included are the intra-Egypt (round trip Cairo/Luxor air, estimated to be about $300, and an optional tour to Abu Simbel by air [$370 per person based on 2023 rate], and a visa for Egypt.
If we make our deposits now, we are able to lock in the 2023 rate on our Egypt portion, before AmaWaterways opens the cruise to the public in just a few weeks (mid June).
Please note that I am capping our number of guests at 24, and have received numerous requests to be included in this exciting tour. Our small groups provide so much more opportunity for discussion and comfort. I loathe big buses and people feeling like they are cattle being herded. My tours are distinctive for this intimate-touch, even one-on-one experience.
Because I limit the number of guests, you will want to act quickly. I realize that this may be a challenge for those who are also accompanying me on the Great Britain for History Lovers Tour. There has been tremendous excitement and activity for both tours that require deposits well in advance in order to ensure our beautiful accommodations. The Covid pandemic produced a great desire to travel, and record numbers of people are making reservations years in advance.
Included in your tour will be my own fireside-classes offered via zoom before we go. Those who have traveled with me to the Holy Land previously found these discussion-based firesides to be very helpful in understanding how the thousands of years of history fit. I will also be your instructor (along with our native guides) as we travel, to help you make connections to what we are seeing and their relevance to the scriptures.
There is so much more to share, and Ric and I are eager to answer your questions. Please note that we need to get our deposits in within the next few weeks in order to reserve the staterooms, and to ensure the 2023 pricing.
The itinerary for the Jordan and Israel portion of the trip are attached, thelink for AmaWaterways will entice you for the Egypt portion.
Please contact my travel associate, Ric Rodman at Stellar Travel for additional information on pricing, deposits, etc.
425.586.4503
Daily Itinerary:
Thursday, February 15 — Depart for Cairo, Egypt
Friday, February 16 — Arrive Cairo • Hotel Check In
Saturday, February 17 — Cairo
• Egyptian Museum and King Tut’s Treasures
• Alabaster Mosque
• Lunch at the Studio Misr Restaurant in Al-Azhar Park • Evening Welcome Reception with Tapas and Drinks
Sunday, February 18 — Cairo
• Pyramids of Ancient Memphis
Monday, February 19 — Flight to Luxor • Embark the AmaDahlia
• Luxor Temple Visit
Tuesday, February 20 — Luxor
• The Valley of the Kings and Queens, with Exclusive Access to the Tomb of Queen
Nefertari
Wednesday, February 21 — Edfu • Temple of Horus
Thursday, February 22 — Aswan
• Nubian Village Visit and Philae Temple
• Felucca Ride around Elephantine Island
Friday, February 23 — Aswan, Kom Ombo
• Free Morning — OR — Abu Simbel Excursion (Optional Excursion — Well worth it!!) • Great Temple of Kom Ombo
• Traditional Galabeya Evening
Saturday, February 24 — Luxor • Scenic Cruising
• Karnak Temple Visit
• Art of Papyrus Making
Sunday, February 25 — Qena • Temple of Hathor
• Cruise back to Luxor
Monday, February 26 — Luxor, Cairo
• Disembark AmaDahlia
• Flight to Cairo
• Exclusive Abdeen Palace Private Tour and Lunch • Old City of Cairo Tour
Tuesday, February 27 — Flight to Amman, Jordan • Land Queen Alia International Airport
• Bethany-Beyond-Jordan
• Mount Nebo
• Madaba
• Overnight in Movenpick Resort, Petra, Jordan
Wednesday, February 28 — Petra, Eilat, Israel • Explore Petra
• Cross Arava Border to Israel
• Overnight Dan Hotel, Eilat
Thursday, February 29 — Eilat, Jerusalem • Timna Park
• Masada
• Lunch and Swim — Herods, Dead Sea
• Road to Jerusalem (pass Qumran)
• Overnight Herbert Samuel Hotel, Jerusalem
Friday, March 1 — “Heavenly and Earthly Jerusalem” • Mount of Olives
• Orson Hyde Memorial Garden
• City of David
• Western Wall
• Private Escorted Visit to Bethlehem
• Overnight Herbert Samuel Hotel, Jerusalem
Saturday, March 2 — “Layers of Jerusalem” • Via Dolorosa
• The Cardo
• The Garden Tomb
• Tower of David Museum — Sound and Light Show • Overnight Herbert Samuel Hotel, Jerusalem
Sunday, March 3 — “Memory and Renewal” • Western Wall Tunnels
• Jerusalem — New City Drive
• The Israel Museum
• Yad Vashem
• Visit to BYU Jerusalem Center
• Overnight Herbert Samuel Hotel, Jerusalem
Monday, March 4 — Magdala, Sea of Galilee • Jordan Valley- Drive Through
• Beit Shean National Park
• Nazareth
• Mount Precipice
• Cana
• Overnight Magdala, Sea of Galilee
Tuesday, March 5 — “Along the Mediterranean Coast” • Magdala
• Sites around the Sea of Galilee
• Boat Ride on the Sea of Galilee
• Overnight Magdala, Sea of Galilee
Wednesday, March 6 — “Along the Mediterranean Coast”
• Border Briefing and Meeting with IDF Soldiers in the North • Banias Nature Reserve
• Mount Bental
• Kibbutz Ortal Tour
• Beit Saida National Park
• Overnight Magdala, Sea of Galilee
Thursday, March 7 — “Along the Mediterranean Coast”
• Mount Tabor
• Tel Megiddo National Park
• Mount Carmel — Muhraka
• Caesarea
• Joffa (Joppa)
• Overnight Opera Tel Aviv by Herbert Samuel
Friday, March 8 — Depart Tel Aviv for Home