Visions of white-robed sheiks, camel caravans, pharaohs, and desert sunsets come to life on this 13-day adventure as you explore Arabia by both land and sea. UNESCO sites, biblical sites, Hollywood sets, underwater screensavers… you’ll find them all here. Discover the incredible sandstone cities of Petra and Hegra, built by mysterious desert nomads 300 years before Christ -- breathtakingly beautiful with their enormous pink facades. Spend two days in Luxor, home to Egypt’s Valley of the Kings with its hundreds of magnificent tombs and temples, King Tut’s among them. Trace the real Lawrence of Arabia from his Arab Revolt victory at Aqaba Castle to Wadi Rum, whose spectacular landscapes formed the backdrop for the movie. Ride a camel across the dunes. Float in the healing waters of the Dead Sea, so salty you can not sink. And dive into the crystal clear Red Sea where colorful coral reefs and more than a thousand species of fish dazzle you with their brilliance.

Jeddah is considered the commercial center of Saudi Arabia with a vibrant blend of modernity and history. Enjoy the modern landmarks of the city, stroll along the waterfront corniche, admire the world’s tallest fountain and walk the streets of Al Balad, Jeddah’s UNESCO World Heritage Site, a Hijazi-style old town.
 

Over 2,500 years ago, Yanbu was the staging point on the incense and spices trading route from Yemen to Egypt to the Mediterranean. It is also the gateway to Alulu with its red-sand desert landscapes, Nabatean monuments like UNESCO site Hegra, and is considered the SCUBA capital of Saudi Arabia with its beautiful Red Sea coastline.

Located on the Egyptian side of the Red Sea, the city of Safaga is a charming beach resort and gateway to Luxor – known as the “world’s greatest open air museum”. Luxor is home to the Valley of the Kings, and features one of the most impressive collections of temples and tombs in the world. Windstar offers a two-day excursion to the land of the pharaohs.

Located on the Egyptian side of the Red Sea, the city of Safaga is a charming beach resort and gateway to Luxor – known as the “world’s greatest open air museum”. Luxor is home to the Valley of the Kings, and features one of the most impressive collections of temples and tombs in the world. Windstar offers a two-day excursion to the land of the pharaohs.

This classic Red Sea resort glitters like you would expect a “sheik’s peninsula” to glitter, from the shiny brass lamps in the Old Town souk to the sleek private yachts that try (but fail) to eclipse our all-suite Star Plus yacht. Watersports are big here and the snorkeling is outstanding. For many, though, the main attraction is a humble bush at St. Catherine Monastery, located on the spot where Moses was said to have received the Ten Commandments.

This classic Red Sea resort glitters like you would expect a “sheik’s peninsula” to glitter, from the shiny brass lamps in the Old Town souk to the sleek private yachts that try (but fail) to eclipse our all-suite Star Plus yacht. Watersports are big here and the snorkeling is outstanding. For many, though, the main attraction is a humble bush at St. Catherine Monastery, located on the spot where Moses was said to have received the Ten Commandments.

Known as a place where people come to unwind, Ain Sokhna’s name means “Hot Springs” and refers to the nearby springs considered to have healing powers. Nearby are Egypt’s oldest monasteries, St. Anthony and St. Paul, and the Suez Canal. The soft sandy shores and transparent beauty of the Red Sea here make Ain Sokhna a diver’s paradise and other water sports are also popular here.

Your choices here are a symphony of contrasts. Take a thrilling 4x4 ride across undulating desert dunes. Go snorkeling or diving in some of the finest underwater gardens in the world. Or . . . how about a submarine adventure under the Red Sea. This beautiful oasis by the sea has it all.

Jordan’s only port and considered the playground for the rich and famous of the Middle East with its vast beautiful beaches, opulent resorts, and lively nightlife. Aqaba is also the gateway to Petra, that legendary UNESCO city carved into the cliffs of the desert where ornate buildings form a city which once was a trading center of the world. There is nothing like emerging from a narrow gorge to see the towering pink façade of the famous Treasury.

Disembarkation from your Windstar yacht and depart on an hour-long ride to Wadi Rum. Upon arrival start your. Bedouin jeep tour in the Wadi Rum desert with your English-speaking guide. Be part of the local Bedouin experience exploring the desert in their 4x4 safari-like pick-up jeeps, discover clues from antiquity carved on the mountains and the fallen boulder, vestiges of human activity over several thousand years. Continue on to Petra. Check in and overnight at the Movenpick Hotel in Petra or similar.
 
(Includes transfer from yacht and overnight at Movenpick Petra Hotel or similar)

After breakfast, visit the Red Rose City of Petra. The giant red mountains and vast mausoleums of a departed race is one of the greatest wonders ever wrought by nature and man. Entrance to the city is through the Siq, a narrow gorge, over half a mile in length, which is flanked on either side by soaring, 262-foot-high high cliffs. Catch your first glimpse of Al-Khazneh (Treasury), the first of the many wonders that make up Petra. Here also is a massive Nabataean-built, Roman-style theatre, which could seat 3,000 people. There are obelisks, temples, sacrificial altars and colonnaded streets, and high above, overlooking the valley, is the impressive Ad-Deir Monastery – a flight of 800 rock cut steps takes you there. Depart for the Dead Sea and overnight at the Movenpick Dead Sea Hotel.

(Includes breakfast, lunch and overnight at Dead Sea Movenpick Hotel)

After breakfast at the hotel, depart for a tour to visit Madaba and Mount Nebo, the highest mountain in the Moabit Range which has been a center for pilgrimages since earliest Christian times and the place where Moses was buried. Then on to Madaba and St. George’s Church  which has some of the finest Byzantine mosaics in the world including the famous 6th century mosaic Map of Palestine. After that, drive  down to the lowest point on Earth, the Dead Sea 1,312 feet (400 meters) below sea level. Enjoy the Dead Sea beach and pool with a chance to try and swim in the buoyant waters or cover yourself in mud said to restore your health and beauty. Dinner overnight at a Dead Sea hotel.
 
(Includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and overnight at Dead Sea Movenpick Hotel)

Breakfast at the hotel and check-out; check-out time is at noon. Transfer to Queen Alia Amman Airport according to your flight schedule. No tour components visited this day, so flights can be booked home at any time.

(Includes breakfast and transfer to Amman Airport)