Egypt, the Sinai, Saudi Arabia and Jordan
Thirteen days following the Exodus from Egypt and Goshen, across the Sinai to the land of Midian, and on to Petra and Mount Nebo, where Moses saw the Promised Land.
Churches traveling with us now. Each group travels on its own dates and its own version of the route.
We begin in Cairo and the land of Goshen, cross the Sinai to the traditional Mount Sinai, and take the ferry to Aqaba. From Tabuk in Saudi Arabia we spend three days in the land of Midian, then cross into Jordan for Petra and Mount Nebo.
From Cairo through Goshen and across the Sinai, then from Aqaba to Tabuk, Jabal Maqla and back into Jordan for Petra and Mount Nebo.
From Tabuk to Al Bad and the oasis of Tayyib al-Ism.
From Taba across the Gulf of Aqaba to Jordan.
Three nights in Cairo, one in Ismailia, one near Mount Sinai, three in Tabuk, one in Aqaba, one near Petra and, if the flight requires, one in Amman.
Days 2 to 5
The pyramids, Old Cairo, and the land of Goshen where the Hebrews lived.
Cairo, Giza, Sakkara, Tanis
Days 6 & 7
Across the peninsula, a dawn climb of the traditional Mount Sinai, and the ferry to Aqaba.
Mount Sinai, Taba, Aqaba
Days 8 to 10
Three days from Tabuk at the sites some link to Moses, Jethro and the Exodus.
Al Bad, Split Rock, Jabal Maqla
Days 11 & 12
The rose-red city, the Madaba map, and the view Moses saw of the Promised Land.
Petra, Madaba, Mount Nebo
The sites on our standard thirteen-day route, with the passages your group will read there.
Thirteen days, day by day. Every group’s version is built around its own dates, its own pace and the places that matter most to its people.
Visas. U.S. citizens need visas for Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. The Egyptian and Jordanian visas are included, and each traveler applies online for the Saudi visa before the trip.
Days 1 to 5
Day 1
Our journey begins as we depart the United States for our overnight flight to Egypt.
Day 2
We arrive in Cairo, where our guide and driver meet the group, and transfer to our hotel.
Dinner and overnight in Cairo for three nights.
Day 3
We visit the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx on the Giza plateau, then the Grand Egyptian Museum, the largest museum in the world given to a single civilization.
Dinner and overnight in Cairo.
Day 4
We see the Step Pyramid of Sakkara, the first pyramid ever built, then the churches of Old Cairo, including Abu Serga, where tradition says the Holy Family stayed, and the Hanging Church. At the Ben Ezra Synagogue we see the place where tradition says the infant Moses was found among the reeds of the Nile (Exodus 2:5).
Dinner and overnight in Cairo.
Day 5
We drive into the region of Goshen, where the Hebrews lived until the Exodus, and visit Tanis, possibly the biblical city of Zoan, where Moses may have stood before Pharaoh (Psalm 78:12).
Dinner and overnight in Ismailia.
Days 6 to 10
Day 6
We cross the Suez Canal and drive across the Sinai Peninsula toward the traditional Mount Sinai, roughly along the route the Israelites may have taken.
Dinner and overnight near Mount Sinai.
Day 7
We climb the traditional Mount Sinai in the dark to watch the sun rise from the top, then come down for breakfast. We drive to Taba, take the ferry across the Gulf of Aqaba to Jordan, and continue to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia.
Dinner and overnight in Tabuk for three nights.
Day 8
By 4×4 we go to Al Bad, in the land of Midian, to see the tombs known as Jethro’s Caves and the well where tradition says Moses met Zipporah (Exodus 2:15). In the afternoon we visit Tayyib al-Ism, an oasis of palms and springs that some identify as Elim (Exodus 15:27).
Lunch, dinner and overnight in Tabuk.
Day 9
We go out to the Split Rock, the great rock some identify as the one Moses struck at Horeb when water poured out for the people (Exodus 17:6).
Lunch, dinner and overnight in Tabuk.
Day 10
At Jabal Maqla, a proposed site of Mount Sinai, we see the altar at its foot (Exodus 24:4) and the rock carvings of cattle linked by some to the golden calf (Exodus 32:4). We then cross into Jordan at the Durra border.
Lunch, dinner and overnight in Aqaba.
Days 11 to 13
Day 11
We walk through the Siq to the Treasury at Petra, the rose-red city of the Nabateans, and on to the Roman theater, the royal tombs and the Byzantine church.
Dinner and overnight near Petra.
Day 12
In Madaba we see the sixth-century mosaic map of the Holy Land, then stand on Mount Nebo, where Moses looked out over the Promised Land he would not enter (Deuteronomy 34:1).
Your flight home may leave late tonight. If not, dinner and overnight in Amman.
Day 13
We transfer to the airport for the flight home.
Tell us the window you have in mind and we will build the itinerary around it: the time you have, and the places that matter most to your people.
Every inclusion can be tailored to your group.
Not included unless added to your package: the Saudi visa, travel insurance, drinks at meals, tips for guides and drivers, and personal expenses.
Our group leader support team guides you every step of the way, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm Eastern, at (877) 234-3002 or groups@christianexpedition.com.
Our 24/7 travel emergency team is there for travelers who are abroad and facing a travel-related emergency, at (877) 234-3002 ext. 9.
Start from our standard route, add a Nile cruise at the start or Jerusalem at the end, and we shape the days, the pace and the sites around your people.
“Our church has absolutely enjoyed every aspect of planning travel with Christian Expedition! Their team makes the process of taking our church to see incredible locations from the Bible easy and stress free!”
Pastor Josh LuechtCalvary Chapel Palm City
“Trey and his team have done a fabulous job organizing, managing and overseeing our trips to Israel and Greece.”
Pastor Jim GallagherSenior Pastor, Calvary Chapel Vero Beach
Yes. U.S. citizens need visas for Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. The Egyptian and Jordanian visas are included and arranged for the group. Each traveler applies for the Saudi visa online before the trip, and we walk you through it. Passports must be valid for at least six months. Passport and entry requirements remain the responsibility of each traveler.
There are two leading candidates, and this route visits both: the traditional Mount Sinai in the Sinai Peninsula, which the group climbs before dawn, and Jabal Maqla and Jabal al-Lawz in northwest Saudi Arabia, which some identify as the mountain in the land of Midian. Your group sees the evidence for each and can weigh it for themselves.
The climb starts in the dark and takes about two and a half to three hours to the top, mostly on a camel path, with steep stone steps near the summit. Camels can be hired for most of the way up, and anyone who would rather not climb can rest at the hotel and meet the group for breakfast.
Yes. Some groups begin with a three-night Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor, with Edfu, Kom Ombo, the Valley of the Kings and Karnak, then join the main route in Cairo.
Yes. Every expedition is built for one group, on that group’s dates. The thirteen-day route on this page is our standard, and groups often add the Nile cruise or a day in Jerusalem at the end.
The Saudi visa, travel insurance, drinks at meals, tips for guides and drivers, and personal expenses. Anything not listed as included can be quoted for your group on request.
Tell us about your group and we will be in touch.