Itinerary

DAY 1 :  CAIRO: MEET & HOTEL TRANSFER
Today we arrive in Cairo, capital of Egypt and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth.  On arrival we are met and transferred to our hotel. Overnight Pyramisa Hotel

DAY 2 :  CAIRO: MUSEUM, PYRAMIDS, WISSA WASSEF
Following breakfast, we depart for the Egyptian Museum. Our guide escorts us through a collection documenting more than 4000 years of Egyptian history and daily life. During the visit we also explore the Mummy Room (included).  We then embark on a journey to the Pyramids of Giza. Of the 80 pyramid complexes in Egypt, the pyramids of Giza are the largest and most renowned. The Great Pyramid, built by King Khufu 4500 years ago is the last surviving wonder of the ancient world.  We also visit the adjacent Solar Boat Museum and the enigmatic Sphinx. Next on the agenda is a visit to the Ramses Wissa Wassef School of Art located in Harrania, close to the Pyramids. This little known school is a philanthropic organization that locates prodigy children in rural Egypt to offer them free education and board to develop their artistic talents. Overnight Pyramisa Hotel [B]

DAY 3 :  O/N TRAIN: TOUR CITADEL, KHAN EL-KHALILI
This morning we stow our packed bags in the hotel store room and depart to explore Medieval Cairo. Our first stop is the imposing Citadel, located at the heart of Old Cairo. Built by the fabled hero Salah ud Din, this mighty fortress has dominated the citys skyline for eight centuries, and encompasses the magnificent Mosque of Mohamed Ali.  Following free time to buy our own lunch, we plunge into Khan al-Khalili, the citys main bazaar and Africas largest market. The narrow, almost biblical alleyways are lined with silk and spice merchants, silver stalls, food, craftwork, painting and alabaster emporiums and shops of enticing merchandise. Returning to the hotel to collect our stored bags we transfer to the railway station to catch the Overnight Train to Aswan. The train is modern a Wagon Lits from France with 9 twin cabins per railway car. Each car has a steward who prepares and serves our meals. Each car also has two clean toilets. All cabins are A/C twin berth with lockable doors, a fold down top bunk and a fold down table. The bottom bunk doubles as a day time seat. All sheets, blankets and pillows are supplied and all beds are dropped down by the steward after diner. Evening meal and breakfast are served in the cabins, with a bar car available for drinks and snacks during the evening. PLEASE NOTE: We supplement the train supplied evening meal with a boxed meal supplied by our local agent prior to our boarding the train. Overnight Sleeper Train [BD]

    Note: FLYING TO LUXOR: If you prefer, we can arrange an evening flight rather than the overnight train. This will require a supplement for the extra hotel night in Luxor, and to cover the extra cost of airfare over and above the train. Details available on request.

DAY 4 :  LUXOR: KARNAK TEMPLE
On arrival at Luxor station we are met and transferred to our hotel. After some time to relax we depart on a guided tour of Karnak Temple. Karnak is a truly phenomenal place with its monuments built, quite literally, on the scale of the gods. Added to through many dynasties by zealous pharaohs competing to out-do each other in architectural gifts to their gods, Karnak developed into the worlds most dominant religious and political city, and remained so for a thousand years. It was to destroy the entrenched power base of the priests of Amun that Akhenaton moved the court away from Thebes to El Armarna a new capital he built near to present day El Minya, and changed the religion from Amun to Aten. In doing so, Akhenaton invented monotheism and became Atens only pope. Thus, Akhenaton set in motion a course of events that eventually led to his and his wifes murder, the restoration of the priests of Amun at Karnak, the puppet king Tut Ankh Amuns brief regency and murder by Ay, high priest of Amun. This led to Tut Ankh Amuns low key burial ceremony and the only royal tomb that has ever been discovered intact. After our tour, we return to the hotel. The remainder of the afternoon and evening is free to explore Luxor Temple, visit Luxor Museum, or just to wander the town and visit the market. Your guide is on hand to assist. Overnight Steigenburgers Hotel. [B]

     
DAY 5 :  LUXOR WEST BANK TOUR VALLEY OF KINGS & QUEENS, HATCHEPSUTS. EVENING SOUND & LIGHT SHOW
As the sun rises in the east, the East Bank of the Nile is associated with life and boasts an array of temples, gardens, and palaces. The sun sets in the west, so the West Bank is associated with death and is home to countless mortuary temples and tombs. Starting early, we cross to the West Bank and the land of the dead. Pausing first at the Colossi of Memnon, two monumental statues that once guarded the now lost funerary temple of Amenophis III, we continue to the magnificent royal tombs of The Valley of the Kings, each wall decorated with texts from the Book of the Dead. Here, we visit a number of tombs, including that of Tut Ankh Amun (King Tut). Our next destination is the terraced temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Dier al-Bahri, destroyed by her successor Tuthmosis III and painstakingly reconstructed by Polish archeologists. We then drive to the Valley of the Queens and view the Tombs of the Princes. Mid-afternoon, we return to the hotel and the remainder of the day is at leisure. In the evening we include a visit to Karnak Temples Sound and Light Show by calesh (horse drawn carriage). Overnight Steigenburgers Hotel [B]

DAY 6 :  ASWAN: DRIVE ASWAN VIA EDFU & KOM OMBO TEMPLE
Today we drive 210k / 130 miles along the east bank of the Nile to Aswan, through fertile fields and local villages. Our first stop is the Temple of Horus at Edfu. Begun in 237 BCE by Ptolemy III, the temple was finished 200 years later by Ptolemy XII (Cleopatras father). Edfu is in excellent condition and is, in effect, a Greek copy of an architectural style already ancient in Ptolemys day. Our next stop is Ptolemaic Kom Ombo, a unique construction of twin temples side by side, each architecturally mirroring the other. One is dedicated to Horus (and his brother Haroeris, the sky-god and god of healing), the other to Sobek the crocodile-god of the Nile. An interesting frieze illustrates a large array of surgical instruments from the Ptolemaic (Greek) period and details the medical techniques of child birthing at about the same time Cleopatra and Marc Anthony were defeated at the battle of Actium in Greece. Continuing our journey, we arrive in Aswan late afternoon and check into our hotel. Overnight Isis Island Resort [B]

DAY 7 :  ASWAN BY CAMEL
This morning we embark on a motor boat crossing to a Nubian village on the west bank where we meet a Nubian family and share an informal breakfast with them. We then mount our camels for the short ride to the 12th Dynasty Nobles Tombs then ride into the desert to visit the Coptic St. Simeons Monastery (circa 6th c CE). Our final camel ride is down to the Nile, where we ere-embark on our motor boat for the journey back to the East Bank. En route we stop at Kitcheners Island for an early boxed picnic lunch (included). The Island was named after the British Field Marshal, Lord Kitchener who stayed here during his unsuccessful attempt to relieve General Gordon, besieged in Khartoum by the Maghdi. After lunch, we cross back to the East Bank and board our vehicle. Driving past the High Dam and Low Dam, we take the 15-minute ferry ride on Lake Nasser to Philae Temple, perhaps the most memorable approach to any of Egypts monuments. In 1977 during the construction of the Aswan High Dam, Philae was destined to disappear forever beneath the waters of the soon-to-be-created Lake Nasser. The temple was saved by UNESCO building a coffer dam and pumping out the water. Philae was carefully dismantled; every block assigned a number and its position noted. A nearby island called Agilkai was modified to resemble Philae Island and the temple was reassembled in exact replica. In 1980 Philae once again opened to the public. Today, Philae is one of the highlights of any visit to Aswan, and its lake location allows for some great photography. We return to Aswan late afternoon. Overnight Isis Island Resort [BL]

DAY 8 :  FLY CAIRO: OPTIONAL VISIT ABU SIMBEL
This morning we offer an optional tour to Ramses IIs temples of Abu Simbel. Also threatened by the construction of the High Dam, Abu Simbel was cut into blocks and reassembled on the side of a totally man-made hill 200 feet above its original location. This massive effort, also instigated by UNESCO, is almost as phenomenal an achievement as the original construction.  We visit the Great Temple and the smaller Temple of Hathor built in honor of Ramses favorite wife, Queen Nefartari. Following our visit, we return to the airport for our flight back to Aswan. Those who choose not to take this tour have the morning at leisure to wander Aswans charming souk. Later we fly to Cairo. On arrival we are met and transferred to our hotel. Overnight Pyramisa Hotel [B]

DAY 9 :  DEPARTURE
Transfer to the airport. Services end. [B]

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