A fifteen day, fourteen night tour spotlighting the cities of Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, and Alexandria, including a four night cruise from Luxor to Aswan. Departure days are Saturday and Wednesday.
ITINERARY
DAY 1
Guests are transferred from Cairo airport to their hotel. We will give you the opportunity to rest from your long journey to Egypt, and soak up the local atmosphere.
We will have a welcome dinner for our guests.
DAY 2
Memphis, Saqqara & Dashur
We will depart the hotel at 8am for Memphis, the former capital of Egypt. Our first stop is the Memphis Museum, (where you will find the infamous colossal reclining statue of Ramses II and the alabaster sphinx). We then continue to Saqqara, the site of the Step Pyramid, the Pyramid of Titi, the Serapeum, and the Mastabas of Ti & Mereruka– not to mention, the recently reopened Pyramid of Unas!
After lunch we will proceed to Dashur where we will see the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid.
DAY 3
Travel to Karnak, Luxor, and The Luxor Temple
We will depart our hotel early in the morning to catch our flight to Luxor in Upper Egypt. Once there, we will check into our cruise ship for our five night journey down the Nile.
In the afternoon, we will visit Karnak Temple complex, which encompasses a vast mix of ruined temples, chapels, pylons, and other buildings. Construction of temples started in the Middle Kingdom and continued through to Ptolemaic times, with many famous pharaohs contributing to this architectural marvel through the ages. Karnak is the second largest ancient religious temple in the world, spanning across over 100 hectares.
We will return to Luxor before dusk, and marvel at the beautiful colossal statues of Ramesses II (along with other statues of great rulers– such as Tutankhamen– and some beautiful intact pillars.
Overnight stay in Luxor.
DAY 4
Hatshepsut’s temple, and Valley of the Kings
We will begin our day by visiting three famous tombs in the Valley of the Kings, which was the burial place for pharaohs and other powerful rulers in ancient times for a period of nearly 500 years (16th to 11th century BCE). The admission ticket allows entry into three of the 63 tombs, but an additional ticket can be purchased for King Tutankhamen’s tombs.
We will also visit Hatshepsut’s temple, where our guide will tell you about an interesting time in Egyptian history, and about antiquity’s infamous female pharaoh.
Our cruise will depart Luxor for Edfu.
DAY 5
Edfu temple and Kom Ombo
After breakfast, we will take a horse carriage to Edfu Temple, which is considered to be one of the best preserved temples in Egypt. Edfu Temple is dedicated to the god Horus, and features stunningly intact battle scene art, pillars, pylons, and ritual chambers.
After our visit to Edfu, we will set sail for Kom Ombo. The afternoon will be free for our guests to enjoy the scenic Nile and the amenities on the cruise ship.
We will arrive in Kom Ombo before sunset and walk to this beautiful temple along the banks of the Nile. The setting sun makes the temple and its pillars glow in the late sun, making it the best time to visit. We will also visit the Crocodile Museum and see some mummified crocodiles that were found at the temple.
We will sail overnight to Aswan.
DAY 6
Aswan, the Temple of Philae, Kalabsha temple and the unfinished Obelisk
Our morning starts with a short trip on a felucca to the temple of Philae, located on an island in Lake Nasser. This temple is dedicated to the goddess Isis, and is a beautiful temple in picturesque surroundings.
We will return to the cruise ship for lunch, then visit the Temple of Kalabsha, a temple dedicated to Mandulis, a lower Nubian sun god.
The final stop of our day will be visiting the Aswan quarry where you will find the Unfinished Obelisk. The Aswan quarry was used to excavate red, grey and black granite to construct ancient monuments and statues across Egypt. At this stop you can get up close and see the largest (albeit unfinished) obelisk that was ever unearthed.
Overnight in Aswan.
DAY 7
Abu Simbel
We leave for iconic Abu Simbel at 4 AM to join the convoy of tourist buses on the 300km journey south.
Abu Simbel has two temples; one for Ramses II, and one for his beautiful wife Nefertari. These two temples were originally carved out of the mountain side during the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses II in the 13th century BC, but after the construction of the Aswan dam in the 1960s, the monument was moved to its current location. It is a lasting monument to Ramses II and Queen Nefertari, to commemorate his victory at the Battle of Kadesh.
We will return to Aswan for lunch, then head to the airport for our afternoon flight back to Cairo.
DAY 8
National Museum of Civilisation & Cairo Tower
Our day will start a bit later today in order to give you the opportunity to rest after several days of early mornings!
After breakfast, we will visit The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, which houses an impressive collection of over 50,000 artifacts. As it has been only partially opened (as of February 2017), it has been seldom visited by tourists on other tours.
After lunch, we will visit the Cairo Tower, offering the best panoramic view of Cairo! This example of stylish mid-century architecture is the tallest structure in Egypt, and is located in Gezira Island (an affluent area originally inhabited by British colonies).
DAY 9
Pyramids of the Giza Plateau, the Sphinx & the Valley Temple
We have a very early start to the day, as we depart the hotel for the Giza Plateau for a very special treat– special, off-hours access to watch the sunrise by the pyramids! Our morning will be spent at the famous Giza Plateau, where the last of the seven wonders of the ancient world still stand. Guests will have the opportunity to take some breathtaking photos of the three Great Pyramids, the Sphinx, and the Valley Temple, while our guide explains the history of this ancient and mysterious site.
Guests will also have the opportunity to go inside the Great Pyramid, the Pyramid of Menkaure, as well as the Solar Boat Museum. Entrance to these three areas are at an additional cost.
After lunch we will visit a Papyrus shop where they will demonstrate how papyrus has been made for over 5000 years.
The rest of the afternoon will be free, with a range of activities available at an additional cost.
DAY 10
The Citadel, Sultan Hussan, Refai Mosques & the Egyptian Museum
We begin the morning by visiting the Citadel and the Mosque of Muhammed Ali. The Citadel sits high above Cairo with a beautiful view of the city. We will then continue to the Sultan Hussan and Refai Mosques, which are an architectural marvel.
After lunch we will visit The Egyptian Museum, where our guide will walk you through the halls, explaining some of the 160,000 objects that are housed there, which encompass 5,000 years of Egypt’s history.
Guests will have the opportunity to visit the mummy exhibit at their own cost. Photography within the museum is allowed, though guests will need to purchase their own tickets for photography.
DAY 11
Old Cairo, the Coptic Museum & Khan El Khalili
We begin our day by visiting Old Cairo, which was established in 969 C.E. We will visit the Hanging Church, the Coptic Museum (which houses the largest collection of early Christian artifacts), the Church of Abu Serga, and Amr Mosque.
After lunch we will visit Khan El Khalili Bazaar, an ancient marketplace with narrow,twisting passages lined with tiny shops, where you can witness craftspeople practicing skills that have been passed down the generations.
In the evening we will invite our guests on a felucca ride down the Nile to introduce you to our Egyptian culture, with a traditional dinner featuring a belly dancer and an Egyptian folk dancer.
DAY 12
Day trip to Alexandria
We depart early in the morning for Alexandria, a city on the Mediterranean coast. It is famous for being founded by Alexander the Great in 333 BCE, and is very unique to any other in Egypt.
In Alexandria we will visit the Catacombs, Pompey’s Pillar, the Roman Amphitheatre and the famous Alexandria Library. We will also visit the Alexandria Citadel, which sits on the coastline.
We will return to Cairo in the evening, stopping for dinner along the way.
DAY 13
Fayoum Oasis, Valley of Whales, Lake Karoun & the Pyramid of Hawara & Meidum
Our journey today takes us two hours outside of Cairo to the picturesque Fayoum Oasis, the Valley of the Whales, and Lake Karoun. We will have some time at each of our stops to enjoy the beautiful scenery
After lunch we will visit the Hawara Pyramid and the Meidum Pyramid, unique structures built at the end of the third dynasty. There are also some mud brick mastabas next to the pyramids which we will have the opportunity to visit.
DAY 14
Tanis
Our day will begin with a visit to Tanis; the Thebes of Lower Egypt, the northern capital of Egypt, which was the capital of the 21st and 22nd dynasties (1069-716 BCE). Though the city of Tanis is relatively unknown (and rarely visited by tourists), this ancient city was where some of Egypt’s most amazing treasures (from prehistoric fossils to ancient artifacts) were found.
We will head back to Cairo for lunch, and the rest of the afternoon will be free for you to pack or rest before your trip home.
We will have a farewell dinner in the evening, to reflect on our journey and bid our guests adieu.
DAY 15
Guests depart
After we say goodbye to you, you will then be transferred to the airport for your departure.
