Travel to Egypt: Great Sites of Egypt Land

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Great Sites of Egypt Land

			DAYS: 9 GRADE: I define PRICE: From $1995 per person (Includes Local Air) HIGHLIGHTS: Cairo Pyramids Egyptian Museum Luxor Valley of Kings Hatchepsut's Temple Karnak Temple Kom Ombo Edfu Aswan Abu Simbel Camel Trek Breakfast with Nubian family ACCOMMODATIONS: Hotels/Lodges MEALS: As noted  [B-Breakfast, L-Lunch,   D-Dinner] SEASON: Year-round Prices, Departure Dates and Included Services Send to a Friend Print this Itinerary

Delve into the secrets of Ancient Egypt, exploring temples, cities, monuments, and cemeteries with a knowledgeable Egyptologist guide. The canvas of Egyptian history is vast. Forty-eight continuous centuries of heroism, tragedy, pragmatism and inspiration have refined Egyptian culture. Along this extraordinary evolutionary path, monotheism was devised by Akhenaton and, to justify her becoming Pharaoh, Queen Hatchepsut claimed her mother mated with Amun Ra and the first instance of immaculate conception entered the history books. Even our own Gregorian calendar is Pharaonic in origin. But there is more to Egypt than its unmatchable history, and Egypt is certainly more than simply a museum of historical artifacts. Our adventure starts in the modern heart of Egypt, at Cairo. Present day Cairo and Egypt have a very much vital, vibrant culture and are a strong presence in our contemporary world. As you explore the sites of ancient Egypt, from the Great Pyramids to the Valleys of the Kings and Queens, from the temples of Edfu, Esna and Karnak to the Citadel of Saladin, you will come to find that modern Egypt has a history all its own to discover. The sites, sounds and smells of today mingle with the nation's deep and mysterious past to remind us that Egypt, the Cradle of Civilization, continues to evolve and to enrich the lives of those who are fortunate enough to land upon its ancient shores.

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 at the Cairo Shepheard's Hotel. (NOTE: upgrade to 5 star Marriott available. See pricing below)

DAY 2 :  FULL DAY TOUR: MUSEUM, PYRAMIDS, WISSA WASSEF
Following breakfast, we depart for the Egyptian Museum in which we also visit the Mummy Room (included). Our guide will escort us through a collection documenting more than 4000 years of Egyptian history and daily life. Afterwards, we lunch at the famed Felfela Restaurant serving traditional Egyptian and Middle Eastern cuisine, and 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. Evening at leisure. Overnight Cairo Shepheard's Hotel. [BL]

DAY 3 :  O/N TRAIN: HALF DAY 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 El Din, this mighty fortress has dominated the city's 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 city's main bazaar and Africa's 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 Luxor. Evening meal and breakfast are served in our cabins, with a bar car available for drinks and snacks during the evening. Overnight train. [BD]

DAY 4 :  LUXOR: KARNAK TEMPLE TOUR. EVENING AT LEISURE
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 world's 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 city he built (near 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 wife's murder, the restoration of the priests of Amun at Karnak, the puppet king Tut Ankh Amun's brief regency and quick murder by Ay, high priest of Amun, and Tut Ankh Amun's low key burial ceremony that led to the only royal tomb that has ever been discovered intact in Egypt. 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 advise and to assist. Overnight at the Winter Palace Hotel or similar. [B] (NOTE: upgrade to 5 star Old Winter Palace Garden Rooms available. See pricing below)

DAY 5 :  LUXOR: VALLEY OF KINGS & QUEENS, SON ET LUMIER
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 and, if open to the public, the last resting place of Nefartari, the famously beautiful wife of Ramses II. Discovered in 1906 and restored by J. Paul Getty, Nefartari's resting place is perhaps the world's most stunning ancient tomb; it is difficult not to be moved by such a visit. 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 at the Winter Palace Hotel or similar. [B]

DAY 6 :  ASWAN: DRIVE ASWAN. EDFU & KOM OMBO TEMPLE
Today we drive 210 km / 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 (Cleopatra's father). Edfu is in excellent condition and is, in effect, a Greek copy of an architectural style already ancient in Ptolemy's 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 as Octavian became Caesar Augustus and defeated Cleopatra and Marcus Antonius (Marc Anthony) at the battle of Actium in Greece. Near the entrance is a room containing stuffed and embalmed crocodiles, some more than twenty feet long, and some over two thousand years old. Continuing our journey, we arrive in Aswan late afternoon and check into our hotel. Overnight at Basma Hotel or similar. (NOTE: Upgrade to 5 star Pyramisa Isis Aswan available. See pricing below) [B]

DAY 7 :  ASWAN NUBIAN BREAKFAST. CAMEL RIDE. PHILAE
This morning we embark on a motor boat crossing to the West Bank and a local village where we meet the families of the camels we will ride and share an informal breakfast with them. We then mount camels for the short ride to the 12th Dynasty Nobles' Tombs, then into the desert to visit the Coptic St. Simeon's Monastery (circa 6th c), and then on to the Mausoleum of the Aga Khan. En route back across the Nile, we stop at Kitchener's Island for an early picnic lunch (included) in the shade of the botanical gardens. The Island was named after the British Field Marshal, Lord Kitchener during his unsuccessful attempt to relieve General Chinese Gordon, besieged in Khartoum by the Maghdi. After lunch, we reboard our boat and cross back to the East Bank where we board our vehicle and depart for Philae Temple. Driving past the High Dam and Low Dam en route, we take the 15-minute boat ride, perhaps the most memorable approach to any of Egypt's monuments, to Philae Temple. With the construction of the Aswan High Dam, Philae was destined to disappear forever beneath the waters of the soon-to-be-created Lake Nasser. Fortunately, Philae was saved by UNESCO building a coffer dam around the temple in 1977 and pumping out the water. The temple 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. Evening free. Overnight at Basma Hotel or similar [BL]

DAY 8 :  CAIRO FLY CAIRO VIA ABU SIMBEL
This morning we fly to Cairo. En route we visit Ramses IIs mighty temples at Abu Simbel. As was Philae Temple, Abu Simbel, about to be drowned under Lake Nasser by the construction of the Aswan High Dam, was cut into blocks and reassembled on the side of a totally man-made hill 200 feet above the original location. This massive effort, also instigated by UNESCO, is almost as phenomenal an achievement as the original construction.  We visit the Great Temple dedicated to Ramses II, and the smaller Temple of Hathor built in honor of Ramses' favorite wife, Queen Nefartari. Following our visit, we return to the airport for the flight onward to Cairo. On arrival we are met and transferred to our hotel. The remainder of the day is at leisure in Cairo. Overnight at the Cairo Shepheard's Hotel or similar. [B] (NOTE: Upgrade to 5 star Cairo Marriott Hotel available. See pricing below) [B]

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

Questions? Ask Our Program Directors.

. C o n t a c t Nilu Jenks 1(800)345-4453 C o n t a c t Adrian Chalker 1(800)345-4453