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Egypt, the oldest tourist destination in the world, attracted visitors from much of the ancient world to view these fabulous monuments built to last for eternity. Travel with Tours & Travel Dimensions for a 17-day archaeology journey to explore and experience the mysteries of this ancient land.
Day 1. USA / Egypt/ Cairo. Depart the USA.
Day 2. Egypt / Cairo. Upon arrival in Cairo International airport, our local representative will escort you through the airport formalities. Then you will be chauffeured to your hotel and assisted with check-in.
Day 3: Cairo. Breakfast. Visit the Great Pyramids at the Giza Plateau. The Great Pyramid is one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. We continue to the Solar Boat Museum that houses the 141-foot cedar boat meant to convey King Khufu to paradise. See the Sphinx. On to the Tombs of the Workers, the burial place of thousands of skilled craftsmen who built the pyramids. These two cemeteries are mini-replicas of the complex around the pyramids. Normally closed to the public, we will request special permission to enter the site.
Day 4: Cairo. Breakfast. Drive along the picturesque Nile Canal, to Dahshur to see the newly opened Red and Bent pyramids of Sneferu, father of Khufu. Then on to Sakkara, site of the famous Step Pyramid of Djoser, forerunner of the great Giza pyramids. We also visit the brilliantly painted mastaba tombs of Meriruka, Ptah-hetep and Ti, portraying lively daily life scenes, and then descend into the pyramid of Unas, whose interior walls record the world's first religious texts. On our return to the hotel, we visit the ruins of Memphis, once the capital of all Egypt.
Day 5: Cairo.Breakfast. Visit the stupendous Egyptian Museum, housing the world's greatest collection of Pharaonic antiquities, including the amazing treasures from King Tutankhamen's tomb. Visit Old Cairo, Jewish, Coptic, and Islamic Cairo. The historic Ben Ezra Synagogue, dating back to the 10th century. The Hanging Church, built in the 5th century. This basilica church was so called because it rests on the top of the Southern Gate of the Fortress of Babylon. On to the Church of Abu Sargah, dedicated to Sergius and Bacchus, the two martyrs who died at the beginning of the 4th century. Also, this basilica church was built in the early 5th century over the cave where the Holy Family stayed while visiting Egypt. Visit the Citadel of Salah Al-Dine Al – Ayyubi which was built in 1830AD. On its wall stands the clock tower, a gift from Luis Philippe, king of France. Enter the Famous Alabaster Mosque. End your day with a walking tour through the famous Khan el-Khalili bazaar, largely unchanged since the 14th century.
Day 6: Cairo / Luxor.Breakfast. Transfer to the airport for your flight to Luxor. Upon arrival into Luxor airport, meeting and assistance. Visit the celebrated Egyptian city of Thebes (modern Luxor) which was described by Homer as "the city of a hundred gates" because so many of its temples had the monumental entrances favored by contemporary Greek architecture. Thebes was twice the capital of ancient Egypt. Today's tour includes spectacular Karnak and the Temple of Amon. Arguably the most remarkable religious complex ever built, it contains 250 acres of temples, chapels, obelisks, columns and statues built over a period of 2000 years and incorporating the finest aspects of Egyptian art and architecture. In the afternoon, see the remarkable artifacts found in nearby excavations housed in the Luxor Museum. Dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Dendara / Abydos. Breakfast. Depart this morning to visit two very special sites: The Temples of Dendera and Abydos. There are many temples to Hathor, the cow-goddess who presided over love, music, dance and enjoyment, but the temple in Denderah is the best preserved. The building is richly decorated with 18 Hathor - headed columns supporting the roof of hypostyle hall and a series of relief's linking the traditions of Hathor, her husband, Horus. Nearby Abydos, one of ancient Egypt's most sacred ancient cities, was the cult center of Egypt's most beloved hero, Osiris. The lovely wall reliefs in the temples tell of this popular tale. Lunch, and dinner included.
Day 8: Luxor.Breakfast. Your visit today begins on Luxor's west bank, the royal necropolis of the Kings on the west bank of the Nile. Guarding the approach to the necropolis are two massive statues known as the Colossi of Memnon. The longest, deepest and most complete in the valley, the Tomb of Seti I is by far the most magnificent of the imperial burial places. Normally closed to the public, we will request special permission to enter. Seti I's reign is known for high achievements in art and culture, and his majestic mausoleum was one of the hallmarks of his building projects, with highly refined bas-reliefs and colorful paintings. Continue to one of the smallest in the necropolis, the Tomb of Tutankhamun, undoubtedly the most famous of the Egyptian tombs because of the extraordinary discoveries made here in the early 20th century. On to Deir El Medina which was the village home of the workmen who were responsible for the construction and embellishment of the royal tombs from the New Kingdom. The master masons, artists and sculptors who worked on the crypts were born, trained, lived, died, and buried here. Within two of their tombs, we gaze upon dazzling paintings that speak of the status of the individuals. After lunch, galabeya makers will take measurements and orders for the typical Egyptian robe for those who wish to purchase one. Continue to the Ramesseum. Ramesses II built his fabulous mortuary temple on the site of Seti I's ruined temple, where he identified himself with the local form of the God, Amun. The main building, where the funerary cult of the king was celebrated, has pylons decorated with scenes from the Battle of Kadesh. These scenes show Ramesses fighting the Hittites in a heroic counterattack, standing in his chariot firing arrows with deadly precision. And finally, see the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the female pharaoh, certainly the most beautiful architecture within the Valley of the Kings. Dinner.
Day 9: Luxor. Breakfast. Today we will visit Luxor's west bank in the Valley of Queens, the burial place of the royal wives, concubines and daughters of the pharaohs, and the princes who died at an early age. The most renowned of these tombs was that of Nefertari, favorite wife of King Ramses II. Normally closed to the public, we will request special permission to enter. See the the burial chamber, covered with scenes of exceptional quality and beauty. Ramesses III chose the sacred site of Medinet Habu to build his funeral temple. Surrounded by a fortified enclosure wall and covering more than twenty acres, the complex contains funerary chapels, shops, and the gigantic Great Temple with it intact pylon decorated with scenes of the king's victories. Afternoon at leisure. Dinner.
Day 10: Luxor / Aswan. Breakfast. This morning we begin our visit by driving to Aswan, stopping along the way to explore two remarkable Ptolemaic sites. The Temple of Horus, the falcon-headed god, at Edfu and the Temple of Kom Ombo, dedicated to the crocodile-god Sobek. The Temple of Horus is one of the best-preserved ancient temples in Egypt and the second largest after Karnak. Built from sandstone blocks, the huge Ptolemaic temple has a massive entrance pylon covered with traditional scenes of the king smiting his enemies before Horus. Kom Ombo is notable for its two sanctuaries. One is dedicated to the crocodile-god, Sobek, and the other to the falcon-god, Horus the Elder. There are clear depictions of ancient medical instruments on one wall. In ancient times, sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the riverbank near here, and hundreds of mummified crocodiles were found in the vicinity. Arrive Aswan, walk to the nearby Nubian Museum, opened in 1997. The recipient of the Aga Khan award for its stunning architecture, this new museum highlights Nubia, historically Egypt's gateway to the rest of Africa. Today, Nubia's lands lie under Lake Nasser, submerged in 1971 when the Aswan High Dam was opened. Check into the Old Cataract Hotel, majestically positioned on an outcrop of pink granite overlooking the Nile. Built in 1899, the hotel once was a rendezvous for royalty and is where Agatha Christie wrote DEATH ON THE NILE in the suite still named after her. Built like an opulent Moorish palace, it is beautifully furnished with dark wood paneling, rich red velvet furniture, wonderful Oriental and Victorian antiques, and an air of discreet luxury. A legendary name in hospitality and one of Egypt's most elegant hotels, this is our home for the next three nights. Lunch and dinner.
Day 11: Aswan. Breakfast. Visit the 342 - foot high Aswan High Dam, a great rock-fill construction designed to control irrigation and increase Egypt's agricultural land. The granite quarries of ancient Aswan lay beside the Nile, thus providing easy access to boats for transporting this prized building stone to sites downstream. A crack in the granite stopped the cutting of what would have been an enormous obelisk, estimated at more than 120 feet high, now known as the Unfinished Obelisk. A short boat ride to The island of Philae which was the center of the cult of the goddess Isis and her connection with Osiris, Horus, and the Kingship during the Ptolemaic period of Egyptian History. For over 50 years the island and its monuments lay half-submerged in water built up by the Aswan Dam until the UNESCO rescue operation completely dismantled and rebuilt the temples and moved them to the nearby island of Agilika. This afternoon, embark by motorboat to see the temples, courts and other ancient constructions, again standing proudly overlooking the Nile. On the nearby island of Sehel, where Anukis, the daughter of Khnum was worshipped, are found more than 250 inscriptions engraved on rocks by pilgrims, dating from the fourth dynasty down to Ptolemaic times. Dinner is on your own.
Day 12: Aswan. Breakfast. Today we visit the ancient stronghold of Elephantine Island which separates the Nile into two channels. Board a private felucca and sail to this, the largest of the Aswan area islands, and one of the most ancient sites in Egypt with artifacts dating to pre-dynastic periods. It was considered to be home to the important Egyptian god, Khnum, and while the still visible structure dates back to Queen Hatshepsut of the 18th Dynasty, there are references to an earlier temple to this god on the island as early as the 3rd Dynasty. Walk through Nubian villages to the two small museums. View the Temple of Khnum, originally erected during the Old Kingdom, a Greco-Roman Necropolis and the Temple of Satet, built by Queen Hatshepsut. The Nile at Aswan is dominated by the sand-covered hills of the West Bank, strewn with rock-cut tombs of high-status officials of the Old and Middle Kingdom. Lunch. This afternoon, visit the Tombs of Nobles, decorated with colorful scenes of the owners' biographies and scenes of everyday life. Balance of the day at your leisure. Dinner is on our own.
Day 13: Aswan / Lake Nasser Nile Cruise. Breakfast. Check-out of hotel. Transfer to board the 5-star cruise boat. This distinctive vessel epitomizes all the class and glamour of a more elegant age - warm wood paneling throughout, plush furnishings, velvet curtains, and tasteful antique furniture. Lake Nasser, the world's largest man-made lake, lies south of Aswan. Dotted with hundreds of islands and abundant wildlife, the area features natural beauty with incredible history. The temples here (Ramses III's large temples in Abu Simbel are the most well known) were saved in the late sixties through a worldwide effort when UNESCO moved them to higher ground. Most of these wonderful monuments have been nearly unreachable for visitors until the cruise lines began to cruise these waters in 1993. Today's visits include Kalabsha, a Greco-Roman Period temple dedicated to Mandoulis, a Nubian solar deity. Then on to see a rock-cut temple of Beit el Wali, built by Ramses II in his youth and with lively battle scenes, and a young Rameses riding in his chariot. Continue sailing to the Kiosk of Kertass, dedicated to the goddess Isis, with two magnificent Harthoric columns. This evening we sail to Wadi Al Seboua. Dinner and overnight onboard the Eugenie for the next three nights. Lunch and dinner on board.
Day 14: Lake Nasser Nile Cruise. Rise in the dawn to see the most impressive trio of antiquities. Climbing to the heights of Wadi Al Seboua, we first visit the well-preserved Temple of Meharakka, a Roman period edifice dedicated to Serapis. Then walk through an avenue of sphinxes to Wadi El Seboua Temple, the rock-cut shrine built by Ramses II dedicated to the god Amon and later transformed into a church. In the court past the first pylon are six human-headed sphinxes wearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. In the afternoon, we pass through the Tropic of Cancer. After lunch, continue to the Temple of Dakka, dedicated to Thoth, the God of Divine Wisdom, time, science and literature. It is the only temple in Nubia that is oriented north/south to parallel the course of the Nile. Breakfast, and dinner on board.
Day 15: Lake Nasser Nile Cruise. Explore several spectacular sites. The Temple of Amada, built during the 18th Dynasty and the oldest temple in Nubia, displays a vivid collection of brightly painted reliefs of the kings and gods. The interior contains important historical texts, including one describing a military campaign into Asia. The hemi-speos of Derr was built by Ramses II and was dedicated to the sun god Ra and the divine aspect of the pharaoh. The magnificent wall paintings inside include representations of ceremonies and divinities. The Tomb of Penout is the only still existing example of a tomb of an Egyptian viceroy in Nubia. After visiting the sites, sail on to Kasr Ibrim to see the Citadel of Kasr Ibrim, sole vestige of the distant past of Nubia in its original location. Explanation is done from the sun deck of the ship, as entrance to the site is not permitted due to its fragile condition. Continue to Abu Simbel where we anchor opposite the imposing, colossal statues of the two rock-cut temples of Ramses II and his cherished wife Nefertari. The statues were the first to be saved by the UNESCO campaign. After lunch visit the Abu Simbel Temples, and enjoy the evening sound and light show. The ancient rulers look down on us as we enjoy an open-air cocktail party and candlelight dinner facing the temples on the night of our arrival in Upper Egypt. Breakfast, lunch and dinner on board.
Day 16: Lake Nasser Nile Cruise / Cairo Early this morning watch the spectacular sunrise over the Eastern desert at dawn, and walk again to the temples. Breakfast. Check-out cruise. Transfer to airport to board the flight to Cairo. Upon arrival into Cairo airport, transfer to your hotel and assistance with check-in. Balance of the day at your leisure. Enjoy a farewell dinner in one of Cairo's elegant restaurants.
Day 17: Cairo / USA. Transfer to airport to board your flight back to the USA.
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