 Day 1 - February 8th - Sunday
USA / Cairo
Depart on a regularly scheduled flight to Cairo, Egypt.
Day 2 - February 9th - Monday
Cairo
Arrival at Cairo Airport and transfer to hotel.
Deluxe Ramses Hilton Hotel
Day 3 - February 10th - Tuesday (B, L)
Cairo
After breakfast, explore the world-famous Egypt Museum of Antiquities. With its relics dating back to 4,000 B.C., this museum experience will provide you with an excellent background in the various periods of Egyptian history. Lunch at a local restaurant. Visit some of Cairo's finest mosques (Muhammed Ali and Sultan Hassan), the Medieval Citadel of Salah El Din, and the colorful bazaars of Khan El Khalili. The narrow picturesque lanes are lined with items such as copperware, gold and silver, jewelry, gems, spices, and silks.
Deluxe Ramses Hilton Hotel
"Mohammed Shata - what a great guide and teacher! He taught us everything
about the deities of ancient Egypt in a way we could understand, and
challenged us to think about how the temples, tombs and pyramids were built.
He also gave us valuable insight into life in Egypt today, especially the
Islam religion and its influence. Everything from the time we landed in
Cairo was taken care of in a 1st Class manner."
Egypt - R. &J. Lund, IL |
Day 4 - February 11th - Wednesday (B, L)
Cairo / Memphis / Sakkara
Breakfast at your hotel. Enjoy a pleasant drive across typical Egyptian countryside to Memphis, the capital of the old Kingdom of Egypt. Stop at the colossal statue of Ramses II, then proceed to the Necropolis Sakkara to visit the world's first great stone structure, the Step Pyramid of King Zoser. A late lunch will be provided and the afternoon will be at leisure.
Deluxe Ramses Hilton Hotel
Day 5 - February 12th - Thursday (B, L, D)
Cairo / Abu Simbel / Aswan
After breakfast, transfer to Cairo airport for your flight to Abu Simbel. Visit the famous rock temples of Abu Simbel, built 3,500 years ago by Ramses II, which rank among the most colossal monuments of Ancient Egypt. Both temples at Abu Simbel, weighing more than 40,000 tons, were moved 90 feet higher to prevent them from being inundated when the Aswan High Dam created Lake Nassar. Fly back to Aswan and transfer to your hotel.
Deluxe Basma Hotel
 Day 6 - February 13th - Friday (B, L, D)
Aswan
Visit the High Dam, the Granite Quarries and Unfinished Obelisk, and the Temple of Philae. Check in to your cruise ship. Afternoon is at lesiure. Sail on the Nile in a felucca to visit the Botanical Gardens and to view the Aga Kahn Mausoleum.
Deluxe Mirage Cruise Ship
Day 7- February 14th - Saturday (B, L, D)
Aswan / Kom Ombo / Edfu
Sail to Kom Ombo. Arrive at Kom Ombo, where you will visit the Temple of the crocodile-headed god Sobek and the falcon-headed god Horus. Continue sail to Edfu and observe the farm and village life of the people along the riverbanks.
Deluxe Mirage Cruise Ship
Day 8 - February 15th - Sunday (B, L, D)
Edfu / Luxor
In the morning you will visit Edfu Temple, one of the Egypt's best-preserved temples dedicated to Horus, the god of sun and planets. The falcon is a prominent decoration. It is one of the last Ptolemaic temples, finished only a few decades before the rise of Anthony and Cleopatra. Continue your sail to Luxor.
Deluxe Mirage Cruise Ship
 Day 9 - February 16th - Monday (B, L, D)
Luxor
Disembarkation after breakfast. In the morning you will cross the Nile to the west bank to visit the Necropolis of Thebes, burial ground of the great pharaohs. Visit the Colossi of Memnon, the twin statues of Amenhotep III; the Valley of the Nobles; the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, one of the most handsome monuments in Egypt; and the fabulous Valley of the Kings, including the tomb of King Tutankhamun. Check in to your hotel. Afternoon at leisure for shopping or relax on the ship.
Deluxe Steigenberger Nile Palace Hotel
Day 10 - February 17th - Tuesday (B, L, D)
Luxor - Denderah
This full-day program will start with a visit to the Temple of Denderah, constructed during the time of the Roman emperors. In front are six dramatic columns with capitals in the shape of the cow-headed goddess, Hathor. Reliefs on the walls show the empress Cleopatra, and there are sculptures of the gnomelike, Bes. Return from Denderah. After lunch you may wish to pay a visit to the new Luxor Museum on your own. In the evening attend the Sound and Light Show at Karnak Temple.
Deluxe Steigenberger Nile Palace Hotel
Day 11 - February 18th - Wednesday (B)
Luxor / Cairo
Take a tour of two of Egypt's finest temples, the Temples of Luxor and Karnak. The Temple of Luxor was built by Amenophis III and extended by Ramses II. Travel along the Sharia El Bahr to Karnak Temple with its Hypostyle hall covering 50,000 square feet and containing 134 columns that once supported an enormous roof. Transfer to Luxor airport and fly back to Cairo and transfer to your hotel.
Deluxe Meridien Pyramids Hotel
"Everything was superb. The guide's explanations made one feel as though you
were living at the time of the ancient Egyptians (especially) and the other
eras. The felucca sail was tremendous...hearing the call to prayer while
peering at the granite quarry in Aswan. Being awed by the size of the Temples
of Ramses II and wonderful Horus."
Egypt - E. Conzett, OH |
Day 12 - February 19th - Thursday (B, D)
Cairo
Visit the famous pyramids of the pharaohs at Giza and the mysterious guardian, the Sphinx. You will also view one of the greatest finds in the history of Egyptology - the 142-foot Solar Boat of the Pharaoh Cheops, nearly 4,600 years old. Afternoon will be at leisure. Special farewell dinner is planned for the evening.
Deluxe Meridien Pyramids Hotel
Day 13 - February 20th - Friday (B)
Cairo / USA
Early morning transfer with assistance to Cairo Airport for your flight to the USA.
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