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Day-1: Begin your 'Egyptian Tour' - Arrive into
Cairo
On arrival at Cairo Airport, meet & assist by
our local representative, who will welcome you and transfer
you to your hotel in Cairo. Day at leisure. Overnight
at Hotel of your choice.
Day-2: Day free Sound & Light Show at the Pyramids
After a buffet breakfast at the hotel, the day is
free for you to relax in the comfort of your hotel. Or,
go shopping for Egyptian artifacts and explore the city
of Cairo on your own. Go looking for bargains in the bustling
Khan-El-Khalili bazaar. In the evening we take you to
see the great Pyramids and the Sphinx magically lit with
lasers in an aweinspiring Sound and Light Show. Watch
the sphinx and the pyramids come alive to tell their story
in their own words.
Day-3: City Tour of Cairo Onto Luxor
After a buffet breakfast, we take you on a full day
city tour of Cairo - the heart of Egypt. Visit the Great
Pyramid of Khufu, one of the seven Wonders of the World.
Also see the Pyramid of Menkaure, Pyramid of Khafre and
the Sphinx, carved from the natural bedrock at the bottom
of the causeway to Khafre's pyramid. We visit the Papyrus
Institute and see some beautiful paintings being made.
Later, visit the Egyptian Museum, which houses over 100,000
antiquities from every period of ancient Egyptian history.
Do not miss the gallery featuring the famous treasures
of Tutankhamen. We proceed to the medieval Bazaars of
Khan-El-Khalili where you can spend time shopping for
perfumed oils, spices, precious stones and curios. Later,
we drive to Cairo train station to board our Sleeper Train
to Luxor.
Day-4: Arrive into Luxor Welcome Aboard "Nile
Cruise"
As you enjoy your breakfast on board the train, we
arrive into Luxor. On arrival, we take you on a tour of
the East Bank of Luxor to visit the temples of Karnak
and Luxor. We first visit the magnificent Temple of Karnak.
The majestic avenue of ram-headed sphinxes, the colossal
statue of Pinudjem and the sight of its Sacred Lake will
leave you awe-struck. King Ramses II completed the great
Luxor Temple. The main entrance with two colossal statues
of the Pharaoh and the mighty Obelisk leaves every visitor
spell-bound. We now board our exciting Nile Cruise for
a great five day journey on the scenic Nile River. Enjoy
lunch on board the cruise. Later, we visit the West Bank
of Luxor. Our first stop is the Colossi of Memnon. These
two giant statues are all fthat remain of the mortuary
temple of Amenophis III. Legend has it that these statues
would "sing at sunrise". This was believed to
be noise that was made by the stone warming in the sunlight.
After the statues underwent restoration, they no longer
sing. We proceed deep into the desert to discover the
Valley of Kings. This is the place where generations of
pharaohs and nobles were buried in great splendour, housed
in crypts cut into the cliffs. The treasures of the burial
chambers of great kings and queens have long been looted
by ancient Egyptians and visitors over many centuries.
Yet, there is magic in the tombs of the great kings with
their imposing architecture and marvellous paintings.
Even after over 5,000 years, the paintings retain their
original colors and tell the story of civilization gone
by. See the gigantic Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the only
woman Pharaoh to have ruled Egypt. Enjoy your dinner.
Overnight on board the Nile Cruise.
Day-5: See the Temple of Edfu
After breakfast on board the cruise, the morning is
free for you to relax. Enjoy the sights of the Nile River
from the deck, as your Nile Cruise sails towards Edfu
via the Esna Lock. Here the cruise will take a brief halt
and you will get an opportunity to do some unique bargain
shopping with vendors who sell their products from small
boats that come near the Cruise. Enjoy lunch on board
the cruise. On arrival in Edfu, we take you by a horse
carriage on a shore excursion to visit the Temple of Edfu.
Of all the temples of ancient Egypt, the one at Edfu is
the most complete and best preserved. The temple had been
totally submerged under the desert except for the very
top of the pylon entrance. A small amount of stone had
been removed from the exposed part, but when excavated
it was found to be in near perfect condition. Enjoy dinner.
Overnight on board the Nile Cruise.
Day-6: Onto Kom Ombo
As you enjoy your breakfast, we sail into Kom Ombo. Here
we visit the Temple of Kom Ombo. This unique temple is
in fact the fusion of two temples, set side by side, with
each side having its own gateways and chapels. The left
side of the temple is consecrated to Horus the elder -
the falcon-headed God. The right part of the temple is
dedicated to Sobek - the crocodile God and God of Fertility.
We return to our cruise and enjoy a delicious lunch. Our
Nile Cruise now begins to sail towards Aswan. Enjoy your
dinner. Overnight on board the Nile Cruise.
Day-7: Arrive into Aswan Abu Simbel
After a buffet breakfast, the day is free to explore
Aswan on your own. Or take an exciting optional tour to
Abu Simbel by coach. Abu Simbel has two magnificent temples
- the Temple of Ramesses II and the Temple of Nefertari.
Not only are the two temples at Abu Simbel among the most
magnificent monuments in the world but their removal and
reconstruction was an historic event in itself. The temples
were threatened by submersion in Lake Nasser, due to the
construction of the High Dam. During the salvage operation
which continued until 1968, the two temples were dismantled
and raised over 60 meters up the sandstone cliff where
they had been built more than 3,000 years before. The
facade of the main temple is 108 feet high and 125 feet
wide with four colossal seated statues about 65 feet high
wearing the double crown and having the cartouches of
Ramesses II. The entrance leads into a Grand Hall which
is 57 feet high and 52 feet wide and was cut from the
rock. It is supported with eight pillars with statues
of Ramesses. The head and torso of the statue to the left
of the entrance fell during ancient times, probably the
result of an earthquake. The alignment of the temple is
such that twice a year the sun's rays reach into the innermost
sanctuary to illuminate the statues of Ptah, Amun- Re,
Ramesses II and Re-Horakhty. We return to Aswan in the
evening. Enjoy your dinner. Overnight on board the Nile
Cruise.
Day-8: Sightseeing of Aswan Overnight train to Alexandria
Today, after breakfast, we proceed on a tour of the
city of Aswan. Visit the High Dam of Aswan, the pride
of Egypt and an ideal spot for a panoramic view of Aswan.
This is where Egypt ends and Nubia begins. We then take
you to see the Unfinished Obelisk. This Obelisk was
never detatched from the rock as it developed cracks
in several places. Later, we proceed to see a demonstration
of scented oils used to make perfumes at a Perfumery.
Here, you have the opportunity to buy perfumes and other
Egyptian artifacts. Enjoy lunch on board the cruise.
We check out from the cruise and continue our tour of
Aswan. Visit the Temple of Philae, one of the three
best preserved temples of Egypt. With the construction
of the High Dam, this temple was recreated, stone by
stone, to its current location. Later we proceed to
Aswan Station to board the overnight Sleeper Train to
Alexandria. Enjoy your dinner on board. Overnight on
board the train.
Day-9: Arrive into Alexandria Sightseeing of Alexandria
Visit the Museum
As you enjoy your breakfast on board the train, we arrive
into Alexandria. The second largest city and the main
port of Egypt, Alexandria, known as "The Pearl of
the Mediterranean", has an atmosphere that is more
Mediterranean than Middle Eastern. It was the renowned
capital of the Ptolemies, with numerous monuments. It
was the site of the Lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonders
of the ancient world, as well as the Great Library. It
was along these shores that history took a tragic turn
at the time of Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, Mark Antony,
and Octavian. On our tour of Alexandria, we take you to
see the Fortress of Kaitbay. Erected on the northern tip
of the Eastern Port on the site of the ancient Pharos
of Alexandria, the fort design is influenced by both medieval
architecture as well as by the lighthouse original layout.
The fort also houses the Naval Museum. Later, we visit
the Catacombs, the largest Roman cemetery in Alexandria.
It is composed of three levels cut 30 meters deep into
the existing rock. See the imposing Pompeii Pillar. Mistakenly
named so in the middle ages, this granite pillar is over
25 meters high. Built in 297 AD in honor of Emperor Diocletian,
it is the most prominent remaining Greek landmark in Alexandria.
We visit the Museum which houses many collections of rare
Greek and Roman relics and coins from the 3rd Century
B.C. to the 7th Century AD, including the "Tanagra"
collection. The museum also houses the pieces recovered
in 1995 at the Light-house site. Later we check into Hotel
Plaza. In the evening we visit Montazah Palace. Built
in a fantastic Turkish- Florentine style in the 19th century,
the Palace boasts of acres of well-planned gardens and
overlooks a beautiful beach. The palace comprises a number
of buildings, the most important of which are Al-Haramlek
and Al- Salamlek, the summer residence of the former royal
family.
Day-10: Return home
After breakfast, the morning is free to explore Alexandria
on your own. Later, we return to Cairo and proceed to
the airport for our flight back home. |
