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Day 1)
Arrive in Cairo
Arrive at Cairo International Airport. We meet you at
the airport, assist you with passport and customs
formalities, and take you to the hotel. A refreshing
Egyptian drink awaits you there. Settle in, relax, and
then start taking in the atmosphere of this exciting
city!
This evening, we meet together as a group by the Egypt
Travel team in Egypt.
Day 2)
Cairo – Giza
After an early breakfast, we meet our Egyptian guide for
sightseeing in and around Africa’s largest metropolis.
We drive to Memphis, capital of ancient Egypt, where we
see a huge alabaster Sphinx and a statue of Ramses II.
At Saqqara we view the Step Pyramid of Zoser I, the
oldest in the world.
From Saqqara we travel to Giza for a close-up look at
the mighty Sphinx and the majestic Great Pyramids.
Cheops’ Pyramid is the most colossal pyramid ever built
– it stands 140.2 Meters in height, is made from over
7.7 million tons of rock, and its base covers an area of
12 acres!
In the evening, we enjoy the spectacular Sound and Light
Show in the shadow of the Great Pyramids.
Day 3)
Cairo – Abu Simbel – Aswan
After breakfast at the hotel, we fly south along the
Nile from Cairo to Abu Simbel via Aswan. There we visit
the two magnificent temples of Abu Simbel, located on
the edge of the Nile, overlooking Lake Nasser. Ramses II
built both temples for the purpose of demonstrating his
power and divine nature to the ancient Nubians. The
greater of the two temples is consecrated to the gods
Ptah, Amun-Re, and Re-Horakhty. This temple is the most
colossal of the temples still remaining in Egypt. Four
imposing statues of Ramses II sit in pairs flanking the
entrance, each over 65 feet high. The second temple was
built in honor of his beloved wife, Nefertari, and was
dedicated to Hathor, the goddess of love.
We board our luxurious Nile Cruiser, and watch the
breathtaking spectacle of monumental Abu Simbel slowly
sinking behind the blue horizon of Lake Nasser. We glide
through the waters as we enjoy our first night on the
mysterious Nile.
Day 4)
Nubia
After an early breakfast, we sail to Amada and visit the
temple there, which represents a marvel of 12th Dynasty
engineering. We then continue sailing down towards Wadi
Al Seboua, enjoying the breathtaking scenery along the
riverbanks from the comfort of our cruiser.
Day 5)
Nubia - Aswan
Today we tour the Temple of Wadi Al Seboua, which was
rescued, along with other Nubian monuments, prior to the
construction of the High Dam, and moved to dry land a
short distance away. We then continue our cruise to
Aswan, to visit another rescued temple, the Temple of
Kalabsha. This sandstone structure was built by the
Roman Emperor Octavius Augustus, and is dedicated to the
god of fertility, Mandulis. We also visit the Kiosk of
Kerassi, with its two Hathor-headed columns, at its home
near the water. Nearby is another of Ramses II’s Nubian
monuments, this one highlighting military prowess.
Brightly colored scenes inside the temple show Ramses
making offerings to the gods.
Day 6
Aswan
Disembarkation from Lake Nasser Cruise and we will be
transferred to our Luxurious Nile cruise Today we enjoy
a ride on a traditional Egyptian felucca, and sail down
the Nile to visit the peaceful Botanical Gardens.
In the evening, we attend the breathtaking Sound and
Light Show at the beautiful Temple of Isis at Philae.
Day 7)
Aswan – Kom Ombo
In the morning we embark on a short motorboat ride to
visit the Temple of Isis at Philae. Then we drive to the
Aswan High Dam. After we marvel at this masterpiece of
modern engineering, we stop at the ancient quarry for a
lesson in the innovative techniques used by the
engineers of that time to create the monuments around
us.
Afternoon we start sailing to Kom Ombo to visit its
temple. The Temple of Kom Ombo, dating back to the
Ptolemies, is unique in that it is dedicated to two
gods: Sobek, the crocodile god of Nile fertility, and
Horus.
Day 8)
Edfu – Esna – Luxor
This morning we sail to Edfu. We disembark our cruiser
and board an awaiting horse-drawn carriage for the drive
to the Temple of Horus, the best-preserved temple in
Egypt. Built in the time of Cleopatra, about 2000 years
ago, its remarkably intact interior makes it easy to
imagine yourself back in ancient Egypt, amongst a
congregation of worshippers in the temple.
After our visit to Edfu, we sail to Esna, sail through
the Esna lock on our way to Luxor, known to the ancient
Egyptians as Thebes.
Day 9)
Luxor
Today we take a thrilling journey to the west bank of
the Nile, to the Valley of the Kings, where generations
of pharaohs were buried in great splendor in crypts cut
into the cliffs. From a dramatic backdrop of sun, sand
and rugged mountain peaks, we peer into the dark, eerie
silence of some of the 64 royal tombs discovered there
to date. One of these, the tomb of Tutankhamun, was
almost completely intact when discovered in 1922. We
visit Deir el Bahari to see the monumental stone temple
dedicated to the only female pharaoh, Queen Hatshepsut.
We marvel at the two Colossi of Memnon that faithfully
guard the valleys.
This evening we attend the splendid Sound and Light Show
at the Temple of Karnak, an entertaining walk through
thousands of years of Egyptian history.
Day 10)
Luxor – Cairo
Visit the Temple of Karnak dedicated to the god Amun.
The impressive Temple of Karnak has no equal among the
national shrines of Egypt! And visit the Temple of
Luxor, built by Amenophis III, Ramses II and
Tutankhamun, during their respective reigns. Inside the
courtyard of Ramses II is an ancient mosque built over a
portion of the temple.
Later, we disembark our cruise ship and drive to the
airport for our flight to Cairo.
Day 11)
Cairo
After a buffet breakfast at the hotel, we accompany you
to Cairo International Airport for your flight back
home. You leave Egypt with wonderful memories and our
very best wishes. It was our pleasure to host you; we
hope that Egypt and her people always have a special
place in your heart, and that you will come back and
visit us again!
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