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14 Day Egypt Luxury Style Tour
Day 1: Sat - Arrival to Cairo
Arrival in the Land of the Pharaohs, at Cairo International airport, our Representative will be waiting for you after you get your luggage and clear customs and will be holding the Egypt Whole Sale sign, then escorted to your hotel.
Day 2: Sun - Cairo, City Tour
Start your day with a guided tour of the Egyptian Museum you`ll stroll through the halls highlighting each historical period of this ancient land, Marvel at the glittering treasures of King Tutankhamen, unparalleled in their variety, exquisite beauty, and sheer weight in gold. Seeing this treasure of more than 1,700 fabulous items buried with a young and relatively unimportant king, who can even imagine what the tombs of great and long-lived pharaohs must have contained? You will enter the Royal Mummies room to view the "sleeping" Kings of ancient Egypt.
After lunch, drive to the Citadel of Mohamed Ali, also known as the Fortress of Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi), built in 1183 and overlooking the city from the Muqattam Hills. The structure, with its domes and minarets, looks over a number of important buildings, including the Alabaster Mosque. Its domed interior, used by Moslems for daily prayers, is a spectacular sight of twinkling lights and beautiful mosaics.
Proceed to Old Cairo explore some of the early religious monuments of the city. You`ll visit the El Muallaqa, dating to the late fourth and early fifth century. This basilica was named for its location on top of the south gate of the Fortress of Babylon. Muallaqa means "suspended or hanging." Destroyed in a ninth-century earthquake, the church became the center of the Coptic (or Christian) Church of Egypt from the time it was rebuilt in the eleventh century until the 14th century. Make a stop at the Ben Ezra Synagogue, built sometime between the sixth and ninth centuries AD. The temple contains a Jewish Heritage Library, containing documents found here in 1896 that describe the economic and social conditions of Jews under Arab rule as well as descriptions of relations between various Jewish sects.
End the day with a walking tour of the largest 13th century covered oriental market, the largest traditional shopping bazaar in the world, the Khan el-Khalili Bazaar. In the tiny alleyways, there are hundreds of shops where you can watch gold and coppersmiths, brass makers, and fortunetellers at work. Look also for leather goods and woodwork inlaid with camel bone and mother-of-pearl. Bargaining, Arab-style, is the norm here, and practiced as a national pastime. (B, L)
Day 3: Mon - Cairo, Alexandria, Cairo
Start your over day excursion to Alexandria by private car & accompanied by an English speaking Egyptologist, startin with Alexandria National Museum is one of our new master sites nowadays. It is inaugurated by the Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak, in 31st of December 2003. The national museum located in a restored palace, it contain about 1,800 artifacts pieces of antiquities that narrate the history of Alexandria throughout ages, Pharaonic, Roman, Coptic and Islamic eras and some modern pieces, Mummies are shown in a special underground chamber (basement). And some of the items found during the archaeological underwater excavations in Alexandria now in the same floor with the Greco roman artifacts.
Next, we will visit the Catacomb of Alexandria which is really one of the master sites here in Alexandria. Kom el-Shouqafa lies in the district of Karmouz to the east of Alexandria the area was called Kom El Shouqafa or a pile of shards, Catacombs in Alexandria is called the catacomb as well because of its design, which was very similar to the Roman Christian Catacombs. Most likely it was a private tomb and later converted to a public cemetery. It consists of 3 levels cut into the rock, a staircase, a rotunda, the triclinium or banquette hall, a vestibule, an antechamber and the burial chamber with three recesses In, where in each recess there is a sarcophagus. The Catacomb also contains a large number of Luculi or grooves cut in the rock.
Proceed to the Roman Amphitheater of Egypt is modest in size and most of the part of the structure is in ruined condition but still it is an excellent ancient structure of Roman period of Egypt. The theatre also consists of numerous galleries erected crudely. These galleries contain rooms for more spectators along with arrangement of 700-800 marble seats around the stage. The Roman Amphitheatre was discovered in the excavations doing for the site of Paneion or "Park of Pan" in Kom el-Dikkah also known by the name of Hill of Rubble. In the layers of the above the roman street two other archaeological sites were found. These were a Muslim Cemetery and slums.
Stop for lunch than continue to our last stop at the Alexandria Library. The modern Alexandria Library or the Bibliotheca Alexandrina as once called in Ancient Egypt is located on a magnificent site in the Eastern Harbor, facing the sea on the north, and Alexandria University Complex on its southern side. It is very close to the location of the Ancient Library in the Brucheion (the Ancient Royal Quarter), as verified by the 1993 archeological survey. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina was inaugurated in 2003 near the site of the old library. The building consists of 11 levels with a total levels' area of 85,405 m2. The library's main reading area which can accommodate 2000 users occupies 7 levels with a total area of 13,625 m2.The Library has 2 main museums (the manuscript museum and the Antiquities museum) and a Science center of the shape of a sphere and called the Planetarium. Return to Cairo. (B, L)
Day 4: Tue - Cairo, Luxor
Breakfast at your hotel, transfer to Cairo airport for your flight to Luxor, arrival and transfer to your luxury Nile Cruise where you will spend the next 7 nights / 8 days. After Lunch, visit Karnak Temple, In ancient Egypt, the power of the god Amun of Thebes gradually increased during the early New Kingdom, and after the short persecution led by Akhenaten, it rose to its apex. In the reign of Ramesses III, more than two thirds of the property owned by the temples belonged to Amun, evidenced by the stupendous buildings at Karnak. Although badly ruined, no site in Egypt is more impressive than Karnak. It is the largest temple complex ever built by man, and represents the combined achievement of many generations of ancient builders. The Temple of Karnak is actually three main temples, smaller enclosed temples, and several outer temples located about three kilometers north of Luxor, Egypt situated on 100 ha (247 acres) of land. Karnak is actually the sites modern name. Its ancient name was Ipet-isut, meaning "The Most Select (or Sacred) of Places". This vast complex was built and enlarged over a thirteen hundred year period. The three main temples of Mut, Montu and Amun are enclosed by enormous brick walls.
Continue to Luxor Museum, Inaugurated in 1975, the museum is housed in a small, purpose-built building. The range of artifacts on display is far more restricted than the country's main collections in the Museum of Antiquities in Cairo; this was, however, deliberate, since the museum prides itself on the quality of the pieces it has, the uncluttered way in which they are displayed, and the clear multilingual labeling used. Among the most striking items on show are grave goods from the tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62) and a collection of 26 exceptionally well preserved New Kingdom statues that were found buried in a cache in nearby Luxor Temple in 1989. The royal mummies of two pharaohs - Ahmose I and Ramesses I - were also put on display in the Luxor Museum in March 2004, as part of the new extension to the museum, which includes a small visitor centre. A major exhibit is a reconstruction of one of the walls of Akhenaten's temple at Karnak. One of the featured items in the collection is a calcite double statue of the crocodile god Sobek and the 18th Dynasty pharaoh Amenhotep III, overnight in Luxor. (B, L, D)
Day 5: Wed - Luxor, Quina
Breakfast, transfer to the West Bank, to explore the West Bank of ancient Thebes. Visit the Valley of the Kings, with its many tombs chiseled deep into the Cliffside. From the 18th to the 20th Dynasty, the Memphis area and pyramid-style tombs were abandoned in favor of the West Bank of the Nile in Thebes. Several great leaders as well as many less important rulers are buried here, and more tombs are being discovered even today. This is where Howard Carter discovered the treasures of Tutankhamen and was struck "dumb with amazement" when he beheld its "wonderful things" in 1922
Continue to the Temple of Madinat Habu, In ancient times Madinat Habu was known as Djanet and according to ancient belief was the place were Amun first appeared. Both Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis III built a temple dedicated to Amun here and Later Rameses III constructed his larger memorial temple on the site. During his time Djanet became the administrative centre of Western Thebes. The whole temple complex was surrounded by a massive fortified enclosure wall, with an unusual gateway at the eastern entrance, known as the pavilion gate. This structure, a copy of a Syrian migdol fortresses is something you would no expect to see in Egypt.
In our way back to the Cruise, stop at the Colossus of Mamnon, Amenhotep III (18th Dynasty) built a mortuary temple in Thebes that was guarded by two gigantic statues on the outer gates. All that remains now are the 23 meter (75 ft) high, one thousand ton statues of Amenhotep III. Though damaged by nature and ancient tourists, the statues are still impressive.
Sail to Quina, Lunch, Spa time from 02:00 PM - 05:30 PM, Travel to Dendara, Private visit to the Temple of Dendarah, dedicated to Hathor, Goddess of Music, Love and Joy. Dendarah is located about 60 kilometers north of Luxor on the west bank of the Nile River opposite the provincial modern town of Qena. Ancient Egyptian Iunet or Tantere, known to the Greeks as Tentyris, was the capital of the 6th nome of Upper Egypt and a town of some importance. Today, we know it as Dendarah, though the population of the town has, since antiquity, moved to Qena across the Nile on the east bank. Now, the ancient temple lies isolated on the desert edge. Along with the temple itself, there is also a necropolis that includes tombs of the Early Dynastic Period, but the most important phase that has been identified was the end of the Old Kingdom and the 1st Intermediate Period. The provinces were virtually autonomous at that time and, although Dendarah was not a leading political force in Upper Egypt, its notables built a number of mastabas of some size, though only one has any decoration apart from stelae and false doors. On the west end of the site are brick-vaulted catacombs of Late Period animal burials, primarily birds and dogs, while cow burials have been found at various points in the necropolis. Of course, this was a significant site for the Hathor cult, whose forms included a cow. Dinner on board. Overnight in Quina. (B, L, D)
Day 6: Thu - Luxor
Sail to Luxor, breakfast and start your visit to the West Bank, starting with the Valley of the Noble’s tombs, Dier El Madina, the site of a very special workman’s village, whose craftsmen built and decorated the tombs of the Pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings. Lastly, visit the Temple of Hatchepsut, The mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut is one of the most dramatically situated in the world. The queen's architect, Senenmut, designed it and set it at the head of a valley overshadowed by the Peak of the Thebes, the "Lover of Silence," where lived the goddess who presided over the necropolis. Lunch, Spa Time, Shopping time, visit of Luxor temple, dinner & overnight in Luxor. (B, L, D)
Day 7: Fri - Luxor, Esna, Edfu
Sail to Esna, breakfast, sail to Edfu, Spa Time, lunch, Spa Time, visit the Temple of Edfu, Dedicated to Horus, the falcon headed god, it was built during the reigns of six Ptolemies. We have a great deal of information about its construction from reliefs on outer areas. It was begun in 237 BC by Ptolemy III Euergetes I and was finished in 57 BC. Most of the work continued throughout this period with a brief interlude of 20 years while there was unrest during the period of Ptolemy IV and Ptolemy V Epiphanes. This is not only the best preserved ancient temple in Egypt, but the second largest after Karnak. It was believed that the temple was built on the site of the great battle between Horus and Seth. Hence, the current temple was but the last in a long series of temples build on this location, dinner & overnight in Edfu. (B, L, D)
Day 8: Sat - Aswan
Sail to Aswan, breakfast, Spa time, lunch, visit the High Dam, Located near Aswan, the world famous High Dam was an engineering miracle when it was built in the 1960s. It contains 18 times the material used in the Great Pyramid of Cheops. The Dam is 11,811 feet long, 3215 feet thick at the base and and 364 feet tall. Today it provides irrigation and electricity for the whole of Egypt and, together with the old Aswan Dam built by the British between 1898 and 1902`, 6km down river, wonderful views for visitors. From the top of the two Mile long High Dam you can gaze across Lake Nassar, the huge reservoir created when it was built, to Kalabsha temple in the south and the huge power station to the north.
Proceed to Philae Temple was dismantled and reassembled (on Agilika Island about 550 meters from its original home on Philae Island) in the wake of the High Dam. The temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis, is in a beautiful setting which has been landscaped to match its original site. It's various shrines and sanctuaries, which include The Vestibule of Nectanebos I which is used as the entrance to the island, the Temple of the Emperor Hadrian, a Temple of Hathor, Trajan's Kiosk (Pharaohs Bed), a birth house and two pylons celebrate all the deities involved in the Isis and Osiris myth. The Victorian world fell in love with the romance of the Temple. But at night you can also visit the Sound and Light Show, a magical experience, dinner & overnight in Aswan. (B, L, D)
Day 9: Sun - Aswan, Kom Ombo, Aswan
Sail to Kom Ombo, breakfast, visit the temple of Kom Ombo. One side is dedicated to the Crocodile God Sobek, God of Fertility and Creator of the World. The other side is dedicated to the Falcon God Haroeris, also known as Horus, the Elder. Spa Time, sail to Aswan, lunch, visit the Botanical Garden by Felucca, Spa Time, Sound and light show at Philae Temple, Inaugurated in 1985, Spectators are taken on a Nile cruise to discover the natural beauty of the area all The way to the Philae Island. The show describes the temples with their arcades and inscriptions besides telling the story of how they were rescued and restored. It also deals with the history of Aswan, The grandeur of Noba, The Sacredness of The Nile and the loyalty and nobility of Isis's message, dinner & overnight in Aswan. (B, L, D)
Day 10: Mon - Aswan, Abu Simbel, Aswan
Breakfast, transfer to Aswan airport for your flight to Abu Simbel, Situated 280km south of Aswan. Exploring the magnificent monuments carved into solid rock 3,000 years ago. In a monumental feat of modern engineering, these massive temples were moved to their present location when construction of the Aswan High Dam in 1960 created Lake Nasser and flooded their original location. This extraordinary operation to save one of the world`s greatest treasures took years and the efforts of an international team of engineers and archaeologists. The two temples at Abu Simbel were built by Egypt`s great Pharaoh Ramses II (Egypt`s longest-ruling king) as a tribute to the deities and his favorite wife Nefertari. Four colossal statues, 60 feet high and directly facing the rising sun, are of the pharaoh himself, with his queen and daughters at his feet. More tremendous statues surround you as you enter the temple. And in the very depths of the temple, Ramses sits in state flanked by the gods to whom the construction is dedicated. Fly back to Aswan, transfer to your Cruise, lunch, Spa Time, Cocktail reception with entertainment on the Mango Island, dinner & overnight in Aswan. (B, L, D)
Day 11: Tue - Aswan, Cairo
Breakfast, disembarkation from your Nile Cruise, transfer to Aswan airport for your flight back to Cairo, transfer to your hotel, rest of the day is free at leisure. (B)
Day 12: Wed - Cairo, Old Cairo Churches, Coptic Museum
Visit the Old Cairo, where early Judaism and Christianity flourished in Egypt. Visit the Ben Ezra Synagogue and Saint Sergius Church. Continue to the Coptic Museum, Truly one of the most interesting places to visit in Egypt is the Coptic museum, even for those who are not Christian. More than simply a archive of Coptic history, it intricately weaves a web between religions at the end of the pagan era, and the beginning of the Christian period. It is a case study in the formative years of a major religion that grew, and sometimes intermingled, and sometimes borrowed from that of an ancient religion that it was replacing. Visit Amr Ebn El-As Mosque, This is the first and oldest mosque ever built on the land of Egypt. Erected in 642 AD (21 AH) by Amr Ibn al``As, the commander of the Muslim army that conquered Egypt, the mosque is also known as Taj al-Jawamie. (B, L)
Day 13: Thu - Cairo, Pyramids Tour
We Saved the best for last. Drive to the Giza Plateau, home of Egypt’s signature attractions, the Great Pyramids, proclaimed by the Greeks to be among the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. The largest among these is the Great Pyramid of Cheops, probably built more than 2,600 years before the time of Christ. Standing 480 feet tall this is the last of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world that still standing. Little is known of Cheops with entrance to the Cheops Pyramid, you`ll also see the inscrutable and mysterious Sphinx, known in Arabic as Abu al-Hol ("the Father of Terror") and carved almost entirely from one piece of limestone.
After lunch, continue to Memphis & Sakkara. Memphis, founded around 3,100 BC, is the legendary city of Menes, the King who united Upper and Lower Egypt. Early on, Memphis was more likely a fortress from which Menes controlled the land and water routes between Upper Egypt and the Delta. Having probably originated in Upper Egypt, from Memphis he could control the conquered people of Lower Egypt. However, by the Third Dynasty, the building at Saqqara suggests that Memphis had become a sizable city. Proceed to Sakkara site, Sakkara is one section of the great necropolis of Memphis, the Old Kingdom capital and the kings of the 1st Dynasty as well as that of the 2nd Dynasty. are mostly buried in this section of the Memphis necropolis. It has been of constant interest to Egyptologists. Three major discoveries have recently been made at Sakkara, including a prime minister’s tomb, a queen’s pyramid, and the tomb of the son of a dynasty-founding king. Each discovery has a fascinating story, with many adventures for the archaeologists as they revealed the secrets of the past. (B, L)
Day 14: Fri - Departure
After Early breakfast, transfer to Cairo airport for your departure flight. (B)
Tour Inclusions:
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13 nights Luxury accommodation at the following order:
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All Transfers by private air-conditioned minivan with English Speaking host
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31 Meals: 13 Buffet Breakfast, 11 Lunches and 7 Dinners
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Sightseeing as per itinerary guided by license Egyptologist
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Service of local English speaking tour host
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Domestic Air within Egypt.
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All hotels taxes.
Special Features:
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Private tours within Cairo
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Entrance to the Royal Mummies Room
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Entrance to the Cheops Pyramid
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Coptic Museum in Cairo
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Abu Simbel Tour by air from Aswan
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Sound & Light Show in Aswan
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Spa times
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Temple of Dendarah
Not Included:
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International airfare
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Visa upon arrival
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Tips & Personal Items
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