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Please note that all
timings stated in Discover Egypt tours are
the average timings & they are totally
flexible.
Day 01
Upon
arrival at Cairo International Airport you will be met
by your tour manager who will help you
through your immigration and customs
formalities then escort you to your hotel
for check in and overnight.
Day 02: Breakfast meet your Egyptologist guide (8:30) drive
to Memphis at the edge of the western desert, (35 min. drive) the capital of Egypt until the end of the first Kingdom, about 2270 BC, one of the most important cities throughout the history of Ancient Egypt, You will be visiting Memphis open air Museum the most important piece is Ramses the second statue about 20meters long,
Close to Memphis, you will drive to Sakkara,
the City of the dead with the famous step
Pyramid of Zoser, and the greatest Pharaoh
of the 3rd Dynasty 2650 BC, the step pyramids is known to be the first stone building ever build in the world, then you will be visiting a Mastaba (Tomb) for the Nobel
“Mereruka” from the old kingdom the tomb have beautiful colored paintings about life in Egypt during the old Kingdom, Drive to the Pyramids of Giza,
enter the Great Pyramid (Cheops Pyramid)
the largest one of the three and one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. In front of the Pyramid of Kefren, stand the
alabaster Sphinx, which was discovered in 1912,carved from a single piece of stone. It is a lion with a portrait of a Pharaoh's head, it is believed by many to be a likeness of Pharaoh Kefren. Continue our tour to the Solar Boat Museum where a dismantled river barge of King Cheops (Khufu) was found buried in front his
pyramid and has been masterfully re-assembled. Drive back to your hotel (4:30 PM)
Evening
drive to Giza Pyramids to attend the Sound & Light Show at the Pyramids & the Sphinx. (B)
Day 03: Breakfast, met your Egyptologist guide (8:30 AM) drive to Meidum visit the Pyramid of Meidum which was originally a seven-stepped Pyramid and was later enlarged to become an eight-stepped Pyramid. Eventually the steps were filled in and a smooth outer facing turned it into a true pyramid. It is a huge
structure and is surrounded by the debris from the casing that collapsed. The Pyramid is thought to have been started by Huni, the last ruler of the 3rd dynasty and then completed by his successor Seneferu. Seneferu was the first king of the 4th dynasty Pharaoh (2613–2494 BC) continue drive to visit the Pyramid of Hawara and
the remains of the temple built by Amenemhet III. Drive to Fayoum Egypt's largest oasis, overlooking Lake Qarun, a popular spot for hunting and fishing you will see the old way of irrigation the water wheels Lunch at restaurant overlooking the lake on the way back visit the Roman site of Karanis
witch poses an ancient market and ancient oven for backing witch gives a good idea about normal life in the Roman period the city once housed two limestone temples and a large agora, drive back to your hotel (5:00 PM). (B, L)
Day 04: Breakfast
meet your tour manger who will transfer you to Cairo Airport & help you for check in for your flight to Aswan, upon arrival you will meet your representative to be transferred to your Nile Cruise, Embark your deluxe Nile Cruise ship, lunch on board. Sail on the Nile by felucca
around Kitchener's Island (Botanical Garden Island) and Agha Khan Mausoleum Afternoon tea, dinner on board & Nubian folkloric show, overnight in Aswan. (B, L, D)
Day 05 Breakfast on board. Visit the
Philae Temple, the High Dam, and the unfinished Obelisk at the Granite Quarries, sail to Kom Ombo, lunch on board. Visit the Ptolemaic Temple shared by the two gods Sobek and Hours in Kom Ombo, sail
to Edfu, afternoon tea. Captain's welcome cocktail (smart casual attire), dinner on board & disco, overnight in Edfu. (B, L, D)
Day 06 Breakfast on board. Visit the Temple of Horus in Edfu, the best preserved temple in Egypt, Sail to Luxor, lunch on board,
afternoon tea, dinner on board & Galabeya party, overnight in Luxor. (B, L, D)
Day 07 Breakfast on board. Cross to the West Bank visit the Valley of the Kings and Queens where tombs of 64 Pharaohs and 57 Queens have been discovered, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Eldeir El Bahari and the Colossi of Memnon
facing the Nile. Lunch on board, after noon Visit the Karnak Temple, which is considered the World’s largest religious complex, then visit the Luxor temple, which was started by Amenhotep III and completed by Ramses II, afternoon tea, dinner on board & Belly
Dance show, overnight in Luxor. (B, L, D)
Day 08: Breakfast disembarks your cruise, meet your representative to drive to your hotel, start your tour visiting the valley of the Nobles, the tombs of the great dignitaries from the middle and the new kingdom
dynasties, there main characteristics are extreme architectural simplicity compared to the royal tombs and a choice of iconography notable for it’s freshness and vitality, the Nobles tombs provide us with valuable information about the daily life during the new kingdom agriculture hunting and fishing scenes, palatial festivals
musicians and dancers maids and servants craftsman and artisans as well as the court life in ancient Egypt such as the offices and functions of various dignitaries, you will be visiting 2 tombs, the most famous are Menna’s tomb who was described as the scribe of the land register of the master of the upper and lower Egypt,
utilized a preexisting tomb and enlarged it, the decoration depicts scenes as the work in the field the pilgrimage to Abydos, scenes for the sons and daughters of Menna, the tomb is considered among the most elegant, also you will visit Nakht’s tomb he was the scribe and astronomer of Amon in the era of Tutmose the 4th while
his wife was the singer of Amon scenes in the tomb shows the growing of wheat, the harvest, hunting and fishing, continue your tour visiting Habu temple the mortuary of Ramses the 3rd one of the world’s largest monuments, is the second in importance and size to Karnak temple, a stone quarry used to occupy the site during the
Christian era later excavations uncovered the remains of the Pharaoh palace the present complex consists of 4 temples, a fortress gateway in the style of Syrian architecture, wall relief depict the king doing battle with his enemies, we also see the great Pharaoh in paradise wearing the unadorned clothes of a simple farm worker he
ploughs his land performing without fatigue one of the necessary duties of the deceased in order that he may be granted eternal life by the gods, continue your tour to visit the valley of the artisans that used to be village and necropolis of all the workmen who built and decorated the royal tombs in Thebes, it is the only
place in Egypt where you can see normal Egyptian ancient houses from the Pharaoh’s period, the village was built in the west bank and kept as a secret no one from the workers was allowed to leave his village in his life so the great secret of the place of the royal tombs wouldn’t be
released the tombs of the Artisans is among the
best tombs in Thebes not for it’s size but for the quality of the painting material and the accuracy it was painted with, as the workmen kept the best quality painting material for themselves and for sure did there best in painting their own tombs, you will be visiting 2 tombs as tomb of Sennedjin an official at the time of
19th dynasty, his title was servant in the square of truth, the painting is so alive and fresh, on one of the walls Sennedjin painted himself accompanied by his wife worshiping the gods in the after life, at the head of all gods is Osiris with his green skin that symbolize the renewal of life at springtime. Continue your tour to the
Ramesseum temple built by Ramses the 2nd, Diodorus of Sicily himself was amazed at the complexity and architectonic grandeur of the monument unfortunately today only few ruins remain the decoration of the temple shows the exploits of the Pharaoh who stopped the Hittite advance there are also scenes depicting the
festival held in the summer to honor Min the prehistoric god of fertility in whose honor the Pharaoh sacrifice a white bull, back to your hotel (3:00 AM). (B)
Day 09: Breakfast meet your representative & drive to Luxor
airport for your flight to Cairo upon arrival meet your tour manger to drive you to your hotel for overnight. (B)
Day 10: Breakfast meet your Egyptologist guide (9:00
AM) drive to Down Town visit the Egyptian Museum, (2 hours tour) which contains a vast collection of Pharaonic antiquities including the fabulous treasures of King Tut-Ankh-Amon.
Continue your tour to Old Cairo, visiting the old Coptic Churches the Hanging Church dedicated to the Virgin Mary built in the 3rd century and the Church of St.
Sergius, built in the 4th century and visit the oldest Jewish Synagogue of Ben Ezra. Drive to Visit the medieval Citadel of Salah El-Din, built in the 12th century and contains many structures, the most impressive of which is the Alabaster Mosque of
Mohamed Ali, It was designed in the early 19th Century by a Greek Architect from Turkey. The style is based on the Ottoman mosques of Istanbul, Continue your tour visiting Kan ElKalili bazaar area ( the old market ) drive back to your hotel (4:00 PM). (B)
Day 11: Breakfast meet Egyptologist guide (10:00 AM) drive
to the red and the bent pyramid the 2
pyramids were built for king Seneferu (4th dynasty of the old Kingdom) the father of king Cheops both pyramids are considered the step before the last on the long way of evolution in pyramid building (Giza Pyramid are the most perfect). The bent Pyramid called so due to
it’s unique bent top, it was believed if they continue building with straight angle the pyramid would have collapsed, it is the only pyramid still have the complete lime stone layer covering the whole pyramid which make it very special. The Red Pyramid is as big as Kefren pyramid but with different angles and in a very good
condition, it was called the red pyramid due to the colors of the inside room walls, the room inside is open to visit, drive back to your hotel (1:00 PM).
(B)
Day 12: After breakfast (7:00
AM), drive to Alexandria (3 hours drive by A/C Van) to start your tour visiting
Greco Roman Museum, which contains 40,000 pieces of artifacts dating from the 2nd and 3rd centuries BC with very special pieces mixing Pharaonic and Greco Roman art, Then visit Pompey’s Pillar made of Aswan rose granite, lunch at local restaurant. Continue your tour to The Catacombs of Kom
El- Shuqqafa and the Roman theater built in the 1st century A.D. and uncovered in the late 1950, end your tour with a visit to the newly opened Library of Alexandria build in the same spot the historical one was existing the library contains a beautiful museum with very special pieces from the ancient and
modern history of Egypt, drive back to Cairo for overnight at your hotel (6:00 PM). (B)
Day 13: After breakfast you will be met & transferred by your tour manger to
Cairo International Airport to help you in check in and immigration formalities for your departure flight. (B) |
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