|
|
Please note that all
timings stated in Egypt From BC. to AD. 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 4:
Breakfast meet your Egyptologist guide (7:00
AM), Drive to Menia (4 hours drive) then
Visit Tuna El-Gebel, the cemetery of
Tuna El-Gebel provides examples of the
burial tombs of the wealthy Greeks of
Hermopolis. At about the time of the
occupation of Egypt by Alexander the great
(325 B.C.), Continue your tour visiting the
remains of Thoth Temple the god of
writing , the place now known by the name
Ashmonin, Then you will be transfer to
your hotel Mercure El Menia (5:00 PM).
(B, L, D)
Day 5:
Breakfast meet your Egyptologist guide (8:00
AM) start your tour visiting Beni Hassan
tombs they were quarried during the 11th and
12th Dynasties for local Princes of the
area. The brightly colored painted scenes of
domestic life, sports, dancing and other
leisure activities provide a detailed
picture of life in Egypt in the Middle
Kingdom. Continue your tour visiting
Tel-El-Amarna ,Built during the region
of the famous King Akhenaton then
drive back to Cairo for overnight at your
Hotel at Cairo (5:00 PM).
(B, L, D)
Day 06:
Breakfast
meet your tour manger who will transfer you
to Cairo Airport & help you for check in for
your flight to Abu Simbel
upon arrival you will be transferred to
visit Abu Simbel Temples, the great
Temple of Ramses the 2nd
one of the greatest and most whimsical kings
of Egypt the temple is dedicated in theory
to the gods Amon-Ra, Harmakis and Ptah, the
temple was carved in sand stone rock cliff
with the four colossal seated statues of the
King in front of the entrance, each statue
is 20 meters high and measures 4 meters from
ear to ear, taking a closer look you will
realize that each statue present the
king Ramses in different ages of his life
starting from youth age till he became a
mature King, the temple wall decorations
celebrate the military grandeur of the king,
continue your tour visit the
temple of Nefertari
the King's beloved wife. Both temples were
threatened by the increasing level of the
Nile upon the completion of the Aswan High
Dam and have been preserved in the 60’s by
international action organized by UNESCO.
All parts of the temple have been moved and
rebuilt on a plateau above the former site,
the temple is considered a miracle of the
ancient and modern history Return to
Abu-Simbel Airport for your flight to Aswan
(around 12:30 AM)
Afternoon
Visit the newly opened Nubian
Museum witch poses very rare and unique
pieces from pre dynastic eras showing the
evolution of human industry of pottery and
weapons, the museum contains a big part
about the Nubian culture, in addition to the
Pharaonic, Christian and Islamic monuments,
continue your tour visit the Nubian
Village you will be visiting a Nubian
home and will be having a discussion
with a Nubian family while tea is served,
Nubians still speak there own language witch
is a spoken language only, drive back to
your hotel for overnight. (B)
Day 07:
Breakfast
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 08:
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 09:
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 10:
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 11:
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 12:
Breakfast meet your Egyptologist guide (7:00
AM) to start your tour visiting Abydos
Temple, (2 hours drive in A/C Van) one of
the most important religious significance
dedicated to Osiris the judge and ruler of
the netherworld, the splendid colonnaded
façade of the temple Seti I is dedicated to
7 gods, inside there are seven aisles for
the funerary processions a unique feature in
temple architecture of Egypt, the columns
and walls are richly decorated with larger
than life size relives. Then drive back to
Luxor and on the way visit Denderah
Temple (45. min. from Luxor) built in the
first century B.C. for the Goddess Hathor,
the Cow Goddess, known as the "Golden One",
considered one of the most notable
accomplishments of the late Pharaonic
architecture extremely well preserved to
this day, the Hathoric Columns are a special
feature of Denderah, standing in the
courtyard of the temple is the unique statue
of Bes an ugly funny bearded dwarf with
shaggy hair and chin very different than any
other Pharaonic art style, he was considered
the god of music childbirth also the god of
marriage and happiness and was great
favorite in Egyptian homes, Relief of the
Roman period adorn the outside walls of the
temple , beautiful Cleopatra and her
caesarian son are outstanding, drive to your
hotel for overnight. (B, L)
Day 13:
Breakfast meet your representative to drive
to Hurghada about 4 hours drive, upon
arrival check in your hotel, free day &
overnight at your hotel.
(B)
Day 14:
Breakfast drive to St.
Anthony monastery,
St Anthony have the credit for founding
monasticism tradition he was born in the
year 251 AD this shy son of a provincial
landowner from a small upper Egypt town near
Beni Suef was a reluctant religious leader
Orphaned with his sister at the age of 18 he
was already more interested in the spiritual
life more than the temporal and soon gave
his share of the inheritance to the poor and
went to the Eastern desert living in a cave
and hoping for solitude and spiritual
salvation however the word spread soon about
the holy man and would be disciples came
flocking trying to copy his ascetic
existence , by default he became their
spiritual leader, soon also the whole
Byzantine empire was alive with monastic
fever and only a century later there were
many monasteries throughout Italy and
France, St .Anthony’s have several
churches, Chapel, a guesthouse, a bakery, a
vegetable garden and a spring that
supplies the monastery with 100 cubic meters
of water daily allowing the monks to
cultivate olives and dates, the highlight of
the tour is visiting the oldest part of the
monastery witch is the church of St.
Anthony built over the saint’s tomb it
contains the largest array of Coptic wall
paintings dating to the early 13th century
the colors are clear and bright showing that
Coptic art was connected to the art of wider
Byzantine and Islamic eastern Mediterranean
ones, it is available to visit the cave
of St Anthony about 300 Meters up the
Mountain, the cave have a chapel with an
alter, the medieval graffiti on the walls
are fascinating and there is a breath taking
view of the hills and valley below, Continue
your tour visiting St. Paul Monastery
who was born in Alexandria late in the 3rd
century and fled to the eastern desert to
escape Roman persecution the most
fascinating part of the large complex is
the church of St. Paul Cluttered with
altars, candles, ostrich eggs and colorful
murals representing saints and biblical
stories, back to your hotel.
(B, L)
Day 15:
Breakfast meet your representative to sail
to Sharm El Sheikh by the quick
boat (45 min) enjoy the sailing on the
Red sea, upon arrival you will be met &
transferred to your hotel, free day &
overnight at your hotel.
(B)
Day 16:
Breakfast, free day, snorkeling &
diving are considered the best activities in
Sharm El Sheikh, afternoon Bedouin diner in
the desert. (B)
Day 17:
Breakfast, free day, snorkeling &
diving are considered the best activities in
Sharm El Sheikh. (B)
Day 18:
11:00 AM
Breakfast then meet your driver and tour
escort to drive to St. Katherine
Monastery, 2.5 hours drive from Sharm El
sheikh upon arrival you will check in your
hotel, Lunch and free time till diner.
(B, L, D)
Day 19:
2:00 AM
Wake up call met your Escort and drive to
Mount Sinai (10 Min Drive), climb Mount
Sinai where it is believed that God
delivered his 10 commandments to Moses at
it’s summit, it is about 2 hours climbing it
is an easy climb you can use camels to climb
the mountain or you can just walk up, watch
the sunrise from up the mountain then climb
down, back to the hotel eat your breakfast
and then drive back to visit St.
Katherine Monastery, The monastic order
was founded in the 4th century AD by the
Roman Empress Helena who had a small chapel
built beside what was be lived to be the
burning Bush from witch God spoke to Moses,
The Chapel is dedicated to St. Katherine the
legendary martyr of Alexandria, who was
tortured on a spiked wheel and then be
headed for her Christianity, her body was
supposedly carried by angles to Katherine
mountain then 300 years later her body was
found by monks from the monastery, a
fortress was added to the monastery in the
6th century by emperor Justinian with a
Basilica to protect the Christians of
southern Sinai since then the place is
visited by Christians pilgrims from all over
the World, the complex posses many
attractive and rare Icons from 6th century
to the 18th century, many golden candle
holders beside it’s very important
library that poses many historical hand
written bibles and many important historical
messages and agreement, Lunch at the hotel
then drive back to Cairo.
(B, L)
Day 20:
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 ) return back to your hotel (4:00
PM). (B)
Day 21:
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 B.C. 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,
L)
Day 22:
Breakfast meet your Egyptologist guide (8:00
AM) to drive to the Coptic museum
that contains many rare pieces from the
early Christian era, then drive to the
Islamic museum witch poses a magnificent
collection of Islamic art ranging from the
7th to the 19th century collected from
countries throughout the whole Moslem world
witch is a very good opportunity for you to
learn about the Islamic art generally not
just the Egyptian Islamic art, then drive to
Gayer Anderson museum witch consists
of 2 houses from the 16th and the 17th
century built with a unique architecture
style, both houses were delightfully joined
together, the museum is filled with antique
furniture from all over the Middle East, the
2 houses were owned by a British Lord called
Gayer Anderson who collected all the
antiques in the museum, in the same spot you
will be visiting Ibn Toulon mosque
one of the biggest mosques in Cairo built in
the 8th century with a unique
design influenced with Persian style then
El sultan Hassan mosque built in the
13th century and is considered one of the
best Islamic architectures in the Islamic
era, drive back
to your hotel (4:00 PM)
Afternoon you will be invited for
dinner at Egyptian home meting the family &
learn more about the Egyptian life &
culture. (B, D)
Day 23:
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) |
|