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Magnificent
Egypt Tour - 9-Day Tour:
Experience the
wonders of ancient Egypt: the Pyramids, Sphinx, the Egyptian Museum with its
incredible Tut Ankh Amon exhibit, and the lively Khan el Khalili Bazaar. Enjoy a
Felucca Boat Ride on the Nile at Cairo. Take a good night’s sleep in the
air-conditioned sleeper coach train to Aswan. Visit the site of the unfinished
Obelisk and the Aswan High Dam. Relax on the Nile Cruise for 4 days and 3
overnights. Take the early morning bus tour to the World Heritage Site of Abu
Simbel Temples. View the Palace of Aga Khan from the Felucca Boat ride on the
Nile at Aswan and visit the Botanical Gardens. Explore the temples of Edfu and
Kom Ombo as well as the amazing grave chambers, temples and monuments of the
west bank at Karnak and the Luxor temples on the east bank. Visit the
archaeological sites of Alexandria!
A Luxury Nile
Cruise boat is a highly appointed, floating, 5-star hotel, with most of the
facilities of a normal 5-star hotel, including a relaxing sun deck and swimming
pool. All your meals are included, though beverages and bottled water are not
included. You will have your own en-suite, air-conditioned cabin and full use of
all the boat’s facilities (restaurants, ships, sun deck, swimming pool, etc).
Tours start early in the morning in Egypt for avoiding the heat
of the day. The hottest months are June to August. The air is dry all round the
year and the temperatures cool down considerably in the evenings. Although Egypt
is a moderate secular country that has traditionally welcomed international
tourists, please respect their sensibilities by avoiding any revealing clothing.
On the Cruise and while sightseeing in Egypt loose shorts and short sleeved
shirts are acceptable.
Price: US$ 1,190.00
with 3-Star Hotels and 5-star Nile Cruise
Price: US$ 1,560.00
with 5-Star Hotels and 5-star Nile Cruise
Day One
Arrival at the Cairo International airport, meet, assist & transfer to hotel,
escorted by local representative, check in and rest. Evening Oriental Felucca
Ride on the Nile. (No Meals)
Day Two
Start a tour with a
private guide to the Egyptian Museum where the real golden treasures of
the famous Tut Ankh Amon together with the main masterpieces of the
Pharaohs are exhibited. In the afternoon visit to Khan el Khalili Bazaar
(Sufi Dance show?). Evening transfer to the Train Station, Overnight in sleeper
class train to Aswan. (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)
Day Three
Arrival Aswan.
Transfer to Nile Cruise ship. (4 Days 3 Nights: Aswan-Luxor)
Check in Cruise and visit Aswan High Dam & Unfinished Obelisk.
Afternoon Felucca Ride to Botanical Gardens and Outer View of Agha
Khan Palace. (Breakfast on board Nile Cruise Ship, Lunch & Dinner)
Day Four
Morning tour to the
Abu Simbel Temples to see the wonderful achievement of the great warrior
Ramses II that were originally carved out of the mountainside during the reign
of the Pharaoh Ramses II in the 13th century BCE, as a lasting monument to
himself and his queen Nefertari, to commemorate his alleged victory at the
Battle of Kandesh, and to intimidate his southern Nubian neighbors. However, the
complex had to be entirely relocated in the 1960s to the top of an artificial
hill made from a domed structure above the Aswan High Dam reservoir. This was
gigantic task made possible with assistance of UNESCO to avoid these temples
being submerged in the newly created Lake Nasser that holds the waters of the
Nile River. Back to Aswan. Nile River Cruise Ship to visit the temples of Edfu &
Kom-Ombo. (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner on board Nile Cruise Ship).
The temple of Edfu, located on the west bank of the Nile, was known in
Greco-Roman period as Apollonopolis Magna after the highest god Horus-Apollo.
The construction of this very well preserved temple was initiated during the
reign of Ptolemy III on August 23, 237 BCE and completed in 57 BCE during the
reign of Ptolemy XII. It is the second largest temple in Egypt after the temple
of Karnak and is dedicated to falcon headed god Horus. The inscriptions on its
walls offer invaluable information the language, myth and religion of the period
when it was built.
The Temple of Kom Ombo is an unusual double
temple –
southern half is dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek, the god of fertility and
the creator of the world with Hathor and Khonsu while the northern part is
dedicated to falcon god Haroeris, also known as Horus the Elder along with
Tasenetnofret (the good sister, a special form of Hathor and Panebtawy (the lord
of two lands). This temple unique and atypical because everything is perfectly
symmetrical along the main axis. Its construction was initiated under the
Ptolemy VI Philometor (180 to 145 BCE) at the beginning of his reign. Many other
Ptolemaic rulers expanded the temple; most notably the Ptolemy XIII (47 to 44
BCE) built the inner and outer hypostyle halls. One scene on the inner face of
the rear wall shows surgical instruments. Much of the original temple was
destroyed by flood waters of the Nile, earthquakes and later builders who used
its stones for other projects. Some reliefs in the interior were defaced by
Coptic Christians who used it as a temple. All the temple buildings in the
southern part of the plateau were cleared of debris and restored by De Morgan in
1893 CE. A few of the three-hundred crocodile mummies discovered in the vicinity
are displayed inside the temple.
Day Five
Sailing to Luxor and
visit West Bank (Valley of Kings, Valley of the Queens, Thebes, El Deer El
Bahari, and Colossi of Memnon). (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner on board Nile Cruise
Ship)
The Valley of Kings is on the west bank of the Nile where the Egyptian
Pharaohs (Kings) were buried for almost 500 years from 1569 BCE to 1075 century
BCE. The tombs were built for the kings and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom
that included the 18th to the 20th Dynasties of ancient
Egypt starting with Thutmose I (or possibly earlier, during the reign of
Amenhotep I) and ending with Ramses X or XI, however the non-Royal burials
continued in usurped tombs. There are two valleys, one in the east, where most
of the royal tombs are located) and the other in the west. After the 2005
discovery of a new chamber (KV63) and the discovery of two more tomb entrances
in 2008, the valley contains 63 tombs and chambers that range in size from a
simple pit to grand tomb comprising of more than 120 chambers. The royal tombs
are decorated with scenes from Egyptian mythology and depict scenes of funerary
rituals and religious functions of the period. All the tombs in the valley were
partially or completely opened and robbed in the antiquity but they still convey
the grandeur, opulence and power of the rulers of this period. Famous
Egyptologists have been exploring this area since the end of 18th
century CE and the area continues to attract researchers and specialist. The
valley became famous with the discovery of the tomb of Tut Ankh Amon. It became
a World Heritage Site in 1979. The Pyramids of Giza became the most famous sites
in Egypt but most of the tombs were cut into rock in the valley of Kings and
Queens.
During the reign of Ramses I (ca. 1302 BCE) the construction initiated in the
separate Valley of the Queens or Biban al-Harim, where about 80 tombs
were cut into the rock underground for the Queens of the 18th, 19th
and 20th Dynasties. The place was also known as Ta-Set-Neferu or the
place of the Children of the Pharaoh, because many princes and princesses were
also buried here along with some high ranking nobles. Mortuary priests performed
daily rituals and provided offerings and prayers for the dead. One of the
important older tombs is that of Queen Sitre or Tia-Sitre (Daughter of Re) who
is believed to be the great royal wife of the Pharaoh Ramses I and the mother of
Seti I. Khaemwaset or Khaemwase, a son of Pharaoh Ramses III is an important
prince who is buried in this valley. The lavish tomb (QV66) of Nefertari
Merytmut or Mut-Nefertari (ca. 1290 to 1254 BCE), who was the Great Royal Wife
or principal wife of Ramses the Great II, is the most spectacular tomb in this
valley. Her name literally means beautiful companion. She is one the best known
Egyptian Queens next to Cleopatra, Nefertiti and Hatshepsut.
Day Six
Arrive Luxor and
visit East Bank: Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple. Check out from the Nile Cruise
in Luxor and transfer to the Train Station, Overnight in sleeper class train to
Cairo. (Breakfast on board Nile Cruise Ship, Lunch in Luxor, Dinner on board the
sleeper train to Cairo).
Many Pharaohs developed and added to the Temple of Karnak after Ramses I
started its construction. Seti I, Ramses II, Hatshepsut (the female who deemed
herself to be Pharaoh) and her son, Thutmoses III were the Pharaohs who
patronized its construction. The first pylon of Karnak is unfinished and the
archaeologists have not been able to understand why other Pharaohs did not
complete it. Ramese II had the second pylon constructed. This leads to the
Hypostyle Hall that is the magnificent structure in Karnak. It was also competed
by Ramses II.
Most of the Luxor Temple dates to the New Kingdom period of Egyptian
history. Ramses II built the pylon (the large wall in the background), two
obelisks (only one remains today), and six statues of himself. The Avenue of
Sphinxes was built by Nectanebo I, and the replaced ram-headed sphinxes were
built by Amenhotep III. The avenue stretched from the Luxor Temple to the Karnak
Temple for a distance of 2 miles. The Luxor Temple is easily identified from the
front because it has only one obelisk, but as stated above Rameses II originally
erected two obelisks at its entrance. The other obelisk was given to King Louis
V in 1874 in exchange for a clock that no longer works, and now stands in the
Concorde Square in Paris. The obelisk that remained was also included in the
deal, but it turned out to be too much trouble to move it.
Day Seven
Arrive Cairo and
check into hotel. Visit the Old city of Cairo including Coptic, Islamic Cairo,
The Jewish Synagogue, the Citadel (Sufi Dance Show?), Alabaster Mosque.
(Breakfast in train, lunch and dinner)
The main monuments of Coptic Christian, Old Cairo are the Babylon
Fortress, the Coptic Museum, the Hanging Church, the Greek Church of St. George
and many other minor Coptic churches and historical sites.
The Ben Ezra Synagogue was originally a Christian church. The Coptic
Christians of Cairo had to sell it to the Jews in 882 CE to pay the annual taxes
imposed by the Islamic rulers of the time. Abraham Ben Ezra, who came from
Jerusalem during the reign of Ahmed Ibn Tulun, purchased it for 20,000 dinars.
The Citadel was built by Salah al-Din (Saladin)
between 1176 and 1183 AD on the top of hill that has panoramic views of Cairo
city.
Mohammad Ali built the Alabaster Mosque at Citadel was built between 1830
and 1848 CE.
Day Eight
Overday tour to the
city of Alexandria by bus, visiting El Muntaza Palace, Tomb of the unknown
Soldier, Catacomb, Mursi Abul Abbas Mosque and outer view of Qaitbay Citadel.
Back to Cairo & Overnight in hotel. (Breakfast).
El Muntazah Palace area belonged to Mohammad Ali family, the ruler of
Egypt in 19th century and early 20th century. King Abbas
II started the construction in 1892 by building a large palace inside the
complex called the Salamlek. King Fuad built a larger palace in 1932 and called
it Haramlik.
The Catacombs (underground tunnels) are located in the district of
Karmouz, east of Alexandria. The area was called Kom El-Shouqafa or a pile of
shards. The cemetery dates back to the 1st century CE and was used until the 4th
century CE. It was discovered in 1900 when by pure chance, a donkey drawn cart
fell into a pit, which led to the discovery.
The Mursi Abul Abbas Mosque is dedicated to a famous Sufi saint of
Alexandria and is located near the Quitbay Citadel.
Day Nine
Tour to visit the
ancient great Pyramids of Giza, along with the steadfast guard, the
Sphinx, Memphis and Sakkara. Transfer to the airport for
return flight to departing at about mid-night from Cairo.
Pharaoh Khufu’s (called Cheops by Greeks) Pyramid is the largest
of the three stone pyramids of Giza. It was built in ca. 2550 BCE. It took about
10 years to build the ramp to transport heavy stone blocks and another 20 years
to build the pyramid itself. It is about 147 meters high. Pharaoh Khafra’s
(called Chephren by the Greeks) Pyramid is the second largest in Giza
that was built between ca. 2520 to 2494 BCE. It is a little smaller that Khufu’s
pyramid but looks larger because it was built on higher ground and Khufu’s
pyramid has lost its topmost 10 meters or 33 feet. It is 143.5 meters or 471
feet high. Pharaoh Menkaura’s (called Mycerinus by the Greeks) Pyramid
is the smallest of the three pyramids of Giza. In 1196
CE, one of the sons of Saladin, Malek Abd
al-Aziz Othman ben Yusuf, tried to dismantle Menkaura's pyramid in order to get
to the plentiful supply of stone it contained. However, after 8 months of work,
he only succeeded in making a large gash in the northern face of the pyramid.
This pyramid is 67 meters or 218 feet high and was built in ca. 2494 BCE. The
Great Sphinx is a large statue carved out of stone having a lion’s body with
a human head. Most scholars believe that its construction was commissioned by
the 4th Dynasty Pharaoh Khafra (ca. 2558 BCE) who was one of the sons
of Pharaoh Khufu. A German Egyptologist has suggested that the Sphinx was built
by Pharaoh Khufu. Memphis was the ancient capital city of Egypt’s Old Kingdom
(ca. 3100 to 2258 BCE). It is located at the apex of the Nile Delta and is about
12 miles or 18 kilometers from Cairo city. It is believed to be founded by
Menes, the first Pharaoh of united Egypt. There is a temple dedicated to the
presiding deity called Ptah in Memphis. The palace of Apries and
the two gigantic statues of Ramses II are among the most important
monuments at Memphis. Sakkara was a necropolis, a favorite burial place
for the pharaohs of the Old Kingdom.
Price is US$ 1,190.00
with 3-Star
Zayed Hotel or Havana
Hotel or King Hotel with breakfast on
double occupancy basis with single room supplement of US$ 360.00.
Price is US$ 1,560.00
with 5-Star
Pyramids Park InterContinental Hotel or
Sofitel Le Sphinx Hotel or
Le Méridien Pyramids Hotel with breakfast on
double occupancy basis with single room supplement of US$ 610.00.
The above mentioned
price includes:
·
Airport / Hotel /
Airport meet, assist and 7 transfers
·
Inland
transportation as per itinerary
·
Tours in Cairo by air-conditioned car (for two persons) or van (3
or 4 persons)
·
Felucca Ride in
Cairo and Aswan
·
Three Nights
Accommodation in Cairo in above mentioned hotels on Bed with breakfast basis
·
Sleeper Train
Cairo to Aswan and Luxor to Cairo
·
Three Nights
Accommodation on board 5-Stars Nile Cruise with all meals included
·
Cruise Sightseeing
·
Abu Simbel tour by bus
·
Overday tour by
bus to Alexandria
·
One Sufi Dance
Show
·
Entrance Fees to
All Sightseeing Mentioned
·
Private Guide
The above mentioned
price excludes:
·
International
Flight Tickets for round trip USA to Cairo (please call for flights from nearest
airport)
·
Travel Guard
insurance (highly recommended)
·
Any Extra at
Hotels like room service, telephone calls, laundry and any items of personal
nature
·
Entry visa
·
Tips if Desired
Payment:
An advance payment of US$ 370.00 with registration form, duly
filled out and signed, is required. Balance is due 90 days before departure
date. We accept Visa, Mastercard and Discover credit and debit card payments.
There is an extra charge of 2.75% for payment with Visa, MasterCard or Discover
cards because credit and debit card commissions are not included in the price.
Please inquire for
Travel Guard Insurance Premium – highly recommended!
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