The Extraordinary Magic of Egypt
Ok! Guys & Girls – Where do we start? – Beautifully Planned for Maximum Enjoyment & Variety
EGYPT is absolute Bucket List Stuff, it’s amazing!
MAY 2019 – 14 Day Tour of Egypt
ITINERARY
Day 1: Arrival to the Land of Pharaohs
Welcome to the start of your tour! Meet, greet & assistance by our representative who will help you through immigration and customs formalities.
Collect your luggage; then you will be transfers in our deluxe, air-conditioned vehicle to your Cairo hotel, relax & refresh.
Meals: NA / Overnight: Hotel in Cairo
Day 2: Private Visit at Sphinx
Following to your breakfast; we will run a welcoming meeting & you will get introduced to your tour guide “Amro Mounir” who will brief you about the trip details and the essential information that you might need to know!
Will take you to the Sphinx area at Giza Plateau; take a deep breath & allow yourself to relax a little… uncross your legs… and send roots from the soles of your feet down into mother earth… deep down until you hit bedrock… and when you are there… fasten on… see/feel your roots binding to the bedrock… a connection made and feel the energy flow from mother earth.. Up your roots.. and let it fill your body with warm thick energy… notice the color as you do… feel how strong it makes you feel… connected!
We will stopover for lunch; you might like to experience the taste of Typical Egyptian food.
Meals: Breakfast / Overnight: Hotel in Cairo
Day 3: Visit Sakkara
Sakkara is one of the most extensive archaeological sites in Egypt! It was the cemetery for Memphis, the capital of Ancient Egypt, yet it is still one of the virgin archaeological sites, despite the fact that so much has already been found here!
Sakkara is also the site of many tombs from the 1st and 2nd Dynasties. Most are made out of mud bricks, but some tombs are made of limestone, decorated with daily life scenes. When you are at Sakkara, you will notice that it is divided into: Southern (dominated by the Step Pyramids) & Northern Sakkara (which is dominated by the Pyramid of King Titi, and Mastaba tombs of the old kingdom).
Stop en route for lunch & transfer back to hotel for overnight
Meals: Breakfast / Overnight: Hotel in Cairo
Day 4: Egyptian Museum – Fly to Luxor
After breakfast will take you to one of the oldest, most famous, and largest museums in the world. “The Egyptian Museum of Antiquities” having a long history that dates back to the year 1825 & holding now more than 160’000 piece of antiques. A visit to Egypt would not be so completed unless you explore the Egyptian Museum; lots of secrets are hidden there at “Royal Mummies Room”; you might like to reveal them (optional)! Make sure to check the most famous mask “The Golden Mask of Tut Ankh Amun”.
Afternoon; will transfer you to the airport for a short flight to “Thebes” or “Luxor”. Arrival and overnight at hotel in Luxor.
Meals: Breakfast at hotel in Cairo / Overnight hotel in Luxor.
Day 5: East Bank in Luxor
Enjoy breakfast; then we will take on a tour to “Ipt-Rsyt” as known in the new kingdom, “Luxor Temple”! “Al Aksur” in Arabic; which means the Palaces!
Temple has located anciently in the Capital of Egypt “Thebes” situated on the Eastern Bank of the Nile & dedicated to the king ” Amon-Ra”. It has always been a sacred sight, majestically standing as a remembrance to the ancient Egyptian civilization. It has an amazing entrance “Pylon” built by king Ramses II; anciently; the entrance of that complex was exclusively for the Pharaohs, priests and some of the official’s ones. Now it is one of the top visited sights in Egypt. On the same bank of the Nile “East Bank”; we will visit “Karnak Temples” This gigantic temple complex & the largest ancient religious site in the world. A large religious center consisting of temples, chapels, obelisks, sanctuaries, the sacred lake and the impressive Hypostyle Hall of 134 enormous column.
Meals: Breakfast / Overnight: Hotel in Luxor
Day 6: Abydos & Dendera – Board 4 nights’ Cruise
Breakfast on board & visit of “Abydos Temples”; Located about 2.5 hours by car north of Luxor, Abydos was one of the most important religious sites to ancient Egyptians. Much like modern Muslims hope to complete a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime, ancient Egyptians would have hopes to visit Abydos, which for them was strongly associated with the entrance into the afterlife.
Continue to visit a Greco Roman site “Dendera”; the large temple complex that dominates the site of Dendara was one of the principal cult centers of the goddess Hathor. It contains a large number of structures from different periods of Egyptian history, but most prominent today is the Greco-Roman Hathor temple, which was largely constructed between 54 and 29 BC.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & dinner on board / Overnight: On board cruise
Day 7: West Bank
Breakfast on board; visit “Deir El Bahary” or “Hatshepsut Temple”, one of the most characteristic temples in the whole of Egypt, due to its design and decorations. It was built of limestone, not sandstone like most of the other funerary temples of the New Kingdom period.
The Temple consists of three imposing terraces. The two lower ones would have once been full of trees. On the southern end of the 1st colonnade there are some scenes, among them the famous scene of the transportation of Hatshepsut’s two obelisks. On the north side of the colonnade there is a scene that represents the Queen offering four calves to Amon Ra. Visit “Valley of the Kings” Nestled in the cliffs on the west bank of the Nile at Luxor, the isolated Valley of the Kings is home to the tombs of the great pharaohs of the New Kingdom (1550 – 1070 BC). They are hidden within a wadi (or valley) formed over millennia by rainfall and water runoff. The first known pharaoh known for certain to have built a tomb within the valley was Hatshepsut, although many Egyptologists believe that Thutmose I was the first to locate his tomb here.
Stop to visit some shops & watch the famous “Memnon Colossi”, sail to Esna.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & dinner on board / Overnight: On board cruise
Day 8: Edfu Temple – Kom Ombo Temple
Will start our day with a short ride to Edfu Temple, dedicated to “Horus”, considered the best-preserved cult temple in Egypt. This partly because it was built later than most: in the Ptolemaic era from 237 to 57 BC. Yet despite its later date, it exactly reflects traditional Pharaonic architecture and so provides an excellent idea of how all the temples once looked. Visit The Double Temples of Kom Ombo dedicated to Sobek the crocodile god, and Horus the falcon-headed god. The layout combines two temples in one with each side having its own gateways and chapels.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & dinner on board / Overnight: On board cruise
Day 9: Sail to Aswan
Aswan or as known during a bygone era “Swenette”, a peaceful & breathtaking city. Today we will Visit Temple of Goddess Isis or “Philae Temple” & the earliest building on the island of Philae was a small temple to Isis built in about 370 BC by Napktnebef Kheperkare (Nectanebo I). This was later expanded into a great Temple of Isis by a number of rulers, most notably Ptolemy II Philadelphius (285-246 BC) and Diocletian (284-305 AD).
Philae was one of the last outposts of Egyptian religion, surviving two centuries after the Roman Empire converted to Christianity. The sacred island attracted many Greek and Roman pilgrims, who came to pray for healing from the mysterious Egyptian goddess Isis. Even after their defeat by Emperor Marcian in 451 AD, Nubian priests were permitted to make offerings to Isis on Philae. The temples of Philae were finally closed in 535 AD by order of Emperor Justinian.
We will enjoy a felucca ride around Aswan Island. Rest of the day is free at leisure, enjoy the colorful souqs in Aswan.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & dinner on board / Overnight: On board cruise
Day 10: Abu Simbel Massive – Cut Rock- Temples
Early morning; will take a 3 hours ride from Aswan ; heading to the Massive Rock cut Temples of Abu Simbel. The Temples of Abu Simbel are amongst the most interesting of all ancient Egyptian temples. Located close to the southern border with the Sudan, it is 280 km south of Aswan and consists of two rock-cut Temples which both date back to the reign of King Ramses II (1290-1223 BC). Unfortunately these unique Temples suffered from the raising water of Lake Nasser while the High Dam was being built. Other countries, with the help of UNESCO, assisted Egypt to help save them. Transfer back to Aswan for overnight.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch / Overnight: Hotel in Aswan
Day 11: Fly Back to Cairo
Breakfast followed by a transfer to Aswan airport; fly back to Cairo, enjoy such a relaxing day.
Meals: Breakfast / Overnight: Hotel in Cairo
Day 12: Private visit at “The Great Pyramid”
For thousands of years, secret mystery schools have known that the Great Pyramid was not a big burial monument for a dead pharaoh, but rather, a multi-dimensional star gate for initiation and transformation!
Today will take you to the reveal more secrets of the “Great Pyramids”…After the private visit we will stop over for lunch at a descent Local restaurant before we get back to our hotel in Cairo.
Meals: Breakfast / Overnight: Hotel in Cairo
Day 13: Day Free at leisure; shopping & exploring the city.
Meals: Breakfast / Overnight: Hotel in Cairo
Day 14: Departure
After breakfast will pick you up to catch your international flight back home.
Rate includes:
3 nights stay at hotel in Cairo – 5* – Pyramids View room
2 nigh stay at hotel in Luxor – 5* – Nile View Room
4 nights stay on board cruise – Sailing Luxor to Aswan
1 night stay at hotel in Aswan – 5* Nile View room
3 nights stay at hotel in Cairo – 5* – Pyramids View room
Meet , greet & assistance
Private visit to Sphinx
Private visit to Giza Great Pyramid
Domestic flight ticket “Cairo / Aswan – Luxor / Cairo”
Pick up transfer
Drop off transfer
Sightseeing entrance fees
Daily breakfast
All meals on board (Breakfast, lunch & dinner)
All relevant transfers as per itinerary
Private arrangements
Spiritual / Egyptologist – English speaking Tour guide
English speaking escort for the pickup / drop off transfers
Well trained drivers
Luggage handling at airports
Rate excludes:
Entry visa – around $25.00 per person
International flight tickets
Travel & Health insurance
Tipping kitty
Tipping for the Egyptologist tour guide.
Personnel expenses (phone calls, laundry, extra food & beverage…etc.)
Any un-mentioned items.
Offered Hotel (s) / Cruise
Mena House Or Similar in Cairo for the first / second stay
Steigenberger Nile Palace or similar in Luxor
Sonesta Nile cruise or similar sailing from Luxor to Aswan
Moevenpick or similar in Aswan
NB:
Cruise sails on Monday
There might be a slight change on cruise itinerary due to sailing conditions.
Domestic Flight ticket price is based on the currently available classes with EgyptAir.
Rate Offer:
Rate / per person – Per package in double / twin share $5995
Single supplement is $1495.00 (to be added to the top of the rate)
