* Note:  We are pleased that beginning in 2005, the Egyptian government is again issuing special permits that have allowed us to enter the Great Pyramid with only our small groups.  These permits also allowed us to go inside the Sphinx enclosure - you can touch the Sphinx!  This privilege cannot be guaranteed, but we hope that we will continue to have this special opportunity.

This afternoon there is time to "debrief" after the pyramid experience.  We also begin our sessions for individual people this afternoon.  The other sessions for individuals will be on the coming days, each afternoon.

Day 4, Tues:  We leave Giza/Cairo early this morning for the one-hour flight to Luxor.  Upon arrival in Luxor, our New Kingdom (1550-1070 BC) experiences begin on the East Bank with the Luxor Temple.  Both gently beautiful and full of awesome grandness, this temple was the "Bride of Karnak" during the annual Apet festival.  The avenue of the Sphinxes flanked the processions from one temple to the other.

Next we have a special treat.  The Luxor Museum has a special exhibit room for a cache of statues found in near-perfect condition. They were buried under a courtyard at the Luxor Temple and found only recently during renovations.  There is also a new wing, just opened this year, with an excellent mummy exhibit and a number of splendid artifacts.  Our friend, Rachid, is painstakingly putting together a wall from Tel Amarna (displayed at the Luxor Museum) and each time we visit he has more of it completed.
Our 5-star hotel is right on the Nile.

Day 5, Wed: The splendors of Karnak are the feast of the day.  Each Pharaoh wanted to leave something impressive at Karnak.  The largest temple complex in Egypt, we see multiple temples, obelisks, great gates and the famous hypostyle hall - unequalled to this day.  Also at Karnak, we visit the fascinating Open Air Museum where we view the Red Chapel of Hatshepsut (Karnak's original Holy of Holies), Senwosret's White Chapel with its famous finely-carved hieroglyphs (Middle Kingdom) and other magnificent pieces.  
For many the visit with the goddess Sekhmet in her chapel will be a highlight.
Optional opportunity:  Sound & Light Show at Karnak in the evening.

Day 6, Thurs: Today we cross to the other side of the Nile.  The river separated the worlds of the East Bank and West Bank.  The west represented the hereafter and is where the dead were buried.  We visit the Mortuary Temple of  Hatshepsut, Deir El Bahari, called "The Most Splendid of All" by the ancient Egyptians.  Hatshepsut's reign was an interesting time in Ancient Egypt and one that many people find a resonance with.

Of course we also visit the famous Valley of the Kings (where King Tut’s tomb was found).  There are also a number of other tombs here to visit.

We finish our explorations of the New Kingdom with the last great temple to be built during that period, Medinet Habu.  Second only to Karnak in size, built by Ramesses III on a site that was seeded by a temple built by Hatshepsut at the very beginning of the New Kingdom, it is a fitting way to finish our time in Luxor.  There is a wonderful hall of pillars with colored reliefs of the many gods & goddesses.

As we leave the West Bank of Luxor we see the "Colossi of Memnon," the two large statues of Amenhotep III that still stand, even though their temple was long ago destroyed.  

Day 7, Fri:  We leave Luxor today and drive southward along the Nile to the town of Aswan, where we will stay overnight.  The beautiful Temple of Isis at Philae is situated on an island.  We approach by motorboat and the photo-op’s are not to be missed! The last place to practice the ancient Egyptian religion, the Isis Temple was closed in the 6th century by the Emperor Justinian (the same one that built St. Catherine’s Monastery at Mount Sinai). It was later used as a Christian church.
It is the perfect place for us to begin to bring our Egypt tour to a close.  You have traveled from north to south, through 3,000 years of history.  

Day 8, Saturday, May 20:  Flight back to Cairo this morning.  Our hotel is right near the airport, which will make things easier tomorrow morning.  Today is our day in downtown Cairo.  We visit the Cairo Egyptian Museum – mummies, hundreds of statues and the King Tut collection.  In the evening there will be some time to shop for those last-minute souvenirs at the bazaar.

Day 9 (or day 10 if you left from the USA), Sunday, May 21, 2006:  We are right beside the airport for our morning flights back home.  Or you might like to stay two more days and climb Mount Sinai.  This is a good time of year to do it, because it will be cool on the mountain (not freezing, like it is from November - March). Our Mt. Sinai Extension begins Sunday, May 21, and you fly home on Tuesday, May 23, 2006.  

There may be changes to this itinerary due to circumstances beyond our control.

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