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Day
1, Sat.: Arrival in Cairo (7 hours ahead of New York time, 2 hours ahead
of Greenwich). Egypt Air direct nonstop from New York to Cairo
arrives at 3:30 PM. British Airways flight from London to Cairo
arrives at 11:35 PM.
Welcome to Egypt! For those arriving early enough, a short evening visit to Giza
village. Enjoy your first views of the pyramids and Sphinx.
Optional: Sound & Light show at the Pyramids.
Dinner,
Novotel 4-star hotel.
 Day
2, Sun.: Our Egypt experience begins with a visit to the Giza
Plateau. We spend time in the Great Pyramid, the newly re-opened "2nd
Pyramid,"
the Solar Boat (almost 5,000 years old!), the Sphinx and Valley
Temple. Camel rides for the adventurous.
We enjoy
a relaxing lunch overlooking the pyramids at the luxurious Mena House
Hotel.
 Afternoon
trip south to the Sakkara complex, the burial ground for Memphis
during the Old Kingdom (when Memphis was the central government of
Egypt). We see the Step Pyramid, the early versions of the Book of
the Dead and some interesting tombs.
This evening is a second chance to see the Sound & Light Show, or
visit a papyrus factory, perfume shops or other small shops in the Giza
area.
Buffet
Breakfast, Lunch, Novotel 4-star hotel.
Day
4, Mon.: Early morning flight to Luxor. No need to fight
Cairo's morning traffic because our hotel is right beside the Cairo airport.
In Luxor our New Kingdom (1550-1070 BC) experiences begin with the Luxor
Temple. Both gently beautiful and full of awesome grandness, this
temple was the "Bride of Karnak" during the annual Apet
festival.
Check in to our 5-Star Superior Nile Cruise boat, the M/S Ruby.
Lunch and time for a siesta in the heat of the midday.
Late afternoon visit to the Luxor Museum with its special exhibit
room of 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.
Free time in the evening to explore the relaxed and friendly town of Luxor
(safe for all to walk at night). The shops stay open late and people
sit in the streets, laughing and talking.
You can also see the Sound & Light Show at the Karnak temples.
Buffet
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, M/S Ruby 5-star Superior Nile Cruise.
 Day
5, Tues.: A morning meditation with the fiery lioness, Sekhmet,
in her chapel at Karnak or time to take photos in the dramatic
early morning light (bring extra film for Karnak). This is followed
by a tour of Karnak before the heat of the day sets in. Each
Pharaoh wanted to leave something impressive at Karnak. Obelisks and
temples abound.
 Back
at the cruise boat we enjoy a brunch/early lunch.
Afternoon trip to Luxor's West Bank to begin seeing all the sites
there. What we don't see today we will have a second chance to see
tomorrow morning.
Dinner and overnight aboard our Nile Cruise boat.
Buffet
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, M/S Ruby 5-star
Superior Nile Cruise.
 Day
6, Wed.:
We return to the West Bank early this morning. Possible visit
(optional) to the newly renovated Tomb of Nefertari. If we
did not see them the day before, we visit the tombs in the Valley of
the Kings (where King Tut’s tomb was found), the Valley of the
Workmen, the Ramesseum and
Hatshepsut’s Temple -- called "The Most Splendid of
All" by the ancient Egyptians. The 3rd level at Deir El
Bahari was just opened in March 2002, so you will privileged to be
among the first to see it.
 We
return to our Nile Cruise boat for lunch and watch the landscape glide
slowly by as we begin sailing up the Nile towards Aswan. There
is often excitement on deck as we pass through the lock at Esna. The
locals come out in boats to hawk their wares while the boats wait their
turn in the lock. Afternoon
tea on deck.
Entertainment on board in the evening.
Buffet
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, M/S Ruby 5-star Superior Nile Cruise boat.
Day
7, Thurs.: We dock at Edfu and horse-drawn carriages bring us to the
Temple of Horus, the best preserved temple in Egypt.
We continue sailing up river. In the late afternoon we again dock
and visit the Ptolemaic temple for Sobek and Haroeris at Kom Ombo,
sometimes called the "Temple of Duality." Our boat
continues on to Aswan where we overnight. If we arrive early enough,
there may be time to start exploring the old market in Aswan.
Buffet
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, M/S Ruby 5-star Superior Nile Cruise boat.
 Day
8, Fri.: Sightseeing in Aswan. We begin with a visit to the Unfinished
Obelisk at the ancient granite quarry and also see the High Dam.
Next we visit the Temple of Isis at the island of Philae.
This temple was the last place that the Ancient Religion was
practiced. It was closed about 600 A.D. by the Emperor Justinian and
turned into a Christian Abbey.
We return to our cruise boat for lunch. Afterwards we transfer to
the picturesque Basma Hotel. Set on a hill that overlooks all of
Aswan, the Nile and the cataracts, every room has a balcony. It is
so beautiful and restful that people often do not want to leave.
 Some
travelers may choose to
take the optional excursion of a
short flight to Abu Simbel to see the Temples for Ramesses II
and his queen, Nefertari.
Late
afternoon/evening fellucca (the traditional sailboats of the
Nubians) ride to the archeological site at Elephantine Island where
they are excavating Temples of the Goddesses Satet, Anukis and Hathor and
the God Khnum. This is also where the Ark of the Covenant
is said to have rested for a time.
 The
evening is free to explore on your own or adventure
in the ancient market place with Ruth. Try your hand at
bargaining, get a henna tattoo or just enjoy the exotic sights and smells, like
stepping into a storybook of the past.
Buffet
Breakfast, Lunch, Basma Hotel 4-star hotel.
Day
8, Saturday: Early flight back to Cairo, check in at our hotel and
buffet breakfast.
 For
our last day together we visit the renowned Cairo
Egyptian Museum – mummies, hundreds of statues and the King Tut
collection. Having
experienced the different temples and pyramids, the Old Kingdom, New
Kingdom and Ptolemaic (Greek) eras are now part of our common knowledge.
The artifacts at the museum have more meaning for us
than they would have a week ago.
Lunch near the museum at the famous Felfella Restaurant where we enjoy
traditional Egyptian delicacies. Visit to a Mosque in Cairo if
people are interested.
Early
evening is the best time to visit the the colorful Kahn al-Khalili
bazaar, now over 600 years old. Here in the medieval setting we
can watch artisans at work, bargain with the shopkeepers and wind our way
through the maze of narrow walkways -- each packed to the maximum with
hundreds of items.
Those who don't care to shop may enjoy drinking tea in one of the cafes
where they can watch the passers-by.
Farewell dinner in the evening.
Buffet
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Novotel 4-star hotel.
Day
9, Sunday: Flights home or continue your Egypt trip with an
extension at the Red Sea, St. Catherine's or other adventures. Egypt
Air flight to New York leaves Cairo at 9:00 AM. British Airways
flight to London leaves Cairo at 8:30 AM.
There may be
changes to this itinerary due to circumstances beyond our control.
Questions?
Need more info? Contact the tour leader, Ruth Shilling, at:
Ruth@BelovedEgypt.com
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