HUFFINES
Family & Friends Egypt Tour 2012

Tuesday, May 29 - Saturday, June 2, 2012

Sightseeing Included in this Tour

Arrivals in Cairo

Mena House Photos

Map of Egypt

Hotel: Mena House Oberoi, beside the Great Pyramid of Giza

Saqqara Step Pyramid & Tombs
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Imhotep Museum

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Cairo Museum
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Khan el-Khalili Bazaar

Map of Saqqara.

The most notable feature at Saqqara is King Djoser's Step Pyramid, which is the earliest pyramid -- the one that started it all! Walking through the colonnade to the open court with its high walls topped with rearing cobras, we then go to the Pyramid of Unas and down its processional causeway.

At the end of this causeway we visit an interesting and beautiful tomb which is rarely visited by tourists. The "Tomb of the Two Brothers" is for the High Priests Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep, manicurist of the king. Some of the reliefs show what looks like our modern reflexology and chiropractic adjustments being performed by one of the High Priests. There is some controversy about this tomb, so there is quite a bit written about it. 

We also visit inside the Teti Pyramid which has the oldest Pyramid Texts ("Egyptian Book of the Dead") now available for viewing.

Also here at Saqqara we see the Old Kingdom tombs that have scenes of the daily life of Ancient Egypt.  The scenes show many of the daily activities of the Ancient Egyptian people, as well as their animals, plants & birds. 

Here in the Saqqara area we also visit the Imhotep Museum, a well-laid out modern museum displaying artifacts found at Saqqara. Saqqara's Step Pyramid was built early in Ancient Egyptian history and is surrounded by later constructions from the following eras.  Here at the museum there are artifacts from all periods.  Especially memorable are the life-size wooden statues from the Old Kingdom. It feels as if you can look directly into the eyes of the Ancient Egyptians! 
Article about the Imhotep Museum co-authored by Ruth Shilling.

In the afternoon we journey into the bustling city of downtown Cairo to visit the famous Cairo Egyptian Museum. This museum has the largest collection of Ancient Egyptian artifacts in the world and houses the incomparable King Tut collection.

The Royal Mummy Room has the mummies of some of the pharaohs who built the great temples and monuments that we admire today.  You will have a guided tour to see the most important objects and then there is free time to look at whatever you would like.

An early dinner is at the Naguib Mahfouz Restaurant in the historic Khan el-Khalili bazaar. There will be time to explore the bazaar a bit before dinner. Time to try out your bargaining skills!

Hotel: Mena House Oberoi, right beside the Great Pyramid.

This morning we

In the Solar Boat Museum we see a boat that is more than 4,000 years old! Just a bit more than 50 years ago, it was found buried (vacuum packed!) beside the Great Pyramid. It was actually like a "boat kit," with all the pieces, which then needed to be assembled.

We also plan to meet with an archeologist at the Giza Plateau who will show us the restoration work he has been doing on some tombs which are not open to the public yet.

Camel rides, if you would like, or you can also just have your picture taken on a camel. When you get home the most-often-asked question after a trip to Egypt is, "Did you ride a camel?"

We finish our day with a special treat. We are applying for a government issued permit that will enable us to go INSIDE the Sphinx enclosure -- close enough that you can touch the Sphinx! Because government policies can change, we cannot guarantee this, but we have every expectation that we will be able to enjoy this privilege.

A late check out of the Mena House Oberoi and a drive to Heliopolis where we have a meal before our evening flight to Luxor, 7:15/8:25pm.

Your 5* hotel, the Luxor Hilton, is right on the East Bank of the Nile.

Hotel: Luxor Hilton Hotel.

Karnak Temple
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Karnak Open Air Museum
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Luxor Museum
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Luxor Temple
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Felucca Ride

Here in Luxor we see the temples and tombs from the New Kingdom era. 

We begin our sightseeing on the East Bank of Luxor with the largest temple complex of all, Karnak.  Not just a temple, but a whole series of temples, and the magnificent Hypostyle Hall in the middle of the central axis.  Every king wanted to make his mark at Karnak, so we have contributions from a number of different times in Ancient Egyptian history.

We also visit the Open Air Museum, where we will see the Red Chapel of Hatshepsut and Thutmosis III, the Middle Kingdom White Chapel and a number of other exquisite artifacts. 

After lunch at a nearby restaurant we visit the Luxor Museum.  There is a special gallery here for a group of statues that were recently found buried under Luxor Temple. (LINK to one of these statues)  A modern museum, like the Imhotep Museum, the artifacts are well displayed and arranged, making it a very pleasant museum to visit.

While we are in the town of Luxor we will make a stop (or two, if needed) for people to buy snacks, drinks, etc for the week on the scuba diving boat.

In the late afternoon we visit the Temple of Luxor.  An Avenue of the Sphinxes leads us to this picturesque temple with its obelisk and colossi statues of Ramesses II guarding the entrance.  Built mostly by Amenhotep III, there is a wide open court that portends the open-roofed temples of his successor, Akhenaten, worshipper of the sun-god Aten.

We finish our day with an optional felucca sailboat ride on the legendary River Nile.  Late in the day as the sun is setting is the most picturesque time. Or you may prefer a swim in the lovely pool at the Luxor Hilton.

Hotel: Sonesta St George, Sofitel Karnak or similar, 5*  Meals: BB, D.

Saturday
June 2, 2012

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Valley of the Kings
King Tut's Tomb
Ramesses V&VI Tomb

Special Permission
to visit the
Tomb of Seti I
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Hatshepsut's Temple
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Ramesseum
 

We are up very early this morning to begin our visit to the West Bank of Luxor where we visit the most famous site of all, the Valley of the Kings. The Ancient Egyptians chose a place for their burials that was so dry that no vegetation grows there at all. When the weather is hot, the Valley gives the feeling that if you stayed there long enough, you might become a mummy, too!

This is where Howard Carter found King Tut's tomb and amazed the world with the many marvelous things found therein.  The Tomb of King Tut is open at this time and the extra ticket has been included in your tour.

We are applying for a special permit that will give us permission to visit the Tomb of Seti 1st which has been closed to the public for many years. We have every expectation that we will receive this permit. However, we cannot guarantee what the Egyptian government may decide.

Here is a LINK to a wonderful series of webpages and images about this tomb.

The tomb of Ramesses V&VI was recently restored and is truly spectacular (extra ticket is included in your tour).  You will also get to choose another 3 tombs to visit. 

Below is an explanation of the Egyptian Hours of the Night, the journey of the sun, which is represented on the walls of the tombs.

When we leave the Valley of the Kings we will visit Hatshepsut's Deir El Bahari Temple.  Called "The Most Splendid of All" by the ancient Egyptians, it was built at the very beginning of the New Kingdom and served as an inspiration for the generations to come.
Photos of Hatshepsut's Temple

We finish our sightseeing together with one of our favorite temples. It is not on the normal tourist route, so it is particularly nice to visit.  The mortuary temple of the famous Ramesses II is called the Ramesseum.  This is also the temple with the fallen colossus that inspired a poem by Shelley. 

We will return to the Luxor Hilton for lunch and then you will travel by road to Hurghada to begin your scuba diving trip.  Godspeed!

Until we meet again!

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All photos on this page are by Ruth Shilling.  Please contact us to use them in your project.