Day 3, Tues, Sept 12:  Today we spend a full day on the Giza Plateau. We visit the Great Pyramid* (of course!) and either the 2nd or 3rd Pyramid, whichever one is open (of the three pyramids, two will be open and one closed for renovations - dates are not announced in advance).  We also see the Solar Boat (almost 5,000 years old!), the Sphinx* and Valley Temple.

There are legends of the Sphinx speaking. Does the Sphinx have a message for you?  Camel rides for the adventurous. 

* 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.

Optional: Evening visits to a Perfume Oil Shop and/or the Sound & Light Show at the Giza pyramids this evening.

Day 4, Wed, Sept 13:  FREE DAY WITH OPTIONS*.  You may be ready for a day relaxing by the pool as you gaze up at the pyramids.  Time to write those postcards at last or organize your things before leaving for Upper Egypt tomorrow?  Or you may choose from the following options:

1) Day trip into Cairo to see the Coptic churches in the area known as "Old Cairo."  Afterwards explore the colorful Kahn al-Khalili bazaar.  Enjoy shopping and bargaining, linger over dinner at the famous historic Naguib Mafouz restaurant or try smoking some shisha (flavored tobacco) at an outdoor cafe.  

2) Take a day-long to trip to Alexandria.  With the feel of a European city, Alexandria is quite different than the rest of Egypt.  Your trip includes visits to the Catacombs of Kom el Shugafa, "Pompey's Pillar," the Roman Amphitheater and the Greco-Roman Museum.  Or you may prefer to spend the whole day at the newly opened Alexandria Library.  Return to Cairo by evening.

3) Shopping in Cairo.  Visit the Avenue of the Tent-makers in the old city where you can buy appliquéd items directly from the makers, Kerdasa - where they make a wide variety of galebeya dresses and the Kahn El Khalili bazaar for wide variety of goods, including belly dancing costumes.  Shopping escorted and assisted by Ruth.

*Note: On this free day, your lunch and dinner are not included.  All other meals on the tour are included in your tour price (and you get to order whatever you would like, we pick up the tab!).

Evening Options: 
Sufi Dancing with live music at the Citadel this evening.  
A Nile Dinner Cruise with belly dancer and other entertainment.

Day 5, Thurs, Sept 14:  This morning we head out into the desert again to visit the Nuiserre Sun Temple at Abu Gurab and see the pyramids at Abu Sir. This is a rare opportunity, as these sites are rarely visited by tourists.  This is by special permission from the Department of Antiquities.  The central alabaster alter of the sun temple sends out "hotep" blessings in all 4 directions.  
Or you may decide to take the morning off and enjoy the pool and a leisurely breakfast before packing up to leave for Luxor this evening.

We leave in the late morning to visit the Cairo Egyptian Museum – mummies, hundreds of statues and the King Tut collection.  We have a good, long visit - a guided tour, as well as free time. 

Evening (10:15 PM) one-hour flight to Luxor.  Accommodation: Luxor Hilton or similar, 5 star hotel, located directly on the Nile.

Day 6, Fri, Sept 15: Here in Luxor our New Kingdom (1550-1070 BC) experiences begin on the West Bank with a visit to Hatshepsut’s Temple, Deir El Bahari, called "The Most Splendid of All" by the ancient Egyptians.  This is the oldest temple available to visit from the New Kingdom, so we start at the very beginning...

The west represented the hereafter and is where the dead were buried.  Today we visit perhaps the most colorful tombs presently available for viewing in Luxor, the Workman's Village, Deir El Medina, gives us a look at some of the tombs most often represented in books about Ancient Egypt.  Whereas on Wednesday at Sakkara we saw scenes of daily life during the Old Kingdom, today we see the daily life represented during the New Kingdom (about 1,000 years later).  

Next we see the rarely visited Ramesseum, a favorite of many of our travelers.   This is where the fallen statue of Ramesses II inspired a poem by Shelley.  

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 is long ago destroyed.  

When we arrive on the East Bank we may have the privilege of being invited for lunch at our bus drivers' house.  A chance to meet some of the villagers and see there lives "up close."

In the late-afternoon and early evening we visit to the Luxor Temple when the lighting is optimal for seeing the wall reliefs.  The dramatic lighting also helps give the temple a special feeling in the evening.  Both gently beautiful and full of awesome grandness, this temple was the "Bride of Karnak" during the annual Apet festival.

Day 7, Sat, Sept 16: For those who would like, we have a second visit to the Luxor Temple, this time in the early morning.  It's a wonderful setting for an early morning meditation, or perhaps you would rather photograph, sketch or just wander around.  It is a pleasure to be there before the crowds of tourists arrive.
Another option is a sunrise Balloon Ride over the West Bank of Luxor.  See the temples we visit from the air!

After breakfast back at the hotel, the splendors of Karnak fill the rest of our 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.  

Optional evening opportunities:
Visit a jewelry shop where you can buy custom-made items in gold and silver.
Sound & Light Show at Karnak.

Day 8, Sun, Sept 17: A full days trip in our own private A/C bus to the Temple of Seti I (with the renowned Osireion) at Abydos and the Temple of Hathor at Dendera.   Our bus passes the hills of Nag Hamadi, where the scrolls were found that contain some of the Gnostic gospels. 
Abydos was the place of pilgrimage during Ancient Egyptian times and still holds much of the mystery of the past.  

The Temple of Hathor was built during the Ptolemaic (Greek) era on a much older site that had been a place of worshiping the Goddess Hathor in earlier times.  The famous circular zodiac was found in the ceiling of a chapel on the roof of the temple.  The ceilings and walls of the main hypostyle hall are full of astrological imagery.


Day 9, Monday, Sept 18: You may choose to visit Karnak temple again this morning, either to catch the stunning photos provided by the early morning light or to do a meditation with the fiery lioness, Sekhmet, in her chapel there. Or you may decide to sleep in and meet the others afterwards at breakfast.

Today we make a second visit to the West Bank of Luxor.  The famous Valley of the Kings (where King Tut’s tomb was found).  You will get to go inside a number of tombs, but we never know until we get there which ones will be open that day.  The newly opened tomb of Ramesses I has been beautifully restored and rivals the now-closed tomb of Nefertari in the vibrancy of the colors.

In the afternoon 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 tour together.  There is a wonderful hall of pillars with colored reliefs of the many gods & goddesses that you have come to know through your lectures with Ruth and Ehab.  How many can you identify now?  

We will also stop at one of the local Alabaster Shops, if there is an interest.  (Better to buy this sort of thing at the very end of your trip.)

Late afternoon/evening 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.  Again, a chance to test chance your present knowledge of Egyptian history, and where and when the artifacts displayed here fit into it.

Return flight to Cairo this evening, so that you will be ready to take the Tuesday morning flight back to New York, or another destination.  Or board a Nile Cruise boat to continue your Egypt tour with a Nile Cruise & Abu Simbel extension provided by our affiliate, American Express of Egypt.   

Day 10, Tuesday, September 19: Flights home or spend more time enjoying the riches of Egypt.  See options at Day 4 for suggestions.

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

Prices and What Is Included in this September 10-19, 2006 Tour