Wonders of Egypt

We depart for Cairo, via Frankfurt.

We arrive in Cairo and transfer to our centrally located hotel. This evening will be our Welcome Dinner.

This morning we travel to Giza where, overlooking the Nile Valley and Cairo, we visit the 3 Great Pyramids— one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the Great Sphinx—a colossal lion with a Pharaoh’s head. Then we drive past small villages to visit the towns of Memphis and Sakkara. The highlight will be the Step Pyramids of King Zoser—the oldest stone building in the world!

This morning we visit the world-famous Egyptian Museum, including the fabulous collection of Pharaonic antiquities, especially the golden treasures of the Tut Ankh Amun Exhibit. The museum houses over 50,000 artifacts that span 7,000 years.

Our sightseeing of Old Cairo begins with a visit of the Alabaster Mosque and the Great Citadel. Built by Saladin, rising majestically over the city, the mosque offers a panoramic view of Cairo and the Nile. We visit the Church of Abu Serga, Moallaqa Church (Hanging Church) and the Ben Ezra Synagogue—the oldest Jewish synagogue in Egypt.

Transfer to airport for flight to Hurghada—a beach resort town stretching some 40 km along Egypt’s Red Sea coast. The old town, not far from our hotel, is home to traditional Egyptian coffee shops and souks. We will stay at a deluxe All-Inclusive beach resort.

Enjoy a day on the red sea. You will be picked up from your hotel and transferred to the Red Sea Marina to board a cruise boat. Spend a day cruising on and around the islands of Orange and Giftun. Explore the beauty of the surrounding area as well as the rich marine life of the Red Sea.

We venture into the desert to experience its natural beauty and Bedouin culture. Those who wish may ride a camel, and meet Bedouin villagers. We finish with a Bedouin dinner.

Transfer from Hurghada to your Nile Cruise in Luxor for embarkation. At the Temple of Luxor we’ll see the granite statue of Ramses II, and the many halls and pillars that make up this incredible temple. After lunch we’ll visit the most impressive of all temples—Karnak, and see the Great Temple of Amon, the Hypostyle Hall, the Obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut, the Granite Scara of Amenophis II, Sacred Lake, and many shrines.

Your sightseeing in Luxor will include the West Bank (Thebes) where there are some of the richest treasures in the world in the Valley of the Kings. You will be able to visit some of these royal tombs. Continue to visit Hatshepsut’s funerary temple at Dier El Bahari and the Colossi of Memnon.

This morning we visit the ancient, yet remarkably intact, Temple of Horus. Horus (the Sun God) is always pictured as a man with a falcon’s head, often with a solar disk. Then we sail past small desert villages where life goes on much as it has for thousands of years. See camels, water buffalo, and monkeys at work on the small farms. We arrive at Kom Ombo to visit the Sobek Temple, dedicated to 2 gods: Haroeris—a hawkheaded god, and Sobek—the crocodile god. In order not to offend either, a twin shrine was built on a hill overlooking the Nile. Then we sail to Edfu via the locks of Esna.

In Aswan, the Nile parts into many arms divided by immense granite rocks and islands, particularly the island of Elephantine. There is only a small area of fertile land producing what are considered the finest dates in all of Egypt. We visit the Temple of Philae, dedicated to Goddess Isis, and the High Dam. In the afternoon, we board our deluxe riverboat, and then we sail in a felucca to view Kitchener’s Island, the Botanical Garden, and the Aga Khan Mausoleum.

We transfer to Cairo. Afternoon at leisure.

Morning at leisure. We spend the afternoon at the Khan el-Khalili Bazaar—rich in silks and carpets, where craftsmen use age-old traditions in creating their wares. This evening is our Farewell Dinner.

We fly home to Canada via Frankfurt.