Sample Itinerary

DAY 1: Thursday • Depart for Egypt

Depart for Egypt

DAY 2: Friday • Cairo

Welcome to Egypt, one of the world’s greatest ancient civilizations. We arrive in Cairo and transfer to our deluxe 5-star hotel located mere steps from the Great Pyramid. Enjoy time at the hotel pools, in the air-conditioned bars and restaurants, or in the lush hotel gardens. Tonight, attend an orientation meeting and welcome drink with our tour manager and fellow travelers at our hotel.

DAY 3: Saturday • Cairo

After breakfast, we tour the Egyptian Museum, a neoclassical building located on Tahrir Square. The museum houses the world’s largest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts with more than 120,000 items on display, including the Golden treasures of the boy King Tutankhamun. We then make a visit to one of the most ancient Coptic sites of Egypt in Old Cairo and visit the Hanging Church, the Holy Family Cave Church of Abu Serga and the Jewish Synagogue. We have an exclusive trip to The Cave Churches in the Mokkattam Mountain, where nearly 70,000 Christians worship weekly. We drive through the garbage collectors district, learning about the trash pick-up and recycling in Cairo and discover how the church started the Ministry there.

DAY 4: Sunday • Cairo

We visit the Pyramids of Giza, built during the 3rd and 4th dynasties of the Old Kingdom. Enjoy an up-close view of the Great Pyramid, with an option to enter one (extra cost). Not far from the Pyramids, we see the great Sphinx of Giza, the legendary statue with the head of a human and the body of a lion, carved out of one huge piece of limestone. We continue to Sakkara and have a BBQ lunch in a countryside restaurant on the way. In Sakkara we see the Step Pyramid, which is the first pyramid stone construction in the world. We also enjoy colorful carvings in the Tombs of the Nobles which depict daily life and fun activities. We return to the hotel to freshen up after an exciting day. Tonight, we treat ourselves to a superb dinner at one of the fine restaurants, or attend the optional Sound & Light Show held in Giza with views of the mighty Pyramids. A spectacular and unforgettable evening.

Optional: Cairo Sound & Light Show at Pyramids

DAY 5: Monday • Alexandria

After breakfast, we drive to Wadi Natrun, a Famous Holy family site and an important valley for Ancient Egyptian and Modern Coptic Christians. This is the actual birthplace of Christian monasticism. At one time, there were over 50 monasteries, but only four survived into modern times. We begin with a visit to the Monastery of St Bishoi led by one of the monks. We see the church; the refectory and we climb the keep (protection tower). We also have the opportunity to learn about monastic practices and daily life. We then proceed to Deir El-Surian with its walls adorned with beautiful ancient mosaics. We continue to Alexandria and visit Alexandria Library which was built in 2002 in memory of the Ancient Library built by the Greeks. It is a great cultural project and contains many exhibits of art as well as an antiquities museum that has some of the ancient monuments found underwater. We enjoy dinner as a group and a free evening to walk by the seaside.

DAY 6: Tuesday • Cairo

This morning we walk for 1/3 of a mile to visit the birthplace of Christianity in Egypt, St. Mark Cathedral in Alexandria, and the Tomb of St. Mark who preached in the name of Jesus and was killed by the Romans. We then visit the Eliahu Hanavi Jewish Synagogue next door, which was built in the 14th century and bombarded during the Napoleon invasion of Egypt. It was rebuilt again in the 19th century and was renewed again recently and opened for visits by the Egyptian Antiquities Authority. We check out of the hotel and go for lunch in a nice seafood restaurant overlooking the Eastern harbor. This afternoon we continue to Qait-Bay Fortress, built to replace the Ancient Light House of Pharos, one of the seven wonders of the Ancient world. We end our day in Cairo and check into the hotel with dinner and the evening on our own.

DAY 7: Wednesday • Nile Cruise

After breakfast, we fly to Aswan. Upon arrival, we have the morning at leisure in this ancient frontier town or join the optional Abu Simbel tour. A flight from Aswan transports you back in time to the mighty Temple of Abu Simbel, reclaimed from the floodwaters of the Aswan High Dam and totally reconstructed in the present location. The site is dominated by the looming twin temples of Ramses II and his wife Queen Nefertari. It is one of the most recognizable ancient sites of Egypt. We fly back to Aswan and transfer to our cruise ship, our home for the next three nights. In the late afternoon we get a rare glimpse into another world and even another time as we visit Nubian Village including a family house. We enjoy a bit of free time in the spice markets before returning to the cruise ship.

Optional: Abu Simbel by air

DAY 8: Thursday • Nile Cruise

We tour the Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis. We marvel at the temple’s beautiful island location. We conclude our tour with a sailboat ride on the Nile and visit the Botanical Garden of Aswan, planted by Lord Kitchener, the British ruler of Egypt. Returning to the ship, we begin our journey on the legendary Nile. Watch the scenery pass from the pool or your sunbed lounger. Our first stop is the Temple of Kom Ombo, dedicated to the Crocodile God Sobek and the Sky God Horus. We continue to Edfu where we dock for the evening

DAY 9: Friday • Nile Cruise

This morning, enjoy a lazy breakfast and free morning, while sailing to Luxor. We have our lecture on the Nile Valley and River, with its challenges and hopes. In the afternoon, we take a sightseeing tour of the East Bank of Luxor, visiting the magnificent Temples of Karnak, dating back over 3,000 years. We walk along the avenue of the Sphinxes and marvel at the Hypostyle Hall with its 134 massive sandstone columns. Afterward, enjoy a nice horse carriage ride through Luxor markets and the riverside by sunset.

DAY 10: Saturday • Cairo

We view the magnificence of the Luxor West Bank with a visit to the UNESCO listed Valley of the Kings, the necropolis of Thebes and admire the tombs of ancient Egypt’s rulers. Next, head to the Temple of Hatshepsut, a colonnaded structure surrounded by cliffs and learn about the life of Queen Hatshepsut, Egypt’s first female ruler. We conclude the tour at the Colossi of Memnon: two massive stone statues of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III. We have lunch in a local restaurant with a great view of the temple of Luxor. Later, we board a flight back to Cairo and our airport hotel.

DAY 11: Sunday • Depart Egypt

Transfer to the airport for your departure flight back home.

• Cruise sailing times are subject to change.

• At certain times of the year itinerary may be amended to travel early in the morning and late afternoon to avoid the heat. Order or duration of some visits may change without notice.