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"Wonders
of Egypt - Family Tour" 8-day Egypt Tour -
Sunday, Feb 15 - Sunday, Feb 22, 2009 Petra & Jordan Extension after this tour - escorted by Ruth Shilling |
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"Wonders
of Egypt - Family Tour" Land
Only Prices* Including
Airfare from New York, USA * Prices above
are for those sharing a hotel room & include: Two 5-star
hotels, 2 meals per day (a large buffet breakfast & lunch), bottled water at all times, sightseeing with
entrance fees as described below. |
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Airfare from USA Saturday, Feb 14, 2009 |
Egypt
tour with Air from NY:
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Day 1 Sunday Feb 15, 2009 |
Land Only Travelers: Plan to arrive in Cairo, Egypt, on Sunday, Feb 15, 2009 For those arriving from New York, you arrive about midday in Cairo (7 hours ahead of New York time, 2 hours ahead of Greenwich). An English-speaking representative will meet you at Cairo airport and bring you to our hotel near the pyramids. Overnight: 5-star hotel near the pyramids. Le Meridien Pyramids or similar. |
 Saqqara  Imhotep Museum  Local Farmers
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Day 2 - Monday, Feb 16, 2009 Here in the Cairo area we begin with a visit to the oldest pyramid of all, King Djoser's Step Pyramid. It was built more than 4,500 years ago! This was the beginning, and it is the beginning of our tour, too. It is here at the Saqqara complex that we get to see the early versions of the Book of the Dead (Teti Pyramid) and some tombs with scenes of the daily life in the Old Kingdom. See what life on the Nile looked like more than 4,000 years ago - people, animals, food, farming, making glass & jewelry, kids playing games and lots more. Here at Saqqara we also have the pleasure of seeing the newly opened Imhotep Museum - a beautifully laid out modern museum with a number of wooden statues from the Old Kingdom that are particularly memorable. It is a small museum, so will be a short visit. All the items on exhibit were found here at Saqqara and have not been on public display before. Ruth has some friends in the Saqqara area who have a guesthouse in the Black Land, the farming area. Hopefully they will be home and able to welcome us for lunch. It's also a chance to see some the nearby farmers and their animals up close. See Blue Lotus of Saqqara Guesthouse. On our way back to Giza we stop at what was once the capital city of Ancient Egypt, Memphis. See the huge statue of Ramesses II and the Alabaster Sphinx. Optional: Overnight: 5-star hotel near the pyramids. Le Meridien Pyramids or similar. |
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Day 3 - Tuesday, Feb 17, 2009 Today is Giza Pyramids day! The most famous pyramids of all. We visit and go inside whichever pyramid is open. Of the three pyramids, two will be open and one closed for renovations - dates are not announced in advance. There is an additional ticket of 100 LE (about $17 USD) for the Great Pyramid. On that day, you will decide if you want to take this option and go inside. The ticket for the other pyramid that will be open is included in your tour price. In the Solar Boat Museum we see a boat that is almost 5,000 years old and was found 50 years ago, here beside the pyramid. The trees that were used to build it most have been huge, because the boards run the whole length of the boat! We will also see the Great Sphinx & Valley Temple. The stones that make up the walls of the Valley Temple are HUGE, too large for us to move and place so precisely today. How did they do it? What do you think? Camel rides for the adventurous. Here's your chance to ride across the desert with the pyramids there nearby (and, of course, have your picture taken as well). Back at our hotel it is time to pack your bags to get ready for leaving Cairo tomorrow. Optional: Overnight: 5-star hotel near the pyramids. Le Meridien Pyramids or similar. |
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Day 4 - Wednesday, Feb 18, 2009 In the morning we drive into Cairo, the biggest center of culture and learning in the Middle East, and one of the largest, most crowded cities in the entire world. On our way we visit a papyrus institute and see how the ancient papyrus was made. Includes a shop where you can buy your own as well. Right in the center of the city is the famous Cairo Egyptian Museum. Your guides point out the most famous pieces and then there is free time to look at whatever interests you the most. The treasures of King Tut, the Mummy Room, statues from all time periods. In the afternoon we visit the historic Kahn El Khalili bazaar. There are narrow cobble stone alleys, a profusion of colorful goods, medieval architecture and outdoor cafes. A wide variety of goods are sold, and we get a flavor of the local life in downtown Cairo. Time to buy those souvenirs to take home. Have you ever had your own sleeping compartment on an overnight train? Here is your chance to have an adventure that may feel like you are in a movie. We will have sleeping compartments with 2 beds each (you can get a cabin that is connected to the one next door, if you have a family) for the overnight train from Cairo to Luxor. Overnight: Overnight sleeper train (in private sleeping cabin) from Cairo to Luxor. |
 Luxor Temple
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Day 5 - Thursday, Feb 19, 2009 Our train arrives in Luxor in the early morning. It's the perfect time to see the Luxor Temple before the other tourists get there. The New Kingdom temples we will see here in Luxor were built about 1,000 years later than the pyramids we saw in the Cairo area. The Luxor Temple is a good place to start to see how the temples of the New Kingdom were laid out. It was the "Bride of Karnak" during the annual Apet festival and has an impressive processional way called the "Avenue of the Sphinxes." In the late morning we make a visit to the Luxor Museum. This is a modern museum opened fairly recently. It is much smaller than the Cairo Museum and is well laid out, so it is easy to get around in to see everything. There is a special exhibit room for 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. There is also a new wing, just opened recently, with an excellent mummy exhibit and a number of splendid artifacts - a chariot, the tools the Ancient Egyptians used, bows & arrows, and the coveted gold "flies of honor." Time to check in at our new hotel, located right on the River Nile. A relaxing lunch and maybe a quick nap or swim in the pool. In the late afternoon we will have a sailboat ride on the Nile, they call them "feluccas." In the evening, those who would like can visit a gold shop to get a cartouche necklace with your name written in hieroglyphs. Or you can try your hand at bargaining at the many shops in the open market area of Luxor. Early to bed, as we have a big day on the West Bank tomorrow. Optional: Overnight: Luxor 5- star Hotel - Sofitel Karnak Resort or similar. |
 Hatshepsut's Temple
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Day
6 -
Friday,
Feb 20, 2009
Today we go to the West Bank, one of the most famous archeological sites in the world. The first site that we visit is also one of the earliest New Kingdom temples. Called "The Most Splendid of All" by the ancient Egyptians, Queen Hatshepsut’s Temple, the famous Deir El Bahari has inspired many, including the founders of modern architecture. One of the outstanding features is the picturesque Hathor columns in the Hathor Chapel on the second Level. We are also privileged to be admitted to the third level which was only recently opened to the public. More photos of Hatshepsut's Temple. 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 at Saqqara we saw the scenes of daily life during the Old Kingdom, today we see the daily life represented during the New Kingdom (about 1,000 years later). In the late morning we visit the Valley of the Kings, where King Tut's tomb was found. There are many tombs here, and excavations are still going on, as well as renovations to tombs that have been uncovered a long time. One never knows which tombs will be open that day, but there will be a variety to choose from. Recent highlights are the openings of the Ramesses I tomb & Ramesses VI tomb, both restored with modern techniques pioneered during the restoration of the tomb of Nefertari (Nefertari's tomb is no longer open to the public). See optional extra tickets listed below. By visiting at this time we should avoid the large crowds that come with the cruise boats in the mornings. Just nearby are some villagers that are long-time friends of Ruth. One of the highlights for many of our travelers is to meet some of the local people and see their lifestyle. Hopefully we will be invited to their house for lunch. The food is delicious! 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. The Greeks believed they were statues of Memnon, the son of Eros. Optionals: Overnight: Luxor 5- star Hotel - Sofitel Karnak Resort or similar. |
 Balloon Ride
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Day 7 - Saturday, Feb 21, 2009 Morning option: Early morning Balloon Ride over the West Bank of Luxor. See the temples from a very different perspective! Today we visit the largest temple in Ancient Egypt, Karnak. Karnak was the center of government during the New Kingdom and 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. We also see the Sacred Lake, the Festival Hall and Botanical Garden of Tutmosis III (a precursor of Napoleon's later record of the fauna and flora found in Egypt). Also at Karnak, we visit the fascinating Open Air Museum where we view the Red Chapel of Hatshepsut and Tutmosis III (Karnak's original Holy of Holies) and Senwosret's White Chapel with its finely-carved Middle Kingdom hieroglyphs. These are in raised relief - some of the best to be found anywhere. There is something new each time we visit, as reconstruction of new pieces is ongoing. Return flight from Luxor to Cairo in the late afternoon. Or you might want to begin a Nile Cruise or one of our other Extensions. You can also join us for our Petra & Jordan Excursion which will be February 23 -28, 2009. If you do that, you would return home on Sunday, February 28, 2009. Optionals: Overnight: 4 or 5-star hotel near the Cairo Pyramids Novotel Cairo Airport, Sonesta Heliopolis or similar. |
| Day
8 Sunday Feb 22, 2009 Your Egypt |
Return flights home. For those leaving for the USA, your flight leaves at 10 AM and arrives in New York at 3:15 PM - the same day but with an increase of 7 hours for the time difference between Cairo and New York. For those traveling to the UK the time difference is 2 hours. Or you can extend your stay in Egypt with extra hotel nights. Contact Us for rates. You can also join us for our Petra & Jordan Excursion which will be February 23 -28, 2009. If you do that, you would return home on Sunday, February 28, 2009. There may be changes to this itinerary due to circumstances beyond our control. |
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Photo credits this page: all photos by Ruth Shilling.