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"Time
& Space in the Temples & Pyramids"
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Day-by-Day Itinerary
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"Time
& Space in the Temples & Pyramids" Includes:
Two 5-star hotels, 3 meals per day, bottled water at all times,
sightseeing with entrance fees as described below. Additional fees
may be required for activities listed as Optional. |
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| With
Airfare from USA Nov 14, '07 April 5, '08 Oct 4, '08 Nov 22, 08 |
For those departing from NY, USA: Saturday,
August 5, 2007 Your plane leaves NY City, at 6:30 PM. You fly direct non-stop from New York city to Cairo, Egypt. Arrival in Cairo the next day. Other departure cities in the USA are available as add-on's. Contact Us for pricing. |
| Egypt Tour Begins Day 1 Nov 15, '07 April 6, '08 Oct 5, '08 Nov 23, 08 .  Citadel Mosque |
Land Only Travelers: Those arriving from places other than New York should plan to arrive in Cairo during the morning or sometime the day before. We will arrange to have someone greet you at the airport and bring you to our hotel in Giza. For
those arriving from New York, you arrive about midday in Cairo (7 hours
ahead of New York time, 2 hours ahead of Greenwich). Cairo is the
biggest center of culture and learning in the Middle East, and one of the
largest, most crowded cities in the entire world. After leaving the
airport we begin with a panoramic view of the whole city from the Citadel.
Here we also visit one of the most beautiful mosques in the city, the
famous Mohammed Ali Mosque, also called the "Alabaster
Mosque". Overnight: 5-star hotel near the pyramids. Sofitel Le Sphinx or similar. |
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Day 2
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We begin our tour with sites from Ancient Egypt's Old Kingdom (2,575-2,150 B.C.). Leaving Giza we drive southward through fertile farmlands to the pyramids at Dashur, dated even older than the pyramids at Giza! It is also a chance to begin savoring the riches of Egypt without huge crowds and souvenir sellers. More photos of Dashur. We spend time inside the Red Pyramid (nearly as large as Giza's Great Pyramid) and then have the opportunity for an unforgettable walk across the open desert to the Bent Pyramid. The desert is rich with inspiration and the vastness is exhilarating. The Bent pyramid was a key center of worship during the Middle Kingdom, and was much more important than Giza at that time. The Bent pyramid is the only pyramid to retain most of its original casing stones. The Black Pyramid (Middle Kingdom mud brick) can also be seen from here. 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. The farmers love getting the photos of themselves that Ruth brings to them each time. One well-known Egyptologist said, "If you want to learn about Ancient Egypt, study the traditions of the local farmers." They may well be the closest link we have to the ways of the ancients. See Blue Lotus of Saqqara Guesthouse. In the afternoon we visit the Saqqara complex where we see the Step Pyramid, the early versions of the Book of the Dead (Teti Pyramid) and some tombs with scenes of the daily life in the Old Kingdom. There have also been some recent discoveries at Saqqara which our friend Ashraf Mohie el-Din (part of the excavation team) will be telling us about. Also here at Saqqara we 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. All the items on exhibit were found here at Saqqara and have not been on public display before. Optional:
Sufi Dance Show and traditional music. |
Day
3
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Today we spend a full day on the Giza Plateau. We visit and go inside whichever pyramids are open. Of the three pyramids, two will be open and one closed for renovations - dates are not announced in advance. We are applying for a special government issued permit that will grant us a private entrance to the Great Pyramid (for just our group and with all 3 chambers open to us) and a visit inside the Great Sphinx enclosure. We have every reason to believe that we will receive this permission, as we have on our previous tours. However, we cannot guarantee this because government policies can change unexpectedly. 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. We will also see the Great Sphinx & Valley Temple. There are legends of the Sphinx speaking. Does the Sphinx have a message for you? Camel rides for the adventurous. Optionals: |
| Day
4 FREE DAY with options
or
or Relax!
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FREE DAY* with 3 Options: 1) Old Cairo & Shopping. Day trip into Cairo to see the Coptic churches in the area known as "Old Cairo." See the Church of St. Mary, called El Moallaqah (the "Hanging Church"), which was built in the 4th C. AD on two towers of the Roman fortress of Babylon, and also the Church of St. Stergius. Afternoon
of shopping. 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 a wide variety of goods, including belly
dancing costumes. 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 (if it has reopened). Or you may prefer to spend the whole day at the newly opened Alexandria Library. Return to Cairo by evening. Cost: $120 USD pp. 3) Take the day off. Relax by the pool while gazing up at the pyramids, catch up on your postcards and/or have a massage. Or hire a taxi and have your own adventure. *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!). Optional:
Nile Dinner Cruise with belly dancer and other entertainment.
Cost: $85 pp. |
| Day
5
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This morning we again drive south of Giza, this time to visit a site that is not open to the general public - the Niuserre Sun Temple at Abu Gurab. Again, we will be applying for a special permit that will allow us entrance to this site. At the Sun Temple the central alabaster altar represents the sun surrounded with "hotep" blessings in the four directions. If you are ready for a break you can skip the Sun Temple and have a morning to sleep in and have a leisurely breakfast before packing up to leave for Luxor this evening. After visiting the Sun Temple we come back to the hotel to check out of your rooms before leaving for downtown Cairo where we will visit 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, Middle Kingdom papyruses, statues from all time periods. Evening one-hour flight to Luxor.
Shopping opportunity: Papyrus Institute. |
Day
6
Hatshepsut's Temple
"Colossi of Memnon"
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Here in Luxor, we begin our New Kingdom (1550-1070 BC) experiences on 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 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. There is a splendid hypostyle hall, an astrological ceiling and some excellent wall reliefs in good condition. This is also where we find the fallen statue that 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. The Greeks believed they were statues of Memnon, the son of Eros. When we arrive on the East Bank we may have the privilege of being invited for lunch at our bus driver's house. A chance to meet some of the villagers and see their lives up close. In the late afternoon and early evening we visit the Luxor Temple when the lighting is optimal for seeing the wall reliefs. When the sun sets, the temple is lit up giving the temple a special feeling. It also gives us an opportunity for some dramatic photos. Both gently beautiful and full of awesome grandness, this temple was the "Bride of Karnak" during the annual Apet festival. Overnight: Luxor 5- star Hotel - Sofitel Karnak Resort or similar. |
Day
7 Luxor Temple, 2nd visit or Balloon Ride
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Morning options: 2) Early morning Balloon Ride over the West Bank of Luxor. See the temples from a very different perspective! You decide about this option while you are in Egypt, a few days before arriving in Luxor. Cost: about $140 USD. After breakfast back at our hotel, the splendors of Karnak fill the rest of our day. 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. Bring extra film (or lots of memory) for Karnak. In the late afternoon (Karnak closes at 4 PM) we make a visit to the modern Luxor Museum. 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. Our friend, Rachid, has painstakingly put together a wall from Tel el-Amarna which is displayed here. Optionals: |
| Day
8
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Today we begin by driving north of Luxor, following the Nile to Qena and then to Abydos, the place of pilgrimage in Ancient Egypt. The Temple of Seti I (with the renowned Osireion), is a place of legends, mystery and power. Many feel that the reliefs of this temple are the highest art found in Ancient Egypt. It is truly unforgettable. During our journey we pass through Nag Hammadi where the writings were found that are now called the Nag Hammadi Library. Discovered in 1945, these ancient codices (dating from 390 AD) contained the Gospels of Thomas, Mary and others. In the afternoon we visit the Temple of Hathor at Dendera. This temple 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. We avoid the crowds by visiting the temple in the morning, instead of with the large convoy that visits in the afternoon. Overnight: Luxor 5- star Hotel - Sofitel Karnak Resort or similar. |
Day
9 Karnak 2nd visit
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You have the option of returning to Karnak this morning, either to catch some photos with the early morning light, to have some time to wander in the temple before the crowds arrive, or to visit with the Goddess Sekhmet in her chapel. Or you might decide to sleep in and meet the group after breakfast. On our last day of touring together we begin with what is probably the most famous archeological site in the world, 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. A recent highlight was the opening of the Ramesses I tomb, restored with modern techniques pioneered during the restoration of the tomb of Nefertari (Nefertari's tomb is no longer open to the public). An additional ticket is required for King Tut (optional: King Tut’s tomb, $12 USD). The last great temple built while Egypt was still ruling supreme, Medinet Habu Temple is a fitting site for our last visit together. Built by Ramesses III on a site seeded by Hatshepsut at the very beginning of the New Kingdom, it is second only to Karnak in size. 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? Time for one last farewell meal together before going our separate ways. Those following the tour schedule will return to Cairo by air this evening. Other options are to begin a Nile Cruise or to go directly to Aswan and do a trip to Abu Simbel tomorrow. See Extensions. Optional:
Alabaster shop. |
| Day
10
Tour is finished. |
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. See Extensions if you would like to extend your time in Egypt. 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.