Egypt In Depth

Arrive Cairo and transfer to hotel.

Overnight Standard Hotel

Cairo is the busiest city in Africa and is know as the city of a thousand minarets. Driving to Giza we see the Pyramids and Sphinx, among the most impressive man-made spectacles in the world. The Great Pyramid of Cheops is the largest of the group (originally 145m high with a square base 232m). Second is the Pyramid of Chephren (136m high, width 210m). The complex includes the Sphinx, a crouching lion with a human head carved from solid rock (probably representing the Pharaoh Chephren), and the splendid Granite Temple. We also visit the Egyptian Museum, which contains the treasure of Tutankhamun.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Leaving the city behind, we pause at Saqqara to investigate the impressive stepped pyramid/ necropolis of Zozer (Djoser) – the earliest of the pyramids of Egypt. Moving on, we visit Memphis, the administrative capital of Egypt throughout it’s early history. Now, apart from a colossus of Ramses II and a few scattered statues, Memphis has been largely silted over by Nile floods and transformed into agricultural land and plantations. Continuing on our journey into the desert, we visit the recently opened Red and Bent Pyramids at Dashur before arriving El Minya, a provincial commercial town on the border between Upper and Lower Egypt and our base for the next 2 nights.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we journey southwards along the Nile to the desert pyramid complex at Maidum. We have time to explore the stepped tower, which forms the first true pyramid, probably built at the very end of the 3rd Dynasty.  Once back in El Minya, a stroll along the tree-lined Corniche beside the Nile makes a pleasant evening.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Starting early we cross the Nile this morning en route to our first stop at Beni Hassan, a Middle Kingdom necropolis containing 39 rock tombs. Here we will find particularly beautiful fluted columns and exceptional stucco paintings depicting wrestling, farming and hunting scenes. Later we visit ancient Amarna, the once famous capital of Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti, who in the 14th century BC broke away from the polytheistic temples and traditions of Thebes and built a new city based around the worship of Aten, a solar deity – perhaps the World’s first monotheistic religion. From here we head for the town of Assiut, our stop for the evening.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

On our southerly route to Luxor we stop off to explore Abydos Temple. The national shrine to Osiris (the god associated with the afterlife) is at Abydos. During the time of the Old and New Kingdoms all Egyptians aimed to visit Abydos Temple once in their lives, in the same way as Muslims try to visit Mecca today. Abydos’s carved and coloured basreliefs are particularly impressive and fine. We move on to Dendera where we find the Temple of Hathor, the cow goddess of joy and sexual love. The three birth houses in the temple are an architectural signature of Ptolemaic style. Throughout the construction of these birth houses the Greek Ptolemies tried to establish legitimate links with the Egyptian Pharonic lineage through ritual association with the birth of Horus, the father of all pharaohs. After our visit we continue to Luxor.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

This morning, we cross the Nile and journey by bus to the extraordinary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Egypt’s only female Pharaoh, who usurped the throne from her son, the future Tuthmoses III. The scale of the temple and its magnificent setting are breathtaking, but perhaps even more remarkable are the details - look out for the fine carving of the ‘Expedition to the Land of Punt’. We then take a short bus ride to the Valley of the Kings’ to explore some of the more important sites made famous in 1922 by the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun by Howard Carter. We visit three tombs.  After the visit we return to the East Bank and the afternoon is free for your personal exploration.  You could choose to wander through the Markets in Luxor or even take an optional donkey trek through the villages and fields of the West Bank which ends with you watching the sun set over the Nile.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Aswan is Egypt’s most southerly city, traditionally regarded as the frontier post of Upper Egypt. Sited on the east bank, just below the First Cataract, it is the meeting point of Arab culture with Nubia and black Africa. This morning we travel by bus and then transfer to our hotel. In the afternoon you may want to take an excursion to Philae Temple, situated on an island in the Nile, or visit the Aswan High Dam (built in 1971) and the Granite Quarries from where the Pharaohs cut many of their huge obelisks and statues.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

For most a highlight of the trip is the opportunity to rise early in the morning to journey south from Aswan for a visit to the incredible temples of Abu Simbel. Cut into the rock face, these huge structures were raised 61m to save them from inundation by the artificial lake created by the High Dam. The 20m high statues represent Ramses II, known as the Great Builder. The afternoon has been left free; optional sightseeing trips can be made to Kitchener’s Island, a botanical wonder, the renowned Nubian Museum and the Unfinished Obelisk.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

This morning we suggest an optional camel trek through the desert to the abandoned Coptic Monastery of St. Simeon. Later, we board our comfortable riverboat for our 3-day voyage to Luxor. As we cruise, we see the intensive cultivation of the Nile Valley (mainly sugar-cane and maize) and at intermittent points are small villages that depend upon the river for their livelihood. We cruise to the major settlement of Kom Ombo situated on the east bank of the Nile.

Overnight Basic Cabin Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Swimming available

Dating from the Ptolemaic period, the twin temple of Kom Ombo is unusual in that it is dedicated to two gods. Built around a symmetrical central axis, the temple along the left side of the axis was dedicated to the falcon-headed god Horus and the temple on the right side is devoted to Sobek. Sobek is the crocodile god – much needed at this spot as this stretch of the river was noted for crocodiles until early this century!

Overnight Basic Cabin Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Swimming available

Today the riverboat gently moves on down the Nile to Edfu, to the site of the largest Egyptian temple after Karnak, dating from the time of the Ptolemies (3rd-1st century BC). A sacred falcon-headed god guards the Temple of Horus, which is in almost perfect condition. The massive Pylon, or gateway, is 79m wide by 35m high. The temple is unusual in that the roof is still intact. During the long passage between Edfu and Luxor the riverboat negotiates Esna Lock, one of only a few locks on the Nile. Arriving in Luxor around lunchtime, we have time this afternoon to explore further, perhaps to the renowned Habu Temple and Workers Tombs, or to simply relax.

Overnight Basic Cabin Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch Swimming available

In the morning you have the opportunity to take a balloon flight over the west bank of Luxor (optional). Floating over the ancient Theban necropolis in the early morning sun is truly magical. Later on we will be travelling by calesh, horse-drawn carriage, to the stupendous Temple of Amun at Karnak, the labour of numerous pharaohs. Begun about 2000 BC, the most imposing structures include the 134 pillars of the Hypostyle Hall, carved all over with scenes of the king worshipping Amun. This vast temple was still being added to in Cleopatra’s time (1st century BC). Later today we will be joining our overnight sleeper train for a relaxing journey back to our starting point, Cairo.

Overnight Basic Train Included meals: Breakfast

Arriving this morning we transfer to our hotel then have the rest of the day free to explore some of Cairo’s hidden treasures. You may chose to visit the illustrious Citadel, one of Saladin’s many strongholds during the Crusades period. There will also be the opportunity to enter one or more of the medieval mosques of Cairo or simply wander the narrow back streets of this fascinating city. In the evening the area comes alive with the exotic narrow alleyways and smells of Khan el Khalili market, the heart of Old Cairo and Islam in Egypt. You may like to sample one of Lower Egypt’s specialities, fatir, the Egyptian pancake.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Included meals: Breakfast