Cairo, Dahshur, 7 Nights Dahabiya Cruise, Denderah & Abidos

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1 Cairo, Dahshur, 7 Nights Dahabiya Cruise, Denderah & Abidos Day/ 01 Cairo Arrival at Cairo International Airport, meeting with our tour Manager, who will assist you through your immigration and customs formalities, then he will escort you to your hotel for check in and overnight. Day/ 02 Cairo Breakfast at hotel. Meeting with your tour manager and qualified Egyptologist tour guide at the lobby to tour some of Egypt's most ancient sites: the ruins of Memphis at the edge of the western desert (30 minutes drive), Egypt s first Capital until the end of the first Kingdom, about 2270 BC, and one of the most important cities throughout the history of Ancient Egypt. You will be visiting Memphis open air Museum the most important piece is Ramses the second statue about 20 meters long. Close to Memphis, we drive to Sakkara, the City of the dead with the famous step Pyramid of Zoser, and the greatest Pharaoh of the 3rd Dynasty 2650 BC, the step pyramids is known to be the first stone building ever build in the world, then you will be visiting a Mastaba (Tomb) for the Nobel Mereruka from the old kingdom the tomb have beautiful colored paintings about life in Egypt during the old Kingdom. Continue drive to Dahshur visiting the Red and the Bent pyramid, the 2 Pyramids were built for king Senefru the father of king Cheops (4th dynasty of the old Kingdom), both pyramids are considered the step before the last on the long way of evolution in pyramid building (Giza Pyramid are the most perfect). The Bent Pyramid called so due to it s unique bent top, it was believed if they continue building with straight angle the pyramid would have collapsed, it is the only pyramid still have the complete lime stone layer covering the whole pyramid which make it very special. The Red Pyramid is as big as Chephren Pyramid, but with different angles and in a very good condition, it was called the Red Pyramid due to the colors of the inside room walls, the room inside is open to visit. Overnight at hotel.(b) Day/ 03 Cairo/ Aswan Breakfast at hotel. Meeting with your tour manager to transfer you to Cairo Airport for your flight to Aswan. Upon arrival at Aswan Airport you will meet with our local tour manager to transfer 1 / 8

2 you to your Dahabiya; meet our Captain and the crew for welcome drink and introductory meeting with your private Egyptologist Embarkation (embarking time after 1200) in Aswan for a relaxing week sailing the Nile on a luxuriously ultra modern appointed Dahabyia. Lunch and dinner on board. Overnight, the ship moors on the Nile banks of Aswan. (B,L,D) Day/ 04 Aswan Breakfast on Board. Today you will visit the Aswan High Dam (completed in 1971); a modern achievement of great magnitude in Egypt s history, built by the Russians in the 1960 s, it supplies most of the country s needed electric power; the Old Dam (completed in 1902) and the Unfinished Obelisk in the granite quarries of Aswan,where much of the red granite used for ancient temples and colossi came from. The Unfinished Obelisk still lies where it was carved when a crack was discovered as it was being hewn from the rock. Your qualified Egyptologist guide will explain how the 1 tone obelisk was carved and why the crack caused it to be abandoned. You will also visit the Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis, a structure rescued from the rising waters of Lake Nasser at the time of the High Dam s construction. Lunch and dinner on board. Overnight moored in Aswan.(B,L,D) Day/ 05 Aswan/ Kom Ombo Breakfast on Board. Morning sail to Kom Ombo to see the Ptolemaic Temple standing on high grounds overlooking the Nile. The Temple shared by the two gods Harories with his falcon head and Sobek with his crocodile head. Lunch and dinner on board. Overnight moored beside a Nile Island.(B,L,D) Day/ 06 Kom Ombo/ Edfu Breakfast on Board. This morning we will sail to Edfu to visit the majestic Temple of Horus in Edfu, which is considered to be the best preserved cult Egyptian Temple. According to the Egyptian myths, it was the place where the falcon-headed god Horus revenged the murder of his father Osiris by killing Seth. Lunch and dinner on board. Overnight moored beside a Nile Island.(B,L,D) Day/ 07 Edfu/ Esna/ Luxor Breakfast on Board. Today will be a leisurely day. After breakfast, commence sailing to Esna and onwards to Luxor. Lunch and dinner while sailing. Your dahabiya moors overnight in Luxor. (B,L,D) Day/ 08 Luxor Breakfast on Board. Excursion to the West Bank to visit the great burial places of the 2 / 8

3 Pharaohs-Valley of the Kings and Queens, where about 64 pharaohs tombs and about 57 Queens have been discovered, after a long history suffering of robbery and vandalism in the old and middle kingdom. the New Kingdom Pharaohs decided to hide their tombs in a secret place hidden behind the cliffs on the west bank of Thebes, Madinet Habu Temple the mortuary of Ramses the 3rd one of the world s largest monuments, is the second in importance and size to Karnak temple, a stone quarry used to occupy the site during the Christian era later excavations uncovered the remains of the Pharaoh palace the present complex consists of 4 temples, a fortress gateway in the style of Syrian architecture, wall relief depict the king doing battle with his enemies, we also see the great Pharaoh in paradise wearing the unadorned clothes of a simple farm worker he ploughs his land performing without fatigue one of the necessary duties of the deceased in order that he may be granted eternal life by the gods and the Colossi of Memnon facing the Nile. Lunch and dinner on board. Overnight moored in Luxor.(B,L,D) Day/ 09 Luxor Breakfast on Board. This morning you will visit the magnificent temple complex of Amon-Ra at Karnak, is one of the greatest architectural achievements of antiquity. It is a vast complex that embodies the works of many Pharaohs added over the centuries. It was the most important sanctuary in Ancient Egypt followed by the imposing 28th Dynasty Luxor Temple, which was started by Amenhotep III and completed by Ramses II. Lunch and dinner on board. Overnight moored in Luxor.(B,L,D) Day/ 10 Luxor Today bid farewell to the crew and disembark the boat after breakfast. Meeting with your qualified Egyptologist tour guide to start your tour visiting Abydos Temple, (2 hours drive) which has been built on one of the earliest settlements of mankind in the Nile Valley by Seti I and considered one of the most important one of the most important religious significance dedicated to Osiris the judge and ruler of the netherworld, the splendid colonnaded façade of the temple Seti I is dedicated to 7 gods, inside there are seven aisles for the funerary processions a unique feature in temple architecture of Egypt, the columns and walls are richly decorated with larger than life size relives. Then drive back to Luxor and on the way visit DenderahTemple (45 min. from Luxor) built in the first century B.C. for the Goddess Hathor, the Cow built in the first century BC for the Goddess Hathor, the Cow Goddess,known as the "Golden One", considered one of the most notable accomplishments of the late Pharaonic architecture extremely well preserved to this day, the Hathoric Columns are a special feature of Denderah, standing in the courtyard of the temple is the unique statue of Bes an ugly funny bearded dwarf with shaggy hair and chin very different than any other Pharaonic art style, he was considered the god of music child birth also the god of marriage and happiness and was great favorite in Egyptian homes, Relief of the Roman period adorn the outside walls of the temple, beautiful Cleopatra and her caesarian son are outstanding. Return back to Luxor Airport for your flight back to Cairo. Upon arrival at Cairo airport you will meet with your tour manager to transfer you to your hotel for 3 / 8

4 check in and overnight. (B) Day/ 11 Cairo Breakfast at hotel. Meeting with your qualified Egyptologist tour guide at the lobby to journey into the magical world of ancient Egypt, experience and absorb the energy of the Pyramids of Giza, The Great Pyramid Cheops (Khufu s), is the largest one of the three and one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, was built In the 4th dynasty about 2690 B.C. Then visit the Solar Boat Museum, where a dismantled river barge of King Cheops (Khufu) was found buried in front his pyramid and has been masterfully re-assembled. In front of the Pyramid of Chephren, there stand the Sphinx, which was discovered in 1912 carved from a single piece of stone. It is a lion with a portrait of a Pharaoh s head thought to be a likeness of the Pharaoh Chephren. Continue your tour to enjoy visiting one of the famous and unique museums in the World the Egyptian Museum, famous for its antiquities from Egypt s Pharaonic period, which includes the fabulous treasures of King Tut-Ankh-Amon. See the world's largest collection of statues, mummies and daily artifacts of Ancient Egypt. Visit the Royal Mummy Room houses the remains of 11 of Egypt's most illustrious pharaohs and queens from the 17th to 21st dynasties, 1650 to 945 BC, including Ramses II, the builder of the temples at Abu Simbel. Throughout the rest of the museum you will find countless Egyptian artifacts dating back thousands of years. Return back to your hotel. (B) Day/ 12 Cairo Breakfast at hotel. Meeting with your qualified Egyptologist tour guide to start your tour to Old Cairo, visiting the oldest part of Cairo the old Coptic Churches the Hanging Church dedicated to the Virgin Mary built in the 3rd Century and the Church of St.Sergious, where the Holy Family was hidden while they were in Egypt and built in the 4th Century. Followed by visiting the oldest Jewish Synagogue of Ben Ezra. Visit the medieval Citadel of Salah El- Din, built in the 12th Century and Contains many structures, the most impressive of which is the Alabaster Mosque of Mohamed Ali, it was designed in the early 19th Century by a Greek Architect from Turkey. The style is based on the Ottoman mosques of Istanbul. At the end of your tour visit Khan El Khalili Bazaar (the old market). Finish your tour, you are invited to have mint Tea and nergile (if you wish) at the oldest and most popular café named "Fishawy cafe". Return back to your hotel for overnight. (B) Day/ 13 Cairo Breakfast at hotel, you will meet with your tour manager to transfer you to Cairo,where he will assist you through your check-in and immigration formalities for your International departure flight back home. (B) 4 / 8

5 B : Breakfast D : Dinner L : Lunch N.B. Please kindly note that Dahabiya Nile Cruise Itinerary might be changed without prior notice to navigational circumstances and security restrictions, may be in sequences but not in visits. We are not liable for these changes. Program INCLUDES : 01) 5 Nights bed and breakfast at hotel accommodation in Cairo 02) 7 Nights Full board on a Dahabiya Nile Cruise 03) 3 Full Days Tour in Cairo (Including Solar Boat Museum + Mummy Room + Dahshur) 04) Over day trip to Denderah & Abydos Temples 05) All Transfers in Cairo, Aswan & Luxor will be operated in a private Air conditioned Van 06) All Tours will be operated privately,, Except on the Dahabiya Nile Cruise will be within a small group. You will join with other people, almost 2-10 persons 07) Guiding fee for an English speaking Private Egyptologist Tour guide All through 08) All entrance fees to all Sight seeing, as mentioned in our program 09) The service of Boat Captain and his crew (Sailor, Chief, House keeper) 10) The service of a towing motor Boat and its Two crew members accompany your boat in case of emergency or lack of wind 11) Horse drawn carriage ride in Edfu 12) Fuel, docking fees 13) English speaking tour manager to meet and assist you for finalizing passport control and escorting you from Airport to hotel and vice versa 14) Domestic air tickets Cairo/Aswan-Luxor/Cairo 15) English speaking tour manager to meet and assist you for finalizing passport control and escorting you from Airport to hotel and vice versa 16) All taxes and service charges 17) Meals : 12 Breakfasts + 7 Lunches + 7 Dinners Program EXCLUDES : 01) International airfares 5 / 8

6 02) Visa entry fee 03) Departure tax (If there will be) 04) Gratuities to tour guide, tour escorts, Egyptologist and drivers 05) Personal expenses not mentioned : mineral water, personal calls, laundry, etc... 06) Any meals not mentioned 07) All Beverages 08) Any Optional Tours OPTIONAL TOURS : (Which can match with this program) Tour Rate Sound & Light Show at Pyramids of Giza Sound & Light Show at Philae Temple Nubian Village & Nubian Museum 6 / 8

7 Abu Simbel trip by Van Abu Simbel trip by Flight Sound & Light Show at Karnak Temple Mummification & Luxor Museums Hot Air Balloon Ride 7 / 8

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