Welcome to Enchanting Journeys

Africa. the continent where human beings first came into existence, Customs, traditions & ancient rites tie Africans to generations & ancestors past and to the collective memory of myriad people. There are time-honored ceremonies, music that dates back to the days of Africa's golden empires & masks that tell stories of spirit worlds never lost. In many rural areas, it can feel as though the modern world might never have happened and there is nowhere like it on the planet for wildlife, wild lands & rich traditions that endure. Welcome to Old Africa & prepare to fall in love.

And Middle East is a grand epic, a cradle of civilisations & a beautiful, complicated land that is home to some of the planet's most hospitable people. History Writ Large – it is a story written on the stones that litter the region, from the flagstones of old Roman roads to the building blocks of ancient Egypt & the delicately carved Tombs & Temples from Petra to Persepolis. This is where humankind first built cities & learned to write and it was from here that Judaism, Christianity & Islam all arose. Wherever you find yourself, the past is always the ‘present’ because here, perhaps more than anywhere else on earth, history is the heart & soul of the land.

Welcome to   mystical   Egypt - with its mighty Nile & magnificent monuments, the beguiling desert & lush delta, with its long past & welcoming, story-loving people. With sand-covered Tombs, austere Pyramids & towering Pharaonic Temples, Egypt brings out the ‘student’ in all guests as they explore the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, where Tutankhamun’s Tomb was unearthed & see the glittering finds in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. And you never know - your donkey might stumble across yet another find, for that is the way many previous discoveries were made.

Arrive in the ‘eternal’ city of Cairo set on the Nile River. Romantically known as the City of a Thousand Minarets, the Egyptian capital is a place of extremes, filled with ancient landmarks, snarling traffic, ornate mosques, & glittering modern skyscrapers.

After you exit in the Arrival Hall at Terminal? - Cairo International Airport, subsequent to Immigration & Customs, you will be welcomed by The Journeys representative (holding a placard with your Name), who will ensure your comfort & transfer you to the hotel, help you settle in and provide you with some useful tips for exploring the area as well as discuss the program for the next few days.

If, for any reason you are unable to make contact with our representative within 30 minutes of waiting, please call the local Emergency telephone # listed on your Contact List. Please follow the advice given by our 24 / 7 Duty Officer.  Please do not exit the Airport & make your own way to the hotel.

Reach the hotel & Check-in.

*Check-in time is 02.00 pm. For earlier arrivals in the morning, we will request the hotel for a complimentary early Check-in but cannot be guaranteed unless reserved & paid for ‘immediate occupancy’.

Balance of the day free to relax or for optional activities (we would be happy to offer suggestions & make the arrangements).

Monumental History| Artistic Treasures| Living Life

Cairo has been the largest city in Africa & the Middle East ever since the Mongols wasted imperial Baghdad in 1258.

Filled with sights, sounds & smells, many visitors find Cairo's frenetic energy overwhelming; but for those with a sense of humor & a certain amount of patience, it harbors a treasure trove of experiences that cannot be replicated anywhere else. Cairo’s treasures abound, from ancient wonders such as the world’s oldest Pyramid to the earliest Coptic Christian monuments in the Old Town, to bustling Islamic Cairo.

From above, the distorted roar of the Muezzins' call echoes out from duelling minarets. Below, car horns bellow tuneless symphonies amid avenues of faded 19^th century grandeur while donkey carts rattle down dusty lanes lined with colossal Fatimid & Mamluk monuments.

As Egypt has been a prize for conquerors from Alexander the Great to Rommel, so Cairo has been a fulcrum of power in the Arab world from the Crusades unto the present day. Although a relatively modern capital (by Egyptian standards, at least), the city's history is linked to that of Memphis, the ancient capital of Egypt's Old Kingdom, dating back more than 2,000 years.

Cairo itself was founded in 969 AD to serve as the new capital of the Fatimid dynasty, eventually incorporating the older capitals of Fustat, al-Askar, & al-Qatta'i. During the 12^th century, the Fatimid dynasty fell to Saladin, the first Sultan of Egypt.

Over the following centuries, Cairo's rulership passed from the Sultans to the Mamluks, followed by the Ottomans, the French & the British. Following a period of massive expansion in the first half of the 19^th century, Cairo's residents revolted against the British in 1952 & successfully regained the city's independence.

Cairo is a vast city whose boundaries are difficult to define. More than 22 million people call the chaotic, exotic, smelly, dusty & also beautiful city, home. Many of its neighborhoods (including satellite Nasr City with its shiny shopping malls & embassy enclave Maadi) are technically outside the city limits.

The main tourist neighborhoods include Downtown, Islamic Cairo & Coptic Cairo, while affluent Heliopolis & the island of Zamalek are both known for their restaurants, nightlife & upmarket hotels.

At the heart of the chaotic Downtown designed in the mid-19^th century by a team of European architects, is the modern political landmark like Tahrir Square & the vast Egyptian Museum, a trove of antiquities including royal Mummies & gilded King Tutankhamun artifacts. Nearby, Giza is the site of the iconic Pyramids & Great Sphinx, dating to the 26^th century BC. In Gezira Island’s leafy Zamalek district, 187 metre Cairo Tower affords panoramic city views.

Dating back to the 6^th century BC, the oldest neighborhood is Coptic Cairo, the site of the Roman settlement of Babylon, famous for its historic Christian monuments. Coptic Churches, huge medieval Gates & Bazaars selling everything from motorbike parts to perfumes.

Perhaps the most interesting section is medieval (Islamic) Cairo, a warren of streets just bustling with life. Islamic Cairo represents the part of the city built by its Fatimid founders. It is a labyrinthine maze of Mosques, Souks & breathtakingly beautiful Islamic monuments, all of which echo to the sound of countless Muezzins calling the faithful to prayer. The Ulema of its 1000year old Al-Azhar Mosque (for centuries the foremost centre of Islamic intellectual life) remains the ultimate religious authority for millions of Sunni Muslims, from Jakarta to Birmingham.

Wherever Arabic is spoken, Cairo's cultural magnetism is felt. Your nerves will jangle, your snot will run black from the smog & touts will hound you at every turn. Every strand of Egyptian society knits & unravels in this febrile megalopolis, acknowledged as Umm Dunya or "Mother of the World" by medieval Arabs, & as Great Cairo by 19^th century Europeans.

Morning, meet the Egyptologist Tour-guide at 08:00 am & proceed for a full day 8 hour excursion to visit the Pyramids.

Drive to Giza Plateau - best known as that part of Cairo closest to the world-famous Pyramids, situated high on the desert plateau immediately to the west of the urban district.

The 3 main Pyramids at Giza - Cheops, Chephren & Mykerinos. are the focal point of the Giza necropolis, or cemetery, that served the elite of the Old Kingdom capital of Egypt at nearby Memphis during the mid to late 4^th Dynasty (around 3^rd millennium BCE). 3 Pharaohs were buried here in turn - Khufu, Khafre & Menkaure - their astounding burials attracted a number of surrounding, associated, burials of their queens, family members & nobility.

One of the premier attractions of Egypt, if not the world, the Pyramids of Giza represent the archetypal pyramid structures of ancient Egyptian civilisation, some of the most famous manmade objects in the world, & together with the Great Sphinx - the legendary guardian that stands by the huge funeral complex with its lion body & the head of King Chephren, at the base of the Giza plateau - are the iconic image of Egypt & whose grandeur remains unsurpassed more than 4,000 years after they were erected.

Marvel at the famous Pyramids & get lots of photos as the Tour-guide explains how these monumental Tombs were built in around 2,500 BC for the 3 Pharaohs.

You have some free time to explore inside one of the Pyramids independently (optional - additional cost & the Tour-guide is not permitted inside). You can also enjoy a camel ride here (optional - additional cost) & absorb the sweeping views over central Cairo. 

Visit the Valley Temple where the Priests mummified the body of King Chephren owner of the 2^nd Pyramid at Giza Plateau.

Although most people associate Egypt with the Pyramids of Giza, there are known to be at least 118 ancient Pyramids scattered around the country, with more being discovered every few years or so. The majority of these monuments are spread out along the desert between the Giza Plateau & the semi-oasis of Al-Fayoum (2 belonging to Kings & 6 to Queens).

There are also a number of pyramids in & around Dashur that are important because they show the evolution, including the failures & the first success of the pyramid builders, as they tried to build the first true, smooth sided pyramid. Other later Pyramids are less spectacular, sometimes made of mudbrick & therefore not as well preserved today, but still important, because they are the first to be decorated with inscriptions & various scenes. For example, the ruined Pyramids of Unas at Sakkara was the first one that we know of to be inscribed with the 128 magical spells of the Pyramid text.

In between, break for lunch & if you want, briefly visit a papyrus institute to see the ancient craft of papyrus painting in action. Watch the artisans at work & perhaps, buy some of the delicate artworks & contribute to local well-being.

If time (& Tour-guide) permits, you might want to take the opportunity for an Optional (direct payment) visit to the Solar Boat Museum, home to the reconstructed funeral barge of Khufu, the pharaoh for whom the largest Giza pyramid was built. Gaze in awe at the wooden boat, and learn how its remnants were discovered & reassembled by archaeologists.


Continue to Memphis, Egypt’s ancient capital & administrative center until around 2,200 BC. 

Memphis is the English name for the present-day site of one of the great ancient capital cities of Egypt, located in & around several villages near the modern capital of Cairo & first established towards the end of the 4^th millennium BCE by the Pharaoh Narmer, at the time of his Unification of Upper Egypt & Lower Egypt.

Memphis was the chief cult city of the Egyptian god of wisdom & craftsmanship, Ptah. Although little remains of their achievements today, having been ravaged by the depredations of time, the flood plain environment & the cannibalising of its stone for the building of medieval Cairo, the Pharaohs & priests of Ptah once endowed the city with vast Temple complexes & built their cemeteries on the desert hills adjoining it to the east and (especially!) to the west. A center of power for over 3,000 years, this aeons-old city is believed to have been purpose-built & was characterized by majestic Temples & Palaces.

It remained the capital of Egypt during the Old Kingdom period, at the time when the great Pyramids were being built. Central power returned to the city when the New Kingdom Pharaohs made it once again Egypt's northern & main administrative capital, alongside the religious & ceremonial capital at Luxor in the south.

Although very little remains to be seen on the surface, Memphis features a great Sculpture Museum & allows an evocative insight into both ancient greatness (its transitory nature!) and modern Egyptian rural life. Also, the main ancient necropolis of the city, located nearby on the desert plateau at Saqqara, is worth a visit.

Explore the city’s last remaining vestiges around the villages of Dahshur & Sakkara, and visit the UNESCO World Heritage listed outdoor open-air Museum that houses broken statues, carvings & columns found at the site. Sakkara was also a vast, ancient burial ground which served as the necropolis for the inhabitants of Memphis.

Get fascinating insights into ancient Egypt from your knowledgeable Tour-guide & learn about its heyday in the 3^rd & 2^nd centuries BC, as you immerse yourself in ancient Egypt at this fascinating yet crowd-free site (Memphis attracts fewer visitors than those in Giza, so you can admire in quiet surroundings).

Marvel at the prize exhibit – a spectacularly huge, fallen statue of Ramses II that once stood in the city. See the Alabaster Sphinx which still remains.

Sakkara features numerous Pyramids, including the world-famous Step Pyramid of Djoser - the world's oldest free standing stone structure, sometimes referred to as the Step Tomb due to its rectangular base, as well as a number of mastabas (Arabic word meaning 'bench'), built for the burial of Pharaoh Djoser by his vizier, Imhotep. Constructed in around 2,650 BC, it is considered an important part in the process of the Pyramid evolution.

Admire the incredible, Step Pyramid of Djoser as you learn about the main features of this flat-topped, 4,600 year old Pyramid & how it was built. For example, it is an extremely important as the first Pyramid built in Egypt, though it is not a true, smooth sided one. There are also a number of other Pyramids in & around Dashur that are important because they show the evolution, including the failures & the first success of the Pyramid builders, as they tried to build the first true, smooth sided Pyramid.

Later Pyramids are less spectacular, sometimes made of mudbrick & therefore not as well preserved today, but still important, because they are the first to be decorated with inscriptions & various scenes. For example, the ruined Pyramids of Unas at Sakkara was the first one that we know of to be inscribed with the 128 magical spells of the Pyramid text.

Another 16 Egyptian Kings built Pyramids at Sakkara, which are now in various states of preservation or dilapidation. High officials added private funeral monuments to this necropolis during the entire Pharaonic period & it remained an important complex for non-royal burials & cult ceremonies for more than 3,000 years, well into Ptolemaic & Roman times.

Finally, drive back to the hotel in Cairo.

Balance of the evening is at leisure to relax or for optional exploration (we would be happy to offer suggestions & make arrangements).

In time, you will be transferred to the Cairo Airport for your short flight to Luxor.

Arrive at Luxor often called the world’s greatest open-air museum, one of Egypt's great attractions, filled with awe inspiring monuments of ancient civilization as well as some of the best preserved.

After you exit in the Arrival Hall at Terminal? – Luxor International Airport, you will be welcomed by The Journeys representative who will ensure your comfort & provide you with some useful tips for exploring the area as well as discuss the program for the next few days.

If, for any reason you are unable to make contact with our representative within 30 minutes of waiting, please call the local Emergency telephone # listed on your Contact List. Please follow the advice given by our 24 / 7 Duty Officer.  Please do not exit the Airport & make your own way to the hotel.

Luxor is a city on the east bank of the Nile River in southern Egypt. It is on the site of ancient Thebes, the pharaohs’ capital at the height of their power, during the 11^th - 16^th centuries B.C.

Visitors have been coming here since the Greco-Roman times. Today, you can walk through history: past statues with the heads of gods & animals, beneath carved lotus buds & papyrus.(Optional : on direct payment - ride in a horse-drawn caleche or sail in a felucca or take a sunset cruise or see the city from a hot-air balloon). Thebes’ wealth & power, legendary in antiquity, began to lure Western travellers from the end of the 18^th century.

Nothing in the world compares to the scale & grandeur of the monuments that have survived from ancient Thebes. Testaments to a desire for immortality, built for eternity in sandstone & granite, the temples, tombs & palaces still stand, surrounded by souks & luxury hotels.

Scattered across the landscape is an embarrassment of riches from the temples of Karnak & Luxor in the east to the many tombs & temples on the west bank.  Today's city surrounds the 2 huge, surviving ancient monuments.

On the east bank of the Nile, in the City of the Living, the graceful Luxor Temple & Karnak Temple, a mile north greets the sunrise. The setting is breathtakingly beautiful, the Nile flowing between the modern city & west-bank necropolis, backed by the enigmatic Theban escarpment.

The sunset on the west bank throws shadows through the City of the Dead where in the Valley of the Kings, Howard Carter discovered the tomb of King Tutankhamun, Tombs of the Nobles & hundreds of other, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut & Ramses Temple.  

Immediately straight from the Airport, proceed for a 4 hour tour of Luxor.

Today, you can walk through history: past statues with the heads of gods & animals, beneath carved lotus buds & papyrus. The Temples are decorated with magnificent colors & murals that have miraculously survived for thousands of years.

Accompanied by the Tour-guide, explore the incredible Temple of Karnak, the construction & development of which spanned the Middle Kingdom to Ptolemaic times. Situated next to the small Karnak Village along the Corniche on the East Bank, a short walk from Luxor Temple, the Temple complex had many function. It was an important intellectual center, a spectacular complex of Temples, Chapels, Pylons, Obelisks & Sanctuaries covering more than 900 acres - enough space for 10 Cathedrals.

Every Pharaoh of note built, destroyed, enlarged, embellished or restored part of the complex to express his devotion to Amun (the God was often represented as a human with ram horns) & the Temple grew from the contributions of nearly 30 Pharaohs, making this magnificent structure the largest ancient religious site in the world.

The most accessible part of Karnak is the Precinct of Amun, which seems like an endless succession of massive pylons (Temple gateways), monumental statues & grand hypostyle walls.

The approach, connected with the temple of Luxor, lined with ram-headed sphinxes, leads to the First Pylon which, at 43m high & 130m wide is the largest in Egypt, even though it was never finished. In the forecourt, you will find Seti II’s shrine, which housed the sacred boats of the Triad & in the south corner, the superb Temple of Ramses III (20^th Dynasty).

Walk through the 13^th century BC Great Hypostyle Hall, an amazing forest” of more than 140 tall papyrus pillars expertly aligned over an area of 50,000 square feet, built by Seti I & his son Ramses II. (Optional:  on direct payment - ride in a horse-drawn caleche or sail in a felucca or take a sunset cruise or see the city from a hot-air balloon).

Beyond the Hypostyle Hall lies a rather larger & more confusing section of the Temple, built during the 18^th Dynasty (1550-1295 BC). In the courtyards beyond the Third & Fourth Pylons, are the finely carved obelisks of Tuthmosis II & farther on, of the female pharaoh, Queen Hatshepsut (1473-58 BC). The tip of her fallen obelisk lies on the way to the Sacred Lake.

Past the Sixth Pylon stand 2 elegant pillars carved with lotus & papyrus flowers, symbolic of Upper & Lower Egypt and the granite Sanctuary of Amun, built by Philip Arrhidaeus, the half-brother of Alexander the Great. This is where Amun’s effigy was kept & where, as the images on the walls show, daily offerings were made in his honor.

Beyond lies a large Central Court & the Jubilee Temple of Tuthmosis, where the king’s vitality & authority were symbolically renewed during the jubilee.

Interestingly, this huge temple complex was only allowed to be entered by the powerful priesthood; lay Egyptians were excluded & used intermediary deities, whose shrines they built against the Temple’s enclosure wall. One such series of chapels, known as the Chapels of the Hearing Ear, lies at the back of the Jubilee Temple.

Between the Third & Fourth Pylons, the Temple spreads southwards along the side of the Sacred Lake. In 1903, in the Cachette Court in front of the lake, some 17,000 bronze and 800 stone statues were uncovered. The finest of them are now in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

Walk to the West Bank to see the Valley of the Kings & Queens where you will see the Necropolis of Thebes, the burial grounds of the great pharaohs of the New Kingdom. This is where the pharaoh's were buried and hoped to meet their Gods in the afterlife. Tutenkhamun’s Tomb, discovered in the 1920's & almost untouched, is perhaps the best known. But he was a minor king in the scheme of things & had it not been for centuries of looting, the larger more impressive Tombs would have yielded riches unsurpassed to the impressive haul found in King Tut's burial ground.

Visit the Valley of the Queens which lies at the southern end of the necropolis. This is where the queens and their children were interred. See one of the most characteristic of Egyptian temples, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, ancient Egypt's first female pharaoh at El-Deir El Bahari situated in a dramatic setting with a limestone backdrop.

Continue on to the Colossi of Memnon, two large statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III.

In time, you will be transferred to the Jetty to board & Check-in on the Cruise Ship which will be your floating hotel on the Nile for the next 4 nights.

Balance of the evening is at leisure to relax or for optional exploration (we would be happy to offer suggestions & make arrangements).

Early morning, accompanied by the Tour-guide, proceed to visit Valley of the Kings (also known as the Valley of the Gates of the Kings) on the West Bank.

The west bank of Nile, opposite Thebes (modern Luxor), had been the site of royal burials since around 2100 BC, but it was the pharaohs of the New Kingdom period (1550 - 1069 BC) who chose this isolated valley dominated by the pyramid-shaped mountain peak of Al Qurn (The Horn). For a period of nearly 500 years, rock cut tombs were excavated for the Pharaohs & powerful nobles of the New Kingdom (18 - 20^th Dynasties of Ancient Egypt).

The wadi consists of two valleys, East Valley (where the majority of the royal tombs are situated) & West Valley. Once called the Great Necropolis of Millions of Years of Pharaoh, or the Place of Truth, the Valley of the Kings has 63 magnificent royal tombs & chambers (ranging in size a simple pit, to a complex tomb with over 120 chambers). It was the principal burial place of the major royal figures of the Egyptian New Kingdom, as well as a number of privileged nobles.

The royal tombs are decorated with scenes from Egyptian mythology & give clues as to the beliefs & funerary rituals of the period. Almost all of the tombs seem to have been opened & robbed in antiquity, but they still give an idea of the opulence & power of the Pharaohs.

This area has been a focus of archaeological & egyptological exploration since the end of the 18^th century and its tombs & burials continue to stimulate research & interest. In modern times the valley has become famous for the discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun (with its rumours of the Curse of the Pharaohs), and is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. In 1979, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the rest of the Theban Necropolis. Exploration, excavation & conservation continue in the valley.

To curtail the damage caused by mass tourism: carbon dioxide, friction & humidity produced by the average 2.8g of sweat left by each visitor that has affected the reliefs & the stability of paintings that were made on plaster laid over limestone, the Department of Antiquities has installed dehumidifiers & glass screens in the worst-affected tombs. They have also introduced a rotation system: only a limited number of tombs are open to the public at any one time.

A tuf-tuf (a little electrical train) ferries visitors between the visitors centre & the tombs. Photography is forbidden in all tombs.

Visit one of the most characteristic of Egyptian temples, the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, ancient Egypt's first female pharaoh at El-Deir El Bahari situated in a dramatic setting with a limestone backdrop.

Also see the two faceless Colossi of Memnon, originally representing Pharaoh Amenhotep III, rising majestically about 18m from the plain, are the first monuments tourists see when they visit the west bank. These magnificent colossi, each cut from a single block of stone & weighing 1000 tonnes, sat at the eastern entrance to the funerary temple of Amenophis III, the largest on the west bank.  Egyptologists are currently excavating the temple and their discoveries can be seen behind the colossi.

Come back to the Ship.

Balance of the day is at leisure to relax as you set sail for Edfu, where the Ship will dock for the night.

Early morning, accompanied by the Tour-guide, proceed to visit the Temples at Edfu.

The provincial town of Edfu was the 'home' & an ancient pagan cult centre of the falcon god Horus of Behdet (ancient name for Edfu), the avenging son of Isis & Osiris.

The Ptolemaic Temple of Horus (also known as the Temple of Edfu) where the god is worshipped, as it exists today, is an ancient settlement & Cemetery site from around 3000 BC onward. Just outside town, there are some ancient Pyramids. It is believed by the Egyptians to be the site of a famous battle between Set - the God of Chaos & Horus. 200 years ago, the Temple was buried by sand, rubble & part of the village of Edfu, after the pagan cult was banned. But, the desert sand also preserved the building & with its roof intact, it is one of the most atmospheric of ancient buildings, similar in style to the Temple of Hathor in Dendera. Excavation was begun by archeologist Auguste Mariette in the mid 19^th century.

The 2^nd largest in Egypt after the Karnak Temple in Luxor, this Temple is considered the best-preserved cult Temple in Egypt, partly because it was built later than most: in the Ptolemaic era from 237 to 57 BC.  Yet despite its later date, it exactly reflects traditional Pharaonic architecture & provides an excellent idea of how all the Temples once looked.

Started by Ptolemy III in 237 BC, on the site of an earlier & smaller New Kingdom structure, the sandstone Temple was completed some 180 years later by Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos, Cleopatra VII’s father. In conception & design it follows the general plan, scale, ornamentation & traditions of Pharaonic architecture, right down to the Egyptian attire worn by Greek Pharaohs depicted in the Temple’s reliefs.

Although it is much newer than cult Temples at Luxor or Abydos, its excellent state of preservation helps to fill in many historical gaps; it is, in effect, a 2000 year old example of an architectural style that was already archaic during Ptolemaic times.

Proceed on a horse drawn carriage to explore the most completely preserved pharaonic Temple, entered via a long row of shops selling tourist stuff & a new Visitor Centre with a room for showing a 15 minutes film on the history of the temple in English.

Come back to the Ship.

Balance of the day is at leisure to relax as you set sail for Kom Ombo, where the Ship will dock.

Morning, set sail for Aswan, a short distance away.

Welcome to Aswan!!! You will stay here for 2 nights.

Aswan is Egypt’s most southern city & has always been this country's main gate to the rest of Africa. Located in the ancient Nubian lands, Aswan seems to close the doors on the Middle East & to open those on Africa.

No ivory or precious woods can be found on its narrow streets today but the 3^rd largest city in Egypt is full of the scent of spices straight from the south. The bustling souk adopts the colours & smells of Sudanese markets.

The Nubian people, recognisable from their black skin, possess a dignity & easy grace which give the Sudanese a similar appeal. Sudanese are present in fairly large numbers in Aswan enjoying life at a slow pace. Sudanese women wear long, brightly coloured veils wrapped around their bodies. In addition to rich history & stunning scenery, Aswan offers opportunities to experience true African culture in the surrounding Nubian villages. that run down to the water & stand out against the backdrop of the west bank's desert escarpment. The river is wide, languorous & beautiful here, flowing gently down from Lake Nasser around dramatic black-granite boulders & palm-studded islands.

Shortly after arrival, accompanied by the Tour-guide, visit the Aswan High Dam.

The Aswan Dam, or more specifically since the 1960s, the Aswan High Dam, is an embankment dam built across the Nile in Aswan. Egypt's contemporary example of building on a monumental scale, the High Dam took 11 years to build and measures 12,562 feet across. The Dam led to the creation of Lake Nasser & it now generates electricity for most of Egypt. The project is commemorated by a lotus-shaped monument at the western end of the Dam.

Plans for the Aswan Dam began at the end of the 19^th century, when Egypt’s fast-growing population made it imperative to cultivate more agricultural land, only possible by regulating the flow of the Nile, which would also ensure the river did not burst its banks during the flood. British engineer Sir William Willcocks started construction in 1898 above the First Cataract, with the dam structure made almost entirely of Aswan granite. It was raised twice to meet demand, not only to increase the area of cultivable land but also to provide hydroelectric power. Today the old dam generates hydroelectricity only for a nearby factory producing fertilisers.

Completed in 1902, the Dam was a feat of engineering for its time & the largest Dam in the world, measuring 2441 metres across, 50 metre high & 30 metre wide. Although not an attraction in itself, the road that runs across the top of the Dam (which you'll take if heading to the airport or Abu Simbel) has excellent Nile views.

Return to the Pier to board a motorboat for a short ride to Philae Temple on the Island of Agilika.

Philae in Greek or Pilak in ancient Egyptian, means ‘the end,’ defining the southern-most limit of Egypt. It was begun by Ptolemy II & completed by the Roman Emperors. Dedicated to the goddess Isis, it was one of the last strongholds of ancient Egyptian religion which attracted pilgrims for thousands of years & was one of the last pagan Temples to operate after the arrival of Christianity. This sacred site was venerated from the Pharaonic era up to the Greek, Roman & Byzantine periods with each ruler adding their own stamp onto the stones here. 

During the construction of the old Dam, the Temple was flooded for 6 months each year, allowing travellers to row boats among the partially submerged columns to peer down through the translucent green at the wondrous sanctuaries of the mighty gods below.

After the completion of the High Dam, the Temple would have entirely disappeared had UNESCO not intervened & saved it from a watery grave. Between 1972 & 1980, the massive Temple complex was disassembled stone by stone from Philae Island & then reconstructed 20 metres higher on nearby Agilika Island, which was landscaped to resemble the original sacred Isle of Isis. Today, the Temples continue to work their charm on all who visit.

Continue your explorations with a visit to the granite quarries, site of the famed Unfinished Obelisk. This massive stone column, abandoned when it began to crack, illustrates the extraordinary skill with which Egyptian masons worked the native granite.

Come back to the Ship.

Balance of the day free to relax or for optional exploration (we would be happy to offer suggestions & make arrangements).

Morning at leisure.

We suggest an optional morning excursion to enjoy another UNESCO World Heritage site - the Temples at Abu Simbel, a village in Nubia, southern frontier of pharaonic Egypt, near the border with Sudan.   

Later in the afternoon, explore the rare artifacts, unique statues & mummies at the Nubian Museum. The Museum is a treat, a showcase of the history, art & culture of Nubia, established in 1997 with help from UNESCO - a reminder of what was lost beneath Lake Nasser.

Exhibits are beautifully displayed in huge halls, where clearly written explanations take you from 4500 BC through to the present day.

The exhibits start with prehistoric artefacts & objects from the Kingdom of Kush & Meroe. Coptic & Islamic art displays lead to a description of the massive Project to move Nubia’s most important historic monuments away from the rising waters of Lake Nasser, following the building of the Aswan High Dam.

Among the museum highlights are 6000 year old painted pottery bowls & an impressive quartzite statue of a 25^th dynasty priest of Amun in Thebes with distinct Kushite (Upper Nubian) features.

The stunning horse armour found in tombs from the Ballana period (5^th - 7^th centuries BC) shows the sophistication of artisanship during this brief ascendancy. A fascinating display traces the development of Irrigation along the Nile, from the earliest attempts to control the flow of the river, right up to the building of the old Aswan Dam. A model of a Nubian house, complete with old furniture & mannequins wearing traditional silver jewellery, attempts to portray the folk culture of modern Nubia.

Finally, wander through the vibrant Aswan Spice Market where you can test your bargaining skills.

Return to the Ship & relax.

Morning, weather-permitting, sail in a traditional Nile felucca (Egyptian sail boat) around Elephantine & Kitchener's Islands to view the Botanical Gardens & Aga Khan Mausoleum (from outside only, no time to go inside).

In time, depart for Luxor, enroute stopping at Kom Ombo.

Kom Ombo is an agricultural town, famous for the Temple of Sobek & Haroeris (also known as Temple of Kom Ombo) that stands on a promontory at a bend in the Nile, at the north end of the largest area of agricultural land south of Gebel el-Silsila, between Aswan & Edfu. Situated on a plateau cut by 2 long dry streams which isolated the site, it provides one of the most spectacular settings of any of Egypt's river temples. Originally, the city was called Nubt, meaning City of Gold & it became a Greek settlement during the Greco-Roman Period.

In later times, Kom Ombo was situated at the terminus of 2 caravan routes, one running westward through the Kurkur Oasis to Tomas in Nubia, while the other ran from Daraw through the Eastern Desert, regaining the Nile at Berber. Those routes were regularly used during early modern times, although how old they are, is uncertain.

On the opposite side of the Nile was a suburb of Ombos, called Contra-Ombos. The city was a bishopric before the Muslim conquest & under the name Ombi is included in the Catholic Church's list of titular sees. Karol Wojtyła (the future Pope John Paul II) was titular Bishop of Ombi from 1958 until 1963, when he was appointed Archbishop of Krakow.

Since this bend in the Nile was a favored spot for crocodiles to bask in the sun & threaten locals, it is natural that the Temple would be dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile god, held in especial honor by the people of Ombos & in the adjacent catacombs are occasionally found mummies of the sacred animal. The Roman coins of the Ombite nome exhibit the effigy of the crocodile-headed god Sobek.

Visit the Temple of Sobek & Haroeris, built on a high dune overlooking the Nile, by Ptolemy VI Philometor in the early 2^nd century BC & it evolved under successive rulers. There are also Tombs from the Old Kingdom in the vicinity of Kom-Ombo village which you will visit, time permitting.

The Temple of Kom Ombo is an unusual double Temple. The building is unique because its 'double' design meant that there were courts, halls, sanctuaries & rooms duplicated for 2 sets of gods. The Temple is atypical because everything is perfectly symmetrical along the main axis.

The structure is built of local sandstone from Gebel el-Silsila. Apparently, troops stationed at Kom Ombo (it was a training ground for African elephants used by the army during the Ptolemaic Period) built much of the Temple. The use of elephants was actually a Ptolemaic innovation, as was the use of camels in Egypt.

The southern half was dedicated to Sobek, god of fertility & creator of the world with Hathor & Khonsu. Meanwhile, the northern part of the Temple was dedicated to the falcon god Haroeris, also known as Horus the Elder, along with Tasenetnofret (the Good Sister). This was why the Temple was called both "House of the Crocodile" & "Castle of the Falcon".

The Temple had a specific theology and the texts & reliefs found there refer to cultic liturgies which were similar to those from that time period. The characters invoked the gods of Ombos & their legend.

Overall, the relief sculpture is typical of the Ptolemaic & Roman periods, with very deeply carved sunken reliefs on the exterior walls & columns, and fine quality bas-relief on the interior walls. Much of the relief is covered with a very thin layer of plaster & the original color survives in many places. The decorations of the inner rooms depict Ptolemy VI & Cleopatra II, and Ptolemy VII with Cleopatra II & Cleopatra III.

The scene on the inner face of the rear wall of the Temple is of particular interest as there is a rare engraved image of what is thought to be the first representation of medical instruments for performing surgery, including scalpels, curettes, forceps, dilator, scissors & prescription medicine bottles dating from the days of Roman Egypt & 2 Godesses sitting on birthing chairs. Archeologists found an image which they named Nilometer used to measure the level of the river waters & helped predict the coming harvest.

Little remains of the New Kingdom Temple. Much of the Temple has been destroyed by the Nile, earthquakes & later builders who used its stones for other projects. Some of the reliefs inside were defaced by Copts who once used the temple as a church. All the buildings in the southern part of the plateau were cleared of debris & restored by French archeologist Jacques de Morgan in 1893,

A few of the almost 300 crocodile mummies discovered in the vicinity are displayed in The Crocodile Museum.

Spend time exploring the Temples & the village (on your own).

Return to the ship in time for lunch on board & sail on to Edfu.

Arrive in Edfu, where the Ship will dock for the night.

Balance of the day at leisure.

Today, you will tour Denderah & Abydos.

Denderah was the principal city of the 6^th province of Upper Egypt in ancient times & was famous as a centre of healing.

Visit the well preserved Temple to goddess Hathor, the lady of love and beauty. The well preserved Temple dates to the time of the Ptolemies & the Romans, and has many interesting features, such as the Denderah Zodiac - considered to be the basis on which later astronomical systems were founded, the larger-than-life depiction of the famous Cleopatra VII & her son Cesarion, healing temples & an enchanting birth-house, called a mammisi. Also, observe the ancient Chapel converted to a Coptic Orthodox Basilica, necropolis & the mysterious crypt.

From here, drive on to visit Abydos.

For the ancient Egyptians, Abydos was one of the holiest sites in the world. As the cult center of the god Osiris and gateway to the underworld (believed to lie under the nearby hills), it was a popular place of pilgrimage and burial for pre-dynastic kings & pharaohs. Today, Abydos is a large archaeological site in northern Upper Egypt & the main monument at Abydos is the Temple of Seti I, built around 1300 BC by Seti & his son Ramses II. It is especially notable for its fine reliefs, considered among the best of the New Kingdom

Come back to the Ship.

Balance of the day is at leisure.

Morning, the Cruise program comes to an end.

You will be mt by a Journeys Rep who will assist you with disembarkation & transfer you to Luxor International Airport for the flight to Cairo.

On arrival at Terminal? – Cairo International Airport, you will be welcomed by a Journeys rep who will transfer you to the hotel & discuss the program for the next 2 days.

Balance of the day is at leisure to relax or for optional activities (we will be happy to offer suggestions & / or arrange).

Morning, meet the Tour-guide at 08:30 am, proceed to the internationally renowned Museum of Egyptian Antiquities which features artifacts from the Pharaonic period for a 3 hour experience.

Although the entire museum is filled with artifacts from as far back as the prehistoric period, the most renowned exhibit is, without a doubt, the collection of treasures once belonging to the reign of the boy pharaoh - King Tutankhamun - gold & jewelry which was enclosed in his tomb for over 3,500 years before it was discovered in the 1920s when the tomb was discovered. Don't miss the astonishing solid gold death mask & six gilded coffins.

The museum displays a rare collection of 5000 years of art which is considered the largest most precious collection of Egyptian art in the world.

Other highlights include the Amarna Room, devoted to Akhenaten; the Greco-Roman mummies; and the larger-than-life statue of Khafre, considered by many to be the museum's masterpiece.

From the Royal Mummy Room to a number of glittering galleries showcasing finery extracted from various ancient tombs, there is a ton to see. The Mummy Room, contains 27 royal mummies from pharaonic times, now displays 9 Mummies of the New Kingdom kings & queens. One of them is the newly discovered mummy of Queen Hatsheput

The extensive collection of over 165,000 items of ancient Egyptian antiquities, with a representative amount on display, the remainder in storerooms. Treasures include everyday objects, tombs, jewelry & mummies from the prehistoric Egyptian period through to the Roman era

Getting around to all 107 halls in one trip is tough, so you will want to choose a few subjects or exhibits that are most important to you.  With thousands of artifacts on show, the Museum can be overwhelming without guidance.

Knowing where to start can be daunting so step back in time as the Egyptologist Tour-guide helps you navigate & introduce you to the highlights of the Egyptian & Roman collections (if there’s anything you want to see more or less of, let your Tour-guide know).

View the star attraction - the Tutankhamun exhibits - admire his spectacular, solid gold death mask, coffins, chariots & other funerary riches.

See other pharaonic furnishings & items such as pharaonic sarcophagi & everyday objects, Roman-era funerary paintings & more, as your Tour-guide recounts their history.

If you wish, visit the Royal Mummies Room (optional - additional cost), another showpiece. Enter this climate-controlled room to view the mummies of Egyptian rulers such as Ramses II - builder of Luxor’s Karnak Temple.

After introducing you to the main attractions, your Tour-guide will give you free time to explore further on your own & meet him / her at the predetermined time / place.

Return to the hotel.

Balance of the day is at leisure to relax or for optional activities (we will be happy to offer suggestions & / or arrange).

Morning at 09.00 am, meet the Tour-guide & proceed for a 8 hour ‘walking’ tour of the old city.

A ‘walking’ tour of Islamic Cairo takes you from one of the remaining gates of the city, Bab el-Futuh, to Khan el-Khalili Bazaar for a few hours of browsing and bargaining among its bustling stalls. The two monumental gateways, Bab el-Futuh (Gate of Conquests) & Bab el-Nasr (Gate of Victory), mark the northern edge of Fatimid Cairo. Between the two lie the remains of the fortified wall which once encircled the city & which still gives the impression of invulnerability. Beside the Gate of Victory stands the El-Hakim Mosque, built during the first years following 1,000 AD. A place of worship for a mainly Indian Shiite sect, it was extensively restored with concrete & marble in 1980, losing much of its restrained beauty in the process.

Discover Cairo's Islamic heritage, as you visit to the medieval Citadel of Salah el-Din, containing within its walls the Ottoman-style alabaster mosque of Mohammed Ali. Cairo, “City of a thousand minarets”, is not considered by Muslims to be as holy a city as Mecca, Medina or Jerusalem. Its streets and alleyways do however conceal treasures of Islamic art, many of which, although crumbling, offer a dazzling sight to anyone who knows how and where to look.

The Khan - el - Khalili Bazaar is the domain of shopkeepers & tourists. Jewellery, items made from copper, marquetry boxes, imitations of pharaonic objects, semi-precious stones, rugs, blown-glass dishes & other souvenirs are bought & sold in the shops grouped by trades along the narrow streets. It is a place to meander, bargain & lose one’s way…but not miss out on a cup of tea or karkade at the bazaar’s famous Cafe Fishawy.

You would also visit the Hanging Church,   the most famous Coptic Christian church in Cairo, as well as possibly the first built in Basilican style.

The Hanging (The Suspended) Church derives its name from its location above a gatehouse of the Roman fortress in the Old or Coptic Cairo area with its nave suspended above the passage. It was probably built during the patriarchate of Isaac (690-92), though an earlier church building may have existed elsewhere dating as earlier as the 3^rd or 4^th century.  The church is approached by 29 steps; early travelers to Cairo dubbed it "the Staircase Church." The entrance from the street is through iron gates under a pointed stone arch. The 19^th century facade with twin bell towers is then seen beyond a narrow courtyard decorated with modern art biblical designs.

Visit, what may be the oldest existing synagogue in Cairo, the Ben Ezra Synagogue or El-Geniza.

The Synagogue is located right behind the Hanging Church & was originally a Christian church, which the Coptic Christians of Cairo had to sell to the Jews in 882 AD in order to pay the annual taxes imposed by the Muslim rulers of the time. The church was purchased by Abraham Ben Ezra, who came from Jerusalem during the reign of Ahmed Ibn Tulun, for 20,000 dinars. The Synagogue was a place of pilgrimage for North African Jews & the site of major festival celebrations.  Numerous restorations & renovations were made over the centuries, and the present building dates from 1892. It is a faithful reconstruction of the original, which had collapsed. During the reconstruction, a medieval Geniza (a hiding place for sacred books and worn-out Torah scrolls) was discovered, revealing thousands of original documents from the Middle Ages. Today, Ben Ezra Synagogue is a historical monument & the most-visited Jewish site in Cairo. Be prepared to pass through security in order to enter the synagogue.

The sightseeing concludes & you return to the hotel.

Balance of the evening is at leisure to relax or for optional exploration (we would be happy to offer suggestions & make arrangements).

Full day is at leisure to relax or for optional activities (we will be happy to offer suggestions & / or arrange).

Alas, like all good things, the wonderful experience comes to an end & it is time to say good-bye to the land of the Pharaohs’.
 

Check-out of the hotel by 11:00 am (if the departure time is later in the evening, we will request the hotel to allow the usage of the hotel facilities & leave the luggage at the Bell Desk, if you want to venture out). 

If your onward flight is later in the evening, you can go to the city & explore Cairo on your own (we will be happy to offer suggestions & make arrangements, if required).

Your nerves will jangle, your snot will run black from the smog & touts will hound you at every turn, but it is a small price to pay to tap into the energy of the place Egyptians call Umm Ad Dunya - the Mother of the World. Blow your nose, crack a joke & look through the dirt to see the city's true colours. If you love Cairo, it will definitely love you back & welcome you back.

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“Travel is like knowledge. The more you see the more you know you have not seen” - Mark Hertsgaard

The iconic journey comes to an end and it is time to go home. In time, you will be met by a Journeys Rep, who will ensure your comfort & obtain your feedback about the arrangements for the tour & transfer you to Terminal? -  Cairo International Airport for the flight back home.  B

In time, you will be met by a Journeys Rep, who will ensure your

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