10 Day Egypt Pilgrimage
December 1st - 10th, 2012
Travel with Travel West founder Jim West as he heads off for Egypt. Spend time sightseeing in Cairo and then cruise the River Nile for more of Egypt's amazing cities and iconic sites. Visit places like the Great Pyramids of Giza, the national symbol of Eygpt - the Sphinx, vast temples dedicated to ancient Eygptian gods and goddesses and shop at the Khan El Khalili Bazaar.
Itinerary:
Saturday, December 1stOur journey begins with an overnight flight from JFK International Airport to the Cairo International Airport in Egypt. Dinner will be served on-board the plane. D
Sunday, December 2nd
This morning, before our arrival, a breakfast snack will be served on board the airplane. Upon our arrival into CAIRO, we will obtain our visas, collect our luggage, and pass through customs formalities. We will then meet our professional local tour guide and our bus driver who will take us on a PANORAMIC TOUR OF CAIRO. Following our tour, we will drive to the deluxe, five-star Four Seasons Hotel, where we'll check in and stay for the next three nights. Tonight we will all enjoy a “welcome dinner.”B, D
Monday, December 3rd
Following a delicious breakfast, we will visit the incredible MUSEUM OF EGYPTIAN ANTIQUITIES, one of the greatest historical museums in the world. This museum was built during the reign of Khedive Abbass Helmi II in statues, jewels, Tutankhamen treasures and hundreds of mummies. Following our visit this morning, we will have lunch together at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, we will visit a local shop and learn the process of papyrus paper making. There will also be an opportunity to shop in one of the local souvenir shops before returning back to our hotel. The remainder of the afternoon is at your leisure. B, L
Tuesday, December 4th
This morning, following breakfast, we will board our motor coach and drive to one of the most recognizable icons in all of ancient Egypt, THE GREAT PYRAMIDS OF GIZA. They are, without a doubt, the main destination for tourists and a source of imaginative thought to the world for over 3000 years. Near these pyramids sits a huge creature with the head of a human and the body of a lion. This monumental statue, the first truly colossal royal sculpture in Egypt, is the GREAT SPHINX, and is a national symbol of Egypt, both ancient and modern. We will enjoy our morning learning more about these structures and their history. As a special treat, we are including an exciting camel ride near the pyramids for our entire group to enjoy, which will certainly provide a nice souvenir to bring home.
In the afternoon, we will enjoy a delicious lunch together before visiting the KHAN EL KHALILI BAZAAR (nicknamed Khan), once known as the Turkish Bazaar during the Ottoman period. This market was created in 1382 by the Emir Djaharks el-Khalili in the heart of Fatimid City. Later in the day we will return to our hotel. Tonight we will drive to the Giza Temple and enjoy the exciting and colorful Sound and Light Show. Something not to be missed! B, L
Wednesday, December 5th
This morning following breakfast, we will check out of our hotel and transfer to the Cairo Airport for our flight to the city of LUXOR. Upon our arrival, we will be met by the cruise ship personnel who will transfer us to our deluxe cruise ship, the M/S Tamr Henna. After getting settled and enjoying lunch on board the ship we will participate in a special shore excursion. We will visit the incredible Valley of the Kings and Queens, Temple of Queen Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon. Later in the afternoon we will continue our journey to see the Luxor Temple We will return to our ship and enjoy a wonderful dinner, and the remainder of the evening will be at your leisure. B, L, D
Thursday, December 6th
This morning following breakfast we will visit the monumental Karnak Temple of Amun, with its famous Hypostyle Hall and the 134 huge columns, the Statue of Ramses II, the Obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut, and carvings that fill the multiple parts of this vast temple. We will transfer back to the ship for lunch and then set sail for the town of EDFU, the capital of the second Nome of Upper Egypt. Tonight, we will have a delicious dinner onboard the ship. The remainder of the evening is free for you to enjoy at your leisure. B, L, D
Friday, December 7th
This morning following breakfast, we will visit the Temple of Horus, a beautiful preserved sandstone temple dedicated to the Falcon God Horus. This is the major highlight in the town of EDFU. Following our tour this morning, we will board our ship and enjoy lunch. In the afternoon, our ship sails to the city of KOM OMBO. Here we will visit a temple shared by two gods, combining the Temple of Sobek and the Temple of Haroeris. In ancient times, sacred crocodiles basked in the sun on the riverbank near here. Very little remains of the temple, due first to the changing Nile, then the Copts, who once used it as a church, and finally by builders who used the stones for new buildings. We will return back to the ship to relax and enjoy the remainder of the day. B, L, D
Saturday, December 8th
This morning following a delicious breakfast, we will visit the Temple of Philae. Philae is the main temple complex relocated from one island to the island of Agilika. It was the center of the cult of the Goddess Isis, and her connection with Osiris, Horus, and the Kingship during the Ptolemaic period of Egyptian history. We will return to the ship for lunch and then in the afternoon participate on a special excursion. We will board Egyptian wooden boats called Felucca, and sail around Elephantine Island, the botanical garden and Agha Khan Mausoleum. We will return later in the afternoon to our ship, where we will enjoy a relaxing evening. B, L, D
Sunday, December 9th
Following breakfast this morning we will disembark the cruise ship in ASWAN and transfer to the airport for our flight to ABU SIMBEL. Upon arrival we will be met by our driver and our guide Randa for a tour of the incredible High Dam. The dam was an engineering miracle when it was built in the 1960’s. It contains 18 times the material used in the Great Pyramids of Cheops. We will then take a tour of the Unfinished Obelisk, which is the largest known ancient obelisk. It is roughly one third larger than any other ancient Egyptian obelisk ever erected. Archeologists believe that it was intended to complement the Lateran Obelisk which was originally at Karnak, but is now outside the Lateran Palace in Rome. Following our tour we will transfer back to the airport and fly back to Cairo. Tonight we will enjoy a “farewell dinner” at the hotel as we bring our Extraordinary Egypt Expedition to a close. B, L, D
Monday, December 10th
This morning following breakfast, we will depart for the Cairo International Airport for our flight back to JFK International Airport. B, L
