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Egypt: A Moment in History
Days 1-2: USA or Canada/Cairo, Egypt
Your exciting journey to the “Land of the Pharaohs” begins today when you arrive by international flight to Cairo. On arrival,
proceed through Customs and Immigration before being met by a representative and transferred to your hotel.
Your hotel in Cairo, the Fairmont Nile City, is located on the banks of the Nile River just 30 minutes from the Great Sphinx and
the Great Pyramid. The rooftop, poolside bar and full-service Willow Stream Spa are ideal spots to unwind and relax ahead of
your journey.
Day 3: Cairo
Your morning is at leisure. In the afternoon, set off on your first excursion: a visit to the world-famous Egyptian Museum of
Antiquities with your local guide. This museum (which houses over 120,000 relics including some dating back to 4000 BC),
gives you an introduction to the different periods of ancient Egypt and the individual artistic and architectural styles of these
periods. Marvel at the treasures recovered from the tomb of Tutankhamun, including his golden funerary mask, one of the most
extraordinary works of art ever created.
Day 4: Cairo
Today you visit the Giza Plateau, site of the pyramids of Mycerinus, Chefren and the Great Pyramid of Cheops. The largest of
the three, Cheops is the only survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Resting in front of the Pyramid of Chefren
you find the Sphinx, the guardian of the royal tombs from the third millennium. The Sphinx, which measures 190 feet long and
65 feet high, was carved out of a single piece of rock in the shape of a lion with a pharaoh's head. Continue to Sakkara, the
vast necropolis of ancient Memphis, whose surviving pyramids include the famous Step Pyramid, the world's oldest
freestanding stone structure. Lunch today is served at a restaurant overlooking the Pyramids. Return to your hotel where the
evening is at leisure. You may choose the option of attending the Sound and Light performance at the Giza Pyramids. (Please
note: This is an optional excursion, available at an additional fee, payable locally in Egypt.)
Day 5: Cairo/Luxor
Early this morning, fly south along the Nile to Luxor to begin your four-night Nile cruise on board ‘Sun Boat IV,’ where all meals
are included and service is impeccable and ever-present. On arrival, your local resident guide escorts you to the East Bank of
the Nile for a guided tour of the awe-inspiring Temple of Karnak, a huge complex 2,000 years in the making.
Karnak Temple is a temple within a temple, a shrine within a shrine. Walk through the Great Hypostyle Hall with its massive,
expertly aligned columns, truly a sight to behold. Covering 50,000 square feet (an area larger than the whole of Notre Dame
Cathedral), there are 134 great columns that once supported an enormous roof, an extraordinary engineering feat for the 12th
century BC. At the conclusion of your visit, transfer to your luxurious Nile cruiser, ‘Sun Boat IV,’ and enjoy lunch on board.
This afternoon, explore the West Bank, the burial ground of the great pharaohs of the New Kingdom. Your journey takes you
first to the famous Valley of the Kings. Over sixty magnificent tombs have been discovered here to date. From here, visit the
lovely, terraced funerary temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Egypt's first female pharaoh. Pause for a photo stop at the fabled
Colossi of Memnon, two enormous seated statues. Time permitting, today’s sightseeing may also include a visit to the Valley of
the Queens (Biban el-Harim).
This evening, enjoy complimentary cocktails and a selection of canapés before a delicious gourmet dinner prepared by your
on-board chef.
Day 6: Luxor/Denderah/Luxor
Rest and enjoy the lovely scenery this morning as your cruise takes you northward to Qena. This part of your journey is very
much off the beaten track — in fact, most other Nile boats are too big to sail here — and passes through some of the most
beautiful scenery along the Nile. On reaching Qena, disembark and then continue overland to Denderah, where you visit the
beautiful Temple of Hathor. This wonderfully preserved temple complex is a rare sight to behold, complete with a massive
stone roof, dark chambers, underground passages and towering columns inscribed with hieroglyphs.
From here, return to ‘Sun Boat IV’ and enjoy lunch as you sail back to Luxor. Late this afternoon, you once again journey to the
East Bank of the Nile, this time visiting the strikingly graceful Temple of Luxor, built by Amenhotep III, Tutankhamun,
Horemheb and Ramses II during their respective reigns and dedicated to the god Amun. Along the front of the temple pylons
are three large statues of Ramses II, while behind the East Tower, inside the Courtyard of Ramses II, is a mosque built over a
portion of the temple.
At the conclusion of your visit, return to ‘Sun Boat IV’ where you enjoy another gourmet dinner, followed by a belly dance
performance and a whirling dervish show.
Day 7: Luxor/Edfu/Kom Ombo
This morning your port of call is at Edfu, where you visit the Temple of Horus (the falcon-god). This beautifully preserved
structure makes it easy to imagine what temple worship in ancient Egypt would have been like. Return to ‘Sun Boat IV’ where
lunch and afternoon tea are served. There is time at leisure to relax or perhaps take part in a cooking lesson hosted by your
on-board chef. Early this evening, visit the lovely Greco-Roman temple of Kom Ombo, uniquely dedicated to Haroeris (the sun
god) and Sobek (the crocodile god). The temple, built in the third century BC, stands at a bend in the Nile where, in ancient
times, sacred crocodiles basked in the sun. Several of their mummies are on display here. At the conclusion of your
sightseeing, return to ‘Sun Boat IV’ where there is time to freshen up before dinner. Tonight’s dinner on board is an “Egyptian
Night” costume party for all guests, with a chance to dress up in traditional Egyptian galabeyyas. Dinner will be a lavish buffet
of Egyptian specialties, followed by Arabic music and dancing for everyone.
Day 8: Kom Ombo/Aswan
This morning, your cruise takes you to Aswan, where you enjoy a sightseeing excursion, beginning with a short boat ride to
view the exquisite Temple of Philae on the island of Agilika, dedicated to the goddess Isis. Moved from the submerged Island
of Philae, the temple was reconstructed stone by stone on Agilika. Continue to the granite quarries, the very same quarries that
supplied the ancient Egyptians with most of the hard stone used in the pyramids and temples. Here you find the enormous
Unfinished Obelisk, which weighs 1,200 tons and is a fine example of the extraordinary skills and techniques used by the
ancient Egyptian stonemasons.
Return to ‘Sun Boat IV’ for lunch. This afternoon (weather permitting) you take a sail in a traditional Nile felucca (Egyptian
sailboat) around Elephantine and Kitchener's Islands with an opportunity to view the splendid Aga Khan Mausoleum high
above the river. At the conclusion of your sightseeing, return to your cruise vessel, where afternoon tea is served as a trio of
Egyptian musicians performs. Later, enjoy a farewell dinner, with white-gloved waiters serving gourmet cuisine.
Day 9: Aswan/Cairo (Optional Abu Simbel Excursion)
This morning you bid farewell to the crew of the ‘Sun Boat IV’ before being transferred to the airport for return flight to Cairo.
Optional Excursion: You may wish to take an early flight from Aswan to Abu Simbel, site of the magnificent temple of Ramses II.
There are, in fact, two temples: the Great Temple of Ra-Harakhte, fronted by the four colossal statues of Ramses II (each over
600 feet high), and the Temple of Hathor, dedicated to Ramses’ beloved wife Queen Nefertari. Impressive in themselves, these
temples are further remarkable in that they were cut into pieces, raised up the hillside from their old location and then
reassembled around a concrete dome on the current site, when threatened by floodwaters from Lake Nasser and the High
Dam project.
At the conclusion of your visit to Abu Simbel, board your return flight to Aswan and on to Cairo, where you are met and
transferred to your hotel. Please note: There is an additional cost for this optional excursion.
Back in Cairo, the balance of the day is at leisure — a perfect opportunity for some additional shopping or independent
sightseeing at your own pace.
Day 10: Cairo
Today you immerse yourself once again in Cairo, soaking in its history from the medieval period all the way to the present day,
where a new spirit of freedom and optimism fills the air. Your half-day tour of Cairo includes an opportunity to explore the
mosque and madrasa (Koranic school) of Sultan Hassan. Built in AD 1356, it is one of the largest in the world and among the
finest examples of early Mamluk architecture. You also embark on an enjoyable walking tour from Bab el-Fotouh to the ancient
thoroughfare of the Khan el-Khalili bazaar, once the heart of the old walled city of Cairo and where today, stalls display spices,
leather goods and jewelry. This part of the bazaar -- where Egyptians themselves go to bargain for everyday items – will thrill
your senses and your guide will fascinate you with explanations of passing licorice-tea-sellers, spice markets with obscure
roots and magical powders, black-swathed women, wicker baskets of birds, and brightly-painted donkey-carts of watermelon
and mangos.
Day 11: Cairo /USA or Canada
Today your journey comes to an end when you are transferred to the airport for your departure flight.