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EGYPT TOURS & TRAVEL
OFFICE |
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6030 N. Sheridan Road - Chicago, IL
60660 |
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37921 N. Dilleys Road - Wadsworth, IL
60083 |
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GOLD PYRAMID HOUSE
OFFICE |
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Christian & Pharaonic
Egypt
A 24-Day
tour of Egypt for the sophisticated
traveler
ONLY $6329.00!! per person
based on double
occupancy
| Day |
Itinerary |
| Day
01 |
Depart U.S.A. from New York (JFK)
airport for your flight to Cairo. All meals and beverages served on
board flight. |
| Day
02 |
Arrive Cairo where you will be met
by our representative who will help you with your immigration and
customs formalities, later you will be transferred to your hotel.
The luxurious Mena House Oberoi Hotel for an overnight. |
| Day
03 |
Breakfast, then drive to Memphis at
the edge of the western desert, the capital of the ancient kingdom,
and one of the most important cities throughout the history of
ancient Egypt. From here we drive to Sakkara, the vast necropolis of
ancient Memphis. In the afternoon, drive to the Pyramids of Giza.
Cheops Pyramid, the largest of the three, was built in the 3rd
Dynasty about 2690 BC, and is one of the Seven Wonders of the
Ancient World. Enjoy a camel ride by the pyramids area if you wish.
In front of the Pyramids of Chephren, we find the Sphinx carved from
a single piece of stone. It is a lion with a Pharaoh's head thought
to be a portrait of the Pharaoh Chephren. Continue your tour to the
Solar Boat Museum where a dismantled river barge of King Cheops was
found and has been beautifully re-assembled. Return to your hotel.
PM You will be met and transferred by our tour escort to the Giza
Plateau to attend the magnificent Sound and Light Show. Later
transfer back to your hotel for an overnight. (B,L) |
| Day
04 |
Breakfast, then visit Fayoum,
Egypt's largest oasis, overlooking Lake Qarun which is a popular
spot for hunting and fishing. You can visit the remains of the
Temple and Pyramid of Amenhat III and Qasr Qarun, a well-preserved
temple of the Greco-Roman era. Lunch at the Oberge el-Fayoum Hotel
overlooking the lake. The continue to the town of Karanis to visit
some of the temples, tombs and the museum. This town was used by the
Romans in the 1st century BC. The tour to Maidum. The Pyramid of
Maidum was originally a seven-stepped pyramid. Eventually the steps
were filled in and a smooth outer facing turned it into a true
pyramid. It is a huge structure that is surrounded by the debris
from the casing that collapsed. The Maidum Pyramid is thought to
have been started by Huni, the last ruler of the 3rd Dynasty and
then completed by his son Sneferu. Sneferu was the first 4th Dynasty
Pharaoh. (2613-2494 BC). A little north of the Maidum Pyramid are
the remains of the Seila Step Pyramid, which is made of limestone
and is thought to be from the 2nd Dynasty. Transfer back to your
hotel for an overnight. (B,L) |
| Day
05 |
Breakfast, then a drive to Dahshur
to visit the Red Pyramid and the Bent Pyramid. The builder of these
pyramids is thought to have been Sneferu. Who is thought to have
built the Pyramid of Maidum. His son was Cheops who continued his
constructive tendencies. Transfer back to your hotel. PM You will be
met and transferred to an Egyptian home for an Egyptian dinner and
for getting acquainted with the people of Egypt, their way of life,
see an Egyptian home and engage in a social discussion about the two
cultures and the people if you wish. Later you will be transferred
back to your hotel for an overnight. (B,D) |
| Day
06 |
Breakfast, then you will be met and
transferred to Cairo Airport for your flight to Abu-Simbel. Upon
arrival at Abu-Simbel Airport, you will be transferred to visit the
Great Temple, hewn in the rock, with the four colossal seated
statues of the King in front of the entrance. It was dedicated to
Amun-Ra, the Horakkhti, and Ramses II. Then visit Kings Wife Temple
which was threatened by the waters of the completion of the Aswan
High Dam have been preserved by international action organized by
"UNESCO". All of the parts of the temple (statues, inscribed slabs,
etc) have been rebuilt on a plateau above the former site. Later
transfer back to Abu-Simbel Airport for your flight to Aswan. Upon
arrival at Aswan Airport you will be met and transferred to the Old
Cataract for check-in. Later visit the newly opened Nubian Museum
which describes the Nubian History from past to present time
including some Coptic and Islamic art as well. Continue our tour
visiting the Nubian village and a special visit to a Nubian home
where you will be served tea and have a short social discussion.
Later transfer back to your hotel. PM You will be met and
transferred to Philae Temple by felucca to attend the beautiful
Sound and Light Show. Later transfer back to your hotel for an
overnight. (B,L,D) |
| Day
07 |
Breakfast, then you will be met and
transferred to embark your cruise ship. Later you will visit by
"felucca" the Elephantine Island, the Mausoleum of Agha Khan and the
Botanical Gardens. Lunch, dinner and overnight on board ship.
(B,L,D) |
| Day
08 |
Breakfast, then visit the
Unfinished Obelisk in the ancient granite quarries, and the High
Dam. Lunch, then cruise to Kom-Ombo. Visit the Ptolemaic Temple of
Kom-Ombo, which was dedicated to two gods: the crocodile god Sobek
and the falcon-headed god Haroeris. Sail to Edfu. Dinner and
overnight on board. (B,L,D) |
| Day
09 |
Breakfast, then visit the Temples
of Horus (237 BC) the best preserved Egyptian Temple in existence.
Lunch. Sail to Esna and visit the Temple of Khnum. Continue to
Luxor. Dinner and overnight on board ship. (B,L,D) |
| Day
10 |
Breakfast, then cross the Nile to
visit the necropolis of Ancient Thebes. Explore the Valleys of the
Kings and Queens where tombs of 64 Pharaohs and 57 Queens have been
discovered, and enter some of the most important burials. Visit the
Temple of Queen Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon. Lunch.
Afternoon visit the Temple of Karnak, which took over 1500 years to
build and is considered the world's largest religious complex. Then
visit the Temple of Luxor, which was started by Amenhotep III and
completed by Ramses II. Dinner on board ship. (B,L,D) |
| Day
11 |
Breakfast, then disembark your
cruise ship, where you will be met and transferred to the Jollie
Ville Movenpick Hotel in Luxor for check-in. Later start your tour
with our Egyptologist to visit the newly opened Tomb of Queen
"Tausert", the wife of King Seth II. That tomb was usurped by King
Set Nakht who changed some of its inscriptions and added to its
original construction. From there continue our tour to visit the
Tomb of Ramses VI. It's a rock cut tomb and the largest in the
valley. It has the most beautiful design of the Goddess Nout (the
Goddess of the Sky). From there we visit the Tomb of Ramses 9. It
has beautiful reliefs with still vivid colors. Later transfer back
to your hotel. PM You will be met and transferred to attend the
magnificent Sound and Light Show in Karnak. Later transfer back to
your hotel for an overnight. (B,L) |
| Day
12 |
Breakfast, then visit the Temple of
Dendera whose construction was initiated by the Ptolemies. Dendera
is dedicated to Hathor, the Cow Goddess, known as "The Golden One".
Continue your tour visiting the Tomb of the Nobles, many of which
are vividly painted with naturalistic scenes of agriculture,
fishing, fowling, feasting and junketing. Continue to the famous
King Tut Tomb and visit the very large Temple of Ramses III known as
Medinet Habu which depicts the battle reliefs on the exterior of the
temple. End our tour by visiting the Luxor Museum. Later transfer
back to your hotel. Overnight. (B). |
| Day
13 |
Breakfast, then start our tour by a
very special visit to the newly opened Tomb of "Nefertari" which is
the tomb that houses the sons of King Ramses II and consists of 25
chambers. It's magnificent and truly a highlight of your trip.
Continue our tour to visit Deir el Madina, a village of the skilled
laborers and artisans, the builder of the Valley of the Kings, also
visit the Tomb of Senefer. It has reliefs to open mummification and
a doorway to a second life. Later you will be transferred to embark
on a 2-hour felucca (sail boat) ride, exploring the east and the
west bank of the Nile riding in a sail boat exactly the same way as
the ancient Egyptians used to do it thousands of years ago. Return
to your hotel for dinner and overnight. (B,D). |
| Day
14 |
Breakfast, then visit the
Ramesseum, which is the funerary temple of Ramses II. It has the
statues Azamendous weighing over 1000 tons of granite and
inscriptions from the Battle of Kaddish. Continue our tour to visit
the Tomb of Ramose, the vizier of Akhnaton from the 18th Dynasty.
This is a tomb with intact and vivid colors and reliefs displaying
scenes of burials and funerals. In the afternoon visit the Menna and
Nakht for the Governor of Luxor and the High Priest from 1450 BC. It
has reliefs displaying scenes of everyday life including some belly
dancing scenes and musicians with their instruments. Later transfer
back to your hotel for an overnight. (B) |
| Day
15 |
Breakfast and drive from Luxor to
Hurghada, which is about a three and half hour drive. Arrive
Hurghada and transfer to the Marriott Hurghada Hotel. Balance of day
at leisure for swimming, diving or snorkeling. Overnight.
(B,L) |
| Day
16 |
Breakfast and a day at leisure for
swimming, diving or snorkeling. Overnight. (B) |
| Day
17 |
Breakfast, then transfer from
Hurghada to Zaafarana to visit the Monastery of St. Paul. Built in
the end of the 4th century and is considered to be very well
preserved and it built on the Basilican style. This is one of the
first monasteries to teach Christianity and depended financially on
the caravans (merchants) passing by for food and health supplies.
Most of the icons in that monastery were donated by people passing
by. From there drive to St. Antonio Monastery, built to be the first
Christian school in the eastern region. It has a natural water well
that provided water to the living in the two monasteries. Continue
our drive to St. Catherine. Arrive St. Catherine. Dinner and
overnight at the St. Catherine Village. (B,D) |
| Day
18 |
Breakfast and visit the Sinai
Peninsula. Not much has changed in the area since Moses fled the
Pharaoh of Egypt and made his way to this craggy moonscape, where he
beheld the miracle of a burning bush and heard God tell him to lead
the Israelites out of bondage. Today you will enjoy that same
journey through the same stark granite mountains to the site of the
Burning Bush, where Emperor Justinian built the Monastery of St.
Catherine during the sixth century. The site sits at the foot of
Mount Sinai, where Moses is believed to have received the Ten
Commandments. While visiting the 6th century old monastery compound,
you will see the enclosing churches, gardens and the living quarters
of the monks who operate it. Some of your highlights will be the
actual bush, a shrub that grows nowhere else in the world; the
Chapel of the Burning Bush; and the well where Moses is said to have
seen the daughters of Jethro tending sheep.
The monastery owns more than 2,000
Byzantine icons, the world's largest and finest collection of these
paintings, many of which are displayed in the main Church of the
Transfiguration. The monastery also has a priceless collection of
more than 4,500 manuscripts, including the world's second oldest
Bible.
A choice of a 3 hour climb to the
top of Mount Sinai is there, if you wish to see a spectacular
sunrise as well as a view of the Red Sea and the Saudi Arabian
border. A popular time to start the climb of 3,750 steps is at 2:00
am in order to arrive at the summit for sunrise around 5:00 am.
(B,D) |
| Day
19 |
Breakfast, and transfer from St.
Catherine by car to Sharm-el-Sheikh. One of the world's best resorts
and a diver's paradise. Arrive Sharm where you will be met and
transferred to the Marriott Sharm Hotel. Balance of day at leisure
for swimming, diving or snorkeling. Overnight. (B) |
| Day
20 |
Breakfast and a day at leisure for
swimming, diving or snorkeling. PM You will be met and transferred
by car to the Sinai Desert. From the desert road we will take camels
to meet the Bedouins. Experience the Bedouin hospitality, a dinner
will be barbecued and served in front of you at a canyon in a
Bedouin tent surrounded by the stars. Traveling and dining in the
desert with the Bedouins will make you relive the adventure of
Lawrence of Arabia's. Later transfer back to your hotel for an
overnight. (B,D) |
| Day
21 |
Breakfast and transfer to Sharm
Airport for your flight back to Cairo. Upon arrival at Cairo Airport
you will be met and transferred to your hotel, the Cairo Marriott
and Towers Hotel. Morning at leisure. PM You will be met and
transferred for an oriental dinner, folkloric and belly dancing
show. Later transfer back to your hotel for an overnight.
(B,D) |
| Day
22 |
Breakfast, and drive from Cairo to
St. Bishoi Monastery. This monastery has existed from the end of the
6th century built to be a fortress from the attack of the Bedouins
and converted by monks into a monastery. Continue our drive to
Alexandria. Upon arrival start your sightseeing by visiting the
Greco-Roman Museum that contains statues, bas reliefs, pottery,
jewelry, marble pieces and other artifacts, that give you a picture
of the grandeur of Alexandria in its Greek and Roman days. Then
visit the Roman Amphitheater which is the only known amphitheater
from the Roman era in Egypt. Continue your tour to visit catacombs
of Kom-el-Shouqafa. These tombs are remarkable for their unusual
mixture of art styles, sculpture, and reliefs are of Egyptian Gods.
Continue your tour to visit Pompey's Pillar which is a column 98
feet high and 7 feet thick, made of Aswan Rose Granite and erected
in 297 AD. Later drive back to Cairo. Upon arrival at Cairo you will
be transferred back to your hotel for an overnight. (B,L)
|
| Day
23 |
Breakfast, then start your tour
visiting the Egyptian Museum famous for its antiquities from Egypt's
Pharaonic period, which dates back some 50 centuries and includes
the fabulous treasures of King Tut-Ankh-Amon. Afternoon excursion to
Old Cairo, visiting the very old Coptic churches and the oldest
Jewish Synagogue of Beni Ezra. Continue your visit to a mosque and
the medieval bazaars of Khan-el-Khalili, where you can bargain for
your jewelry and hand-tooled leather items. Return to your hotel for
an overnight. (B,L) |
| Day
24 |
Breakfast, then you will be met by
our representative and transferred to Cairo Airport, where you will
be helped with your check-in and immigration formalities for your
flight back home. (B) |
Also Included:
All transfers within Egypt. Personalized sightseeing as mentioned in
itinerary, in a private car, with a tour guide and a driver including
entrance fees to sights mentioned. Included as well is the service charge
imposed by hotels, port charges, porterage, meeting and assistance at
airport, hotels and docks.
Not Included: Items of a
personal nature such as laundry, alcoholic beverages, telephone calls,
visa charge and tips.
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: For single
occupancy, in hotels and cruise ship, please add $1062.
Departure from other gateway cities is
available as follows: Departure out of Boston, please add $129.
Departure out of Washington, D.C., add $149. Departure out of Chicago,
please add $259. Departure out of Los Angeles, please add $369, or call
for your city.
If airfare from the U.S.A. is not
required, please deduct $920 from posted rate.
If you need a different
package, we will customize it for you.
Tour Packages | References | E-mail Egypt Tours | Travel Safety
Travel Insurance Information | Terms and Conditions
Book Your Tour Online | Egypt Tours Home
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To book your tour and for
additional information CALL:
Egypt
Tours and Travel
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Suite 104
Chicago, IL 60660
USA
1-(800) 52-EGYPT
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506-9999 | Fax: (773) 506-9996
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