Egypt Itinerary

Day 0 – December 15th – Istanbul, Cairo

IST 18:15 CAI 19:25 (2h10m)
Take shuttle to Le Passage Cairo Hotel & Casino.
Return on shuttle to airport to meet Yara.

Day 1 – December 16th – Cairo, Luxor

CAI 7:45 LXR 8:55 (1h10m)
Board ship and begin cruise along the Nile East Bank in Luxor.
Visit KARNAK. The temple of Karnak was known as Ipet-isu—or “most select of places”—by the ancient Egyptians. It is
the largest religious building ever made, covering about 200 acres, and was a place of pilgrimage for nearly 2,000 years.
The great temple at the heart of Karnak is so big that Notre Dame Cathedrals would fit within its walls.
Visit LUXOR TEMPLE. The temple has been in almost continuous use as a place of worship right up to the present day.
During the Christian era, the temple’s hypostyle hall was converted into a Christian church, and the remains of another
Coptic church can be seen to the west. Then for thousands of years, the temple was buried beneath the streets and
houses of Luxor. Eventually the mosque of Sufi Shaykh Yusuf Abu al-Hajjaj was built over it. This mosque was carefully
preserved when the temple was uncovered and forms an integral part of the site today.
Return to ship for dinner and night.
Optional: LIGHT AND SOUND SHOW AT THE TEMPLE OF KARNAK. The show narrates the achievements of some great
Pharaohs, with poetic descriptions of the ancient treasures. As visitors walk through the complex of temples, pharaohs
arise to tell the story of their interesting lives, as haunting music mysteriously flows through this ancient city. Ancient
and poetic voices tell the visitors about the birth of Karnak temple and the heroic achievements of pharaohs and god
Amun. It is an enchanting and supernatural experience to listen to sound effects and gaze at the magnificent ruins
illuminated during the well-presented show.
Day 2 – December 17th – Luxor, Esna, Edfu
Breakfast on ship and cruise along the Nile West Bank of Luxor.
Visit the VALLEY OF THE KINGS. 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, each quite different from the other.
Visit the TEMPLE OF HATSHEPSUT. The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, also known as the Djeser-Djeseru ("Holy of
Holies"), is an ancient funerary shrine in Upper Egypt dedicated to the Pharaoh Hatshepsut. The mortuary temple is
dedicated to the sun god Amun and is situated next to the mortuary temple of Mentuhotep II, which served both as an
inspiration, and later, a quarry.
Visit the COLOSSI OF MEMNON. Two monumental statues representing Amenhotep III. The statues depict the seated
king on a throne ornamented with imagery of his mother, his wife, the god Hapy, and other symbolic engravings. The
figures rise 60 feet high and weigh 720 tons each; both carved from single blocks of sandstone.
Cruise to Edfu. Stop for lunch in Esna along the way.
Return to ship for dinner and night.

Day 3 – December 18th – Edfu, Kom Ombo, Aswan

Breakfast on ship.
Visit the TEMPLE OF EDFU on with horse carts. The Temple of Horus in Edfu (also known as the Temple of Edfu) is
considered the best-preserved temple in Egypt. The Temple of Edfu was abandoned after the Roman Empire became
Christian and paganism was outlawed in 391 AD. It lay buried up to its lintels in sand, with homes built over the top, until
it was excavated in the 1860s. The sand protected the monument over the years, leaving it very well preserved today.
Cruise to Kom Ombo.
Stop for lunch in Kom Ombo.
Visit the TEMPLE OF KOM OMBO. The temple is unique because it is in fact a double temple, dedicated to Sobek the
crocodile god, and Horus the falcon-headed god. The layout combines two temples in one with each side having its own
gateways and chapels. Due to the association to Sobek, captive crocodiles were kept within the temple and many
mummified crocodiles have been found in cemeteries, some of which can be seen in the temple sanctuary today.
Cruise to Aswan.
Remain on ship for dinner and night.

Day 4 – December 19th – Aswan

Breakfast on ship.
Visit the HIGH DAM. Before the High Dam was built, even with the old dam in place, the annual flooding of the
Nile during late summer had continued to pass largely unimpeded down the valley from its East African drainage basin.
These floods brought high water with natural nutrients and minerals that annually enriched the fertile soil along
its floodplain and delta; this predictability had made the Nile valley ideal for farming since ancient times. Since this
natural flooding varied however, high-water years could destroy the whole crop, while low-water years could create
widespread drought and associated famine. With the greatly increased reservoir storage provided by the High Aswan
Dam, the floods could be controlled and the water could be stored for later release over multiple years.
Visit the TEMPLE OF PHILAE. Philae in Greek or Pilak in ancient Egyptian, meaning ‘the end,’ defined the southern most
limit of Egypt. It was begun by Ptolemy II and completed by the Roman Emperors. The temple at Philae was nearly lost
under water when the high Aswan dam was built in the 1960s. Fortunately the temple was rescued by a joint operation
between the Egyptian government and UNESCO. The whole island was surrounded with a dam and the inside pumped
dry. Then every stone block of the temple complex was moved and later assembled, like a giant jigsaw puzzle, on the
higher ground of Agilka island. The whole project took ten years and has saved one of Egypt’s most beautiful temples
from certain destruction.
Visit the OLD HIGH DAM. When initially constructed between 1899 and 1902, nothing of its scale had ever been
attempted; on completion, it was the largest masonry dam in the world. The dam was designed to provide storage of
annual floodwater and augment dry season flows to support greater irrigation development and population growth in
the lower Nile. However, it did not meet irrigation demands and in 1946 it was nearly over-topped in an effort to
maximize pool elevation. This led to the investigation and construction of the Aswan High Dam upstream.
Have lunch in Aswan.
Optional excursions are available for remainder of day.
Return to ship for Nubian Party, dinner, and night.
Optional: FELUCCA TOUR OF NUBIAN VILLAGE. Enjoy views of the Nile River, Soheil Island, and the Aswan dam as you
navigate along the Nile, and be sure to bring a camera, as traveling by boat offers some of the best, unobstructed views
of the landscape. Head to shore on the West Bank, where a Nubian village overlooks the river. Take a guided tour of the
village, with time to meet a Nubian family to hear stories about their lifestyles, cultures, and traditions. The Nubian
people have a deep history in Egypt, which they ruled during the 8th-century BCE, and have a fascinating culture that
remains distinct even today.
Optional: FELUCCA TOUR OF BOTANICAL GARDENS. Take a felucca, which is a typical Egyptian sailing boat, for a tranquil
tour in the Nile River to sail around the Elephantine Island. It was the last of the Egyptian cities in the south, and a
fortress defending the country against any attacks from the south. Then stop at The Kitchner Island, or Botanical Garden,
which was once owned by the leader of the Egyptian army General consul Horatio Kitchener. Due to his love to
plantation the consul brought different plants from all over the world. The island now contains some rare species of
plants and it is a quiet place to visit by felucca the typical Egyptian sailing boat.
Optional: LIGHT AND SOUND SHOW AT THE TEMPLE OF PHILAE. During the show the Egyptian gods and goddesses are,
like Osiris, resurrected before our eyes to tell us their life stories. The myth of Isis and Osiris comes to life through
dazzling lights and capturing music, with sounds from the deepest bottoms of ancient history. This show brings history
and the past to life, making you feel the temple alive around you; the myth is resurrected. The presents the myth of
Osiris, the goddess of death and his beloved wife Isis, who resurrected her husband using life rituals after being killed by
his brother, Set, the God of Evil in ancient Egypt.

Day 5 – December 20th – Aswan, Cairo

Breakfast on ship.
Check out by 8:00a
Guided TOUR OF ASWAN. Visit ABU SIMBEL. Two temples built by Egyptian king Ramses II. The four colossal statues of
Ramses in front of the main temple carved out of a sandstone cliff. Carved around their feet are small figures
representing Ramses’ children, his queen, Nefertari, and his mother, Muttuy. Just to the north of the main temple is a
smaller one, dedicated to Nefertari for the worship of the goddess Hathor and adorned with 35 foot statues of the king
and queen.
ASW 18:35 CAI 20:00 (1h25m)

Day 6 – December 21st – Cairo

Whatever we want!

Day 7 – December 22nd – Cairo

Whatever we want!

Day 8 – December 23rd – Cairo

Whatever we want!
Go to airport in late evening.

Day 9 – December 24th – Cairo, Istanbul, Home

CAI 3:40 IST 6:55 2h15m (2h15m) / IST 9:30 CMH 17:40 (15h10m)