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DAY 01: THE BEGINNING OF OUR STUDY TOUR Depart New York JFK International Airport via EgyptAir jet service to KMT (Egypt). Meals will be served on board before your arrival in Cairo the next day.
DAY 02: INTO THE LAND OF THE PHARAOHS Upon your arrival in Cairo, you will be met and transferred to your hotel.
DAY 03: MEMPHIS/SAKKARA/GIZA Morning tour to Hi Ku Ptah (Memphis) and Sakkara. Located twenty miles southwest of Cairo, Memphis was one of the most important cities through the history of ancient KMT and was once the ancient capital of KMT. Sakkara's step pyramid is the oldest in existence and is the world's first stone tomb. Visit the Tomb of Ptahotep, author of the oldest surviving book in the world, circa 2350 BC. Proceed to Giza. Visit one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Kufu, Kafre, and Men-ka-ra Pyramids, and Hor-em-Aket (commonly called the Sphinx). See the 140 foot long ship of Pharaoh Kufu, the oldest surviving ship in the world. Return to your hotel. Evening lecture.
DAY 04: THE EGYPTIAN MUSEUM/OLD CAIRO Morning visit to the Egyptian Museum with its renowned collection of well-preserved Pharaonic antiquities. The museum contains the world's most important collection of Egyptian antiquities, dating from the earliest times to about 6th century AD. The collection also includes some of the artistic masterpieces of the world, including the treasures of Tut-Ankh-Amon. This afternoon, tour Old Cairo: coptic museums, churches, and synagogues. Continue to the Mosques of Sultan Hassan built in the 14th century, the Citadel of Salah El-Din, and the Alabaster Mosque. Evening lecture.
DAY 05: CAIRO/WASET (LUXOR OR THEBES)/IPET ISUT (KARNAK) & SOUTHERN IPET (LUXOR) TEMPLES Transfer to the airport for your flight to Waset (Luxor). Upon your arrival, you will be met and transfered to your hotel for a brief rest stop. Continue to visit the Avenue of the Sphinxes at Ipet Isut (Karnak). View the gorgeous Hypostyle Hall, the Tekenu (obelisks) of Queen Hatshepsut, and the Sacred Lake. Continue to the Southern Ipet (Temple of Luxor). Visit the White Chapel, Temple of Khonsu and Mout and the Temple of Amon. Return to your hotel. Evening lecture.
DAY 06: WASET (LUXOR OR THEBES) (THE VALLEY OF THE KINGS, QUEENS AND NOBLES; HATSHEPSUT TEMPLE, AND THE COLOSSI OF MEMNON) This morning cross the Hapi (Nile) by motorlaunch to the West Bank of the Nile to visit the Necropolis of Waset (Thebes). Drive to the Valley of the Kings; visit the tombs of Tut-Ankh-Amon, Seti I, Thutmosis III and Ramses II. Continue to the Valley of the Queens to visit the Tomb of Nefertari. Proceed to visit the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, two Noble Tombs, and return to the hotel via the "Colossi of Memnon".
DAY 07: TANTERA (DENDERA) (THE TEMPLE OF HT HR) / ABDU (ABYDOS) Leave Waset early in the morning by bus to visit Tantera (the Temple of Ht Hr [Hathor]), drive to the ancient city of Abdu, and visit the Temple of Seti, the site of the grave of the head of Asar (Osiris). Return to Waset in the late afternoon. Evening lecture.
DAY 08: WASET / EDFU (THE TEMPLE OF HERU [HORUS]) / KOM OMBO (THE TEMPLE OF SOBEK) / ASWAN Leave Waset and journey towards Edfu on the Left Bank. Visit the Temple of Heru (Horus) which was excavated by Mariette and is one of the best preserved in KMT. Resume your journey to Kom Ombo, 103 miles. On the hill, which you see long before you arrive in Kom Ombo, is the Temple, with a double dedication to the Crocodile-headed Sobek and the Sparrow-headed Haroeris. In the middle of the temple area, a sanctuary was built for each these divinities. Double entrances lead through the pylons to the court, vestibule, pillared hall and the three antechambers to the Sanctuaries of the Gods. Continue your journey towards Aswan and along the Hapi to your hotel.
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DAY 09: THE HIGH DAM/PILAK (PHILAE) TEMPLE & UNFINISHED TEKENU (OBELISK) OF HATSHEPSUT Morning visit to the High Dam. Some 4 ½ miles south of the earlier Dam, the High Dam rises up on a colossal scale. The Pyramid of Kufu could be lost 17 times over in this modern marvel. The inland lake created by the Dam is more than 375 miles long, penetrating some 155 miles into the Sudan. Proceed to Pilak (Philae). When the Aswan Dam was opened from July to November, the resulting drop in water level was such that the Temple of Isis on the Island of Philae rose up out of the waters. During the remaining months of the year, only pylons and the upper sections of the building could be seen. In the recent past, all monuments on the Island of Philae were transferred to the small island of Agilkia nearby and rebuilt there. Visit the Temple, the oldest parts of which date from the 4th century BC. Ptolemies and Romans added to the Temple over the years until the 2nd century AD. Other buildings are Het Heru (Hathor Temple), Hadrian's Pylon, Horendotes Temple, the remains of the Temple of Augustus, and the lovely and famous Kiosk of Trajan. Return to the hotel via the Red Granite Quarries where the ancients obtained their fine reddish granite. See the unfinished tekenu (obelisk) of Queen Hatshepsut, had it been completed, it would have been the largest ever hewn. It was abandoned when a flaw as discovered in the stone. Return to your hotel. Evening lecture.
DAY 10: ROCK TOMBS OF THE NOBLES / YEBU (ELEPHANTINE ISLAND) / NUBIAN DAY This morning board a felucca and visit the Rock Tombs of the Nobles which date from the Middle Kingdom. Sail past Yebu (Elephantine Island) for a full day visit to a Nubian Village and School. Some tour members may want to swim in the Hapi. Return to your hotel. This evening enjoy a special dinner with Nubian entertainment.
DAY 11: THE NUBIAN DREAM CRUISE Transfer to your luxurious ship for lunch. In the afternoon, visit the Temple of Kalabasha with its Pharaonic aspect, remodeled into the Greco-Roman style and dedicated to the God Mandoulis. Visit the hemi-speos of Beith El Wali, created by Ramses II in the beginning of his reign. Also visit the kiosk of Kertassi, erected to honor the Goddess Isis. Sail to Wadi El Saboua.Dinner and overnight on board. Evening lecture.
DAY 12: WADI EL SEBOUA / DAKKA / AMDA / KASR IBRIM Morning visit to Wadi El Seboua temple, dedicated by Ramses II to the two gods - Amun Ra and Ra Hurmakis. The Temple of Dakka, dedicated to the God Thoth of Divine wisdom, lord of times and science, master of literature. Visit the Greco-Roman temple of Meharakka. Sail to Amada. Visit the temple of Amada from the XVIIIth Dynasty, built during the reigns of Thutmosis III, Amenophis III and Thutmosis IV. Also visit the hemi-speos of Derr, dedicated by Ramses II to the rising sun. Finally the tomb of Penoul, viceroy of Nubia. Sail to Kasr Ibrim. Dinner and overnight on board ship. Evening lecture.
DAY 13: ABU SIMBEL (THE TEMPLE OF RAMSES II) Morning visit to the citadel of Kasr Ibrim, sole vestige of the distant past of Nubia in its original location. Explanation is done from the sun deck of the ship as entrance to the site is not permitted. Sail to Abu Simbel and after lunch visit the temple of Abu Simbel which is situated on the West bank of the Hapi, 180 miles south of Aswan and some 27 miles north of Wadi Haifa. There lies 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 Horkhti, and Ramses II. The figures are 65 ½ feet high and wear the double crown. Nearby to the north, is a second temple, also built by Ramses II, dedicated to Nefertari, the King's wife. The temples which were threatened by the water on the completion of the Aswan High Dam have been preserved by international action organized by UNESCO. The most important parts of the temples (statues, inscribed slabs, etc) have been rebuilt on a plateau above the former site. Return to your cruise ship. This evening enjoy the Sound and Light show at Abu Simbel temples followed by a candlelight dinner on board the ship.
DAY 14: SUMMATION Afternoon transfer to the airport to connect with your flight to Cairo. Upon your arrival you will be met and transferred for dinner. After dinner, transfer to the airport to check in for your return EgyptAir flight to New York
DAY 15: CAIRO/NEW YORK Depart Cairo on your return flight to New York. Arrive in the morning local time.
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