Ancient Wonders: Egypt & The NileAncient Wonders: Egypt & The Nile

Today you set out to appreciate the many facets of this magnificently beautiful city, full of history and lively modern life. You begin with a close-up look at one of the world’s finest collections of historical artifacts at the Egyptian Museum. Stand face-to-face with the Golden Mask of Egypt’s most famous teenage King Tutankhamun among thousands of other archaeological finds including statues, jewelry, amulets, sarcophagi, papyrus, and ancient coins, connected to myths and legends by our Egyptologist guide. For lunch, you'll take to the streets for a guided tasting at some authentic Egyptian eateries. This afternoon you visit the grand and elegant Mosque-Madrassa of Sultan Hassan, built between 1356 and 1363 and today is the finest example of early Mamluk architecture in Cairo. A tragedy during construction presaged the murder that ended Sultan Hassan’s reign. Continue on to Al-Rifa'i Mosque, located just opposite the Mosque-Madrassa. Wander through the storied, old streets of Islamic Cairo, marveling at the medieval architectural treasures of El Muizz Street. Conclude your day's explorations in the winding alleyways of the famous Khan el-Khalili bazaar. The city is very much alive and vibrating with sights, sounds, and smells in the maze of souvenir and antique shops, restaurants and coffee shops, workshops, mosques, and food vendors. This evening, reflect on what you’ve seen during a group welcome dinner at a local Egyptian restaurant.

Set out early today on a full-day excursion from Cairo. After approximately two hours of driving across arid plains, you'll reach the oasis city of Al Fayoum with its towering date palms, sunflowers, local farmers at work in the lush fields with their water buffalo, and the surprising sight of salty Lake Qarun. Al Fayoum has been inhabited intermittently for thousands of years and became one of the earliest cultivated agricultural areas in the world after canals were dug in ancient times to bring water from the Nile River. Here you are introduced to another side of Egyptian life. Known as the “Garden of Egypt”, Fayoum has remained an agricultural center, well known for its citrus fruits, nuts, olives, and vegetables. Climbing aboard a 4x4 desert safari vehicle, you'll have a thrilling ride across the sand, up and down dunes, to reach Wadi al-Hitan, also known as Egypt's "Whale Valley". Here you'll find a treasure trove of whale fossils scattered amid a wind-sculpted landscape of sand and rocks. You'll even have a chance to try your hand at sandboarding while a delicious picnic lunch is prepared. Before returning to Cairo in the late afternoon, you'll experience the incredible desert valley of Wadi Rayan, where the arid landscape is broken by beautiful waterfalls and tree-lined pools. 

This morning’s excursion is to Saqqara, part of the necropolis of the ancient city of Memphis. The 4700-year-old Step Pyramid predates the Pyramids at Giza by about 200 years and served as a burial ground and pilgrimage site for more than 3000 years. This is Egypt’s oldest surviving pyramid and one of its richest archaeological sites where discoveries are still being made, including a treasure trove of intact wooden coffins and mummies excavated in 2020. You'll enter the pyramid to gaze upon its ancient hieroglyphs as well as visit the far less-visited sites of Sarapeum, which was a burial place for sacred bulls, and Mereruka, the largest and most elaborate of all the non-royal tombs in Saqqara. You'll stop for lunch at a local restaurant before returning to Cairo. The rest of the day is at your leisure to explore Cairo on your own. 

Today, accompanied by an expert Egyptologist guide, you'll visit the iconic Pyramids of Giza, the only surviving intact site of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. You approach these mystifying marvels of ancient Egyptian creation on camelback, the “ships of the desert”. Keeping watch over all is the legendary figure of the Sphinx, with the head of a human and the body of a lion. A terrifying figure made famous in literature by Oedipus, who answered her riddle correctly and avoided being eaten, the Sphinx of Giza is actually a royal portrait statue of the pharaoh Khafre. Ominously, Arabs call the colossal recumbent Great Sphinx at Giza by the name “Father of Terror”. You then travel back in time to the 6th century BCE when Cairo was home to the Persians. These ruins of the Babylon Fortress are the city’s oldest original structure, and inside we find a number of important Coptic Christian Churches from the time of the Romans in Egypt, including the Church of St. Sergius and Baccus and the beautiful Hanging Church.

Depart Cairo on an early, one-hour flight to Luxor. Upon arrival, you'll make for the Luxor Temple, approaching along the Avenue of Sphinxes. This graceful monument dates to around 1300 BCE and was built by pharaohs Amenhotep III and Ramses II. Despite attempts to erase evidence of her reign, Pharaoh Hatshepsut’s mark on history proved indelible. Even now, we revere the New Kingdom’s pharaoh queen as having been one of the best rulers not just in ancient Egypt but in the history of the world and you can pay your respects at Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple. Before settling into our riverboat cabins and taking a break for lunch, we visit the Colossi of Memnon. Since 1350 BCE, these ancient statues have loomed over the Theban Necropolis. Though battered by more than 3400 years of scorching desert sun and sporadic Nile floods, they have captivated the imaginations of curious travelers for millennia. Shortly before sunset, you'll venture into the famed Valley of the Kings, hidden behind the mountains on the west bank of the Nile. This has been the site of royal burials since around 2100 BCE and contains 63 magnificent royal tombs. You'll arrive to the site shortly before it closes to the general public in order to enter the tomb of King Tutankhamun where you can view his mummy. The world was captivated by the discovery of his nearly intact tomb in 1922 and his reign as Pharaoh that began at the age of nine or ten. After close, when all other visitors have departed, our group has exclusive access to stay behind and explore more of the magnificently preserved tombs, open especially for us as darkness falls on the world above. You'll be a guest of honor to the kings that ruled the ancient world for thousands of years!

You'll spend the morning with your Egyptologist guide visiting the impressive UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Temple of Karnak, dedicated to the god Amun-Ra when the princes of Thebes ruled Egypt, are the largest religious complex that was ever built for a god. The main structure is surrounded by the houses of Amun's wife Mut and their son Khonsu, whose temple we will explore. Return to your luxury riverboat for lunch and a little relaxation time. This afternoon we set sail up the Nile to Edfu. This evening, enjoy the comforts of your Nile cruise with dinner and entertainment.

You disembark after breakfast where a horse and carriage will take you to the Temple of Horus, the falcon god, in Edfu, the most completely preserved Egyptian temple. After lunch back on board, you sail to the Temple of Kom Ombo, an unusual double temple that was constructed during the Ptolemaic period, which lasted from 108 to 47 BCE. The temple’s double dedication is reflected in its layout: It’s perfectly symmetrical along the main axis and has twin entrances, two connected hypostyle halls with the reliefs of two gods on either side of a column, twin chambers, and twin sanctuaries. The eastern half of the temple was dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek (god of the Nile and creator of the world) while the western half of the temple was dedicated to the falcon god Horus (god of the sky and protector of the king). The ancient Egyptian place of worship features a unique engraving that is thought to be among the first representations of medical and surgical instruments. The relief showing the medical tools is among the most intriguing features of the temple. It can be found in the building’s rear, in the passageway that surrounds the main area. The depicted surgical instruments include scalpels, curettes, forceps, speculators, scissors, medicine bottles, and prescriptions. The image is completed with two goddesses sitting on birthing chairs. At the time the relief was carved, Egyptian medical science was almost certainly the most advanced in the world.

Aswan is home to several ancient stone quarries, which were the source of Ancient Egypt’s finest granite. You disembark after an early breakfast to go in search of the Temple of Philae and the Temple of Isis, the goddess of love and passion in ancient Egypt. After the flooding of Lake Nasser, the whole complex had to be moved from Philae Island to Agilkia Island. Before returning to the ship for lunch, you'll visit the remains of the Unfinished Obelisk. The work on the Unfinished Obelisk had been abandoned due to clearly visible cracks that appeared in the granite. The huge structure, which is partly connected to the parent rock, has been left in situ. The obelisk, together with several worker’s marks and rock carvings, provides a rare insight into the working techniques of Ancient Egypt. Virtually nothing is known about which pharaoh ordered the Obelisk and where it was supposed to be erected. This afternoon, you'll take to the water on a leisurely sail by felucca around Elephantine Island. Enjoy the sunset over the river, farms, and sandy hills before returning to your ship for dinner.

You disembark in Aswan and catch a 45-minute flight to Abu Simbel. The great temple of Abu Simbel was completed in 1244 BCE. It is one of the crowning monuments of Rameses the Great, with a second dedicated to his wife, Nefertari. Here, four colossal statues of Rameses II, each 20 meters high, have been standing for 3200 years, looking down upon the desert. But the temple’s greatest secret lies at its heart. It was built along the axis of the sun, so that twice a year, light would flood into its innermost sanctum, illuminating three of the four statues waiting there: Ra, Amun, and Rameses himself. Only the fourth statue, of Ptah, the mysterious creator-god, is left in shadow. UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention was created, in fact, to preserve Abu Simbel. After the Nasser Dam was built, the temple was briefly submerged underwater. A large effort saw it carried out and rebuilt, piece by piece, the large mountain it was carved into included. When you have had your fill of the ancient monuments, you catch a flight back to Cairo. We reflect on our incredible memories during a farewell dinner before turning in at our airport hotel.

After your unforgettable journey through some of the world’s most undiscovered lands, it’s time to say goodbye to the archaeological wonders and the friends we’ve met along the way. Head to the airport or on to your next destination. You have an easy walk from the hotel to the international terminal to catch your flight home. If your flight departs later in the morning, breakfast is included at the hotel. Until our next adventure!