"He who has not seen Cairo has not seen the world. Its dust is gold; its Nile is a wonder; its women are like the black-eyed virgins of paradise: and how could it not be otherwise, when she is the Mother of the World".

Extract from the tales of 'The Thousand and One Nights'

This three week Study Tour has an emphasis on the Egyptian 'sun-kings' of the Amarna period and the monuments of the 18th Dynasty. A morning is devoted to the Pyramids and Sphinx of Giza with time for shopping in the Khan el-Khalili markets. From Cairo we visit the majestic Step Pyramid of Saqqara and see the ruined colossus of Ramesses II at Memphis.

In the Fayyum Oasis we see the spectacular Roman ruins of Karanis, and the dramatic remains of the pyramid of King Senwosret II at Lahun. The great Salt Lake is a picturesque backdrop for our lunch. We then travel by bus to Minya where we spend a few days exploring the local antiquities. A highlight of the tour is the two days spent at Amarna examining the remains of the ruined city of the 18th Dynasty King Akhenaten including its magnificent tombs. We see the Temples of the Aten, walk around the remains of the royal palaces, and explore the superb painted tombs of the Nobles. While in Middle Egypt we also visit the dramatic ruins of Ashmunein with its Temple of Thoth, see the Ptolemaic painted tombs, underground galleries of the Ibis mummies and the boundary stela of Akhenaton at Tuna el-Gebel. We also visit the superb painted tombs of the Middle Kingdom at Beni Hasan, and explore Queen Hatshepsut's desert temple at Speos Artemidos.

We travel south by train to Luxor which will be our base for the next few days. We spend a day amongst the enormous ruins of Karnak Temple and tour the imposing remains of Luxor Temple. We enjoy the excellent Luxor Museum, with its stunning collection of New Kingdom sculpture, see five tombs in the Valley of the Kings, including the tombs of Ay and Tutankhamun. We also explore the 18th Dynasty tombs of the Nobles. A highlight of the tour is a luxury cruise from Luxor to Aswan on a dahabiya sailing boat. The accommodation is in well appointed en suite cabins with Nile views. Our group has the entire boat - we can relax, pull over to the shore when we like, and have meals on the covered deck - divine!

Luxor Temple

ITINERARY*

Day 1: Depart Australia
Our flight on Singapore Airlines leaves Australia with a short stop over (usually 1-2 hours) in Singapore. A brief stop is also made at Dubai for shopping.

Day 2: Arrive Cairo - Optional visit to the Cairo Museum
We arrive at Cairo International in the early morning and are met by our bus. We check into our hotel and have breakfast in a local café. Those who would like to keep going can proceed to the Cairo Museum for an informal visit.

Day 3: Giza pyramids - afternoon visit to Khan el-Khalili markets
The morning is spent at Giza where we view the Great Pyramid. We see the remarkable cedar boat of Khufu and then visit the pyramid of Khafre - after entering the pyramid we explore Khafre's impressive Valley Temple and see the Sphinx. Lunch is spent at a café in Giza before heading off to the Khan el-Khalili markets. This mediaeval market is a maze of shops and old mosques famous around the world for its jewellery and metalwork.

Day 4: Saqqara Step Pyramid - Imhotep Museum - Memphis
A short drive from our hotel takes us to Saqqara where we tour the newly opened Imhotep Museum with its fascinating collection of objects from the site. We see the remarkable Third Dynasty Step Pyramid of Djoser and explore the well preserved Old Kingdom mastaba tombs of Mereruka and Kagemni. We see the Pyramid of King Tety and descend into the burial chamber to see the famous Pyramid Texts. In the afternoon we visit the ruins of Memphis where we see the colossus of Ramesses the Great in the local museum.


Day 5 Fayyum Oasis - Karanis - Lahun Pyramids - bus to Minya
In the morning we drive across the western desert from Cairo to the edge of the Fayyum Oasis. Here we see the extensive ruins of the Roman Period town of Karanis with two stone temples, ruined houses and baths. A high-light is the interesting museum of the Oasis. Lunch takes place in a restaurant at the edge of the Birket Qarun (Fayyum Lake). In the afternoon we stop to see the pyramid of Senwosret II at Lahun before continuing south by bus to Minya.

Day 6: Morning free - ruins of Akhoris (Nero temple)
In the morning we have free time in the city of Minya to relax, go for walk or read a book. After lunch we travel north by bus to see the ruins of the ancient city of Akhoris, also known as Tehna el-Gebel. Here we see the dramatic temple built by Nero which is carved into the face of the hill, the ruins of the Roman city, and the superb view over the agricultural zone.


Day 7: Hebenu town - Beni Hasan tombs - Speos Artemidos shrine
This day trip takes us south of Minya to see a number of sites on the east bank of the Nile. The first stop is the ancient city and tombs of Hebenu, modern Kom el-Ahmar. A climb to the tomb of Nefer-sekheru offers a breathtaking view across the Nile Valley. We then continue on to Beni Hasan to see the beautiful painted tombs of the 11th and 12th Dynasties. A picnic lunch is had in the café at Beni Hasan before heading to see the desert temple of Queen Hatshepsut of the 18th Dynasty.

Day 8: Amarna (Day One)
This is the first of our two days at the ancient city of Akhetaten, modern Amarna. We start by looking at the marvellous painted North Tombs with their stunning view across the desert plain. We then see monumental Boundary Stelae U, carved by Akhenaten to define the limits of his new city. After lunch in the local café we see the Royal Tomb, built to house the remains of King Akhenaten and his immediate family. The tomb is carved in an isolated desert valley east of the city.

Day 9: Amarna (Day Two)
Our second day at Amarna starts in the ruins of the North and Riverside Palaces and the houses in the North City. We then have an early lunch before exploring the ruins of the Central City including the temples to the Aten and the Royal Palace. The afternoon is spent in the South Tombs where we study the Hymn to the Aten in the tomb of Ay.

Day 10: Mallawi Museum - Ashmunein - Tuna el-Gebel (stela)
In the morning we travel to Mallawi where we stop to see the local Museum famed for its mummified ibises. We then visit the ancient site of Khmunu, modern Ashmunein. Here we see the ruins of the temple of Thoth and the Christian Cathedral of the 5th Century. We then travel to nearby Tuna el-Gebel where we have a picnic lunch. The afternoon is spent viewing the painted Ptolemaic tombs, including the famous Greek tomb of Petosiris, and the atmospheric underground galleries housing the mummified remains of the sacred ibises and baboons of Thoth.


Day 11: Train to Luxor
The morning is free for rest and relaxation. We catch the First Class train to Luxor in the late morning. This fascinating trip enables us to sit back and watch the colour and bustle of the local landscape as we head south. Time can be spent reading, listening to music and chatting. We arrive in Luxor in the early evening where we are met by our bus which takes us to our hotel on the west bank of the Nile.

Day 12: Luxor Temple - Luxor Museum
In the morning we cross the river and have a walk in the modern town of Luxor to get our bearings. We then visit Luxor Temple, located in the heart of the modern city. We take time to explore this picturesque monument concentrating on the remains of the Amarna Period. These include the impressive Opet Festival scenes of Tutankhamun and the religious scenes of Amenhotep III. We pause for lunch in a nearby café. The afternoon is dedicated to the Luxor Museum with its famous talatat relief scenes from Akhenaten's demolished Aten temple at Karnak.

Day 13: Walk the Theban Hills - Deir el-Bahri - Valley of the Kings
In the morning we walk across the Theban Hills for a spectacular view over the Nile Valley. Our walk takes us to the famous mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut of the 18th Dynasty, including the newly reconstructed Third Terrace. We have lunch in a local cafe before travelling by bus to the Valley of the Kings. Here we will see five royal tombs including the tomb of Tutankhamun in the main Valley and the tomb of King Ay in the West Valley.

Day 14: Free day
This day is set aside for rest and relaxation. There are many activities: read a book, organise a balloon ride over the Theban Hills, ride a camel or donkey, take a felucca sail boat ride or shop at your leisure in the markets. The Luxor area offers a remarkable concentration of other monuments which you can choose to explore at your own pace and it is easy to arrange transport. The possibilities are endless!

Day 15: Karnak Temple
This day is dedicated to exploring the extensive ruins of Karnak Temple with a special emphasis on the Amarna Period remains and scenes. We travel to Karnak by motor boat in the morning and then see the impressive Hypostyle Hall, the Third Pylon with its interesting Amarna period co-regency scene, and the 18th Dynasty Festival Hall of Tuthmosis III. Lunch takes place at a nearby café. In the afternoon enthusiastic members of the group can re-enter Karnak to see more of this remarkable complex or take time off to shop or relax.


Day 16: Dahabiya cruise up the Nile - Edfu Temple
We join our boutique dahabiya sailboat with en suite cabins for our cruise up the Nile. We take a leisurely sail up river, sitting on the deck watching the world go by. We sail to Edfu where we stop to explore the wonderful Ptolemaic Temple of Horus. In the late afternoon we continue our sail to Kom Ombo where we dock for the night. We have dinner on the deck of the boat as we watch the sun go down behind the temple.

Day 17: Dahabiya cruise up the Nile - Kom Ombo Temple
In the morning we explore the ruins of the Ptolemaic temple of Sobek at Kom Ombo. Situated overlooking the river, the temple is a spectacular sight in the early morning. The cruise on our dahabiya two-masted sailboat then continues up the Nile towards Aswan. There is free time to relax, read and watch the life on the river bank. We drop anchor at the river edge and enjoy a hot cooked meal on the deck.

Day 18: Dahabiya cruise up the Nile - Gebel Silsila - Aswan - Philae Temple
We continue our sail up the Nile on our luxury dahabiya. The boat sails through the narrow part of the river where the sandstone cliffs come down to the rivers edge. We stop to explore the remarkable New Kingdom shrines at Gebel Silsila. This includes the Speos of King Horemhab and shrines of the 18th Dynasty officials who quarried stone in this region. In the afternoon we arrive at Aswan. We see the Temple of Isis at Philae, the most romantic site in Egypt.

Day 19: Morning flight to Cairo - Islamic Cairo and markets
We fly to Cairo in the late morning. We head to a restaurant for a buffet lunch before walking in the Old City of Cairo to see the awe inspiring mediaeval buildings of the Islamic Period. High-lights include the spectacular 19th Century Mosque of Mohamed Ali and the monumental 14th Century Mosque of Sultan Hassan. We climb a minaret for a great view of the medieval Citadel. The day ends with shopping and dinner in the Khan el-Khalili markets.

Day 20: The Cairo Museum
This day is set aside for the remarkable Cairo Museum with a guided tour concentrating on the 18th Dynasty remains. We see the statues and reliefs of the Amarna period, the treasures of Tutankhamun and the burial equipment of Yuya and Tjuya, parents of Queen Tiye. Free time is provided in the afternoon for exploring other parts of the museum's incredible collection.

Day 21: Depart Cairo late morning
We depart Cairo International Airport for our flight to Australia in the early afternoon with a stopover in Singapore.

Day 22: Arrive in Australia Arrive back in Australia.

* Please note that the Company reserves the right to make alterations to the itinerary in the period up to 60 days prior to a tour departure. The itinerary may also be subject to minor re-arrangement due to the scheduling of the operators and availability of access. If this occurs, the Company will endeavour to provide a comparable alternative.

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