"The coming back thus, after an excursion in the felucca, is one of the many pleasant things that one has to remember of the Nile. The sun has set; the afterglow has faded; the stars are coming out. Leaning back with a satisfied sense of something seen or done, one listens to the old dreamy chant of the rowers, and to the ripple under the keel. … We are at home once more. Let us eat, drink, rest, and be merry; for tomorrow the hard work of sight-seeing and sketching begins again."

Amelia Edwards, from 'A Thousand Miles up the Nile'

This three-week Study Tour has an emphasis on the reign of Ramesses the Great and monarchs of the 19th and 20th Dynasties. We arrive in Cairo and head by bus to Saqqara where we explore the majestic Step Pyramid, the tombs of the Sixth Dynasty officals and the magnificent colossus of Ramesses at Memphis. The following day we tour Giza where we see the pyramids of the Fourth Dynasty and also explore the Khan el-Khalili Markets. We visit the spectacular ruined city of Tamis in the Nile Delta with its numerous statues and obelisks of Ramesses II and explore hte royal tombs of the 21st and 22nd Dynasties. We then spend a day exploring the treasures of the Cairo Museum with an emphasis on the New Kingdom period.

We fly to Luxor where we spend a week exploring the local antiquities. We see the impressive ruins of the temple of Luxor and visit the Luxor Museum. An early morning walk across the Theban Hills gives us a panoramic view over the Nile Valley as we make our way to the temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahri. In the Valley of the Kings we explore three royal tombs from the Ramesside Period. A day trip from Luxor takes us to Abydos where we see the finely carved and painted temples of King Sety I and Ramesses II. We also visit the magnificent painted Tombs of the Nobles, see the romantic ruins of the Ramesseum, explore Karnak Temple and see the remarkable remains of the Temple of Ramesses III at Medinet Habu.

WWe next head south to Aswan stopping en route to see the well preserved Ptolemaic temples of Edfu and Kom Ombo. In Aswan we take a felucca ride on the Nile, visit the beautiful Temple of Philae, the Granite Quarries of Aswan and see the artefacts in the Nubia Museum. THe highlight of the trip is the cruise on Lake Nasser. This 3-night cruise takes us from Abu Simbel to Aswan enabling us to stop and visit the temples of Wadi es-Sebua, Derr, and Amada, Beit el-Wali and Kalabsha. The tour ends with a day exploring the mediaeval city of Cairo.

Felucca at Aswan

ITINERARY*

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

Day 2: Arrive Cairo - Saqqara Step Pyramid - Memphis
In the morning we arrive in Cairo and check into our hotel. After freshening up we take a short drive to Saqqara where we see the remarkable Third Dynasty Step Pyramid of Djoser. We then 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 colossal statue of Ramesses the Great in the local museum.

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 restaurant 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: Bubastis temples - Tanis temples and tombs
In the morning we head north to the Delta ruins of Bubastis, home to the cult of the cat god Bastet. Here we see the ruined temple of the goddess and the statue of Merit-amun, daughter of Ramesses. Next we head to the famous Delta site of Tanis to see the ruins of the city. Numerous obelisks and statues of Ramesses II were brought here from the earlier capital of Per-Ramesses. A highlight of the site is the inscribed tombs of the 21st and 22nd Libyans Kings where the Tanis treasure was found.

Day 5: The Cairo Museum
This day is set aside for the remarkable Cairo Museum with a guided tour concentrating on the New Kingdom remains. We see the statues and reliefs of the 18th Dynasty and Ramesside Period including the treasures of Tutankhamun. Lunch takes place in a nearby café. We see the Tanis treasure in the afternoon and there is free time for exploring other parts of the museum's collection.

Day 6: Fly to Luxor in the Morning - Luxor Temple - Luxor Museum
We fly from Cairo to Luxor in the morning. We check into our hotel and have some lunch. We then visit Luxor Temple, located in the heart of the modern city. We take our time to explore this picturesque monument concentrating on the remains of the Ramesside Period. There is free time in the afternoon to relax. In the evening we visit the Luxor Museum with its famous collection of New Kingdom sculpture.


Day 7: 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 see three of the royal tombs of the New Kingdom including the tomb of Merenptah (the Tomb of Tutankhamun is an optional extra).

Day 8: Deir el-Medina - Tombs of the Nobles - Ramesseum
In the morning we visit Deir el-Medina, the ancient village of the workmen. We explore the village and two superb painted tombs. We then see a number of the other painted tombs belonging to high officials of the New Kingdom in the so-called 'Valley of the Nobles'ainted tombs. This includes the tomb of Ramose, famous for its delicate carved relief. We have lunch in a nearby café. The afternoon is spent looking at the romantic ruins of the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses II, also known as the Ramesseum.

Day 9: Free day in Luxor
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 own 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 10: Day excursion by bus to Abydos and Dendera
In the morning we head north from Luxor by bus to see the mortuary temples of Sety I and Ramesses II at Abydos. These superb painted temples contain beautiful wall reliefs and the famous king list which are a highlight of the program. We also have a chance to walk across the desert to see the Osireon, mythological tomb of Osiris, and the Temple of Ramesses II. After a picnic lunch we head south to Luxor, stopping en route to see the impressive Ptolemaic Temple of Hathor at Dendera and wander around the ruins.


Day 11: Karnak Temple
The day is spent in the ruins of the vast Temple of Karnak. We spend the morning looking at the forecourt and Hypostyle Hall, before wandering around the impressive open-air museum with its well preserved bark shrines. We break for lunch in a nearby café. In the afternoon we see the sanctuary of the temple, the festival hall of Tuthmosis III and the little-visited Ramesside Temple of the Moon God Khonsu.

Day 12: Medinet Habu temple - Valley of the Queens - afternoon at leisure
The day begins with a visit to the temple of Medinet Habu, mortuary temple of Ramesses III. This building is famous for its superb war reliefs and coloured scenes of religious processions. We then visit the Valley of the Queens where we see three royal tombs. The famous tomb of Nefertari, if open, is an optional extra. We have lunch at a local café - the afternoon is free for rest, relaxation or exploration of Luxor's many attractions.

Day 13: Bus to Aswan via Edfu and Kom Ombo - Nubia Museum
We take an early morning bus ride south of Luxor to Aswan. En route we make two stops - the first is to see the superb Ptolemaic temple of Horus at Edfu which is so well preserved that you can imagine that the temple is still being used. From here we continue on to Kom Ombo, where the River Nile provides a dramatic back drop to the ruins. In Aswan we have a rest and visit the recently constructed Nubia Museum which houses supurb artefacts from the local region.

Day 14: Aswan Tombs of the Nobles - felucca ride to Kitchener's Island
The morning is spent visiting the painted tombs of the Old Kingdom governors of Aswan. We reach the cemetery by felucca sailboat and climb the stairs to the tombs. The view across the Nile is magnificent and is even better from the Qubbet el-Hawa, the Dome of the Winds, on the summit of the hill. In the afternoon we take our boat to Kitchener's Island where we tour the beautiful botanical gardens of Aswan. We then have a late lunch at a restaurant on a small island in the Nile. There is free time in the afternoon to explore the markets of Aswan or go for a camel ride.

Day 15: Granite Quarry - Aswan High Dam - Philae temple
In the morning we visit the fascinating granite quarries of Aswan and see the remarkable unfinished obelisk which is still embedded in the rock. From here we travel to see the Aswan High Dam, built in the 1960's and 70's to control the flooding of the Nile. In the afternoon we head by boat to visit the beautiful ruins of Philae, cult place of Isis, said by many to be Egypt's most beautiful temple. We have a picnic on the island and tour the temple.

Day 16: Bus to Abu Simbel - join boat trip Lake Nasser - Abu Simbel
In the morning we travel by bus (3 hours) across the Nubian Desert to Abu Simbel, the remarkable Nubian Temples of Ramesses II and his wife Nefertari which were carved into the native rock. These spectacular temples were moved during the builsing of the High Dam. We check into our cruise boat, have some lunch and then visit the temples of Abu Simbel. We have plenty of time to wander around the temples - an optional 'Sound and Light Show' can be arranged.

Day 17: Boat Trip (5 Star)Lake Nasser- Kasr Ibrim, Amada and Derr
We depart Abu Simbel for our cruise on Lake Nasser in the early morning, visiting a number of sites along the way. There is time to relax and read and watch the passing of the Nubian landscape. During the day we stop to see the romantic desert Temples of Amada (18th Dynasty) and Derr (Ramesses the Great).


Day 18: Boat trip Lake Nasser - Wadi es-Sebua, Dakka, Maharakka
In the morning we visit the picturesque temple of Wadi es-Sebua, constructed by Ramesses the Great. The temple is situated in a dramatic desert landscape and was moved when the Aswan Dam was built. We take a camel ride across a vast desert landscape to see the ruins of the Temple of Dakka (Ptolemaic Period) and the Roman shrine of Maharakka. The afternoon is spent cruising through a scenic landscape back to Aswan.

Day 19: Boat trip Lake Nasser - Kalabsha, Beit el-Wali and Qirtassi - fly to Cairo
In the morning we see the beautiful painted rock-cut temple of Ramesses II at Beit el-Wali, moved from its original location to near the Aswan High Dam. We also explore the impressive Roman Period temple of Kalabsha dedicated to the Nubian god Mandulis and see the picturesque Kiosk of Qirtassi, re-erected with a view over Lake Nasser. In the afternoon we head to Aswan airport for our flight to Cairo.

Day 20: Morning at leisure - Islamic Cairo
In the morning there is some free time to rest and relax. After a buffet lunch we tour the Old City of Cairo and see the awe inspiring buildings of the Islamic Period. A high-light is the monumental 19th Century Mosque of Mohamed Ali in the Citadel of Saladin and we also see the awe-inspiring 14th Century Mosque of Sultan Hassan. The day ends in the Khan el-Khalili markets with time set aside for shopping.

Day 21: Depart Cairo early afternoon
The morning is at leisure to relax and finish packing. 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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