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Includes airfare, fuel surcharges, great hotels, transfers, meals, touring & more!
To travel to the land of Egypt is to feel profoundly touched by history. The glory and greatness, mystery and mystique that was once Egypt, beckons alluringly. Come and explore an ancient land of temples, tombs, and hieroglyphs as we visit a civilization shaped by the mighty Nile River.
Monday, January 11: USA/Egypt. Depart from New York on the first leg of our overnight flight to Egypt via Egypt Air jet service.
Tuesday, January 12: Cairo. Arrival in Cairo, where we are warmly greeted by our guide, assisted through customs formalities, and then escorted to our private touring coach to transfer to our Cairo hotel. Sofitel El Gezirah or similar. (D)
Wednesday, January 13: Cairo. Today's visits include the Cairo Museum, regarded as one of the most prominent in the world, where we can view remarkable treasures dating back 5,000 years. Here we'll visit the priceless antiquities of King Tutankhamen's tomb and the intriguing Mummy Room.
Thursday, January 14: Memphis/Sakkara/Giza/Overnight Train.
We drive along the Nile this morning to the ancient capital of Memphis. Though most of the city has been destroyed by time, the magnificent Alabaster Sphinx and the mammoth statue of Ramses II remain. We continue to the Necropolis of Sakkara, City of the Dead, where we view the famous Step Pyramid of King Zoser, Pyramid of Teti, Mastaba of Mereruka and the Wall of Cobras. We continue to Giza where we see the Pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mycerinus, the Solar Boat, and the mysterious Sphinx and Valley Temple. Continue to the railroad station in Giza to board our overnight train to Aswan.Our accommodations are in private sleeping compartments, and dinner will be served on board. (B,L,D)
Friday, January 15: Aswan. After breakfast aboard the train, we'll begin our touring in Aswan. Our visits include the High Dam and the lotus shaped monument to Soviet-Egyptian cooperation, where it is possible to enjoy a wonderful view of Lake Nasser. We continue to the unfinished obelisk. Fractured during cutting and abandoned, this work of art shows how these magnificent monuments were painstakingly hewn by hand and polished to a glassy smoothness. On to Philae Island, one of Egypt's most impressive sights before being flooded after the first Aswan Dam was built. The new site represents a complete restoration of the original. Take advantage of an optional camel ride to San Simeon Monastery and Qubbet el-Hawa Tombs, then transfer to our cruise ship for embarkation and dinner. MS Tulip (B, L, D)
Saturday, January 16: Abu Simbel/Edfu. Early morning flight to Abu Simbel of Ramses II, one of the most moving and thrilling sites in all of Egypt. Here at the limits of Upper Egypt, Ramses II built his temple in honor of Harmakhis, guardian of the Gates to the Nether World, Amon-Ra, Solar God, Ptah, God of Creativity, and Ramses II himself. After our tour, we'll fly back to Aswan to board our cruise ship and continue sailing to Edfu. (B, L, D)
Sunday, January 17: Edfu/Luxor.
After breakfast, we visit the Temple of Edfu, a Greek-built monument to Horus, the falcon-headed son of Osiris. It took about 200 years to
complete this temple, which has helped fill in many gaps of knowledge about Pharaonic architecture that it imitates. Return to the ship for lunch aboard as we sail to Esna. Cross Esna Lock and sail to Luxor. (B, L,D)
Tuesday, January 19: Luxor/Esna. This morning we visit the Temples of Karnak and Luxor. Karnak is possibly one of the most overwhelming monuments of the Pharaonic legacy, with work carried out on the temples over a period of 1500 years. The Luxor Temple is strikingly graceful and was added to over the centuries by Tutankhamun, Ramses II and others. This afternoon we'll enjoy a change of pace as we take a
carriage ride into the countryside and visit the Coptic Christian village of Ngaa el Syagh. We'll return to our ship to continue sailing to Esna. (B, L, D)
Thursday, January 21: Aswan. Sail to Aswan this morning. Visits this afternoon by felucca include Elephantine Island, where we find the ruined Temple of Khnum, the work of many pharaohs down to the Ptolemies and even the Romans. We'll also view the Agha Khan Mausoleum and the botanical gardens of Kitchener Island. Enjoy our final night aboard our Nile cruise. (B, L, D)
Saturday, January 23: Cairo/USA. Say a reluctant goodbye to Egypt as we transfer to the airport early this morning to board our return flight to the USA, arriving in New York later this afternoon. (B)
For quick answers to Frequently Asked Questions about travel to Egypt, click here.
| From New York | $3950 (payment by check) |
| From New York | $4050 (payment by credit card) |
| Single Occupancy: | add $760 |
Please download the reservation application and fax or mail it to us, together with your $300 per person deposit. Fax to: 215-572-9803. Mail to P.O. Box 505, Jenkintown, PA 19046.
Reservation application PDF (requires free Acrobat Reader)
Dr. Steven Derfler
Educational Resources
1691 Highland Parkway
St. Paul, MN 55116
Tel: 651-592-3688
Fax: 651-690-2188
Dr. Derfler is associated with institutions both in the Midwest and Israel. In the Upper Midwest, he teaches as a professor at the University of Wisconsin River Falls. International institutions include Tel Aviv University's Institute of Archaeology, the Israeli Antiquities Authority, and The Negev Museum of Beersheva. In addition, he has served as a scholar-in-residence at Oxford University, England.
His commentaries can be found in such publications as the St. Paul Pioneer Press and The American Jewish World. His research has been published by the Israel Exploration Journal, Tel Aviv Journal of Archaeology, Hadashot Archaologiot, Atiqot, Middle East Review, The ARAM Journal of Oxford University, The University of Minnesota Press and the Edwin Mellen Press. He has developed educational tools, including videos and CD ROMs, that are widely used throughout North America and the Middle East.
Dr. Derfler directs study tours to Egypt, Morocco, Greece and Turkey, and Israel/Jordan.
Single Occupancy Rooms: add $760
* Prices shown are good while inventory lasts, may reflect an early booking discount, and do not include Additional Taxes, Fees & September 11th Security Fee.
Though we do our best to provide accurate and up-to-date information on our site about our tours, sometimes oversights and typographical errors can occur. Please confirm all tour prices and details with us via email or phone prior to booking. We will not be held responsible for misunderstandings arising from such errors.
Some photos on this page courtesy of the Israel Ministry of Tourism.
TourCode: d-000
