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EGYPT & JORDAN January 14-31, 2009 Sold out, waitlist only, repeating in January 2010
WED, JAN 14 - DEPART U.S. The adventure begins this evening as we board an Air France jet bound for Paris. THU, JAN 15 - PARIS-CAIRO We arrive in Paris about mid-day and connect with an afternoon flight to Cairo. Upon arrival, we transfer to our hotel in Giza. Grand Pyramids Hotel FRI, JAN 16 - CAIRO Today we have a guided visit to the Great Pyramids, the Sphinx, and the Solar Boat, with plenty of free time to explore and photograph these sites on your own. After a typical Egyptian lunch at Felfela, we visit the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities for a look at the many treasures unearthed from Egypt’s tombs, including the riches of Tutankhamun and the Mummy Room. Those interested in shopping can stop at the renowned Wissa Wessef Art Centre and a carpet shop to peruse locally made products. Grand Pyramids Hotel (BLD) SAT, JAN 17 - CAIRO Our morning sightseeing includes Saladin’s Citadel and the beautiful Alabaster Mosque within the citadel walls, followed by a walking tour of Islamic Cairo. After a relaxing lunch in the rooftop restaurant of the El Hussein Hotel, with its panoramic views over the surrounding area, we stroll through the maze of intriguing streets that make up the Khan el Khalili, one of the largest bazaars in the Middle East. The grand finale today is a sunset camel ride into the desert for long-distance views of the Pyramids. Grand Pyramids Hotel (BL) SUN, JAN 18 - CAIRO-ABU SIMBEL This morning we fly to Abu Simbel to visit the colossal temples of Ramses II and his queen, Nefertari. Dedicated to the god Ra-Horakhti, it took 25,000 workers a period of 25 years to complete this massive complex, which was cut into over a thousand transportable pieces, some weighing as much as 15 tons, and placed safely above the water level until it could be reassembled at a new site 200 feet higher than its original site. Our hotel overlooking Lake Nasser is within walking distance of this breathtaking sight, so you can take the guided tour and then explore at your own pace. This evening we enjoy a memorable sound and light show. Seti Abu Simbel Hotel (BD) MON, JAN 19 - ABU SIMBEL-ASWAN We photograph Abu Simbel’s temples in golden morning light before a short flight to Aswan. This afternoon’s sightseeing includes the High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk, and Temple of Isis on Philae Island. Later, we hire a felucca to take us to Elephantine Island, with time to walk through the colorful Nubian village there. Isis Aswan Hotel (BD) TUE, JAN 20 - ASWAN-LUXOR This morning we drive north along the Nile to Luxor. En route, we stop at Kom Ombo Temple, dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile god, and Harwar, the hawk-headed god. Farther on, Edfu Temple, dedicated to the falcon-headed Horus, is one of the finest examples of Ptolemaic art in Egypt. We also visit Esna before arriving in Luxor, where we transfer to our hotel overlooking the Nile. Iberotel (BLD) WED, JAN 21 - LUXOR The morning is at leisure to shop or explore Luxor on your own. This afternoon we visit Luxor Temple, a strikingly graceful piece of architecture on the bank of the Nile, and the Temple of Karnak, the most important temple in all of Egypt during the height of Theban power and prosperity. A horse carriage ride this evening takes us to the sound and light show at Karnak, a 90-minute program recounting the history of Thebes and the lives of the many pharaohs who built sanctuaries, courts, statues, and obelisks in honor of Amun. Iberotel (B) THU, JAN 22 - LUXOR The West Bank of Luxor was the necropolis of ancient Thebes, a vast City of the Dead where magnificent temples were raised to honor the cults of pharaohs entombed in the nearby cliffs, and where queens, royal children, nobles, priests, artisans, and even workers built tombs which ranged, in the quality of their design and decor, from the spectacular to the ordinary. Our West Bank sightseeing includes the mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahri; Medinet Habu, the mortuary temple of Ramses III; the Ramesseum, the ruins of a massive monument raised by Ramses II to the ultimate glory of himself; lavishly decorated tombs in the Valley of Kings and Valley of Queens; and the huge pair of statues known as the Colossi of Memnon. Late this afternoon we enjoy a leisurely felucca cruise on the Nile. Iberotel (BLD) FRI, JAN 23 - LUXOR-CAIRO This morning we fly to Cairo and transfer to our historic downtown hotel, situated on the bank of the Nile just two blocks from the Egyptian Museum. The remainder of the day is at leisure to explore, shop, and photograph on your own. Shepheard Hotel (B) SAT, JAN 24 - CAIRO / NILE DELTA Today we explore the Nile Delta, beginning with the chaotic and colorful camel market at Abu Rawash. The agriculturally rich fields of the Delta have been cultivated for thousands of years. Date palms and indolent donkeys suggest we’re visiting a postcard oasis. We stop at rural villages to witness daily life, see photogenic dovecotes or “pigeon castles,” and enjoy a leisurely sail on the Nile Barrage, built in 1868 during the period of Mohamed Ali Pasha. At that time it was the largest dam in the world, and is now used to control the waters of the Nile during flood. Shepheard Hotel (BL) SUN, JAN 25 - CAIRO-SINAI In antiquity, Sinai was referred to as the Land of Enchantments. A rugged but enticing triangle of desert and mountain wedged between Africa and Asia, it divides Islamic Egypt from Israel and offers a Christian monastery as its major tourist attraction. Today we cross the Gulf of Suez and drive to St. Catherine’s Monastery on the Sinai Peninsula, at the foot of Mount Sinai. It was at the top of this mountain, 7,497 feet in height, where Moses received the Ten Commandments. The monastery itself sits at an altitude of 5,150 feet on the reputed site of the Burning Bush. St. Catherine Tourist Village (BD) MON, JAN 26 - SINAI-AQABA We visit St. Catherine’s Monastery this morning before driving to Nuweiba, on the Gulf of Aqaba. An afternoon ferry crossing of the Red Sea takes us to the port of Aqaba, where we transfer to our hotel. Aqaba Gulf Hotel (BD) TUE, JAN 27 - AQABA-WADI RUM-PETRA We spend the day in Wadi Rum, an extraordinary moonscape of ancient riverbeds, towering cliffs, bizarre rock formations soaring out of the desert floor, and smooth, pastel-colored sands. Featured in the film Lawrence of Arabia, Wadi Rum is home to several Bedouin tribes and the site of a fort housing the Desert Patrol. This morning we ride camels amid spectacular desert scenery. After lunch and a rest, we take 4WD vehicles for further sightseeing before continuing by motorcoach to our hotel at the entrance to Petra. Crowne Plaza Resort Hotel Petra (BLD) WED, JAN 28 - PETRA Petra is magnificent, mysterious, and always thrilling. Two thousand years ago, the Nabataeans carved a city out of the rose-red rock and built an empire based on advanced agricultural techniques and control of the area’s strategic trade routes. Petra was protected for several hundred years by a ring of impenetrable mountains, breached only by the half-mile-long fissure through the mountains known as the Siq. When the Romans finally captured Petra in 106 A.D., it was a large, thriving, and beautiful city. The entire day is set aside for exploration of the hidden city either on your own or with our guide. This evening you may want to visit Petra after dark, walking through the lantern-lit Siq to the Treasury, also lit by lanterns, where you can enjoy a cup of tea while Bedouiin music echoes through the gorge. Crowne Plaza Resort Hotel Petra (B) THU, JAN 29 - PETRA-AMMAN This morning we travel to Amman via the King’s Highway, one of the most historic and scenic roads in the Middle East. Parts of the ancient Roman road are still visible in several places along the way, and the route is spectacular when it winds through the gorges of Wadi Mujib and Wadi el Hasa. Stops include the Crusader castle/forts at Shobak and Kerak, as well as St. George Church in Madaba, renowned for its Byzantine-era mosaics, and Mt. Nebo, set on the precipice of a spectacular plateau with sweeping views, on a clear day, all the way to Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. Dinner this evening at Kan Zaman, a restored Ottoman walled village with good shopping opportunities. Jerusalem Hotel (BD) FRI, JAN 30 - AMMAN / JERASH Today we drive through the lovely hills of Gilead to Jerash, the best and most complete ruins of a provincial Roman city in the world. Jerash was buried under sand and rubble for centuries, until the German traveler Seetzen discovered the site in 1806. Here, in the monumental hippodrome, we see a Roman Army performance, gladiator fights, and a chariot race, then have time to explore and photograph. Afterward, we return to Amman, where city sightseeing includes the Roman amphitheatre and the Citadel with its imposing Temple of Hercules. Our adventure comes to an end as we transfer to the airport about midnight to begin our journey home. Jerusalem Hotel (BD) SAT, JAN 31 - AMMAN-PARIS-U.S. We board a flight to Paris early this morning, then connect with flights to the U.S., arriving the same day.
Note: Included meals are indicated by B, L, and D for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. |